Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, vol. 5, no.

3, 2015, 159-173
ISSN: 1792-6580 (print version), 1792-6599 (online)
Scienpress Ltd, 2015

Investigating Liquidity-Profitability Relationship:

Evidence from Companies Listed in Saudi Stock
Exchange (Tadawul)
Mohammed Ziaur Rehman1 Muhammad Nauman Khan2 and Imran Khokhar3

Abstract
The growth and survival of business houses hinges on the liquidity and profitability. The
dexterity to lever between the two domains is of paramount significance for the financial
managers. The current study makes an earnest endeavor to investigate the relationship
between liquidity and profitability of companies listed in Saudi Stock Exchange
(Tadawul). The study encompasses 99 listed companies in Tadawul. The data are culled
and collated from audited annual financial statements of listed companies for a period of
five years from 2008 to 2012. The profitability facets of the companies are represented by
the variables, namely, Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). The
liquidity of the companies is gauged by current ratio, quick ratio and the absolute liquid
ratio. The overall results revealed that there is only one positive significant relationship
between Return on Assets (ROA) and Current Ratio (CR) of the companies in Saudi
Arabia. Further, it is revealed that there is negative but insignificant relationship between
the Return on Assets (ROA) and Quick Ratio (QR) & Cash Ratio (CHR) of the
companies in Saudi Arabia. Likewise in the case of Return on Equity (ROE), there is
insignificant relationship with the three selected independent variables, namely, Current
Ratio (CR), Quick Ratio (QR) and Cash Ratio (CHR).
JEL classification numbers: B26, C12, C58, G10
Keywords: Profitability, liquidity, working capital management.

Corresponding Author, Assistant Professor, Finance Department, King Saud University, Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia.
2
Lecturer, Finance Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia & PhD Research
Fellow, Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, International Islamic University, Malaysia.
3
Researcher, Economics Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Article Info: Received : January 11, 2015. Revised : February 9, 2015.
Published online : May 1, 2015

160

Mohammed Ziaur Rehman et al.

1 Introduction
Optimal financial structures on the landscape of corporates houses are made for two
length of time: short time span and long-time span.The financial optimal level for the
short time span is carved through the working capital management. Of late, working
capital management has gained currency in the backdrop of global financial crisis.
Working management aims at managing current assets & current liabilities and putting
forward the optimal level of every element of current assets and current liabilities in the
firms. Working capital management is central for enhancing the value of the corporates
houses (Smith 1980). Efficient usage of working capital management entails judicious
deliberation (Jose et al. 1996). Working capital management has a cardinal influence on
the profitability and the liquidity of the corporate firms (Shin and Soenen, 1998). The
optimum level of the working management leads to proper equilibrium of liquidity &
profitability thereby enhances the value of the firms. Optimizing the balance of working
capital indicate at minimizing the requirements of working capital and achieving maximal
likely earning( Ganesan 2007).
Working capital management aims to strike a trade- off between liquidity and profitability
in the corporate decision making. Corporate managers make an endeavor to devise
successful strategies in order to have optimal liquidity in tandem with profit
maximization. The theoretical framework of working management brings forth strategies
that are principally classified into three forms, namely, aggressive, moderately and
conservative. The aggressive working capital strategies focuses on low level of liquidity
and high level of profitability accompanied with higher level of risk. The moderately
working capital strategies aim at average level of liquidity and average level of
profitability along with average level of risk. The conservative working capital strategies
aim on high level of liquidity and low level of profitability along with low level of risk.
The financial managers have to evince their dexterities within these three spectrums. In a
nutshell, a firm is required to retain a fine balance between liquidity and profitability
while executing its daily operations.
Liquidity management is corner stone of working capital management. Proper planning of
liquidity management is important for all types of firms .The significance of company
liquidity can be gauged from different point of view. The foremost group who is concern
for the corporate liquidity management is the short term creditors. So from their
perspectives, the level of liquidity in company should be high .Further, the quantum of
cash is required to make instant payments. It assist the firms to avail the discount
opportunities. Receivables are another component of the liquidity shall assist in sale
enhancement. Additionally the account payables are a prime component of the short term
finance that needs to be paid in due time. The emphasis on the liquidity management also
comes to fore on account on multiple studies revealing companies reliance on current
liabilities due to failure to obtain long term funding ( Petersen and Rajan, 1997).
Liquidity management pertains to the payment of current business obligations. The
current business obligations subsume dues to be paid within short span of time. Proper
liquidity management ensures that the organizations do not face the paucity or lead to the
splurge of liquidity. Optimal level of liquidity is sine qua non for all the business houses.
Failure to maintain appropriate level of liquidity leads to two situations: surplus liquidity
and deficit in liquidity. Corporates normally do not anticipate about enhancing liquidity
management before reaching crisis situations (Nicholas 1991). The liquidity position of

