Ownership And Firm Performance: The Experience Of Saudi Arabias Emerging Economy

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between firm ownership and corporate performance in Saudi Arabia, using a sample of Listed Private Companies (LPCs) and Listed Government Related Companies (LGRCs). The study compares the operating and market performance of the LPCs and LGRCs during the period 2000-2003 and found that, in general, LGRCs outperform or match the performance of LPCs. More specifically, the study finds that LGRCs tend to mostly outperform LPCs in terms of profitability, as measured by Return on equity (ROE) and Net Profit Margin (NPM), operating efficiently, as measured in terms of Return on assets (ROA), and match them in their stock market risk adjusted performance. The study concludes that these results may have implications for the issue of privatization programs which the government has recently started.