Capital markets research in accounting: Lessons learnt and future implications

I review the capital markets literature in accounting by describing the journey taken by researchers since the inception of this stream of research in the late 1960s. Based on a discussion of topics related to the relation between earnings and stock returns, I show how thinking has evolved depending on changing paradigms, methodologies, and data availability. What is clear from a review of the literature is that the usefulness of earnings in determining firm value is both contextual and broadening over time with changes in the global environment. Thus, more research needs to be conducted on a broader notion of earnings that appeals to not just the shareholder but a wide range of firm stakeholders.