Metrics for the analysis of the financial statements of companies of the industrial manufacturing sector in Cuenca, Ecuador

Abstract

Financial statements reflect the financial situation of a company as a result of its internal and external management. This research diagnoses the financial statements of the Ecuadorian industrial manufacturing industry, specifically in the city of Cuenca, by applying financial indicators and the case-control method to determine the relevant or particularly interesting financial reasons for companies in this sector. The study uses liquidity, indebtedness, activity and profitability indicators, whose results proved the hypothesis that reflect the financial deficiencies between the groups established as case -unaudited companies- and control -audited companies-. Results show that short-term indebtedness, non-current assets turnover, inventory turnover, and net profit margin are the most representative indicators. Unaudited companies have higher liquidity and profitability; however, their short-term indebtedness is high in comparison to the results of audited companies.