The Comparative Financial Managerial Performance of U.S. Firms and Chinese Firms

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1 Joural of Fiace ad Ivestmet Aalysis, vol.1, o.2, 2012, ISSN: (prit versio), (olie) Iteratioal Scietific Press, 2012 The Comparative Fiacial Maagerial Performace of U.S. Firms ad Chiese Firms Parviz Asheghia 1 Abstract This paper evaluates the relative fiacial maagerial performace of thirty matched-pairs of U.S. firms ad Chiese () firms. I this study, fiacial maagerial performace is measured i terms of profitability, debt maagemet, ad asset maagemet. Paired compariso is employed ad eight hypotheses are tested o the basis of defied ratios. Because matched pairs are used, a appropriate test is the Wilcoxo matched-pairs siged-raked test. All the data for the study were compiled by the author from Merget o Lie. These iclude the most recet five-year time-series data that were available i 2012 for all the eight ratios that were tested. The aalysis preseted i this paper idicates the absece of ay statistically sigificat differeces betwee the two sets of firms with regard to most of the ratios examied, suggestig that the U.S ad the Chiese firms are similar to each other with respect to their fiacial maagerial performace. The oly exceptio is 1 Departmet of Ecoomics, Califoria State Uiversity Sa Berardio, pasheghi@csusb.edu Article Ifo: Received : March 6, Revised : April 4, 2012 Published olie : May 31, 2012

2 120 The Comparative Fiacial Performace of U.S.& Chiese Firms that firms have higher retur o equity (ROE) ratios tha the Uited States firms. JEL classificatio umbers: F14, F21, F23, F30, L25, M15, N60 Keywords: Maagerial efficiecy, Chia, The Uited States, Profitability, Debt Maagemet, Asset Maagemet, ad Fiacial Ratios 1 Itroductio Followig its ecoomic liberalizatio i 1978, Chia s ecoomy has grow about a hudredfold [1]. Today, with a aual average GDP growth of more tha 10%, fueled by exports ad risig domestic demad, Chia has become the most attractive foreig direct ivestmet (FDI) destiatio ad hosts the largest umber of foreig affiliates i the world. This positio is followed by Idia, Brazil, the Uited States ad the Russia Federatio [2]. Accordig to the IMF, the Chiese ecoomy is expected to grow at a average aual rate of 9.5% betwee 2011 ad 2015 [3]. The emergece of Chia as the fastest growig ecoomy durig the past three decades has give rise to umerous studies, examiig the elemets that have cotributed to such a impressive performace. A area of research that has attracted the attetio of scholars is to compare the fiacial ratios of Chiese firms versus firms i other atios. Chiese firms have bee compared to Uited States firms [4], Lati America firms [5], ad Japaese firms [6]. I a recet study, Liu ad O Farrell [7] exted Fuglister s [4] research with updated data ad examie a sample of radomly selected Chiese firms from three maufacturig idustries that receive the highest cumulative U.S. FDI with matched samples of U.S. compaies. Although Liu ad O Farrell s [7] study sheds some light o differeces i

3 Parviz Asheghia 121 fiacial ratios betwee U.S. ad Chiese firms, it is limited i scope by cocetratig oly o maufacturig sectors, igorig other ecoomic sectors that may accout for the relative differeces/similarities betwee Chiese ad U.S. firms. The purpose of this research is to exted Liu ad O Farrell s [4] research by employig ratio aalysis ad examiig the relative fiacial maagerial performace of the U.S. ad Chiese firms by matchig firms from all the idustrial sectors. I this study, fiacial maagerial performace is defied i terms of profitability, debt maagemet, ad asset maagemet. Profitability is measured by retur o assets, retur o equity, ad retur o ivestmet. Debt maagemet is measured by log-term debt to equity ad total debt to equity. Asset maagemet is measured by total asset turover, receivable turover, ad ivetory turover. The followig eight fiacial ratios are used i the aalysis: 1. ROA: Retur o Assets 2. ROE: Retur o Equity 3. ROI : Retur o Ivestmet 4. LTDE: LT Debt to Equity Net Icome Asset Net Icome Commo Equity Net Icome Ivestmet Log Term Debt L T Debt Pr eferred Stock Commo Stock 5. TDTE: Total Debt to Equity Total Liabilities Share holder ' s Equity 6. TATO: Total Asset Turover 7. RTO: Receivable Turover = Reveue Assets Net Credit Sales Average Accout Re ceivable

