The liquidity-profitability trade-off in Bulgaria in terms of the changed financial management functions during crisis

Abstract

The analysis evaluates the basic functions of modern financial managers and important aspects related to their roles in the business environment. In consideration of the global changes within the economic and financial system after 2007, the role of financial managers in corporations significantly changed. This has happened with the increasing number of functions they perform and with extending the influence of the financial manager on almost all other areas of activity within companies - trading, logistics, property management, production and technology through changing highlights and guidance on financial policies, changes in the scope of activities and time determination of the decisions taken. The analysis points at the increasing role of liquidity management in times of crisis and its effect on maximizing company’s results. The effective financial performance should guarantee a minimum impact of liquidity decisions on profitability and wealth. Empirical tests for the Bulgarian economy in crisis showed weak but clearly negative relationship between controllable liquidity and operational profitability in long term. Moreover, the volatility of liquidity remains relatively low and poorly related to the considerable variations in profitability. Contrary to that, the liquidity is not significantly influenced by the capital gains due to the instable profitability for the analysed period.

Keywords

• Functions of the financial management
• Financial and economic crisis
• New role of financial managers
• Liquidity and profitability trade-off