Inventory conversion period and profitability relationship of the listed pharmaceutical firms of Jordan

Abstract

The study objects for determining whether or not a relationship exists between inventory management of the listed pharmaceutical firms at Amman Stock Exchange, and the profitability of these firms, and whether or not inventory management affects firm profitability. Only three pharmaceutical firms were found listed at Amman Stock Exchange by the end of 2020, and therefore, the annual data of the three firms along the period 2009-2019 were collected and used in the analysis and hypothesis testing. Inventory turnover and average inventory holding period were used as indicators for inventory management at a reciprocal form, whereas, return on assets was used as a measure of firm profitability. Using the Pearson correlation method, the analysis and hypothesis testing demonstrated that a significant positive relationship exists between inventory turnover and return on assets, and a negative significant relationship exists between average inventory holding period and return on assets. Moreover, using the ordinary least square method, the study shows that inventory management has a positive significant effect on firm profitability. More studies regarding inventory management and firm profitability relationships, are recommended to be performed on other manufacturing industries than pharmaceutical firms.