NEXUS BETWEEN FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND BANKRUPTCY: EVIDENCE FROM INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SECTOR

This study examines the reliability of Altman's Z-score model to predict the financial failure of the ICT sector in Pakistan. Data for 11 PSE-listed (Pakistan Stock Exchange) ICT companies were collected through Altman's Z-score model in the period 2013-2018. The innovative Altman Z-bankruptcy forecast technique has been used for the analysis. Results show that the four companies, Pakistan International Airlines Corp. Ltd., TRG Pakistan Ltd., World call Telecom Ltd. and Media Times Ltd. were in the distress zone; Pakistan Telecommunication Co. Ltd. was in the gray zone; and the remaining six companies (i.e., Hum Network Ltd., Nestle Technologies Ltd., Pakistan Int., Container Terminal Ltd., Pak Datacom Ltd., Pakistan National Shipping Corp. and Tele card Ltd.) were able to meet the safe zone criteria. On the other hand, the Z-score analysis suggests that seven ICT companies would not go bankrupt, while the remaining four companies failed financially and would not maintain businesses in the future. Furthermore, according to the innovative outcome analysis, X3-EBIT/TA has a significant positive relationship with X1-WC/TA and X4-TE/TL and X2-RETA has a significant positive association with X1-WC/TA and a negative association with X4-TE/TL.