Economic profit is the measure of a company's profitability that considers the opportunity cost of its resources. In other words, it is the difference between its revenue and total costs, including the explicit and implicit costs. This metric helps companies assess their performance and make better business decisions.
If you're curious about economic profit, here are some answers to the most popular questions:
Economic profit is the difference between a company's total revenue and total cost, including explicit and implicit costs. It considers the opportunity cost of using resources in one way instead of another. The formula for economic profit is:
Economic Profit = Total Revenue - (Explicit Costs + Implicit Costs)
Economic profit is used in financial analysis to evaluate a company's performance over time. It helps investors and managers determine whether a company is generating a return on investment that exceeds its cost of capital. It also highlights which activities are generating economic value and which are not.
The cost of capital represents the minimum return that investors require for providing capital to a company. Economic profit measures whether a company generates a return on investment that exceeds its cost of capital. If economic profit is positive, it means the company is generating value for its investors.
Economic value added (EVA) is another measure of value creation that considers opportunity cost. EVA subtracts the cost of capital from NOPAT (Net Operating Profit After Tax). If EVA is positive, it means the company creates more value than it costs to finance its operations. Economic profit uses similar principles to calculate profitability.
Profitability refers to a company's ability to generate income compared to its expenses over time. Economic profit uses profitability measures, such as gross profit and net income, to understand a company's financial performance. Profitability alone does not consider opportunity cost or the cost of capital.
To improve economic profit, a company can focus on increasing revenue or reducing costs. This includes finding ways to use resources more efficiently, investing in profitable activities, and reducing wasteful spending. By improving economic profit, companies can generate more value for their stakeholders.
If you want to learn more about economic profit and financial analysis, here are some recommended books and ebooks:
Hopefully this post has helped you understand economic profit better!