What do you get when you divide net income by net sales?

When net income is divided by net sales, the result is the profit margin. This metric is significant because it represents the percentage of revenue that remains as profit after all expenses are subtracted from total sales. Profit margin is a key indicator of a company's financial health, showing how effectively a company is generating profit relative to its sales.

A higher profit margin indicates that a company is efficient in managing its costs relative to its sales, which is a critical component for assessing profitability and operational efficiency. Understanding profit margin helps stakeholders evaluate the firm’s performance and make informed financial decisions.

Profit margin focuses specifically on the overall profitability of the business, rather than just the income from operations or the effectiveness of investments, which distinguishes it from other financial metrics like return on investment or operating margin.