Investopedia

Gross Profit Margin

Filed Under » ,
Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Gross Profit Margin'

A financial metric used to assess a firm's financial health by revealing the proportion of money left over from revenues after accounting for the cost of goods sold. Gross profit margin serves as the source for paying additional expenses and future savings.

Calculated as:

Gross Profit Margin


Where:
COGS = Cost of Goods Sold

Also known as "gross margin."

Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Gross Profit Margin'

The gross margin is not an exact estimate of the company's pricing strategy but it does give a good indication of financial health. Without an adequate gross margin, a company will be unable to pay its operating and other expenses and build for the future. In general, a company's gross profit margin should be stable. It should not fluctuate much from one period to another, unless the industry it is in has been undergoing drastic changes which will affect the costs of goods sold or pricing policies.

For example, suppose that ABC Corp. earned $20 million in revenue from producing widgets and incurred $10 million in COGS-related expense. ABC's gross profit margin would be 50%. This means that for every dollar that ABC earns on widgets, it really has only $0.50 at the end of the day.

This metric can be used to compare a company with its competitors. More efficient companies will usually see higher profit margins.

Things to Remember
  • The results may skew if the company has a very large range of products.
  • This is very useful when comparing against the margins of previous years.
  • A 33% gross margin means products are marked up 50% and so on.


Related Video for 'Gross Profit Margin'

Articles Of Interest

  1. Do Your Investments Have Short-Term Health?

    If a company is strong enough to survive tough times, it is more likely to provide long-term value.
  2. A Look At Corporate Profit Margins

    Take a deeper look at a company's profitability with the help of profit margin ratios.
  3. Understanding Profit Margin

    Learn a primary method investors use to analyze a company's profitability.
  4. Introduction To Fundamental Analysis

    Learn this easy-to-understand technique of analyzing a company's financial statements and reports.
  5. Depreciation: Straight-Line Vs. Double-Declining Methods

    Appreciate the different methods used to describe how book value is "used up".
  6. Financial Statement: Extraordinary Vs. Nonrecurring Items

    When it comes to analyzing a company, successful analysts spend considerable time differentiating between accounting items that are likely to recur going forward from those that most likely will ...
  7. Get A Career In Showbiz Accounting

    An accounting career doesn't have to be boring. If you love numbers, but want excitement as well, consider the field of showbiz accounting.
  8. What Management Accountants Do

    If you like keeping track of a company's income and expenses but also want to hold a position with significant responsibility and authority, management accounting could be the job for you.
  9. GAAP And The IFRS Standards Convergence Efforts In 3 Substantial Areas

    Understand the specific steps that have been taken in hopes of converging the GAAP and the IFRS accounting standards, despite the philosophically and culturally based methodological differences ...
  10. Using The Price-To-Book Ratio To Evaluate Companies

    The P/B ratio can be an easy way to determine a company's value, but it isn't magic!
comments powered by Disqus
Marketplace
Hot Definitions
  1. Cost-Push Inflation

    A phenomenon in which the general price levels rise (inflation) due to increases in the cost of wages and raw materials.
  2. Happiness Economics

    The formal academic study of the relationship between individual satisfaction and economic issues, such as employment and wealth.
  3. Affluenza

    A social condition arising from the desire to be more wealthy, successful or to "keep up with the Joneses." Affluenza is symptomatic of a culture that holds up financial success as one of the highest achievements.
  4. Icarus Factor

    The term Icarus factor describes a situation where managers or executives initiate an overly ambitious project which then fails. Fueled by excitement for the project, the executives are unable to reign in their misguided enthusiasm before it is too late to avoid the failure.
  5. Angelina Jolie Stock Index

    An index made up of a selection of stocks from companies associated with actress Angela Jolie.
  6. Consequential Loss

    The amount of loss incurred as a result of being unable to use business property or equipment.
Trading Center