The impact of intangible assets on firm performance: Evidence from an emerging economy

Abstract

Purpose- This research investigates intangible assets' role in firm performance in the Tehran Stock Exchange's firm performance. Design/methodology/approach- Multiple Linear Regression is conducted to examine a large pool of data for 1350 company-year over ten years from 2008 to 2018. Four measures are used for performance, including return on assets, return on equity, net profit, and profit margin. Findings - The findings show that unrecorded and recorded intangible assets positively impact firm performance (return on assets, return on equity, net profit, and profit margin). The authors also find that last year's recorded intangible assets and performance (return on assets, return on equity, net profit, and profit margin) are related positively. This paper magnifies the significant role of intangible assets on firm performance. Originality/value- The outcomes of the current study may give insight to managers to provide serious attention to intangible assets in developing nations to improving performance. This study can provide brighter empirical shreds of evidence about the relationship between recorded and unrecorded intangible assets and performance in listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange. I believe that this research can significantly contribute to future studies.