If US public companies had been required to expense employee stock options in 2004, as will be required under FASB Statement 123R Share-Based Payment starting in third-quarter 2005:
the reported 2004 post-tax net income from continuing operations of the S&P 500 companies would have been reduced by 5%, and 2004 NASDAQ 100 post-tax net income from continuing operations would have been reduced by 22%.
Those are key findings of a study conducted by the Equity Research group at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. The purpose of the study is to help investors gauge the impact that expensing employee stock options will have on the 2005 earnings of US public companies. The Bear, Stearns analysis was based on the 2004 stock option disclosures in the most recently filed 10Ks of companies that were S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 constituents as of 31 December 2004. Exhibits to the study present the results by company, by sector, and by industry. Visitors to IAS Plus are likely to find the study of interest because the requirements of FAS 123R for public companies are very similar to those of IFRS 2. We are grateful to Bear, Stearns for giving us permission to post the study on IAS Plus. The report remains copyright Bear, Stears & Co. Inc., all rights reserved. Click to download 2004 Earnings Impact of Stock Options on the S&P 500 & NASDAQ 100 Earnings (PDF 486k).
