Ilomata International Journal of Tax and Accounting
Vol. 7 No. 3 (2026): July 2026

Profitability and Firm Value in the Perspective of Signaling Theory and Stakeholder Theory: The Moderating Role of Sustainability Reporting

Revi Candra (Universitas Islam Negeri Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar)
Nurul Nazifah (UIN Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar)
Gampito (Universitas Islam Negeri Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar)
Elfadhli (Universitas Islam Negeri Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar)
Fatimah Setia Wardani (Universitas Islam Negeri Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar)



Article Info

Publish Date
28 Jul 2026

Abstract

The increase in profitability does not automatically lead to a higher firm value, indicating that other supporting factors may influence this relationship. One factor frequently associated with strengthening this linkage is sustainability reporting, which reflects a company’s commitment to transparency and responsibility toward its stakeholders. Accordingly, this research investigates how profitability affects firm value and examines whether sustainability reporting moderates this relationship in plantation companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the 2021–2023 period. This study differs from prior research in mining or other ESG-sensitive sectors by addressing the unique land-use legitimacy challenges of the plantation industry, where a conditional moderation model is theoretically essential to explain how sustainability disclosure reconfigures the interpretation of financial signals. This research applies a quantitative research design with a causal approach. The population includes 24 plantation sector companies, from which 11 firms that consistently publish sustainability reports were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The data analysis was conducted through classical assumption testing followed by Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA). The findings reveal that profitability and sustainability reporting individually exhibit negative and significant effects on firm value. However, the interaction term shows a positive and significant coefficient, indicating a conditional moderating effect. This suggests that sustainability reporting strengthens the influence of profitability under certain conditions rather than directly increasing firm value. Unlike previous studies that focus solely on the linear relationship between profitability and firm value, this research examines the specific nuances of ESG-sensitive industries through a moderation lens.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijtc

Publisher

Subject

Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance Social Sciences

Description

Ilomata International Journal of Tax and Accounting serves as the journal that is devoted exclusively to accounting research. Its primary objective is to contribute to the expansion of knowledge related to the theory and practice of accounting in Indonesia, by facilitating the production and ...