Effect of COVID-19 on the cash flow of electrical equipment marketing companies: The case of Cuenca-Ecuador

The objective of this work was to determine the effect of COVID-19 on the cash flow of electrical equipment marketing companies in the city of Cuenca. To achieve this purpose, it is necessary to carry out a descriptive and longitudinal investigation, in which the cash flows of the years between 2018 and 2021 of the companies that sell electrical equipment in the city of Cuenca-Ecuador were analyzed. Likewise, a questionnaire was applied to the financial managers of these entities to learn first-hand about their criteria regarding the cash levels existing in the companies. The results show that this sector faced a reduction in its sales, an increase in the portfolio, the accumulation of inventories, as well as the need to reduce personnel as a means to control current spending.