This study looked at how audit quality affected the quality of financial reporting for Egyptian-listed companies. Using annual data from 2011 to 2020, totaling 780 observations, we use one of the most advanced models, a system generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator, to control dynamic endogeneity issues and unobserved firm heterogeneity, thereby improving the results' validity and reliability. This is the first study to detect earnings manipulation (EM) in the Egyptian context utilising different accrual-based EM models, including a modified Jones model (1995), Kothari, Leone, and Wasley's (2005) model, Kasznik's (1999) model, and Raman and Shahrur's (2008) model. The data indicate that the Big Four audit firms have no substantial impact on improving the quality of financial reports published in the stock market. The Egyptian audit market, combined with no litigation risk, economic bonding between auditors and their clients, lower investor protection, weak enforcement mechanisms, and firm dominance by controlling groups, encourages auditors to behave opportunistically, undermining their independence and objectivity. As a result, this analysis demonstrates that hiring Big Four auditors is insufficient to ensure financial reporting reliability and integrity. Thus, Egyptian market regulators and policymakers should unify financial reporting and auditing standards, increase enforcement mechanisms, implement legislation and norms that limit profits manipulation behaviours, and incentivize greater quality delivery.