Investigating Liquidity-Profitability Relationship

161

the company is gauged through the respective ratios, namely, current ratio, quick ratio,
cash ratio.
Profitability is another side of the working capital management that requires holistic
strategy. Profitability exhibits the evidence about the companys ability to generate
earnings. An escalation in profitability in the organization drives the stock price upwards,
thereby providing capital gains. Corporate Finance considers profitability as a prime
yardstick of efficiency. Profitability reveals the snapshot measure of corporate success
and thus serves as a prime metric of economic performance. Profitability ratios manifest
an enterprises ability to generate earnings relative to sales, assets and equity. These ratios
gauge the ability of an enterprise to yield earnings, profits and cash flows relative to some
indicators, namely, the capital invested. Profitability is outcome of multiple correct
policies and timely decisions. On the whole, the profitability ratios evince the blended
outcome of liquidity, asset management and debt on the efficiency of the organization.
The common examples of profitability ratios include return on sales, return on assets,
return on investment, return on equity, return on capital employed, gross profit margin,
net profit margin. Numerous studies revealed that the accounting ratios are instrumental in
contributing the relevant information for decision making approach. (Lewellen, 2004)

2 Extant Review of Literature

Literature review cogently reveals multiple research papers on the working capital,
liquidity and profitability. Numerous studies have concentrated on the linkage between
liquidity and profitability of the corporate firms. Studies have been conducted for a wide
ambit of countries, employing various selected variables for the investigation on the
purported theme.
Kaur, H. V., & Singh, S. (2013) highlights the importance of optimal working capital in
the capital goods sector. The study focuses on efficiency aspect of working capital
management practices of 14 companies from the year 20002001 to 20092010. The
study states that appropriate level of working capital leads to attainment of proper
liquidity and profitability. The examination of working capital management practices is
made through formulating Performance Index, Utilization Index and Efficiency Index.
The study proffers a set of strategies to enhance the Profitability of Indian business
houses. Sharma, A. K., & Kumar, S. (2011) investigated the role of working capital on the
profitability domain of Indian companies. The study select 263 non-financial BSE 500
firms listed on the Bombay Stock (BSE) for the period 2000 to 2008.The study outcome
differs considerably from the galore studies conducted on the purported theme. The
analysis manifests positive correlation between the working capital management and
profitability on the landscape of Indian companies. Vishnani, S., & Shah, B. K. (2007)
focuses on the tradeoff between liquidity and profitability in the Indian Consumer
Electronics Industry. The study covers a period of 10 years starting from 199495 to
200405.The study throw light on holding the optimal level of working management so as
to enhance the corporate value.
Uyar, Ali (2009) explored the relationship between time span of cash conversion cycle
and the profitability of selected Turkish companies. The study exhibits a considerable
negative correlation between the cash conversion cycle and the profitability of the
selected merchandising and manufacturing companies of the Istanbul Stock Exchange.
Eljelly, A. (2004) studied the linkage between profitability and liquidity through the

162

Mohammed Ziaur Rehman et al.

