Accounts Receivable: Payable Impact on Each Other with Special Reference to Financial Performance—A Study of Small Cap Companies

Abstract

Trade credit is important as a funding source for companies having a liquidity shortage. Trade credit comprises of both accounts receivable and payable. The financial literature has discussed the impact of accounts receivable or payable on a company’s financial performance. However, there is a lack of studies on the effects of accounts receivable and payable on each other and further its effect on the financial performance of small-cap companies. Financial performance is determined using the profitability and value of the company. The researchers examined the financial performance implications of offering and receiving trade credit for a sample of 193 BSE small-cap manufacturing companies in India during the period 2011–2019. Granger causality test, Levin, Lin and Chu Unit root test, correlation and regression have been used for data analysis. The finding suggested that accounts receivable influenced the use of accounts payable. The aftermath of accounts payables is that it negatively and significantly affected the profitability and had an insignificant relationship with the value of the company. The result implies that effective management of accounts receivable can influence the application of accounts payable that improves a company’s profits and value. The current study is useful for SMEs’ managers in determining the financial performance and capital structure.