A class of financial metrics that are used to assess a business's ability to generate earnings as compared to its expenses and

other relevant costs incurred during a specific period of time. For most of these ratios, having a higher value relative to a competitor's ratio or the same ratio from a previous period is indicative that the company is doing well.

Investopedia explains 'Profitability Ratios'

Some examples of profitability ratios are profit margin, return on assets and return on equity. It is important to note that a little bit of background knowledge is necessary in order to make relevant comparisons when analyzing these ratios.

For instance, some industries experience seasonality in their operations. The retail industry, for example, typically experiences higher revenues and earnings for the Christmas season. Therefore, it would not be too useful to compare a retailer's fourth-quarter profit margin with its first-quarter profit margin. On the other hand, comparing a retailer's fourth-quarter profit margin with the profit margin from the same period a year before would be far more informative.
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Profitability ratios are used to compare companies in the same industry, since profit margins will vary widely from industry to industry. Taxes should not be included in these ratios, since tax rates will vary from company to company. The profit margin shows the relationship between profit and sales and is mostly used for internal comparison.
TERMS

profitability The capacity to make a profit. cost of goods sold Cost of goods sold (COGS) refer to the inventory costs of those goods a business has sold during a particular period. financial leverage The degree to which an investor or business is utilizing borrowed money.
EXAMPLES

Company A had a net income last year of ten thousand dollars. It operated with two thousand five hundred dollars worth of assets. Thus, its ROA = 10000 / 2500 = 4. Therefore, it derives four dollars for each dollar of assets it owns. In that time, its net sales were fifty thousand dollars. Thus, the Profit Margin =

10000 / 50000 = 20 percent. This figure should be compared to its competitors in order to determine whether this is healthy or not.
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Full text Profitability Ratios

Profitability ratios show how much profit the company takes in for every dollar of sales or revenues. They are used to assess a business's ability to generate earnings as compared to expenses over a specified time period (Figure 1). Profitability ratios are going to vary from industry to industry, so comparisons should be between other companies in the same field. When comparing companies in the same industry, the company with the higher profit margin is able to sell at a higher price or lower expenses. They tend to be more attractive to investors.
Net Profit Margins and Returns on Sales

Many analysts focus on net profit margins or returns on sales, which are calculated by taking the net income after taxes and dividing by the revenues or sales. This ratio uses the bottom line on the income statement to calculate profit for every dollar of sales or revenues. The operating margin takes the profit before taxes further up the income statement and divides by revenues. Operating margins are also important, since they focus on the operating income and operating expenses. Other profitability ratios include: Return on Assets: The return on assets ratio (ROA) is found by dividing the net income by total assets. The higher the ratio, the better the company is at using their assets to generate income (i.e., how many dollars of earnings they derive from each dollar of assets they control). It is also a measure of how much the company relies on assets to generate profit. The return on assets gives an indication of the company's capital intensity, which will depend on the industry. Companies that require large initial investments will generally have reduced return on assets. Profit Margin: The profit margin is one of the most used profitability ratios. The profit margin refers to the amount of profit that a company earns through sales. The profit margin ratio is broadly the ratio of profit to total sales times one hundred percent. The higher the profit margin, the more profit a company earns

on each sale. The profit margin is mostly used for internal comparison. It is difficult to accurately compare the net profit ratio for different entities. A low profit margin indicates a low margin of safety and a higher risk that a decline in sales will erase profits and result in a net loss or a negative margin. Return on Equity: The return on equity (ROE) measures profitability related to ownership. It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from every unit of the shareholders' equity. ROEs between 15 percent and 20 percent are generally considered good. The ROE is equal to the net income divided by the shareholder equity. Basic Earning Power Ratio: The basic earning power ratio (or BEP ratio) compares earnings separately from the influence of taxes or financial leverage to the assets of the company. The BEP is equal to the earnings before interest and taxes divided by the total assets. The BEP differs from the ROA in that it includes the non-operating income. Gross Profit Ratio: This indicates what portion of each sales dollar is available to meet expenses and generate profit after taking into account the cost of goods sold. Generally, it is calculated as the selling price of an item minus the cost of goods sold (production oracquisition costs).
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