Margin Generalisation

Hi Anonymous,

you can easily answer it yourself if you start with the definition of your subject:

Margin = Profits / Revenue

Hence, whether margins increase/decrease/stay constant depends on whether the percentage of revenue decline is higher/lower/identical than the profit decline. If revenues have decreased at a stronger rate compared to profits, then the margin increases despite decreasing costs.

Simple example:

• Year 1: EUR 10 million revenue and EUR 7 million costs. Hence profits amount to EUR 3 million (margin = 30%).  
• Year 2: Costs have been reduced to EUR 6 million, but also revenue went downhill to EUR 8.8 million. Hence profits have decreased to EUR 2.8 million, while the margin has increased to 32% (2.8 / 8.8). 

Hi,

It simply depends what "margin" refers to :

- if it refers to absolute margin then indeed margin don't increase when absolute profits are down

- if it refers to variable margin then margin can increase or decrease whil absolute profits are down

Best
Benjamin

Hi,

That's not correct. The profits can be down even in the situation of the product margin increase if there is a decrease in volumes

Best,