Title: Analysing factors that affect profitability and growth in French publicly listed firms

Authors: I.A. Makris; P. Charalabakis; S. Stavroyiannis

Addresses: Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Peloponnese, Kalamata, 24100, Greece ' Department of Business Administration, University of Patras, 26504, Greece ' Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Peloponnese, Kalamata, 24100, Greece

Abstract: The Eurozone was at the centre of the 2008 recession, and many country-members were affected by the financial crisis. France, the country with the 2nd largest GDP in the EMU (and crucial for the sustainability of the common currency area), according to some researchers it endured the economic crisis relatively well. However, recent surveys, indicate that the French economy has experienced worrying times during the economic crisis. In this research work, economic data from a large number of French publicly listed firms is analysed for the last decade, to identify common characteristics that are associated with firm performance and growth, during a recessionary period and its aftermath. For that reason, a panel data analysis is performed, along with the necessary unit root tests. The findings indicate the crucial role of financial health, internationalisation and size of the firm, in financial performance, growth and dynamism.

Keywords: financial performance; France; publicly listed firms; debt; profitability; firm growth.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEBR.2021.114395

International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 2021 Vol.21 No.3, pp.343 - 359

Received: 24 Jul 2019
Accepted: 31 Mar 2020
Published online: 20 Apr 2021 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article