employment of current ratio and cash gap (cash conversion cycle) on selected joint stock
companies in Saudi Arabia. The study covers three fundamental Saudi sectors over the
time span of four years (1996-2000). Through the employment of correlation and
regression analysis, the study revealed considerable negative association between the
liquidity and profitability for the purported companies. Ajanthan, A. (2013) examined the
association between liquidity and profitability using a sample of eight listed trading
companies in Srilanka. The paper spread over a time span of five years from 2008 to
2012. Through the utilization of correlation& regression analysis, the study exhibit a
significant relationship exists between liquidity and profitability among the purported
companies in Sri Lanka stock exchange. Pedro Juan Garcia-Teruel and Pedro MartinezSolano(2007) manifest the influence of working capital management on the profitability
facet of selected Spanish firms. The study covers 8,872 SMEs encapsulating a period of 7
years starting from 1996-2002.The study evince value creation in the firms by lessening
the inventories and days account outstanding .Further curtailing the cash conversion cycle
also enhances the firms profitability. Filbeck, G., & Krueger, T. M. (2005) demonstrate
that firms can masterly decrease the cost of financing by pruning the funds invested in
current assets. The study unfolds that, across the time, there are considerable variance
prevailing between the purported industries in working capital range. David M. Mathuva
(2010) investigated the effect of working capital ingredients on the companies
profitability using a sample of 30 firms registered on Nairobi Stock Exchange for the
period 1993 to 2008. The study reports that profitable firms exhibit noteworthy attributes
in managing the working capital .These firms are able to collect cash with shortest period
of time, uphold adequate level of inventory and prolong the payment period to the
creditors. Akinlo, O. O. (2012) investigated the relationship between working capital
management and profitability in companies listed on Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).The
study is limited to 66 Nigerian non-financial firms for the period 1997 to 2007. The study
reports that the firms profitability is dented by the extension of the number of days
accounts receivable, number of days of inventory and number of days accounts payable.
Raheman, A., et al . (2010) draws attention to the role of working capital management in
enhancing the performance of the manufacturing firms in Pakistan. The study cover 204
manufacturing firms listed on Karachi Stock Exchange for the period 1998 to 2007. The
study reports that optimal management and financing of working capital can enhance the
operating profitability of manufacturing firms. Lazaridis, I., & Tryfonidis, D. (2006)
examined the relationship of corporate profitability and working capital management
through a sample of 131 companies listed in the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) using the
data from 2001 to 2004.The study report statistical significance between profitability,
measured through gross operating profit, and the cash conversion cycle. Shin and Soenen
(1998) investigated the linkage between profitability and liquidity employing a substantial
sample of companies listed in American market .The study explored the linkage between
net trade cycle and its influence on the profitability of the firm .The study report a
substantial negative relationship between the net trade cycle and the selected indicators of
profitability.
Danuleiu (2010) examined the linkage between the efficiency of the working capital
management and profitability encompassing a sample of 20 annual financial statements of
companies from Alba County covering a time frame from the year 2004 to 2008. The
paper reported that there is a weak negative linear correlation between working capital
management indicators and profitability rates. Saleem and Rehman (2011) investigated
the relationship between liquidity and profitability of oil and gas companies of Pakistan.

Investigating Liquidity-Profitability Relationship

163

The study revealed that there is a significant influence of only liquid ratio on ROA while
there is insignificant effect on ROE and ROI; thus, the study manifest that liquidity and
profitability are closely related because as one increases the other decreases. Bagchi and
Khamrui (2012) explored the linkage between working capital management and firm
profitability to gauge the variables that affect profitability the most. The paper
encompasses a sample of 10 FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) companies covering
a period of 10 years from 200001 to 200910.The study reported that there is a strong
negative relationship between variables of the working capital management and
profitability of the firm. Raheman, A., & Nasr, M. (2007) investigated the effect of
working capital management liquidity and profitability of 94 Pakistani listed companies
for the time period of 6 years (1999-2004).Through the employment of regression
analysis, the study reports considerable negative relationship between variables of the
working capital management and profitability of the firm. The study further reports
negative relationship between liquidity and profitability. Shubita, M. F. (2013) examined
the association between working capital management and profitability of Industrial
Jordanian companies listed in Amman Stock Exchange. The research envelops 39
companies for the time span of eight years period from 2004-2011.Using the tools of
correlations and multiple regression, the study reports considerable negative relationship
between working capital indicators with company profitability.Bagchi, B., &
Chakrabarti, J. (2014) examined the effect of liquidity on the profitability arena of Indias
fast-moving consumer goods sector applying a sample size of 18 firms .The study
encapsulate a period of 10 years commencing from 2001 to 2011.Through the
employment of multiple statistical tools, the study demonstrates strong negative
relationship between the liquidity indicators and the firms profitability.
In sum, it is cogently revealed that the research literature is inundated with studies
pertaining to working capital, liquidity and profitability .Further it is manifested that
studies are rendered in different time span and pertain to various companies and industries
of different countries. There is paucity of studies on working capital, liquidity and
profitability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that motivate the current study to embark
upon the purported theme.

3 Selection of Saudi Stock Market (TASI)

The extant review of literature manifest that numerous studies have been carried out on
the landscape of liquidity management .The previous studies encompasses on liquidity
management through the standpoint of various industries and multiple countries. In the
very vein, it is felt that similar study is entailed for the Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia,
there is paucity of studies in the area of liquidity management, which provides the
motivation to kick- off on the current topic so as to lessen the deficit of empirical studies
on the purported arena. Thus the current paper makes a holistic effort to study the linkage
between the liquidity and profitability of companies listed in Saudi Stock market
(Tadawul). This paper aims to examine the linkage between the liquidity and the
profitability of companies listed on the Saudi stock market .The research paper hinges
upon the secondary data for the investigation. The data covered in the paper is culled and
computed from the financial statements of the selected companies listed on Saudi stock
market. Out of 163 companies listed on Saudi stock market, ninety nine companies are
selected. Table one provide the details of the companies selected. The study makes an

164

Mohammed Ziaur Rehman et al.

