Shaping Market Perceptions: An Investigation into Macedonian Bank Stock Prices and their Drivers

This research paper examines the effects of return on assets (ROA), earnings per share (EPS), and audit opinion as a control variable, on the stock prices of banks in North Macedonia. The primary aim of this research endeavor is to scrutinize the influence exerted by these financial metrics on the stock prices pertaining to banking institutions within the region of North Macedonia, while also endeavoring to ascertain the extent of said influence. To analyze this relationship, a linear multiple regression model is employed. Data were collected from the audited financial statements and annual reports of all 12 banks in North Macedonia over a ten-year period from 2012 to 2021. The research findings illustrate a notable statistical influence of audit opinions and earnings per share (EPS) on the stock valuations of banks within the North Macedonian context. To elucidate, the positive coefficient associated with the audit opinion variable signifies its discernible sway on stock prices. Likewise, the positive coefficient linked with the EPS variable highlights that augmented earnings per share correlate with an upswing in stock prices. However, it is important to note that when audit opinion is excluded from the model, the results change, and ROA shows a statistically significant impact on stock prices. This suggests that the inclusion of audit opinion as a control variable affects the relationship between ROA and stock prices. These findings imply that investors in the banking sector in North Macedonia consider audit opinion and EPS as crucial indicators of a bank's financial health, influencing their investment decisions. Maintaining a positive audit opinion and increasing EPS are important factors for boosting stock prices, which is valuable information for bank managers and investors. The recent changes in the audit report format, including the reporting of Key Audit Matters (KAM), have not yet been implemented in the domestic audit practice. As a result, auditors do not report on KAM, which may have influenced the research results differently. Also, the small sample size can be perceived as a limitation of the research. With only 12 banks in the Macedonian banking sector, the generalizability of the findings may be restricted. Future research could consider expanding the sample to enhance the representativeness of the study.