Accounting Noise

The effect of complex and extensive accounting rules that regulate financial statement reporting and are thought to distort a company's true operating performance.

Accounting noise can be seen as either a consequence of necessary rules regarding generally accepted accounting principles or a result of management's attempts to massage the numbers to present a rosier financial picture of the firm.

For example, a company that has recently undergone a significant merger may look very unprofitable on the income statement; because the merger may cause serious one-time charges for the company, it may be useful for investors to cut through the accounting noise to get a more accurate picture of the company's prospects. 

Conversely, an underperforming company could engage in earnings manipulation, creating accounting noise to hide its poor performance.