IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ibf/ijbfre/v3y2009i2p121-129.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Effect Of Capital Structure On Profitability: An Empirical Analysis Of Listed Firms In Nigeria

Author

Listed:
  • Rafiu Oyesola Salawu

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of the capital structure on profitability of quoted companies in Nigeria. The study used secondary data from 1990 to 2004 collected from the selected Annual Report and Accounts of 50 non-financial quoted companies, and Fact Books published by the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model, Fixed Effect Model (FEM) and Random Effect Model (REM) were used in the analysis. The results indicate that profitability present a positive correlation with short-term debt and equity and an inverse correlation with long-term debt. Furthermore, the results show a negative association between the ratio of total debt to total assets and profitability. The result suggests that firms in Nigeria depend on external financing. In the Nigerian case, a high proportion (60%) of the debt is represented in short-term debt. The study suggests that companies should implement an effective and efficient credit policy, which will improve the performance level of the turnover and growth. Finally, the top echelon of company management should take interest in the issue of capital structure and constantly monitor its form and adaptability.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafiu Oyesola Salawu, 2009. "The Effect Of Capital Structure On Profitability: An Empirical Analysis Of Listed Firms In Nigeria," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 3(2), pages 121-129.
    • Handle: RePEc:ibf:ijbfre:v:3:y:2009:i:2:p:121-129
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.theibfr2.com/RePEc/ibf/ijbfre/ijbfr-v3n2-2009/IJBFR-V3N2-2009-9.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stewart C. Myers & Nicholas S. Majluf, 1984. "Corporate Financing and Investment Decisions When Firms Have InformationThat Investors Do Not Have," NBER Working Papers 1396, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Myers, Stewart C. & Majluf, Nicholas S., 1984. "Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 187-221, June.
    3. Bradley, Michael & Jarrell, Gregg A & Kim, E Han, 1984. "On the Existence of an Optimal Capital Structure: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 39(3), pages 857-878, July.
    4. Eugene F. Fama, 2002. "Testing Trade-Off and Pecking Order Predictions About Dividends and Debt," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 1-33, March.
    5. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    6. Jensen, Michael C, 1986. "Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 323-329, May.
    7. Rajan, Raghuram G & Zingales, Luigi, 1995. "What Do We Know about Capital Structure? Some Evidence from International Data," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(5), pages 1421-1460, December.
    8. Kim, E Han, 1978. "A Mean-Variance Theory of Optimal Capital Structure and Corporate Debt Capacity," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 33(1), pages 45-63, March.
    9. Michaelas, Nicos & Chittenden, Francis & Poutziouris, Panikkos, 1999. "Financial Policy and Capital Structure Choice in U.K. SMEs: Empirical Evidence from Company Panel Data," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 113-130, March.
    10. repec:bla:jfinan:v:43:y:1988:i:1:p:1-19 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Toy, Norman & Stonehill, Arthur & Remmers, Lee & Wright, Richard & Beekhuisen, Theo, 1974. "A Comparative International Study of Growth, Profitability, and Risk as Determinants of Corporate Debt Ratios in the Manufacturing Sector," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(5), pages 875-886, November.
    12. DeAngelo, Harry & Masulis, Ronald W., 1980. "Optimal capital structure under corporate and personal taxation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 3-29, March.
    13. Harris, Milton & Raviv, Artur, 1991. "The Theory of Capital Structure," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 46(1), pages 297-355, March.
    14. Jeffrey K. MacKie-Mason, 1990. "Do Firms Care Who Provides Their Financing?," NBER Chapters, in: Asymmetric Information, Corporate Finance, and Investment, pages 63-104, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Nevins D. Baxter, 1967. "Leverage, Risk Of Ruin And The Cost Of Capital," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 22(3), pages 395-403, September.
    16. John R. Graham, 2000. "How Big Are the Tax Benefits of Debt?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(5), pages 1901-1941, October.
    17. Jung, Kooyul & Yong-Cheol, Kim & Stulz, Rene M., 1996. "Timing, investment opportunities, managerial discretion, and the security issue decision," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 159-185, October.
    18. Marsh, Paul, 1982. "The Choice between Equity and Debt: An Empirical Study," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 37(1), pages 121-144, March.
    19. Jensen, Gerald R. & Solberg, Donald P. & Zorn, Thomas S., 1992. "Simultaneous Determination of Insider Ownership, Debt, and Dividend Policies," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(2), pages 247-263, June.
    20. Easterbrook, Frank H, 1984. "Two Agency-Cost Explanations of Dividends," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(4), pages 650-659, September.
    21. repec:bla:jfinan:v:53:y:1998:i:3:p:819-843 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Jalilvand, Abolhassan & Harris, Robert S, 1984. "Corporate Behavior in Adjusting to Capital Structure and Dividend Targets: An Econometric Study," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 39(1), pages 127-145, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Claudia Diana Sabău-Popa & Ramona Simut & Laurențiu Droj & Corneliu Cristian Bențe, 2020. "Analyzing Financial Health of the SMES Listed in the AERO Market of Bucharest Stock Exchange Using Principal Component Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, May.
