The Relationship between Earnings-to-Price, Current Ratio, Profit Margin and Return: An Empirical Analysis on Istanbul Stock Exchange

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between current ratio, earnings to price, net profit margin and stock returns in İstanbul Stock Exchange over the period 2008-2016 by employing panel data analysis. Due to the existence of heteroskedasticity, cross sectional dependence and autocorrelation in sample data, two-way fixed effects model is estimated by robust estimators. Both Parks-Kmenta and Beck-Katz methods are conducted to check whether the results are consistent or not. According to Park-Kmenta estimation model, the results show that earnings to price and net profit margin are significant to explain stock returns in İstanbul Stock Exchange while current ratio is found insignificant.  Moreover, the test based on Beck-Katz model produces the similar results. Earnings to price and net profit margin are strong determinants of stock returns in Istanbul Stock Exchange. Stocks with higher E/P ratios and profit margins generate higher returns for the next period.