• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.37-45
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• 2015

Purpose - This paper's aim is to investigate whether or not gross profitability explains the cross-sectional variation of the stock returns in the Korean stock market. Gross profitability is an alternative profitability measure proposed by Novy-Marx in 2013 to predict cross-sectional variation of stock returns in the US. He shows that the gross profitability adds explanatory power to the Fama-French 3 factor model. Interestingly, gross profitability is negatively correlated with the book-to-market ratio. By confirming the gross profitability premium in the Korean stock market, we may provide some implications regarding the well-known value premium. In addition, our empirical results may provide opportunities for the fund distribution industry to promote brand new styles of funds. Research design, data, and methodology - For our empirical analysis, we collect monthly market prices of all the companies listed on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) of the Korea Exchanges (KRX). Our sample period covers July1994 to December2014. The data from the company financial statementsare provided by the financial information company WISEfn. First, using Fama-Macbeth cross-sectional regression, we investigate the relation between gross profitability and stock return performance. For robustness in analyzing the performance of the gross profitability strategy, we consider value weighted portfolio returns as well as equally weighted portfolio returns. Next, using Fama-French 3 factor models, we examine whether or not the gross profitability strategy generates excess returns when firmsize and the book-to-market ratio are controlled. Finally, we analyze the effect of firm size and the book-to-market ratio on the gross profitability strategy. Results - First, through the Fama-MacBeth cross-sectional regression, we show that gross profitability has almost the same explanatory power as the book-to-market ratio in explaining the cross-sectional variation of the Korean stock market. Second, we find evidence that gross profitability is a statistically significant variable for explaining cross-sectional stock returns when the size and the value effect are controlled. Third, we show that gross profitability, which is positively correlated with stock returns and firm size, is negatively correlated with the book-to-market ratio. From the perspective of portfolio management, our results imply that since the gross profitability strategy is a distinctive growth strategy, value strategies can be improved by hedging with the gross profitability strategy. Conclusions - Our empirical results confirm the existence of a gross profitability premium in the Korean stock market. From the perspective of the fund distribution industry, the gross profitability portfolio is worthy of attention. Since the value strategy portfolio returns are negatively correlated with the gross profitability strategy portfolio returns, by mixing both portfolios, investors could be better off without additional risk. However, the profitable firms are dissimilar from the value firms (high book-to-market ratio firms); therefore, an alternative factor model including gross profitability may help us understand the economic implications of the well-known anomalies such as value premium, momentum, and low volatility. We reserve these topics for future research.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.43-61
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relations between publicness and profitability of national university hospitals in Korea. Finance and management data from 2008 to 2010 were collected from balancing accounts and annual reports in 13 national university hospitals. The dependant variables are used profitability indicators which are operating margin, net profit to gross revenues, normal profit to gross revenues. The independent variables are publicness indicators which are medical social work, ratio of medical aid in inpatients, ratio of medical aid in outpatients, publicness index. The results show that operating margin, net profit to gross revenues in profitability indicators are affected by medical social work in publicness indicators. Normal profit to gross revenues in profitability indicators is strong related to medical social work and hospital province in publicness indicators. Based on these results, this study suggests implications to balance the publicness and the profitability in national university hospitals.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.129-147
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• 2003

This study is to grasp a trend of profitability classified by characteristics of hospitals and to analyze related factors. Subjects are 145 hospitals which have gotten the standardization audit by Korean Hospital Association during 1998-200l. Profitability was measured in the aspect of operation profit rate with operating margin to gross revenue as proxy variables. Independent variables were classified by general factors (ownership, number of beds, period of establishment, competition), financial factors (liabilities to total assets, current ratio, fixed ratio, total asset turnover, inventories turnover), and factors related to patient treatment (average length of stay, bed occupancy rate, new outpatient ratio, admission ratio of outpatients, number of patients per specialist, personnel costs per adjusted inpatient, administrative costs per adjusted inpatient). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis model was used in this study. As a result of hierarchical multiple regression analyzation of operating margin to gross revenue, adjustive $R^2$ of general factors was relatively more powerful. The factors had significant effect on operating margin to gross revenue were ownership(+), number of beds(+), competition(+), current ratio(+), fixed ratio(+), total asset turnover(+), personnel costs per adjusted inpatient(-).

