Effect of firm attributes on return on asset of listed manufacturing companies in Nigeria

Abstract

The profitability of manufacturing companies does not only play the role of improving the market value of that specific company but also leads to the overall growth of the whole sector which translate to improvement on profit level that could be attributable to characteristics possessed by firms. It is on this the study examines the effect of firm attributes on the return on assets of listed companies in Nigeria for a period of five years. The population and sample size of this study comprises of all the 41 listed manufacturing companies in the Nigerian Stock Exchange as at 31 December, 2016. The result of random effect regression provides evidence that all firm attributes apart from operating expenses and firm size had a negative and significant effect on return on asset. Based on this result, the study recommends that listed manufacturing firms should reduce firm size and operating expenses so as to increase the return on assets of their firms and short term cash should not be channeled to fund capital asset.