Net Sales

What does it Mean? The amount of sales generated by a company after the deduction of returns, allowances for damaged or missing goods and any discounts allowed. The sales number reported on a company's financial statements is a net sales number, reflecting these deductions.
Investopedia Says... Deductions from the gross sales are represented in the net sales figure. Therefore, net sales gives a more accurate picture of the actual sales generated by the company, or the money that it expects to receive. A company will book its revenue once the good or service is delivered or performed for the customer. However, in the case of returns, even after a good has been sold it can often be returned under a company's return policy. If the good is returned by the customer, it is not considered a sale, as the customer will receive a credit or money back, so it needs to be deducted from the gross sales. The allowances for damaged or missing goods reflect the situations in which the goods are damaged in transit or are not what the customer expected.

Many companies also offer discounts, especially on credit sales where the customer pays off the amount early. This discount is deducted from gross sales, reducing overall revenue.

Terms Related Links

Asset Turnover
Comps
Cost And Freight - CFR
Cost Of Goods Sold - COGS
Credit
Fixed-Asset Turnover Ratio
Net Margin
Operating Income
Operating Margin

Terms Related Links
Introduction To Fundamental Analysis - Learn this easy-to-understand technique of analyzing a company's financial statements and reports.

Great Expectations: Forecasting Sales Growth - Predicting sales growth can be something of a black art - unless you ask the right questions.

Doing More With Less: The Sales-Per-Employee Ratio - If used properly, this ratio can give you insight into a company's productivity and financial health.

Advanced Financial Statement Analysis - Learn what it means to do your homework on a company's performance and reporting practices before investing.

Cash Flow Indicator Ratios: Operating Cash Flow/Sales Ratio - This ratio gives investors an idea of the company''s ability to turn sales into cash. See this section for explanation and calculations.




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