Firm Financial Performance and Growth in the Italian Meat Industry: A Longitudinal Analysis

This chapter aims to offer an overview of the trends of companies operating in the Italian meat industry during the period 2017–2021, based on an in-depth analysis of the annual financial statements of 992 companies. The study has been organized in three main sections. In the first section, we introduce the industry structure by describing the companies in terms of size and geographic distribution on the Italian territory; then we develop the analysis of the performance across the three main areas of size and growth, profitability, and liquidity/financial structure. In the second section, we focus on of the major competitors in the industry, presenting data on their market shares and main indicators of economic and financial performance. Finally, in the third section, the chapter develops a picture of the firms’ internation-alization and modes of growth (i.e., mergers and acquisitions or strategic alliances). Before delving into the analysis of the sampled companies, we briefly outline the methodological approach used in this study, by describing the eligibility criteria applied for the sample selection and the financial ratios and indicators that have been used to assess the performance of these firms.