The Relevance of Sectoral Clustering in Corporate Debt Policy: The Case Study of Slovak Enterprises

Abstract

The processing and transformation of natural resources into completed and semi-finished products is the primary function of industry in each nation’s economy. There is no denying the significance of industry and sectoral classification of the economy, but the slow development and extension of one industry could have resulted in the advancement of other sectors that are now a part of contemporary communities. Since there are statistically significant differences between various industries, numerous authors are currently investigating the impact of the industry on the financial structure of firms, revealing the industry as a crucial determinant of corporate indebtedness. Thus, the main aim of this study is to determine the debt level of a sample of 4237 enterprises operating in the market in the period of 2018–2021 from various sectors using eight debt indicators, as well as to identify relationships between them, which may help to reveal sectors with homogeneous patterns of indebtedness (using the cluster analysis) and thus understand which sectors are the most stable and independent. The Kruskal–Wallis test is then used to determine if there are statistically significant differences between the calculated ratios related to the economic sector. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the choice of financial structure is significantly influenced by the industry. Financial performance and indebtedness indicators are quantitative statistics used to assess, monitor, and forecast company or sectoral financial health. They act as instruments for business insiders and outsiders to assess a company’s performance, particularly in comparison to competitors, and to pinpoint its strengths and weaknesses, making the outputs of this study important for all types of stakeholders.