Financial ratios and book value of shares for selected money transfer companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange

Abstract

The study examined the nexus between the financial ratio and book value of shares for Iraqi money transfer companies. The data used was extracted from the financial reports of selected money transfer companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange, and a descriptive, correlation and panel least square regression technique were adopted for the analysis. The result revealed that the financial ratio captured by earnings per share (EPS), return on investment (ROI) and return on assets (ROA) were positively related with the book value of shares (BVAL), while debt ratio (DER) was negatively related with BVAL. Also, EPS, ROA, ROI and DER positively influenced BVAL. Thus, the engagement of competent and qualified personnel to manage the assets and investments in order to ensure optimal returns is urgently required. There is also a need for proper issuing of shares by the management of money transfer companies to ensure free access to the stock market.