Define Economy Analysis

Economy Analysis

The performance of a company depends on the performance of the economy. If the economy is booming, incomes rise, demand for goods increases, and hence the industries and companies in general tend to the prosperous. On the other hand, if the economy is in recession, the performance of companies will be generally bad.

Investors are concerned with those variables in the economy which affect the performance of the company in which they intend to invest. A study of these economic variables would give an idea about future corporate earnings and the payment of dividends and interest part of his fundamental analysis.

Growth Rates of National Income

The rate of growth of the national economy is an important variable to be considered by an investor. GNP (gross national product), NNP (net national product) and GDP (gross domestic product) are the different measures of the total income or total economic output of the country as a whole. The growth rates of these measures indicate the growth rate of the economy. The estimates of GNP, NNP and GDP and their rates are made available by the government from time to time.

The estimated growth rate of the economy would be a pointer towards the prosperity of the economy. An economy typically passes through different phases of prosperity known as the different stages of the economic or business cycle. The four stages of an economic cycle are depression, recovery, boom and recession. The stage of the economic cycle through which a country passes has a direct impact on the performance of industries and companies.

Depression is the worst of the four stages. During a depression, demand is low and declining. Inflation is often high and so are interest rates. Companies are forced to reduce production, shut down plant and lay off workers. During the recovery stage, the economy begins to revive after a depression. Demand picks up leading to more investments in the economy. Production, employment and profits are on the increase.

The boom phase of the economic cycle is characterized by high demand. Investments and production are maintained at a high level to satisfy the high demand. Companies generally post higher profits. The boom phase gradually slows down. The economy slowly begins to experience a downturn in demand, production, employment, etc. The profits of companies also start to decline. This is the recession stage of the business cycle.

While analyzing the growth rate of the economy, an investor would do well to determine the stage of the economic cycle through which the economy is passing and evaluate its impact on his investment decision.

Inflation

Inflation prevailing in the economy has considerable impact on the performance of companies. Higher rates of inflation upset business plans, lead to cost escalation and result in a squeeze on profit margins.

On the other hand, inflation leads to erosion of purchasing power in the hands of consumers. This will result in lower demand for products. Thus, high rates of inflation in an economy are likely to affect the performance of companies adversely. Industries and companies prosper during times of low inflation.

Inflation is measured both in terms of wholesale prices through the wholesale price index (WPI) and in terms of retail prices through the consumer price index (CPI). These figures are available on weekly or monthly basis. As part of the fundamental analysis, an investor should evaluate the inflation rate prevailing in the economy currently as also the trend of inflation likely to prevail in the future.

Interest Rates

Interest rates determine the cost and availability of credit for companies operating in an economy. A low interest rate stimulates investment by making credit available easily and cheaply. Moreover, it implies lower cost of finance for companies and thereby assures higher profitability. On the contrary, higher interest rates result in higher cost of production which may lead to lower profitability and lower demand.

The interest rates in the organized financial sector of the economy are determined by the monetary policy of the government and the trends in money supply. These rates are thus controlled and vary within certain ranges.

But the interest rates in the unorganized financial sector are not controlled and may fluctuate widely depending upon the demand and supply of funds in the market. Further, long-term interest rates differ from short-term interest rates.

An investor has to consider the interest rates prevailing in the different segments of the economy and evaluate their impact on the performance and profitability of companies.

Government Revenue, Expenditure and Deficits

As the government is the largest investor and spender of money, the trends in government revenue, expenditure and deficits have a significant impact on the performance of industries and companies. Expenditure by the government stimulates the economy by creating jobs and generating demand. Since a major portion of demand in the economy is generated by government spending, the nature of government spending is of great importance in determining the fortunes of many an industry.

However, when government expenditure exceeds its revenue, there occurs a deficit. This deficit is known as budget deficit. All developing countries suffer from budget deficits as government spend large amount of money to build up infrastructure. But budget deficit is an important determinant of inflation, as it leads to deficit financing which fuels inflation.

Exchange Rates

The performance and profitability of industries and companies that are major importers or exporters are considerably affected by the exchange rates of the rupee against major currencies of the world. A depreciation of the rupee improves the competitive position of Indian products in foreign markets, thereby stimulating exports. But it would also make imports more expensive. A company depending heavily on imports may find devaluation of the rupee affecting its profitability adversely.

The exchange rates of the rupee are influenced by the balance of trade deficit, the balance of payments deficit and also the foreign exchange reserves of the country. The excess of imports over exports is called balance of trade deficit. The balance of payments deficit represents the net difference payable on account of all transactions such as trade, services and capital transaction. If these deficits increase, there is a possibility that the rupee may depreciate in value.

A country needs foreign exchange reserves to meet several commitments such as payment for imports and servicing of foreign debts. Balance of payment deficit typically leads to decline in foreign exchange reserves as the deficit has to be met from the reserve. The size of the foreign exchange reserve is a measure of the strength of the rupee on external account. Large foreign exchange reserves help to increase the value of the rupee against other currencies.

The exchange rates of the rupee against the major currencies of the world are published daily in the financial press. An investor has to keep track of the trend in exchange rates of rupee. An analysis of the balance of trade deficit, balance of payments deficit and the foreign exchange reserves will help to project the future trends in exchange rates.

Infrastructure

The development of an economy depends very much on the infrastructure available. Industry needs electricity for its manufacturing activities, roads and railways to transport raw materials and finished goods, communication channels to keep in touch with suppliers and customers.

The availability of infrastructural facilities such as power, transportation and communication systems affects the performance of companies. Bad infrastructure leads to inefficiencies, lower productivity, wastage and delays. An investor should assess the status of the infrastructural facilities available in the economy before finalizing has investment plans.

Monsoon

The Indian economy is essentially an agrarian economy and agriculture forms a very important sector of the Indian economy. Because of the strong forward and back-ward linkages between agriculture and industry, performance of several industries and companies are dependent on the performance of agriculture. Moreover, as agricultural incomes rise, the demand for industrial products and services will be good and industry will prosper.

But the performance of agriculture to a very great extent depends on the monsoon. The adequacy of the monsoon determines the success or failure of the agricultural activities in India. Hence, the progress and adequacy of the monsoon becomes a matter of great concern for an investor in the Indian context.

Economic and Political Stability

A stable political environment is necessary for steady and balanced growth. No industry or company can grow and prosper in the midst of political turmoil. Stable long-term economic policies are what are needed for industrial growth. Such stable policies can emanate only from stable political systems as economic and political factors are inter-linked. A stable government with clear cut long – term economic policies will be conducive to good performance of the economy.