Why do some companies provide extensive forward-looking disclosures while others remain relatively silent? What prompts some companies to disclose important discretionary information in their letter to shareholders rather than in the management discussion and analysis (MD&A)? Is the extent of disclosure likely to change as companies move to adopt IFRS? Recent developments in academic research help address these and other questions. Literature on voluntary versus mandatory disclosures and a sample of Canadian public companies illustrate the form and content of forward-looking disclosures in Canadian annual reports. Scan the article “Corporate Disclosures” in the March 2010 edition of CAmagazine online and learn more by reading the CICA research study Corporate Reporting to Stakeholders (June 2008).
