scholarly journals The Impact of Working Capital Management on the performance of Listed Firms: Evidence of an Emerging Economy

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 389-407
Author(s):  
Ronald Essel ◽  
Joyce Brobbey

The aim/purpose of this scientific inquiry is to empirically examine the impact of working capital management (WCM) [cash conversion cycle (CCC), number of days inventory (INV), number of days account receivable (AR), number of days account payable (AP)] and control variables [sales growth (GROW), size (SIZE), leverage (LEV), current ratio (CR) fixed financial assets to total assets (FFA)] on firm performance (FP) [ROA, Tobin’s Q (TQ)] in the context of an emerging economy, Ghana. The research used a dynamic panel System of Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) to test the hypotheses. Utilizing financial data extracted from final accounts of 36 listed companies, spanning 2010-2019, the study examined WCM-performance-nexuses by following the methodologies of researchers/scholars in extant literature. Findings/Results indicates that, whilst INV, AR, LEV demonstrated negative/inverse/indirect associations with FP; AP, GROW, SIZE, CR, FFA depicted positive/direct associations with FP. CCC however, exhibited a quadratic concave relationship with ROA.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-33
Author(s):  
Naseem Ahamed

The primary objective of this study is to examine the impact of working capital management efficiency on the financial health/well-being of a company measured in terms of firm value in the context of a rapidly emerging economy. This study applies a multivariate ordinary least square regression analysis on industry adjusted performance variable of 1532 Indian firms listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) for a period of 18 years (from 1999-2017). Not all of the 1532 firms selected for this study were listed during the whole period of study. Only 610 firms were listed at the beginning and gradually more and more companies started to get listed until eventually 922 more companies got listed to the initial tally of 610 listed firms making the total number of listed companies to be 1532 by the end of the study period. A total of 19862 firm year observations correspond to listed firms and 9246 firm year observations for unlisted firms making it a total of 29108 firm year observations. The findings of this study indicate that an efficient working capital management (proxied by Cash conversion cycle and components thereof) leads to better firm performance when adjusted for industry differences. It also shows that the relationship follows a curvilinear trajectory instead of a linear one as a change in sign in the coefficient of working capital management proxy (Cash Conversion Cycle) occurs and its square term and both are manifesting itself as significant in the listed companies. This is a co-relational study investigating the association between working capital management efficiency and firm performance. The findings of this study is based in an economy that is unique in its own right. Indian corporate landscape is replete with business groups and they dominate the market in terms of asset holding and market capitalization coupled with the existence of institutional gaps and weak legal enforcement mechanisms. All of which makes the Indian corporate landscape totally different from its more developed counterparts thus rendering the results not generalizable. The relationship between these variables should be verified in other economies taking their unique characteristics into account. This study to the best of the author’s knowledge is the first one to investigate the relationship between working capital management and firm performance on such a comprehensive dataset having 62 different industries in an emerging economy. The findings of the study are intended to be of use to financial managers, investors, financial management consultants, and other stakeholders.


SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824402198931
Author(s):  
Abudu Braimah ◽  
Yinping Mu ◽  
Isaac Quaye ◽  
Alhassan Abubakar Ibrahim

This study empirically examines the impact of working capital management (WCM) on the profitability of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the context of a developing economy, Ghana. We analyzed data on 366 SMEs over a 10-year period, spanning 2007 to 2016. Generalized method of moment (GMM) estimation was employed. The results reveal a positive relationship between trade payable period and profitability. The inventory conversion period and cash conversion cycle show a negative association with profitability. The results show an inverted U-shaped relationship between trade receivables collection period and corporate profitability, an indication of an optimal trade receivables collection period that maximizes profitability. Further check suggests a deviation from the optimal trade receivables collection period significantly and negatively affects corporate profitability. The study reveals the need for firms to ensure efficient management of working capital to maximize profitability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Sorin Anton ◽  
Anca Afloarei Nucu

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between working capital and firm profitability for a sample of 719 Polish listed firms over the period of 2007–2016. The scarcity of empirical evidence for emerging economies and the importance of working capital efficiency motivate the research on the working capital–financial performance relationship. The paper adopts a quantitative approach using different panel data techniques (ordinary least squares, fixed effects, and panel-corrected standard errors models). The empirical results report an inverted U-shape relationship between working capital level and firm profitability, meaning that working capital has a positive effect on the profitability of Polish firms to a break-even point (optimum level). After the break-even point, working capital starts to negatively affect firm profitability. The study brings theoretical and practical contributions. It extends and complements the literature on the field by highlighting new evidence on the non-linear interrelation between working capital management (WCM) and corporate performance in Poland. From the practitioners’ perspective, the results highlight the importance of WCM for firm profitability.


