Title: Risk and profitability of the Slovenian industries

Authors: Igor Stubelj; Suzana Laporšek

Addresses: Faculty of Management, University of Primorska, Izolska vrata 2, SI-6101 Koper, Slovenia ' Faculty of Management, University of Primorska, Izolska vrata 2, SI-6101 Koper, Slovenia

Abstract: The paper aims to measure the relative and the market risk of Slovenian industries and to assess the potential effect of firms' projects diversification between industries and within industries. The empirical analysis uses ROE data for all capital firms in Slovenia, aggregated both at the country level and at the industry level, for the period of 2008-2018. The empirical findings show big differences and heterogeneity in the median and volatility of the ROE among industries in Slovenia and, interestingly, a negative correlation between risk and return. The latter could be explained by the substantial negative effect of the 2008 crisis on the profitability of the riskiest industries in Slovenia. Moreover, the results suggest a possible diversification effect between industries. In addition, the accounting beta results show that in the majority of studied industries the diversification effect within the industry eliminated most of the specific risk.

Keywords: ROE; return; risk; accounting-based approach; industries; Slovenia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSE.2021.116623

International Journal of Sustainable Economy, 2021 Vol.13 No.3, pp.261 - 280

Received: 03 Jul 2020
Accepted: 09 Dec 2020
Published online: 28 Jul 2021 *

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