    2. Arumona. O. Jonah PhD & Orbunde B. Bemshima. PhD & BELLO, Musibau, 2024. "Capital Structure, Dividend Policy and Firm Value of Listed Non-Financial Companies in Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(4), pages 1279-1296, April.
    3. Mazen Kebewar, 2012. "La structure du capital et la profitabilité : Une étude empirique sur données de panel françaises," Working Papers hal-00751211, HAL.
    4. Adekola Adeola Adebayo & Folajinmi Festus Adegbie & Rafiu Oyesola Salawu, 2021. "Capital Structure and Profitability of Selected Listed Companies in Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 8(1), pages 05-22, January.
    5. Md. Ataur Rahman & Md. Sadrul Islam Sarker & Md. Joyen Uddin, 2019. "The Impact of Capital Structure on the Profitability of Publicly Traded Manufacturing Firms in Bangladesh," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 6(2), pages 1-5, March.
    6. Hwerien Rosemary Idamoyibo, 2024. "Financial Structure and Corporate Profitability of Firms in Nigeria: Does Firm Age Act as a Moderator?," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(7), pages 2259-2271, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sanjiva Prasad & Christopher J. Green & Victor Murinde, 2005. "Company Financial Structure: A Survey and Implications for Developing Economies," Chapters, in: Christopher J. Green & Colin Kirkpatrick & Victor Murinde (ed.), Finance and Development, chapter 12, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Rizov, Marian, 2008. "Corporate capital structure and how soft budget constraints may affect it," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 22(4), pages 648-684.
    3. Joliet, Robert & Muller, Aline, 2013. "Capital structure effects of international expansion," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 375-393.
    4. Sanjiva Prasad & Christopher J. Green & Victor Murinde, 2001. "Company Financing, Captial Structure, and Ownership: A Survey, and Implications for Developing Economies," SUERF Studies, SUERF - The European Money and Finance Forum, number 12 edited by Morten Balling, May.
    5. José López-Gracia & Francisco Sogorb-Mira, 2008. "Testing trade-off and pecking order theories financing SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 117-136, August.
    6. Huang, Guihai & Song, Frank M., 2006. "The determinants of capital structure: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 14-36.
    7. Mohamed Soufeljil & Asma Sghaier & Zouhayer Mighri & Hanène Kheireddine, 2017. "The financial structure of the Tunisian listed businesses: an application on panel data," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 7(1), pages 1-25, December.
    8. Schauten, M.B.J. & Spronk, J., 2006. "Optimal Capital Structure: Reflections on Economic and Other Values," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2006-074-F&A, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    9. Rafiu Oyesola Salawu & Akinlolu Ayodeji Agboola, 2008. "The Determinants Of Capital Structure Of Large Non-Financial Listed Firms In Nigeria," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 2(2), pages 75-84.
    10. Yildirim, Ramazan & Masih, Mansur & Bacha, Obiyathulla Ismath, 2018. "Determinants of capital structure: evidence from Shari'ah compliant and non-compliant firms," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 198-219.
    11. Rana El Bahsh & Ali Alattar & Aziz N. Yusuf, 2018. "Firm, Industry and Country Level Determinants of Capital Structure: Evidence from Jordan," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 8(2), pages 175-190.
    12. Charles ADUSEI & Louie DACOSTA, 2016. "Testing the Pecking Order Theory of Capital Structure in FTSE 350 Food Producers Firms in United Kingdom between 2001 and 2005," Expert Journal of Finance, Sprint Investify, vol. 4(1), pages 66-91.
    13. Mário Santos & António Moreira & Elisabete Vieira, 2014. "Ownership concentration, contestability, family firms, and capital structure," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 18(4), pages 1063-1107, November.
    14. Jacek Barburski & Artur Hołda, 2023. "Determinants of the Corporate Financing Structure in the Energy and Mining Sectors; A Comparative Analysis Based on the Example of Selected EU Countries for 2012–2020," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-29, June.
    15. Miguel Acedo-Ramírez & Juan Ayala-Calvo & José Rodríguez-Osés, 2013. "Capital structure of small companies in the Spanish footwear sector: relevant factors," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 4(2), pages 155-173, June.
    16. Mai, Nhat Chi, 2012. "Market timing, taxes and capital structure: evidence from Vietnam," OSF Preprints t3mvs, Center for Open Science.
    17. Tarek Ghazouani, 2013. "The Capital Structure through the Trade-Off Theory: Evidence from Tunisian Firm," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 3(3), pages 625-636.
    18. Shoaib Ali & Attiya Yasmin Javid, 2015. "Relationship between Credit Rating, Capital Structure and Earning Management Behaviour: Evidence from Pakistani Listed Firms," PIDE-Working Papers 2015:121, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    19. Maria Psillaki & Nikolaos Daskalakis, 2009. "Are the determinants of capital structure country or firm specific?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 319-333, October.
    20. Temimi, Akram & Zeitun, Rami & Mimouni, Karim, 2016. "How does the tax status of a country impact capital structure? Evidence from the GCC region," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 37, pages 71-89.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pooled Ordinary Least Squares; Fixed Effect Model; Random Effect Model; capital structure; profitability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ibf:ijbfre:v:3:y:2009:i:2:p:121-129. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Mercedes Jalbert (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.