Working capital management and profitability of wine firms in France: an empirical analysis

Abstract

We estimated the impact of cash conversion cycle (CCC) on the return on assets of wine firms in France over the 2003-2014 period. After controlling for factors such as size, growth, tangibility and leverage, we found that CCC had a negative impact on the profitability of French wine firms, suggesting an aggressive working capital management strategy. However, there was no optimal level of CCC allowing firms to maximise their profitability. On the other hand, French wine firms should grant a payment delay to their customers while reducing the delay to sell stocked wines. They should also lengthen the payment delay to their suppliers while considering potential borrowing cost and potential discounts for early payments. A robustness check on two different sub-periods shows that the recent global financial crisis had a significant impact on the relationship between working capital management and the profitability of wine firms in France.