attempt to make a holistic study and thereby encompasses 99 companies covering 12

sectors out of total 15 sectors. The remaining companies are left out on account of
incomplete data and due to peculiar nature of financial statement.
Table 1: Selection of Firms
Sample Selection Procedure
Firms listed in the Saudi Stock Market
Less: financial companies
Remaining non-financial firms
Less: firms with incomplete data
Firms included in the Study
Source: Computed from Tadawul All Share Index (TASI)

No of Companies
163
46
117
18
99

Table two throws light in term of the sectors selected for the study .There are fifteen
sectors in the Saudi stock market. Twelve sectors are considered for the current study
.Three sectors are excluded on account of incomplete data related issue and due to unique
attribute of financial services industries. The excluded sectors are Banks & Financial
Services, Insurance and Multi-Investment. From the table, it is revealed Agriculture &
Food Industries and Building & Construction cover 15 companies, thereby are the leading
sectors in table, whereas the Hotel & Tourism covers only two companies.
Table 2: Sectors Selected
List of Sectors Selected
1. Petrochemical Industries
2. Cement
3. Retail
4. Energy & Utilities
5. Agriculture & Food Industries
6. Telecommunication & Information Technology
7. Industrial Investment
8. Building & Construction
9. Real Estate Development
10 Transport
11. Media and Publishing
12 Hotel & Tourism
Total
Source: Computed from Tadawul All Share Index (TASI)

No of Companies
10
13
12
2
15
3
13
15
7
4
3
2
99

Investigating Liquidity-Profitability Relationship

165

4 Research Methodology
4.1 Selected Variables
Table 3 manifests the variables selected for the study. The dependent variables are Return
on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA). The profitability of the firms is measured
by Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA). Return on Equity (ROE) gauge
the capacity of the companies to yield profits from its owners investments. This ratio is
considered from the investors perspectives. Higher is the Return on Equity, the higher
efficiency of management in optimizing the equity is revealed. Return on Assets (ROA)
manifest the efficiency of the companies in transforming the money utilized to purchase
assets into net income. Therefore the higher Return on Assets show the firms are more
profitable. The independent variables taken for the study includes, namely, Current Ratio
(CR), Quick Ratio (QR) and the Cash Ratio (CHR).These ratios are known as liquidity
ratios. Liquidity ratios gauge the capacity of the firms to meet the short term debt
commitments. In financial parlance, liquidity ratios greater than one manifest that the
firms to be in good financial position. Current ratio is the main liquidity ratio that
manifests the quantum of current assets to its current liabilities. This ratio indicates the
strength of company to refund the debt over the 12 months time period. Quick Ratio
(QR) is another liquidity ratio that calculates the capacity of the firm to refund the current
liabilities when payable with exclusively quick assets. Cash Ratio reveals the capacity of
the firms to refund the current financial obligations with cash and cash equivalents
exclusively.
Table 3: Selected Variables
Dependent Variable
Independent Variables
1. Return on Assets (ROA)
1. Current Ratio (CR)
2. Return on Equity (ROE)
2. Quick Ratio (QR)
3. Cash Ratio (CHR)
Table 4 manifest the computation of selected variables for the study .In sum, there are five
variables for the study.

1.
2.
3.

Table 4: Computation of Selected Variables

Variables
Method of Computation
Return on Assets (ROA)
Net Income / Total Assets
Return on Equity (ROE)
Net Income / Total Equity
Current Ratio (CR)
Current Assets / Current Liabilities

4.

Quick Ratio (QR)

5.

Cash Ratio (CHR)

(Current Assets Inventory) / Current

Liabilities
Cash / Current Liabilities

4.2 Statement of Hypotheses

For better appreciation of the influence of the selected ratios on the Return on Assets
(ROA) and on Return on Equity (ROE), the following hypotheses are designed.
Hypothesis 1 (Ho): There is no significant relationship between Return on Assets (ROA)
and Current Ratio (CR) of the companies in Saudi Arabia.

166

Mohammed Ziaur Rehman et al.

Hypothesis 2 (Ho): There is no significant relationship between Return on Assets (ROA)

