Profitability Ratios as a Measure of Management Efficiency in Coal Companies in 2014–2018

Abstract

The paper addresses issues relating to assessment of the operational efficiency of listed hard coal companies by means of profitability ratios. Their financial results are largely determined by the volatility of coal prices, implying that they sustain losses during downturns. Sales, assets and equity deficit indicators reveal the scale of losses sustained by coal companies during a slump. Some even report negative equity as a result of unsettled losses. During a boom, though, these companies generate profits and boast high profitability in all areas analyzed. Profitability ratios typically used by finance companies to assess the performance of coal companies do not constitute a good gauge of their efficiency in the short term, though. However, they can be used for long-term assessment.