Research Article

TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS

Volume: 9 Number: 2 October 1, 2026
TR EN

TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between trade working capital intensity and subsequent financial performance indicators using quarterly financial statements of 55 firms listed on Borsa Istanbul for the period 2005Q1-2025Q3. Trade working capital intensity is defined as quarter-end net trade working capital, measured as trade receivables plus inventories minus trade payables, divided by the trailing four-quarter sum of sales. The analysis uses firm and quarter fixed-effects panel models. The findings show that trade working capital intensity is strongly and negatively associated with next-quarter quarterly asset turnover. This result remains stable across alternative specifications, including trailing four-quarter outcomes, two-quarter-ahead outcomes, crisis-window exclusions, alternative winsorization, a dynamic control specification, and Driscoll-Kraay standard errors. The evidence for gross margin is positive but weaker, while the finance burden channel is not statistically supported. The results suggest that trade working capital intensity should be evaluated not only as a liquidity or financing issue, but also as part of a margin-turnover trade-off. The findings are interpreted as panel associations rather than causal effects.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

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Ethical Statement

Ethics Committee Statement: This study does not require ethics committee approval as it is based on publicly available financial statement data. Conflict of Interest Statement: The author(s) declare that there is no conflict of interest in this study. Data Statement: The financial statement data used in this study is based on company financial statements compiled from publicly available sources. Derived variables and codes used in the analysis can be shared upon request.

Thanks

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References

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  2. Baltagi, B. H. (2005). Econometric Analysis of Panel Data (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
  3. Baños-Caballero, S., García-Teruel, P. J. and Martínez-Solano, P. (2012). How Does Working Capital Management Affect the Profitability of Spanish Smes? Small Business Economics, 39(2), 517-529.
  4. Baños-Caballero, S., García-Teruel, P. J. and Martínez-Solano, P. (2014). Working Capital Management, Corporate Performance, and Financial Constraints. Journal of Business Research, 67(3), 332-338.
  5. Breusch, T. S. and Pagan, A. R. (1980). The Lagrange Multiplier Test and Its Applications to Model Specification in Econometrics. Review of Economic Studies, 47(1), 239-253.
  6. Deloof, M. (2003). Does Working Capital Management Affect Profitability of Belgian Firms? Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, 30(3-4), 573-588.
  7. Driscoll, J. C. and Kraay, A. C. (1998). Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimation With Spatially Dependent Panel Data. Review of Economics and Statistics, 80(4), 549-560.
  8. Emery, G. W. (1984). A Pure Financial Explanation For Trade Credit. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 19(3), 271-285.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Financial Forecast and Modelling

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

October 1, 2026

Submission Date

May 18, 2026

Acceptance Date

August 10, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 2

APA
Duran, T. (2026). TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS. Muhasebe Ve Finans İncelemeleri Dergisi, 9(2), 191-206. https://doi.org/10.32951/mufider.1954050
AMA
1.Duran T. TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS. BAFR. 2026;9(2):191-206. doi:10.32951/mufider.1954050
Chicago
Duran, Tunakan. 2026. “TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS”. Muhasebe Ve Finans İncelemeleri Dergisi 9 (2): 191-206. https://doi.org/10.32951/mufider.1954050.
EndNote
Duran T (October 1, 2026) TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS. Muhasebe ve Finans İncelemeleri Dergisi 9 2 191–206.
IEEE
[1]T. Duran, “TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS”, BAFR, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 191–206, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.32951/mufider.1954050.
ISNAD
Duran, Tunakan. “TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS”. Muhasebe ve Finans İncelemeleri Dergisi 9/2 (October 1, 2026): 191-206. https://doi.org/10.32951/mufider.1954050.
JAMA
1.Duran T. TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS. BAFR. 2026;9:191–206.
MLA
Duran, Tunakan. “TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS”. Muhasebe Ve Finans İncelemeleri Dergisi, vol. 9, no. 2, Oct. 2026, pp. 191-06, doi:10.32951/mufider.1954050.
Vancouver
1.Tunakan Duran. TRADE WORKING CAPITAL INTENSITY AND THE MARGIN-TURNOVER TRADE-OFF: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM BIST FIRMS. BAFR. 2026 Oct. 1;9(2):191-206. doi:10.32951/mufider.1954050