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.19-38
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• 2008

Financial ratios are key indicators of an organization's financial and business conditions. Among various financial indicators, profitability, financial structure, financial activity and liquidity ratios are frequently used and analyzed. Using the structural equation modeling(SEM) technique, this study examines the structural causal relationships among key financial indicators. Data for this study are taken from complete financial statements from 142 hospitals that passed the standardization audit undertaken by the Korean Hospital Association from 1998 to 2001 for the purpose of accrediting teaching hospitals. In order to improve comparability, ratio values are standardized using the Blom's normal distribution. The final model of the SEM has four latent constructs: financial activity(total asset turnover, fixed asset turnover), liquidity(current ratio, quick ratio, collection period), financial structure(total debt to equity, long-term debt to equity, fixed assets to fund balance), and profitability(return on assets, normal profit to total assets, operating margin to gross revenue, normal profit to gross revenue). While examining several model fit indices(Chi-square (df) = 178.661 (40), likelihood ratio=4.467, RMR=.11, GFI=.849, RMSEA=.157), the final SEM we employed shows a relatively good fit. After examining the path coefficient of the constructs, the financial structure of the hospital affects the hospital's profitability in a statistically significant way. A hospital which utilizes its liabilities, more specifically fixed liabilities, and makes a stable investment decision for fixed assets was found to have a higher profitability than other hospitals. Then, the standard path coefficients were examined to directly compare the influence of variables. It was found that there were no statistically significant path coefficients among constructs. When it comes to variables, however, statistically significant relationships were found. between. financial activity and. fixed. asset turnover, and between profitability and normal profit to gross revenue. These results show that the observed variables of fixed asset turnover and normal profit to gross revenue can be used as indicators representing financial activity and profitability.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2021

The ability of entrepreneurs to arrange working capital is the key to maximizing the profitability of small- and medium-sized enterprises and the wealth of entrepreneurs. The study investigates the correlation between entrepreneurs' working capital management and the profitability of SMEs listed on six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stock exchanges between 2019 and 2020. The secondary data is collected from the financial statements of SMEs listed on the six GCC stock exchanges. Actual sample for the research study was a total of 136 small- and medium-sized enterprises selected using purposive sampling methods. Four research models were considered in this analysis, all ending up affecting gross profits. The selected entrepreneurial SMEs were listed on six different Gulf Cooperation Council stock exchanges during 2019-2020. The fixed financial assets ratio, financial debt ratio, and company size are used as control variables and data were analyzed using multiple regression. The research results demonstrate that there is a statistically significant negative correlation between profitability measured by gross profit and cash cycle and the components of the cash cycle (including days of accounts receivable and days of inventory). The study further reveals that there is no significant correlation between gross profit and days of accounts payable.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.102-127
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• 2004

The objective of this study is to analyze a current trend of and relating factors on profitability of the Korean Public Corporation Medical Centers(KPCMCs, hereinafter, hospitals) in Korea. There are 34 hospitals in Korea as of 2004. Among these hospitals some are red ink hospitals, others are black inks in terms of profitability. Data were collected by Korea Health Industry Development Institute(KHIDI) Statistics for Hospital Management 2000-2002 and Ministry of Health and Welfare(MOHW) financial data of public hospitals which was planned to coordinate public health care services roadmap in the long run. The samples are 32 hospitals. Profitability was measured in the aspect of profit rate with normal profit to total assets, and normal profit to gross revenues as dependent variables in respective. Independent variables were classified by general factors, i.e., location, intern/resident training, period of opening, number of beds, and managerial factors(current ratio, fixed ratio, liability to total assets, total assets turnover, personnel costs, materials cost, administrative cost), and finally factors related to patient treatment(average length of stay, bed occupancy rate, admission ratio of outpatients). The methods of analysis are correlation and multiple regression analysis. This study shows firstly, a lot of hospitals are optimal current ratio. Hospitals in upper 100% current ratio are 81.2%. And the personnel cost in total costs are high. Secondly, the trend of normal profit to gross revenues of hospitals are deteriorating gradually. And lastly, as a result of multiple regression analysis, the factors had on significant effect on normal profit to total assets are fixed ratio(+), liability to total assets(-), bed occupancy rate(+), admissions of outpatients(+), etc. And the factors had on significant effect on normal profit to gross revenues are current ration(+), fixed ratio(+), personnel cost(-), administrative expenses(-), admissions of outpatients(+), etc. In conclusion, to improve the profitability of hospitals, the efforts to reduce personnel cost and average length of stay might be needed. And also beds utilization rate need to be increased.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.43-62
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• 2010