2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 71-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meryem Bellouma

Working capital is an important component in the financial decision of the company. An optimal working capital management is reached through a trade off between profitability and liquidity. This study aims to provide empirical evidence about the effects of working capital management on the profitability of 386 Tunisian export SMEs observed from 2001 to 2008. The results of fixed and random effects models show a negative relationship between corporate profitability and the different working capital components. This reveals that Tunisian export SMEs should shorten their cash conversion cycle by reducing the number of days of accounts receivable and inventories to increase their profitability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Manar Moffadi Al-Mohareb

This study investigates the impact of working capital management and its components on profitability as a practical aspect, and how is compatible with the theoretical aspect. Besides, it examines other financial factors that may affect profitability by using a sample of Jordanian manufacturing firms listed in the Amman Stock Exchange for the period (2016-2018). Theoretically, manufacturing firms that have been studied have current assets over half of their total assets. Therefore, the working capital management role will be clearer on firm profitability.Practically, the results indicate that there is a significant relationship between the cash conversion cycle, which is considered as a proxy of working capital management, and profitability of the manufacturing firms. This provides an opportunity to create value for shareholders by decreasing receivable accounts and inventory, enhancing the profitability of the firms and reducing the collection period and by adopting effective credit policy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Rafiqul Bhuyan ◽  
Mohammad Sogir Hossain Khandoker ◽  
Noshin Tasneem ◽  
Mahjuja Taznin

We examine the impact of efficient working capital management on market value and profitability. Using secondary data on selected firms from Dhaka Stock Exchange we explore the effects of various working capital components (i.e. cash conversion cycle (CCC), current ratio (CR), current asset to total asset ratio (CATAR), current liabilities to total asset ratio (CLTAR), debt to asset ratio (DTAR), siz,e and growth) to the firm’s performance by looking firm’s value i.e. Tobin’s Q (TQ) and profitability i.e. return on asset (ROA) and return on invested capital (ROIC). Our results show that, for both food and overall manufacturing sectors, there is a significant association between working capital variables and firm’s value & return on assets, but an insignificant association with return on invested capital.


Author(s):  
Walter Gachira ◽  
Washington Chiwanzwa ◽  
Dingilizwe Jacob Nkomo ◽  
Runesu Chikore

Working capital is essential for the day-to-day operations of a firm. The study examines the impact of working capital management on the profitability of non-financial firms listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE). Using panel data methodology, the direction and extent of the impact of working capital management on profitability is scrutinised. The regression analysis is based on a panel sample of 39 non-financial firms listed on the ZSE from 2009 to 2013, the period under which the Zimbabwean economy has been operating under the multicurrency system. It was found that there is a positive relationship between debtors’ days and firm’s profitability, a negative relationship between creditors’ days and profitability and a positive relationship between firm’s cash conversion cycle and its profitability. There is some negative relationship between current ratio and profitability, while inventory turnover days and profitability are positively related. Debt to asset ratio as a control variable has a significant negative relationship with firm value and profitability. The results of the study show that for the companies included in the sample, there are mixed effects of the components of working capital on firm performance. Managers can thus create value for shareholders by taking note of the existence of such relationships and take measures that enhance firm profitability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-147
Author(s):  
Phadindra Kumar Poudel ◽  
Pujan Maharjan

The study deals with the relationship between firm characteristics of working capital management and firm profitability in Nepal. It examines if firm performance, return on assets is related to cash conversion cycle, days’ sales outstanding, days’ inventory outstanding and current ratio. The study is based on pooled cross-sectional data of 10 non-financial firms from 2071/72 to 2075/76 of listed firms in the Nepal Stock Exchange. The study employed descriptive and causal-comparative research design to attainthe purpose of this study. The result reveals that the current ratio has a positively significant relationship with profitability and days’ sale outstanding has negatively significant relationship with the financial performance of the firm.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Mbawuni ◽  
Mercy Hawa Mbawuni ◽  
Simon Gyasi Nimako

<p>The study examined the impact of working capital management (WCM) on the profitability of petroleum retail firms (PRFs) in Ghana over a six year period (2008-2013). Audited annual reports from a sample of five selected petroleum retail firms in Ghana are employed in the study. Using, descriptive analysis, correlation and regression analysis, the results indicate that, in the PRFs in Ghana, there is favourable net working capital for the firms and a favourable networking capital to total assets ratio. The most important WCM component that drives the firm’s profitability, measured in return on assets (ROA), is average days payable (ADP). The rest of WCM components, cash conversion cycle (CCC), average days inventory (ADI) and average days receivables (ADR) did not have significant relationship with profitability. The study further found that WCM practices among the five selected PRFs support the conservative strategy of WCM, rather than an aggressive WCM strategy. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.<br /><br /></p>


Author(s):  
Tarik Hossain

This research aims to analyze the impact of efficient working capital management on the profitability of the manufacturing firm in Bangladesh. Fifty-two manufacturing companies listed with Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) have been selected randomly from 2012 to 2017. Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) are used as indicators of profitability, while the inventory conversion period (ICP), the average collection period (ACP), the average payment period (APP), and the Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC) are used as the independent variables which are used as a measurement of working capital management of the firm. Ordinary Least Squares regression models and Pearson's Correlation are used to establish the relationship between working capital management and profitability. The results revealed a significant negative relation between ROA and CCC, ACP; a significant negative relationship exists between ROE and CCC, APP. Manufacturing companies can increase profitability by decreasing the cash conversion cycle, average payment period, and average collection period. It also revealed that ICP is also positively related to ROA and ROE. Therefore, this research concludes that efficiently and effectively managing working capital is very important for increasing manufacturing companies' profitability.


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