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Profitability & returns

Operating Margin

The share of revenue left after all operating costs, showing how profitable the core business is before interest and taxes.

Part of the Profitability & Quality course · Lesson 2 of 19
Formula
Operating Income (EBIT) / Revenue

What it is

Operating margin measures profit from a company's core operations as a percentage of revenue. It starts from revenue and subtracts both the direct cost of goods and operating expenses such as salaries, marketing, research, and overhead, but excludes interest and taxes. The result, operating income, is also called EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes).

Why it matters

Operating margin shows how efficiently a company runs its actual business, separate from how it is financed or taxed. Because it strips out interest and tax effects, it allows cleaner comparisons between companies with different debt loads or tax situations. A common pitfall is that one-time charges or unusual items can be buried in operating expenses, so it helps to check whether a margin move is structural or a one-off.

How it's calculated

Divide operating income (revenue minus cost of goods sold and operating expenses) by revenue, expressed as a percentage.

How Quintarthai uses it

Operating margin appears in the profitability ratios on the Ratios tab and can be tracked across the 10-year income statement on a company's deep-analysis page.

Cross-border note. IFRS (used by Canadian issuers) and US GAAP can differ on where items like restructuring or stock-based compensation land, so a like-for-like operating-margin comparison across the border benefits from checking each company's notes.

FAQ

How is operating margin different from gross margin?
Gross margin only subtracts the direct cost of producing goods, while operating margin also subtracts operating expenses like salaries, marketing, and overhead. Operating margin is therefore always lower than gross margin.
Is operating margin the same as EBIT margin?
Effectively yes. Operating income is commonly equated with EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes), so operating margin and EBIT margin usually refer to the same figure.
Related terms
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