and Quick Ratio (QR) of the companies in Saudi Arabia.
Hypothesis 3 (Ho): There is no significant relationship between Return on Assets (ROA)
and Cash Ratio (CHR) of the companies in Saudi Arabia.
Hypothesis 4 (Ho): There is no significant relationship between Return on Equity (ROE)
and Current Ratio (CR) of the companies in Saudi Arabia.
Hypothesis 5 (Ho): There is no significant relationship between Return on Equity (ROE)
and Quick Ratio (QR) of the companies in Saudi Arabia.
Hypothesis 6 (Ho): There is no significant relationship between Return on Equity (ROE)
and Cash Ratio (CHR) of the companies in Saudi Arabia.
The basic model estimated is as follows:
(ROA) y = b0 + b1 (CR) + b2 (QR) + b3 (CHR) +
(ROE) y = b0 + b1 (CR) + b2 (QR) + b3 (CHR) +
In order to specify the analysis model, the study use the following variables as dependent
variables, namely, Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE).The independent
variables are Current Ratio (CR) , Quick Ratio (QR) and Cash Ratio (CHR) .
Table five pertains to the information about the average mean of the selected ratios, by
sector. Through the table, it is revealed that the cement sector with an average ROA of
12.76 has the highest Return on Assets (ROA) among all the selected sectors during the
five year time duration. In term of Return on Equity (ROE), retail sector has occupied the
highest average of 18.18. In term of liquidity, hotel & tourism sector has registered the
highest average mean with 3.21 and 3.16 in Current Ratio (CR) and Quick Ratio (QR).
Petrochemical Industries sector has the highest average mean of Cash Ratio (CHR).
Table 5: Sector Wise (Average Mean)
List of Industries

No of Companies

ROA

ROE

CR

QR

CHR

Petrochemical Industries Sector

10

6.74

11.82

2.74

2.33

1.57

Cement Sector

13

12.76

15.78

3.03

2.25

1.28

Retail Sector

12

10.37

18.18

2.21

1.39

0.51

Energy & Utilities Sector

3.35

5.85

1.30

0.71

0.13

Agriculture & Food Industries Sector

15

4.68

6.98

2.62

1.87

0.72

Telecom. & In. Tech. Sector

4.03

5.13

0.61

0.60

0.15

Industrial Investment Sector

13

7.98

13.31

2.90

2.13

0.72

Building & Construction Sector

15

6.76

6.53

2.44

1.44

0.39

Real Estate Development Sector

4.00

5.08

2.38

2.38

1.36

Transport Sector

1.41

4.65

1.25

1.13

0.39

Media and Publishing Sector

5.29

8.54

1.95

1.27

0.22

Hotel & Tourism Sector

5.78

6.75

3.21

3.16

1.48

Source: Data computed on the basis of the companies annual financial statements

Investigating Liquidity-Profitability Relationship

167

5 Analysis and Discussions

5.1 Descriptive Statistics
Table 6 reveals the descriptive statistics of the selected dependent and independent
variables of ninety nine companies in Saudi stock exchange over the five year period.
Information about the ranges of the variables is contained in the Minimum and Maximum.
The standard deviation measures the amount of variability in the distribution of a variable.
The calculation for the values of maximum, minimum, mean and standard deviation have
been done from the ratios. The study covers a total of 495 firm-year observations. The
descriptive statistics reveals that under the study period, the selected financial ratios as
measured by Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), Current Ratio (CR),
Quick Ratio (QR) and Cash Ratio (CHR) have a positive mean value which ranges from
10.480 for Return on Equity (ROE) to 0.8072 in Current Ratio (CHR).This indicates that
the observations in the data set are widely dispersed from the mean. The highest standard
deviation is revealed by ROE and the least by Cash Ratio.
Table 6: Descriptive Statistics
Standard
Observations
Deviation
ROA
7.2016
6.3000
43.980
-67.81
10.107
495
ROE
10.480
11.360
68.920
-453.691
26.534
495
CR
2.4787
1.7100
22.180
0.0900
2.4078
495
QR
1.8303
1.2400
22.180
0.0900
2.0430
495
CHR
0.8072
0.2564
22.1494
0.00193
1.6207
495
Source: Data computed on the basis of the companies annual financial statements.
Researchers EVIEWS Analysis
Mean

Median

Maximum

Minimum

5.2 Correlation Analysis

Table 7 reveals the result of correlation computation. The correlation between dependent
variables which are Return on Assets (ROA) & Return on Equity (ROE) and independent
variables, namely, Current Ratio, Quick Ratio and Cash Ratio are observed. The results of
correlation analysis between return on assets (ROA) and Current Ratio reveals a positive
correlation between them having a value of .219. This correlation reveals that these two
variables have a positive relationship with each other i.e. if there will be an increase in
current ratio then the dependent variable ,return on assets, will also increase and vice
versa. The P-value for this correlation is 0.000 which shows the significance of this
relationship. Likewise the independent variables, namely, quick ratio and cash ratio have
positive relationship with return on assets. The table shows that the independent variables,
namely, quick ratio and cash ratio have the positive value of .171 and .104 with the return
on assets (ROA). The P-value for both the correlations are 0.000 and .021 which shows
the significance of this relationship. Further the table reveals correlation analysis between
Return on Equity (ROE) and independent variables, namely, Current Ratio, Quick Ratio
and Cash Ratio. It is revealed that there is positive relationship between the independent
variable and the three dependent variables. But the p value reveals that the relationship
between the dependent and the independent variables are insignificant.

