Financial Leverage and Financial Performance of Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria: A Re-examination

Abstract

This study assessed the effect of financial leverage on the financial performance, using data from the annual reports of 7 quoted oil and gas firms in Nigeria, as well as from the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) daily official lists over the period 2005- 2018. Descriptive statistics were used in data presentation, while random effects panel estimator was applied in determining the effect of financial leverage variables as short-term debt ratio (STDR), long-term debt ratio (LTDR) and total-debt equity ratio (TDER) on the financial performance, measured by the return on equity (ROE). The regression results from the random effects model (REM) indicate that STDR and LTDR have no significant effect on the financial performance, and TDER has a negative but significant effect on the financial performance denoted by ROE. The study concludes that higher financial leverage of quoted oil and gas companies in Nigeria attenuates shareholders’ wealth. The investment implication of this conclusion is that oil and gas companies should look more carefully at the utility maximization value of debt vis-à-vis equity in their capital structure.