Assessing the Impact of Country Risk on the Investment Attractiveness of Russian Companies

Abstract

The ability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) is a critical success factor for the development of any participant in the local market. One of the indicators that characterize the investment attractiveness is the economic value added (EVA). It reflects the market assessment of the company's profit potential. Some EVA assessment methodologies include the country risk assessment – a factor that is beyond control. This study analyzes the impact of this indicator on the investment attractiveness of an organization. The authors estimated the economic value added for some of the largest Russian companies using methodologies that take into account the country's risk level, as well as those methodologies that do not take it into account. The calculations used adjustments for EVA in line with specific features of Russian accounting. As a result, it was revealed that, regardless of industry affiliation, the investment attractiveness of Russian organizations decreases when the country's risk factor is included in its assessment.The article justifies the relevance of the developed approach to the assessment of investment attractiveness of companies based on country risk level as a factor that impacts the ability of organizations to generate profit, making it possible to detect hidden management problems. According to the authors, the application of this approach not only contributes to the solution of long-term and medium-term tasks of business development (for example, the creation of its infrastructure) but also greatly facilitates the entry of organizations into international markets.One of the authors' conclusions of the study is that using the methodological tools developed by them for analytical purposes requires improving the management of the investment attractiveness of an organization and, consequently, its objective assessment. The structure of economic value added can serve as a basis for making management decisions related to increasing investment attractiveness. According to the authors, the provisions formulated in the article can serve as a methodological guide for organizing business valuation based on the EVA in the Russian context. Results of the study can be of interest to managers, current owners of companies, and potential investors.