FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF BUSINESSES IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONDITIONS - COMPARATIVE STUDY

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic introduced exceptional uncertainty in running a business, which has not been closed in the first quarter of its duration. Industries that focused on digitalizing business naturally benefited because the restrictions that were introduced to limit the spread of the pandemic implied demand for the purchase of products and services using the Internet. The aim of the study was to present the influence of the pandemic on business in Poland. The focus was not only on the economy as a whole but especially on its particular segments. The subject of the study were companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and the subject of them was the impact of the pandemic on their financial results. The source of data for analyzes was the database of the Notoria Serwis S.A. The period of the study covered the years 2017-2021, divided into quarters. The results of the study showed that there is significant variation in the sensitivity of particular industries to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industries recorded a decline in revenues, but some branches did not show negative changes in this respect and those whose revenues increased. The study's practical implications include the prospect of applying the findings of the analyses to future state protective measures in respect to industries that are most vulnerable to the crisis' negative effects.