4 122 The Comparative Fiacial Performace of U.S.& Chiese Firms 8. ITO: Ivetory Turover Sales Ivetory 2 The Limitatios of the Study ad the Sample Size The problems of measuremet i comparative aalysis have bee discussed by a umber of researchers (see [8] & [9]). Measuremet problems, as related to firm compariso, ceter aroud two mai issues. First, the choice of idustries, ad secod the d of data. As for the first issue, ideally the two groups of firms should be similar with regard to product heterogeeity ad size. They should also operate i a similar eviromet ad market structure. However, the limitatios of the sample size i most of the empirical studies call for restrictio i choosig firms for compariso. The secod questio has to do with accoutig differeces that exist betwee coutries. These differeces might lead to biases i the measuremet of the ratios employed i the aalysis. For example, measuremet s problem could arise because the two coutries may use differet procedures for the valuatio of icome producig assets which affects icome statemets. I oe coutry, marketable securities may be treated at the lower of cost or market value (LCM), whereas cost method could be utilized i aother coutry. These differeces might affect comparability of the two coutries with regard to asset turover, ad profitability ratios. I the case of our study, Chia () has fully adopted IFRS sice Jauary 1, 2007 while the U.S. adheres to GAAP i fiacial reportig. Besides the potetial differeces i ratio compariso, the research fidigs are limited by the ucertai reliability of data i the case of Chiese firms. Give such limitatios, the fidigs should be iterpreted with cautio. Followig the most acceptable criteria set by empirical studies, each pair

5 Parviz Asheghia 123 of firms chose i this study cosists of oe U.S. firm ad oe firm producig similar products ad havig approximately the same size. All the data for the study were compiled by the author from Merget o Lie. These iclude the most recet five-year time-series data for all the eight ratios that were available i Table 1 shows the idustrial sectors ad the umber of matched pairs that were selected from each idustry. Table 1: The Idustrial Sectors ad the Number of Matched Pairs of Firms From Each Idustrial Sector Icluded i the Study Idustrial Sectors Number of Pairs Miig ad Costructio 2 Maufacturig 14 Trasportatio, Commuicatio & Utilities 2 Wholesale & Retail Trade 2 Fiace, Isurace & Real Estate 2 Services 7 Public Admiistratio ad No-Classifiable 1 Total Number of Pairs 30 3 The testig of hypotheses Paired compariso is used to compare the relative fiacial maagerial performace of U.S. ad firms. Eight hypotheses are tested o the basis of ROA, ROE, ROI, LTDE, TDTE, TAT, RTO, ad ITO. I all of these cases the ull hypothesis states that there is o differece betwee U.S. ad firms with regard to the ratio that is beig compared. The alterative hypothesis explais that these ratios are differet. Because matched pairs are used, a appropriate test is

6 124 The Comparative Fiacial Performace of U.S.& Chiese Firms the Wilcoxo Matched-pairs Siged-raked test. This test is ideal because it is a oparametric test, ot requirig a large sample size. The Wilcoxo test gives more weight to pairs that show a large differece tha pairs idicatig small oes. I this maer the Wilcoxo test is similar to the t-test but it deals with ordial data. This test is oe of the most powerful o-parametric tests. Eve for small samples its power is about 95 percet of that of the t-tests (see [10], [11], & [12]). To coduct the Wilcoxo test, first the differeces betwee each pair, with regard to the ratios that are beig compared, are computed. The these differeces are raked o the basis of their absolute values. Next, the sums of the raks of the positive ad egative differeces are used as the test statistics T-, ad T+, respectively. Fially, the appropriate absolute T value i each table is chose as the test statistic ad is compared to the critical value give i the table of critical values for the Wilcoxo test, for the umber of observatios (N). 3.1 Profitability The results of the tests for profitability, measured by ROA, ROE, ad ROI, are show i Tables 2 through 4. The values of the test statistic (T) i these tables idicate that all the ull hypotheses of similarities of betwee ROA (Table 2) ad ROI (Table 4) caot be rejected at the 5% level of sigificace. ROA similarities mea that U.S. firms ad firms are similar i terms of efficiecy by which they use assets to geerate profit. The similarities of ROI meas that the U.S. firms ad Chiese firms are similar with regard to the efficiecy by which they maage the ivested capital to geerate profit. The ull hypothesis that ROE of U.S. firms ad Chiese firms does ot differ is rejected at 5% level of sigificace, idicatig that firms have higher ROE ratios as compared to U.S. firms. This meas Chiese firms are more efficiet tha the U.S. firms i terms of geeratig icome for their shareholders.

