INDEPENDENT AUDIT: A STUDY OF AUDITORS CERTIFICATES ISSUED ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF BRAZILIAN COMPANIES LISTED IN BOVESPA AND NYSE

Abstract

This study investigates the content of audit certification issued on financial statements of Brazilian companies listed in the BOVESPA and NYSE. The goal of this analysis is to identify the main differences and similarities in the certification content issued on the financial statements of the same companies, and referring to the same period, elaborated according to the respective Brazilian and North American accounting principles, and presented to the corresponding stock exchange. This is a descriptive and comparative research, having a documentary nature. The data were collected by application of content analysis technique. Besides the qualitative analysis, the data was also submitted to a statistical treatment, whose regression was done by the ordinary least squares method. The financial statements of the 26 searched companies referring to the period from 2004 to 2006, resulting in the analysis of 156 certificates and 709 paragraphs. The most significant results are: a) existence of only one opinion with exception; b) American audit certificates emphasizes more the effectiveness of the companies internal controls; c) although not compulsory at that time, all the Brazilian companies had published in Brazil the DFC and the DVA; d) American audit publish the opinion issued by another company on the financial statements of the previous year; e) the American auditors emphasize more the divergences between American and Brazilian accounting practices; f) there is no significant difference in the amount of paragraphs. Finally, there is a high homogeneity level of opinions evidenced in Brazilian and American opinions.