Implications of Special Items for Future Earnings

This study examines the implications of special items (SI) for future earnings using quarterly Korean data over the period from 2011 to 2014. Due to the lack of identification of SI in Korea, I choose several items as special items if they are material and non-recurring items following prior studies. Then I regressed seasonally-differenced future earnings on positive and negative SI and found that their effects on future earnings were different. While negative SI are explained by inter-period expense transfer, positive SI are not well-described by traditional prototypes. Next, I regressed seasonally-differenced future earnings on negative SI sub-types as they are heterogeneous in nature and have differing implications for future earnings. While PPE impairments and intangibles impairments are partly explained by the inter-period expense transfer, unspecified loss of other loss items are not. Interestingly, these effects are attenuated or disappear in the Kosdaq market when the markets are divided into the Kospi and Kosdaq markets.