Analysis of European accounting and auditing firms: do they have different business viability?

Purpose The Audit and Accounting Firms (AAF) companies are of great importance as they audit companies in different sectors and report on their economic-financial situation. The academic literature has analysed these firms but has not gone as far as to review their economic and financial health. Therefore, this study aims to focus on the analysis of whether these companies are viable companies beyond the large firms, whether they generate profits from their activity or whether they tend to go bankrupt. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 has been studied, since it is questionable whether the effect on AAF has been negative or positive. Design/methodology/approach In order to answer the hypotheses put forward in this study, analysis of the profitability, liquidity and solvency situation of AAF considering their size and age, as well as the impact of the pandemic on this sector has been done. In total, 12,469 European companies are analysed. After the descriptive analysis of the companies by ratios, the Altman Z-score model is used as a methodology to assess whether they are bankruptcy-prone companies based on their characteristics. Findings The results of the analysis of the study have shown that these are companies of great importance to the European economy and that, depending on their characteristics, there are companies that may be closer to the risk of bankruptcy. This study is an essential contribution to the academic literature, public administration and the management of auditing and accounting firms. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to analyse AAF at the European level with a panel data sample. The results obtained can be generalized and form the basis for future lines of research.