The annual reports of 141 Fortune 500 Industrial companies were reviewed to determine which financial ratios are reported. The values for 11 selected ratios are computed for all companies using a standardized computational rule. Three of the 11 ratios are significantly more favorable for reporting than for nonreporting firms, suggesting that Fortune 500 firms may selectively report these ratios.

The expected value of information is an important concept in cost and managerial accounting. Quite often students have difficulty integrating and applying statistical techniques to accounting problems. Contributing to this difficulty is the occasional lack of standardization of terms in the two disciplines. This article describes an approach which introduces information economics to managerial and cost accounting classes, Included is an Appendix which can serve as the basis for a classroom presentation by the instructor or which can be reproduced and distributed to students.

Reviews the book "Financial Statement Analysis: Using Financial Accounting Information," 2nd ed., by Charles H. Gibson and Patricia A. Frishkoff.