VALUE OF LIQUIDITY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY IN THE BRAZILIAN COMPANIES OF ELECTRICITY SECTOR

ABSTRACT

The study revisits the literature of accounting and economics to analyze the concept and epistemology of expression 'liquidity' with the aims to explore its value or cost for the company. The research is characterized as an exploratory study to fundament, understand and to use the liquid as a metric of economic evaluation, value creation. Therefore, the cost and return of liquidity are needed. The cost of liquidity is calculated through the dynamic model of working capital, as Fleuriet et al (1978), and for the return of liquidity is used the return on the financial cycle, as defined by Silva (1998). The financial cycle enter in the calculation of cost of liquidity by expressing the time that the company needs, effectively, to finance and to maintain certain level of liquidity, need for working capital. The empirical study is conducted in a sample of 24 Brazilian companies of electricity sector. The secondary data used in the calculation of variables are of year 2011 and were obtained from of data base of economática. The analysis focus of relationship between the value of liquidity and the variables: financial cycle, return on financial cycle, need for working capital and gross profit margin. The results show that these variables influence in the determining of value of liquidity. So, to create value the company, the level of liquidity defined by management of working capital and evidenced by amplitude of financial cycle, is of fundamental importance. It appears that the indicator value of liquidity is an important and efficient tool for the economic evaluation with also for performance monitoring of company management.

liquidity; value of liquidity; working capital