Timing

Annually there used to be unofficial competition amongst the big 5 to see which firm could get the first 31 December year end audit report out the earliest Arthur Andersen won that unofficial competition more often then not issuing their audit opinion within a few hours into the new calendar year Doesn't this subject revolve around seasonality of the client entities? Where a client is in a desperately quiet time as at the year end, the auditors, having done their interim audit work 2 months ago, should be able to issue a report and opinion within just a few days of the year end It's all a matter of circumstances OK?