7 Parviz Asheghia Debt Maagemet The results of the tests for debt maagemet, measured by LTDE ad TDTE are show i Tables five ad six, respectively. The values of the test statistic (T) i these tables idicate that all the ull hypotheses of similarities of betwee the U.S. firms ad Chiese firms with regard LTDE (Table 5) ad TDTE (Table 6) caot be rejected at the 5% level of sigificace. This implies that U.S. firms ad firms are similar with regard to the efficiecy by which they maage their total debt ad log term debts. 3.3 Asset Maagemet The results of the tests for asset maagemet, measured by TATO, RTO, ITO are show i Tables seve through ie, respectively. The values of the test statistic (T) i these tables idicate that all the ull hypotheses of similarities betwee the U.S. firms ad Chiese firms with regard to TATO (Table 7), RTO (Table 8), ad ITO (Table 9) caot be rejected at the 5% level of sigificace. This implies that U.S. firms ad Chiese firms are similar with regard to the efficiecy by which they maage their assets. 4 Cocludig Remarks This study evaluates the relative fiacial maagerial performace of U.S. firms, ad Chiese firms, usig a sample of five-year time-series data for a set of 30 matched firms that are chose from seve idustries. To the extet that the data are ot biased i the cotext of the limitatios set i this study, the foregoig aalysis suggests although Chiese firms are more efficiet tha the U.S. firms i terms of ROE, they are similar i terms of the other

8 126 The Comparative Fiacial Performace of U.S.& Chiese Firms two profitability ratios of ROA ad ROI. The result of the aalysis of this study also idicates that there are o sigificat differeces betwee the U.S. firms ad Chiese firms with regard to their efficiecy by which they maage their debts ad assets. I a earlier study Liu ad O Farrell examie the potetial differeces i fiacial ratios betwee Chiese ad U.S. compaies with 60 matched-pairs of compaies from three major maufacturig idustries that are most attractive to U.S. ivestors for the year They coclude that Chiese firms have lower log term debt to total capital, ad asset turover ratios, but higher duratio of payables. This study differs from their study i two ways. First their sample icludes oly oe idustrial sector, that is maufacturig, but this study icludes all the idustrial sectors. Secod, each matched pair examied i their study is based o oe-year data i 2006, but this study employs all the five-year data that were available i This study examied the comparative fiacial maagerial performace of the ad the U.S. firms i terms of profitability, debt maagemet ad asset maagemet, portrayig the relative effectiveess of the executives of these firms i maagig their fiaces. It would be helpful to compare productio efficiecies of the firms with the U.S. firms to see if firms are as efficiet as their couterparts i the U.S. i maagig their productio process. This would require the measuremet of total factor productivity, capital productivity ad labor productivity ad could be the subject of further research i this area.

9 Parviz Asheghia 127 PAIR Table 2: The Wilcoxo Test for the Compariso of ROA Ratios of U.S. ad Firms i1 ROA i1 ROA D PRS NRS T+ =140 T- =325 ROA ROA of the kth U.S. firm i the ith year; ROA firm i the ith year; i = 1...5; k = RD = Rak of DK; DK = ROA ROA ; i1 i1 PRS = Positive rak sum; NRS = Negative rak sum. ROA of the kth

10 128 The Comparative Fiacial Performace of U.S.& Chiese Firms Table 3: The Wilcoxo Test for the Compariso of ROE Ratios of U.S. ad Firms PAIR i1 ROE i1 ROE D PRS NRS * (6.28) * * * * T+ = 67 T- = 257 *Data ot available ROE ROA of the kth U.S. firm i the ith year; ROE ROA of the kth firm i the ith year; i = 1...5; k = , RD = Rak of DK; ; PRS = Positive rak sum; NRS = Negative rak sum. i1 i1 DK ROE ROE

11 Parviz Asheghia 129 Table 4: The Wilcoxo Test for the Compariso of ROI Ratios of U.S. ad Firms PAIR i1 ROI i1 ROI D PRS NRS (3.16) (0.02) (22.98) (7.65) 20 7 (257.63) (303.71) 2 8 (37.72) (93.31) (11.33) (7.48) * (41.19) (16.75) (2.93) (4.66) 5.23 (9.89) (104.68) (5.27) (99.41) (84.72) 6 21 (35.47) * (303.93) (0.49) (3.82) (0.49) (3.33) (21.37) (45.93) 8 26 (224.67) * * * (3.91) 21 T+=118 T- = 208 *Data ot available ROI ROI of the kth U.S. firm i the ith year; ROI ROI of the kth firm i the ith year; i = 1...5; k = , RD = Rak of ; PRS = Positive rak sum; NRS = Negative rak sum. i1 i1 DK; DK ROI ROI