168

Mohammed Ziaur Rehman et al.

Table 7: Correlations for all the Variables Tested for Select Companies over the 5 Year
Period
Return on Return on
Asset Equity
Return on Asset Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Return on
Pearson Correlation
Equity
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Current Ratio
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Quick Ratio
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Cash Ratio
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N

1
495
.700**
.000
495
.219**
.000
495
.171**
.000
495
.104*
.021
495

.700**
.000
495
1
495
.082
.069
495
.054
.233
495
.029
.514
495

Current Quick
Ratio Ratio
.219**
.000
495
.082
.069
495
1
495
.934**
.000
495
.772**
.000
495

.171**
.000
495
.054
.233
495
.934**
.000
495
1

Cash Ratio

495
.860**

.104*
.021
495
.029
.514
495
.772**
.000
495
.860**
.000
495
1

.000
495

495

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
Source: Data computed on the basis of the companies annual financial statements.
Researchers EVIEWS Analysis

5.3 Testing of Hypotheses (Regression statistics)

In Table 8(Model Results), the coefficient column for variable CR stands at +
1.853079.This reveals that there is a positive relation between CR and ROA; it means that
an increase in CR will also lead to an increase in the ROA. At the significance level of
0.0004< 0.05, it is statistically significant. The weight of evidence, therefore suggests
rejecting the null hypothesis and confirming that there is a significant relation between
CR and ROA of companies in Saudi Arabia. As shown in the table, the coefficient
column for variable QR stands at -0.718632.This reveals a negative relation between QR
and ROA, it means that a decrease in QR will also lead to an increase in the ROA. At the
significance level of 0.3500< 0.05, it is statistically insignificant. The weight of evidence,
therefore suggests accepting the null hypothesis. This implies that change in QR does not
have influence on the ROA of companies in Saudi Arabia. As shown in the table, the
coefficient column for variable CHR stands at -0.699019.This indicates that CHR has
negative relationship with ROA. It means that a decrease in CHR will also lead to an
increase in the ROA. At the significance level of 0.1987< 0.05, it is statistically
insignificant. The weight of evidence, therefore suggests accepting the null hypothesis.
The R2, the coefficient of multiple determinations indicate the extent to which the
independent variables influence the dependent variable. The (model snapshot)
demonstrates that coefficient of multiple determinations (R2) is 0.060275. Thus 6 % of the
variations in the dependent variable are explained by the independent variables of the

Investigating Liquidity-Profitability Relationship

169

model. It also shows that the selected independent variables are not the major
determinants factor of return on assets (ROA) of the companies listed in Saudi Arabia. Ftest provided in Table 8, manifests that F = 10.49767 at a significance level of 0.000. So,
the test outputs described below reveals the emerging multiple regression equation as
ROA = 4.488026 + 1.853079 (CR) -0.718632 (QR) -0.699019 (CHR) + i
Table 8: Model Results
Variable

Coefficient

Std. Error

t-Statistic

Prob.

4.488026

0.669552

6.70303

CR

1.853079

0.523414

3.540368

0.0004

QR

-0.718632

0.768266

-0.935395

0.35

CHR

-0.699019

0.543187

-1.286884

0.1987

R-squared

0.060275

Mean dependent var

7.201677

Adjusted R-squared

0.054533

S.D. dependent var

10.10704

S.E. of regression

9.827591

Akaike info criterion

7.416313

Sum squared resid

47421.53

Schwarz criterion

7.450289

Log likelihood

-1831.537

Hannan-Quinn criter.

7.429651

F-statistic

10.49767

Durbin-Watson stat

0.857009

Prob(F-statistic)

0.000001

Source: Authors EVIEWS Analysis

In Table 9 (Model Results), the coefficient column for variable CR stands at + 2.653514.
This reveals that there is a positive relation between CR and ROE; it means that an
increase in CR will also lead to an increase in the ROE. At the significance level of
0.0604< 0.05, it is statistically insignificant. The weight of evidence, therefore suggests
accepting the null hypothesis and confirming that there is an insignificant relation
between CR and ROE of companies in Saudi Arabia. As shown in the table, the
coefficient column for variable QR stands at -1.827050.This reveals a negative relation
between QR and ROE; it means that a decrease in QR will also lead to an increase in the
ROE. At the significance level of 0.3776< 0.05, it is statistically insignificant. The weight
of evidence, therefore suggests accepting the null hypothesis. This implies that change in
QR does not have influence on the ROE of companies in Saudi Arabia. As shown in the
table, the coefficient column for variable CHR stands at -0.583111.This indicates that
CHR has negative relationship with ROE. It means that a decrease in CHR will also lead
to an increase in the ROE. At the significance level of 0.6904< 0.05, it is statistically
insignificant. The weight of evidence, therefore suggests accepting the null hypothesis.
The R2, the coefficient of multiple determinations indicate the extent to which the
independent variables influence the dependent variable. The (model snapshot)
demonstrates that coefficient of multiple determinations (R2) is 0.011105. Thus 1 % of the
variations in the dependent variable are explained by the independent variables of the
model. It also shows that the selected independent variables are not the major
determinants factor of Return on Equity (ROE) of the companies listed in Saudi Arabia.

