Question

In economics, how is "profit" defined?

Answer 1

Profit describes the financial benefit realized when revenue generated from a business activity exceeds the expenses, costs, and taxes involved in sustaining the activity in question. Any profits earned funnel back to business owners, who choose to either pocket the cash or reinvest it back into the business. Profit is calculated as total revenue less total expenses.

Three types of profit to examine different areas of their companies. They are gross profit, operating profit, and net profit.

Gross Profit

Gross profit subtracts variable costs to revenue for each product line. Variable costs are only those needed to produce each product, like assembly workers, materials, and fuel. It doesn't include fixed costs, like plants, equipment, and the human resources department. Companies compare product lines to see which is most profitable.

Operating Profit

Operating profit includes both variable and fixed costs. Since it doesn't include certain financial costs, it's also commonly called EBITA. That stands for Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortization. It's the most commonly used, especially for service companies that don't have products.

Net Profit

Net profit includes all costs. It's the most accurate representation of how much money the business is making. On the other hand, it may be misleading. For example, if the company generates a lot of cash, and it's invested in a rising stock market, it may look like it's doing well. But it might just have a good finance department and not be making money on its core products.