The Effect of Quality and Timeliness of Limited Review Report on Perceived Interim Financial Reporting Quality during COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: Evidence from Egypt

In order for financial information to be used by investors to take informed decisions, it should be characterized by its relevance and faithful representation. In times of crisis, investors’ demand and reliance on financial information will be higher in order to reduce the level of uncertainty and information asymmetry and increase their confidence in management’s performance. The objective of this study is to investigate and analyze the impact of quality of limited review reports, measured by adding a key audit matters paragraph (KAM hereafter) related to COVID-19 pandemic to the limited review report and its timeliness, measured by the limited review report lag, on the perceived quality of interim financial reports issued at the end of the third quarter of 2020.
Based on a sample of 95 firms listed on the Egyptian stock exchange (EGX hereafter), the researcher found that the timeliness of limited review reports is positively and significantly associated with the perceived quality of financial reporting from the investors’ point of view. Investors appreciate and value the timeliness of financial reports and the limited review report during COVID-19 pandemic crisis time. Concerning the impact of the quality of limited review report, the researcher didn’t find evidence regarding the informational value of KAM paragraph and its effect on the perceived quality of interim financial reports. This might be because adding KAM paragraph on COVID-19 pandemic is not firm specific and at the same time, not presenting additional information to investors other than that available in the interim financial reports.