170

Mohammed Ziaur Rehman et al.

F-test provided in Table 9, manifests that F = 1.837967 at a significance level of 0.000.

So, the test outputs described below reveals the emerging multiple regression equation as
ROE = 7.718363+ 2.653514 (CR) -1.827050 (QR) -0.583111 (CHR) + i
Table 9: Model Results
Variable

Coefficient

Std. Error

t-Statistic

Prob.

7.718363

1.803196

4.28038

CR

2.653514

1.409627

1.882423

0.0604

QR

-1.82705

2.069045

-0.88304

0.3776

CHR

-0.583111

1.462878

-0.398606

0.6904

R-squared

0.011105

Mean dependent var

10.48083

Adjusted R-squared

0.005063

S.D. dependent var

26.53432

S.E. of regression

26.46706

Akaike info criterion

9.397727

Sum squared resid

343948.1

Schwarz criterion

9.431703

Log likelihood

-2321.937

Hannan-Quinn criter.

9.411065

F-statistic

1.837967

Durbin-Watson stat

1.179858

Prob(F-statistic)

0.139313

Source: Authors EVIEWS Analysis

6 Conclusion
The paper investigated the influence of liquidity ratios on the profitability for the
companies listed in the Saudi stock market. The study covered ninety nine companies out
of one sixty three companies listed in the Saudi stock market over the period 2008 to
2012. The study covered six hypotheses. Out of the six hypotheses shown in table 10, it
is revealed there is only one significant relationship between Return on Assets (ROA) and
Current Ratio (CR) of the companies in Saudi Arabia.

Investigating Liquidity-Profitability Relationship

No.
Hypothesis1 (Ho):

Hypothesis 2 (Ho):

Hypothesis 3 (Ho):

Hypothesis 4 (Ho):

Hypothesis 5 (Ho):

Hypothesis 6 (Ho):

Table 10
Hypothesis
There is no significant relationship between Return on
Assets (ROA) and Current Ratio (CR) of the
companies in Saudi Arabia.
There is no significant relationship between Return on
Assets (ROA) and Quick Ratio (QR) of the companies
in Saudi Arabia.
There is no significant relationship between Return on
Assets (ROA) and Cash Ratio (CHR) of the
companies in Saudi Arabia.
There is no significant relationship between Return on
Equity (ROE) and Current Ratio (CR) of the
companies in Saudi Arabia.
There is no significant relationship between Return on
Equity (ROE) and Quick Ratio (QR) of the companies
in Saudi Arabia.
There is no significant relationship between Return on
Equity (ROE) and Cash Ratio (CHR) of the
companies in Saudi Arabia.

171

Result
Rejected

Accepted

Accepted

Accepted

Accepted

Accepted

The overall results revealed that there is only one positive significant relationship between
Return on Assets (ROA) and Current Ratio (CR) of the companies in Saudi Arabia.
Further, it is revealed that there is negative but insignificant relationship between the
Return on Assets (ROA) and Quick Ratio (QR) & Cash Ratio (CHR) of the companies in
Saudi Arabia. Likewise in the case of Return on Equity (ROE), there is insignificant
relationship with the three selected independent variables; namely, Current Ratio (CR),
Quick Ratio (QR) and Cash Ratio (CHR).Thus two out of the three liquidity ratios have
negative relationship with the profitability.
The study outcome to an extent reinforce the finding of Eljelly, A. (2004), which exhibits
a significant and negative relation between profitability and liquidity measures among the
Saudi companies. It is also recommended that further research be directed on the similar
topic with specific sectors and unfolding more years in the study.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The researchers would like to thank the Deanship of
Scientific Research at King Saud University represented by the Research Centre at CBA
for supporting this research.

References
[1]

[2]

K. Smith, Profitability Versus Liquidity Tradeoffs in Working Capital

Management, in Readings on The Management of Working Capital, K.V. Smith
(ed.), St. Paul, MN, West Publishing Firm, 1980, USA: 549-562.
M. L. Jose, C. Lancaster and J. L.Stevens, Corporate return and cash conversion
cycles, Journal of Economics and Finance, Vol. 20, 1996, pp. 3346.

172
[3]
[4]

[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]
[16]

[17]
[18]

[19]

[20]

Mohammed Ziaur Rehman et al.

