Investment Decisions and Future Profitability: Empirical Study With Non-Financial Listed Companies

Investments are strategic corporate decisions that must be taken into consideration regarding the efforts to maximize the return of invested capital. Therefore, must be evaluated as relevant information to shareholders. The purpose of this research was to know the relation between the investment made and the company's future profitability, quantified by two measures of performance: ROA and Tobin's q coefficient. This is an empirical-analytical study with quantitative data treatment by a linear regression model. The samples was collected from Economatica (R) data base, and were selected non-financial Brazilian companies listed at BM&FBOVESPA, which have presented financial demonstrations in the 2000-2010 period. To conduct this research, the analysis period was divided into investment period and performance period, with the purpose of comparison between investment and future profitability. The regression model that uses profitability measured by ROA positively associates the performance period profitability with the performance period investments, as well as the investment period profitability. The regression model that uses profitability measured by Tobin's q positively associates the performance period profitability with the investments period profitability.