CFMA releases financial benchmarking survey results

Princeton, N.J. — The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) announced the results of its 2017 Construction Financial Benchmarker Online Questionnaire. The 2017 Benchmarker Questionnaire was distributed to approximately 8,000 firms including CFMA member construction firms, non-member construction firms, as well as member CPA and Construction Industry CPAs/Consultants Association (CICPAC) firms who represent both member and non-member construction companies (mostly employed by U.S. and Canadian construction companies). Responses were received in early 2017 and nearly 1,500 companies (compared to 900 in 2016) submitted detailed financial statements and data for the Benchmarker Questionnaire.

The Construction Financial Benchmarker at www.financialbenchmarker.com is CFMA’s online tool that allows users to compare their companies’ financial performance with the Benchmarker Questionnaire results. With flexibility in selecting benchmarks and easy data entry, the financial results include graphic presentations of key financial data going back to 2013.

CFMA Chairman, Samantha Hutchison, CCIFP, notes: “As a long-time participant of CFMA’s Benchmarker Questionnaire, I find the Construction Financial Benchmarker’s key ratios and interpretive commentary on liquidity, profitability, leverage, and efficiency indispensable in evaluating my company’s performance. The trending analysis and comparative charts and graphs aid our management team in focusing our strategic efforts for Best in Class results.”

CFMA’s Benchmarker Questionnaire is confidential and unique to the industry and all results, accessible through CFMA’s Benchmarker tool, are presented in composite form, segmented by type of construction work performed, region, revenues, and financial performance and provide critical benchmarking data and financial information about the construction industry.

For all companies, key findings in the newly released data show that:

• Return on Assets (ROA) once again increased in FY2016 to 10.1% when compared to 9.0% in FY2015, 6.9% in FY2014 and 6.2% in FY2013.
• Return on Equity (ROE) was 29.4% in FY2016, increasing from 25.3% in FY2015, 19.0% in FY2014 and 17.3% in FY2013.
• Average days in A/R fell to 53.2 in FY2016 following a three-year increase in fiscal years 2015, 2014, and 2013 (55.2, 53.8 and 51.4, respectively).
• Average days in A/P also declined to 31.5 in FY2016, when compared to the reported 33.4 days in FY2015.
• Gross profits for all companies increased from 15% in FY2015 to 16.7% in FY2016.
• Net income before taxes increased from 4.4% in FY2015 to 5.2% in FY2016.

Five different report options featuring interactive comparisons of a company’s financials vs. participant performance, more than 20 key financial ratios, and historical data all make CFMA’s Benchmarker the key to knowing how a company compares by accessing the data that details the industry.