The present study investigates the impact of earnings management on firm value, using a sample of banks listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange over the period 2006–2023. A purposive sampling method was employed to select 16 banks with complete data for the specified period, all operating within a traditional banking system characterised by its reliance on interest-based transactions. To test the study’s main hypothesis and achieve its objectives, the Driscoll-Kraay standard error model was applied for data analysis. The findings reveal that earnings management has a significant and inverse effect on firm value, after controlling for various firm-level, market-level, and macroeconomic variables. Based on these results, the study offers several recommendations, most notably that regulatory authorities should enhance corporate governance by enforcing stricter frameworks, improving audit quality, and promoting ethical financial reporting. Additionally, strengthening investor awareness and adopting effective risk management strategies are essential to improving financial stability, reducing information asymmetry, and increasing market confidence.
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