Financial Ratios and Stock Price Movements in an Emerging Market: An Empirical Study of Omantel’s Valuation Drivers
Diana Fernandez
*
Department of Economics and Business Administration, University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), Nizwa, Oman.
Moza Salim Al Busaidi
Department of Economics and Business Administration, University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), Nizwa, Oman.
Safiya Ahmed Al Sarmi
Department of Economics and Business Administration, University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), Nizwa, Oman.
Hala Mohammed Al Nabhani
Department of Economics and Business Administration, University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), Nizwa, Oman.
Nada Abdullah Al Abri
Department of Economics and Business Administration, University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), Nizwa, Oman.
Zeena Mohammed Al Rauuahi
Department of Economics and Business Administration, University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), Nizwa, Oman.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study examines the influence of key financial ratios on the share price movements of Omantel, Oman’s leading telecommunications company, over a 20-year period (2005–2024). Utilizing correlation and multiple linear regression analyses, the study evaluates the predictive power of seven financial indicators: Earnings Per Share (EPS), Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E), Dividend Yield (D/Y), Return on Equity (ROE), Return on Assets (ROA), Debt-to-Equity Ratio (D/E), and Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B). The findings identify EPS and P/E as the most significant predictors of stock price, both demonstrating strong positive effects. D/Y shows marginal significance, whereas ROA, ROE, D/E, and P/B display no statistically significant impact. The regression model exhibits high explanatory power (R² = 0.938), underscoring the centrality of profitability and valuation metrics in equity pricing within Oman’s capital market. These results offer empirical insight into investor behavior in emerging markets and contribute to the broader financial literature by contextualizing performance indicators within a frontier market setting.
Keywords: Omantel, stock valuation, financial ratios, EPS, P/E ratio, emerging markets, Oman stock market, investor behavior