Total value of settled accounting cases also increased in 2023

A new report released today by Cornerstone Research shows an increase of nearly 10% in the number of securities class action filings involving accounting allegations in 2023 compared to 2022. This growth occurred even though cases took longer to be filed, with the median filing lag reaching 43 days, the longest in a decade. The report, Accounting Class Action Filings and Settlements—2023 Review and Analysis, also found that the total value of settlements increased 11% year-over-year despite a decrease in the number of settlements.

Accounting Case Filings

The number of accounting-related securities class action filings grew to 56 in 2023. Despite three years of consecutive increases, the number of cases filed remained below the historical average of 62.

For defendant companies named in accounting case filings, the DDL Index, the dollar-value change in the defendant firm’s market capitalization, more than doubled in 2023 to $76.9 billion. This was the second largest for accounting cases in the last 10 years and came amidst a 44% decline in total DDL for all federal securities class action filings in 2023. The increase was largely due to filings with a DDL of at least $5 billion, accounting for approximately half of the total accounting DDL.

“While the DDL substantially increased in 2023 compared to 2022, the trend of plaintiffs filing accounting cases against smaller issuer defendants continued,” said Frank Mascari, a report coauthor and a principal at Cornerstone Research. “At $719 million, the issuer defendant’s median market capitalization in 2023 accounting case filings was 46% less than the 2014–2022 average and was the lowest in the last 10 years.”

Additional Filing Trends:

• Revenue recognition continued to be the most common GAAP violation alleged in 2023.
• The first-year dismissal rate of 2023 accounting case filings was 36% lower than the average first-year dismissal rate over the last 10 years.
• Accounting case filings in the Financial sector doubled in 2023, returning to historical levels.
• Accounting case filings involving financial statement restatements continued to rebound after a 10-year low in 2021, and they were the second highest in the last 10 years.

The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Cornerstone Research.