The Impact of Working Capital Management on Profitability: The Mediating Role of Liquidity in Pakistan's Textile Sector

Abstract : This study investigates the impact of working capital management (WCM) on the profitability of textile firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with a specific focus on the mediating role of firm liquidity. Pakistan’s textile sector, which contributes approximately 8.5% to GDP, accounts for 46% of total manufacturing output, and generates over 60% of national export earnings, operates under persistent macroeconomic pressures including energy shortages, currency depreciation, volatile cotton prices, and constrained access to short-term financing. The study employs a panel dataset comprising eight PSX-listed textile firms over the period FY2020-FY2024, yielding 40 firm-year observations; the dynamic GMM profitability model uses 30 observations because CCC and ITO data were unavailable for selected firm-years. The primary measures of working capital efficiency are the Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC) and Inventory Turnover (ITO), while firm profitability is measured by Return on Assets (ROA) and firm liquidity is captured through the Current Ratio. The empirical results show a positive and significant relationship between CCC and ROA (β = 0.068, p = 0.028), a strong positive relationship between ITO and ROA (β = 1.847, p = 0.015), and a dominant positive effect of liquidity on profitability (β = 28.640, p = 0.002). Firm liquidity partially mediates the relationship between working capital management and profitability, and panel cointegration tests confirm a stable long-run equilibrium among the study variables.