This study provides an evidence on the determinants of the profitability of university hospital by analyzing university hospital-level data set of hospital performance during the year 2007 (32 university hospitals in total). For the study, a multiple regression model is employed in which profitability index obtained from the DEA computations, operating margin to total asset and gross revenue are used as the dependent variables, and a number of hospital operating characteristics are chosen as the independent variables such as ownership type, location, bed size, period of establishment, bed occupancy rate, admission ratio of outpatients, patients per medical specialist, personnel cost per patient, liabilities to total assets, current ratio, fixed ratio, total asset turnover, medical assistance rate and public indicator. First, the results indicate that the bed occupancy rate and liabilities to total assets are positively and significantly associated with operating margin to total asset. Second, number of beds, the bed occupancy rate and number of patients per medical specialist are positively and significantly associated with operating margin to gross revenue. Third, the bed occupancy rate, number of patients per medical specialist, liabilities to total assets, total asset turnover are positively and significantly associated with profitability index revealed from DEA.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.22-45
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• 2004

This study was performed to identify factors affecting the profitability of private hospitals in Korea different and to make informations that could be very helpful to hospitals in improving profitability. Data used in this study were collected from 112 hospitals with complete general data of present conditions as well as financial statements(balance sheets, income statements). They were chosen from hospitals that passed the standardization audit undertaken by the Korean Hospital Association from 1998 to 2001 for the purpose of accrediting training hospitals. The dependent variables were used operating margin to total assets and operating margin to gross revenues as proxy indicators for profitability. The independent variables were ownership type, location, bed size, period of establishment, debt to total assets, current ratio, fixed ratio, total asset turnover, average length of stay, bed occupancy rate, admission ratio of outpatients, personnel costs per adjusted inpatient, and fiscal years. The factors had significantly positive effect on operating margin to total assets and operating margin to gross revenues were bed size, total asset turnover. And the factors had significantly negative effect on operating margin to total assets and operating margin to gross revenues were period of establishment, debt to total assets, average length of stay, personnel costs per adjusted inpatient. The adjusted $R^2$ of multiple regression equation was 25.2%, 21.4% respectively. It is very important for private hospitals to improve profitability by raising total asset turnover, and reducing debt to total assets, average length of stay, and personnel costs per adjusted inpatient using the rational and efficient business strategy.

• Korean Business Review
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2006

This research executed research that analyze construction cost and profitability through construction example of direction and subcontracting construction based on common private construction less than 3 billion. The results of this research, is summarized as follows. (1) Analyzed profitability about construction gross and operating profit of direction and subcontracting construction. The construction gross profit rate is 15.2% direction construction, subcontracting construction was analyzed by 1.3% high by 16.5% subcontracting construction, and the operating profit rate is 9.4% direction construction, subcontracting construction was construed by 2.3% high by 11.7% subcontracting construction. (2) Analyzed profitability about operating profit before and after deduction of 4 insurance cost of direction construction. The direction construction operating profit rate is 9.4% before deduction of 4 insurance cost, after deduction was construed that is 7.3% and operating profit rate difference after and before deduction was construed that is 2.1%. Therefore, subcontracting construction (operating profit rate 11.7%) was analyzed that last operating profitability after 4 insurance cost deduction produces more 4.4% about direction construction.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.45-66
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to analyze related factors affecting profitability on general hospitals(300-499 beds). The data were derived from survey by the Korean Hospital Association on 33 hospitals during 10 years (from 1993 to 2002). Profitability was measured by 3 ratios - net profit to total assets, normal profit to total assets and operating margin to gross revenue - as dependent variables. Independent variables were classified by general factors (ownership, number of bed, period of establishment, region), financial factors (total asset turnover, current ratio, liabilities to total assets, personnel costs per operation profit, material costs per operation profits), productivity index(number of daily patient per nurse), the score of quality assurance activity and the time lag score. Multiple regression model was used in this study. First, Number of bed, region was not statistically significant for profitability. But ownership was affect positively to normal profit to total assets and operating margin to gross revenue. Private hospitals had higher profitability than that of public hospitals Second, the score of quality assurance activity was not statistically significant to profitability. Third, Those hospitals having more daily patient per nurse had significantly higher profitability than the others. Fourth, Those hospitals having higher proportion in total asset turnover had significantly higher profitability than other hospitals. But liabilities to total assets and liquidity ratio had no difference to the profitability. Those hospitals having higher proportion in personnel costs and material costs per operation profits had significantly lower hospital profitability than others.