12 130 The Comparative Fiacial Performace of U.S.& Chiese Firms Table 5: The Wilcoxo Test for the Compariso of LTDTE Ratios of U.S. ad Firms PAIR i1 LTDTE i1 LTDTE D PRS NRS * * * * * * 19 * * * * * * * * * T + = 97 T- = 66 *Data ot available LTDTE LTDTE of the kth U.S. firm i the ith year; LTDTE LTDTE of the kth firm i the ith year; i = 1...5; k = , RD = Rak of DK; DK LTDTE LTDTE ; PRS=Positive rak sum; NRS = Negative rak sum i1 i1

13 Parviz Asheghia 131 Table 6: The Wilcoxo Test for the Compariso of TDTE Ratios of U.S. ad Firms PAIR i1 TDTE i1 TDTE D PRS NRS * * * * * * * * * * T+=120 T- =133 *Data ot available TDTE TDTE of the kth U.S. firm i the ith year; TDTE TDTE of the kth firm i the ith year; i = 1...5; k = , RD = Rak of DK; ; PRS = Positive rak sum; NRS = Negative rak sum i1 i1 DK TDTE TDTE

14 132 The Comparative Fiacial Performace of U.S.& Chiese Firms Table 7: The Wilcoxo Test for the Compariso of TATO Ratios of U.S. ad Firms PAIR i1 TATO i1 TATO D PRS NRS * * * T+ = 202 T- = 177 *Data ot available TATO TATO of the kth U.S. firm i the ith year; TATO TATO of the kth firm i the ith year; i = 1...5; k = , RD = Rak of DK; ; PRS = Positive rak sum; NRS = Negative rak sum i1 i1 DK TATO TATO

15 Parviz Asheghia 133 Table 8: The Wilcoxo Test for the Compariso of RTO Ratios of U.S. ad Firms PAIR i1 RTO i1 RTO D PRS NRS (46.54) (4.78) * (2.74) , , * (5.39) (6.30) (56.59) (318.72) * * * * * T+ = 205 T- = 95 *Data ot available RTO RTO of the kth U.S. firm i the ith year; RTO RTO of the kth firm i the ith year; i = 1...5; k N= , RD = Rak of DK; ; PRS = Positive rak sum; NRS = Negative rak sum. i1 i1 DK RTO RTO

16 134 The Comparative Fiacial Performace of U.S.& Chiese Firms Table 9: The Wilcoxo Test for the Compariso of ITO Ratios of U.S. ad Firms PAIR i1 ITO i1 ITO D PRS NRS * * * * * * T+ = 209 T- = 91 *Data ot available ITO ITO of the kth U.S. firm i the ith year; ITO ITO of the kth firm i the ith year; i = 1...5; k = , RD = Rak of DK; ; PRS = Positive rak sum; NRS = Negative rak sum. i1 i1 DK ITO ITO

17 Parviz Asheghia 135 Refereces [1] J. Fallows, Chia Makes, The World Takes, The Atlatic Mothly, (July-August, 2007), [2] Uited Natios Coferece of Trade ad Developmet, World Ivestmet Prospects Survey: , New York: Uited Natios, 2010, p.13. [3] Iteratioal Moetary Fud, World Ecoomic Outlook: Rebalacig Growth, (April, 2010), p [4] J. Fuglister, A comparative ratio aalysis betwee Chiese ad U.S. firms, Advaces i Iteratioal Accoutig, 10, (1997), [5] E.R. Etter, B. Lippicott ad J. Reck, A aalysis of U.S. ad Lati America fiacial accoutig ratios, Advaces i Iteratioal Accoutig, 19, (2006), [6] C. Liu ad K.K. Wei, A comparative ratio aalysis of Chiese ad Japaese corporatios, Proceedigs of the 2008 Iteratioal Accoutig Coferece, Shaghai, Chia, (Jue 6-8, 2008). [7] C. Liu ad G. O Farrell, Chia ad US Fiacial Ratio Compariso, It. Joural of Busiess, Accoutig ad Fiace, 3(2), (2009), [8] B. Hal Larry, Imports of Maufacturers from Less Developed Coutries, Natioal Bureau of Ecoomic Research New York: Columbia Press, 1968, (Chapters 3 & 4). [9] Joh H. Duig, Studies i Iteratioal Ivestmet, Lodo: George Alle ad Uwi, p. 348, [10] P. Asheghia ad W. Foote, The Productivities of U.S. Multiatioals i the Idustrial Sector of the Caadia Ecoomy, Easter Ecoomic Joural, (April-Jue, 1985), [11] W. Medehall, J.T. McClave ad M. Ramey, Statistics for Psychology, 2 d ed., Massachusetts, Dubury Press, pp , [12] S. Sigel, Noparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Scieces, New York, McGraw Hill, 1956.

The Relative Financial Efficiency of Brazilian Firms and American Firms in the Manufacturing Sector: A Ratio Analysis

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