RIFT VALLEY UNIVERSITY

MARI-GORO CAMPUS

POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM

Department of Accounting & Finance

Course Title: Advanced Financial
Accounting

2nd Individual Assignment

Article Review

By
Nimona

Submitted to Getahun G. (MSc)

Title of the Article: "Impact of Financial Leverage on Value of Firms: Evidence from Cement
Sector of Pakistan"

Authors of the Article:

1. Muhammad Azhar Farooq (Department of Business Administration, Ghazi University,

Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan)
2. Ahsan Masood (Department of Management Sciences, Virtual University of Pakistan,
Lahore)

1) Summary of the Article:

Purpose of the Article/Problem Statement:

The article aims to explore the impact of financial leverage on the value of firms within the
cement sector of Pakistan. The primary concern is to understand how the use of debt in the
capital structure influences the overall value of these companies.

Specific Objectives:

The specific objectives include analyzing the association between financial leverage and firm
value for all 19 cement companies listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange from 2008 to 2012. The
study also considers control variables such as firm size, asset tangibility, and liquidity.

Data Used:

The data used in the study is not explicitly detailed in the abstract. However, it mentions the use
of panel econometric techniques, suggesting a likely combination of quantitative data from
financial reports of the listed companies during the specified period.

Method of Data Analysis:

The article employs panel econometric techniques, specifically mentioning the choice between
fixed effects and random effects models. This suggests a robust statistical analysis method to
explore the relationship between financial leverage and firm value.
Findings, Conclusions, and Policy Recommendations:

Empirical results indicate a positive and statistically significant association between financial
leverage and firm value (measured by Tobin’s Q) in the Pakistani cement sector. The study
suggests that cement companies can enhance their value by optimizing the mix of equity and
debt in their capital structure. Control variables such as firm size, asset tangibility, and liquidity
are also discussed, revealing their respective relationships with firm value. Practical implications
are drawn for financial managers in the cement sector, recommending an appropriate inclusion of
debt in their capital structure.

2) Evaluation of the Article:

Theories Discussed:

The primary theory discussed is the impact of financial leverage on firm value, with Tobin’s Q
as the measure. The article seems to draw on financial and capital structure theories to explore
how the use of debt affects the overall value of cement companies.

Argument and Reasons:

The author argues that financial leverage has a positive and statistically significant association
with firm value. The reasons for this are not explicitly mentioned in the abstract, but the findings
suggest that an optimal mix of equity and debt positively influences the value of cement
companies.

Conclusions Alignment with Findings:

The conclusions align well with the findings. The positive association between financial leverage
and firm value is acknowledged, and practical implications for financial managers are derived
from these conclusions.

3) Contribution to the Overall Topic:

The work contributes by providing empirical evidence specific to the cement sector in Pakistan,
offering insights into the relationship between financial leverage and firm value. The study also
touches upon the impact of control variables, enhancing its applicability in the financial
management domain.

4) Strengths and Weaknesses:

Strengths:

 Clear purpose and objectives.

 Robust methodological approach with the use of panel econometric techniques.
 Practical implications for financial managers.

Weaknesses:

 Lack of detail on the data used and the specific reasons behind the positive association
between financial leverage and firm value.
 The abstract does not provide information on potential limitations of the study.

Overall my comments

Overall, the article appears to be a valuable contribution to understanding the relationship

between financial leverage and firm value in the context of the Pakistani cement sector.