Financial Performance Indicators: The Impact of Company's Lifetime and Industry Type

Abstract

The formula for high financial performance is a never-ending story. A significant chapter of that story is the one dealing with causality and interactions between specific financial performance indicators and the organisation's characteristics. This paper investigates the financial performance indicators of 130 best-performing companies using Forbes's Global top performers list to create a foundation and a tool for managing companies' success by managing a concrete set of financial indicators. We examined 98 financial performance indicators, for a five years period, analysing companies originating from 21 countries and operating in 23 industries. Specific attention is paid to research questions whether there is a correlation between of financial indicators values and companies' age and industry. The goal is to come to a set of financial performance indicators benchmarks that would lead to a successful business if followed. Those benchmarks, set by the age and industry type, can serve as a target value for the comparable organisations, which fulfilment would ensure business becoming a success story.