H.H. Shin, and L. Soenen, Efficiency of working capital and corporate
profitability, Financial Practice and Education, Vol. 8, 1998, pp. 37-45.
V. Ganesan, An analysis of working capital management efficiency in
telecommunication equipment, Industry rivier Academic Journal, vol. 3, No. 2,
2007.
M.A. Petersen, and R.G. Rajan, Trade Credit: theories and evidence, The Review
of Financial Studies, Vol. 10, No. 3, 1997.
C. Nicolas,When the numbers do not add up, Director, Vol. 44, No.6, Jan. 1991,
pp. 61-68.
J. Lewellen, Predicting returns with financial ratios, Journal of Financial
Economics, Vol. 74, No. 2, 2004, pp. 209-235.
H. V. Kaur, and S. Singh, Managing Working Capital Efficiency in Capital Goods
Sector in India, Global Business Review, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2013, pp. 343-355.
A. K. Sharma, and S. Kumar, Effect of Working Capital Management on Firm
Profitability Empirical Evidence from India, Global Business Review, Vol. 12, No.
1, 2011, pp. 159-173.
S. Vishnani, and B. K. Shah, Impact of Working Capital Management Policies on
Corporate Performance-An Empirical Study, Global Bus. Rev., Vol. 8, No. 2, 2007,
pp. 267-281.
A. Uyar, The Relationship of Cash Conversion Cycle with Firm Size and
Profitability:An Empirical investigation in Turkey, International Research Journal
of Finance and Economics, Vol. 24, 2009.
A. M. Eljelly, Liquidity-profitability tradeoff: an empirical investigation in an
emerging market, International Journal of Commerce and Management, Vol. 14,
No. 2, 2004, pp. 48-61.
A. Ajanthan, A Nexus between Liquidity & Profitability: A Study of Trading
Companies in Sri Lanka, European Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 5,
No. 7, 2013, pp. 221-237.
P. J. Garca-Teruel, and P. Martnez-Solano, Effects of working capital
management on SME profitability, International Journal of Managerial Finance
Vol. 3, No. 2, 2007, pp. 164-177.
G. Filbeck, and T. M. Krueger, An analysis of working capital management results
across industries, American Journal of Business, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2005, pp. 11-20.
D. Mathuva, The influence of working capital management components on
corporate profitability: a survey on Kenyan listed firms, Research Journal of
Business Management, Vol. 3. No. 1, 2009, pp. 1-11.
O. O. Akinlo, Effect of Working Capital on Profitability of Selected Quoted Firms
in Nigeria, Global Business Review, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2012, pp. 367-381.
A. Raheman, T. Afza, A. Qayyum, and M. A. Bodla, Working capital management
and corporate performance of manufacturing sector in Pakistan, International
Research Journal of Finance and Economics, Vol. 47, No. 1, 2010, pp. 156-169.
I. Lazaridis, and D. Tryfonidis, Relationship between Working Capital
Management and Profitability of listed companies in the Athens Stock Exchange,
Journal of Financial Management and Analysis, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2006.
A. E. Danuleiu, Working capital management and profitability: a case of Alba
county companies, Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, Vol. 12,
No. 1, 2010.

Investigating Liquidity-Profitability Relationship

173

[21] Q. Saleem, and R. Rehman, Impacts of liquidity ratios on profitability Case of oil
and gas companies of Pakistan, Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Business,
Vol. 1, No. 7, 2011, pp. 95-98.
[22] B. Bagchi, and B. Khamrui, Relationship between Working Capital Management
and Profitability: A Study of Selected FMCG Companies in India, Business and
Economics Journal, Vol. 2012, BEJ-60.
[23] A. Raheman, and M. Nasr, Working capital management and profitabilitycase of
Pakistani firms,International review of business research papers, Vol.3,No.1, 2007,
pp. 279-300.
[24] M. F. Shubita, Working Capital Management and Profitability: A Case of Industrial
Jordanian Companies, International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 4
No. 8, 2013.
[25] B. Bagchi, and J. Chakrabarti, Modeling liquidity management for Indian FMCG
firms. International Journal of Commerce and Management, Vol. 24, No. 4, 2012,
pp. 334-354.
[26] M. Z. Rehman, M. N. Khan and I. Khokhar, Select Financial Ratios as a
Determinant of Profitability Evidence from Petrochemical Industry in Saudi
Arabia, European Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 6, No. 6, 2014, pp.
187-196.
[27] M. Bolek, Working Capital Management, Profitability And RiskAnalyse Of
Companies Listed On The Warsaw Stock Exchange, Finansowy Kwartalnik
Internetowy e-Finanse, Vol. 9, No. 3, 2013, pp. 1-10.