Profit, Profits
From an accounting perspective, profit is the difference between the price and cost of a product or a service. From an economic perspective, profits are the gains derived from an investment when the total returns exceed the invested capital. Profits are generally measured over a period of time.
Types of Profits
Profits can be of several types:
• Gross profits: This profit is the difference between the sales price and the direct costs incurred in manufacturing a product. This type of profit helps a business decide its pricing policies and the use of materials.
• Net profits: Net profits can be calculated by subtracting overall expenses incurred for the normal running of a business from the gross profit.
• Net profit after interest and taxation: The profit after the deduction of taxes to the government and interest payments on loans is called net profit after interest and taxation.
• Retained profit: This is the profit that is left over after a firm pays off dividends to its shareholders.
• Economic profit: This profit is realized from a product when revenues generated from it are higher than the total opportunity cost of its input materials.
• Accounting profit: This is the difference between revenues and accounting costs paid for inputs.
• Normal profits: This is the opportunity cost of labor and capital.
How Shareholders' Wealth Grows.
Shareholders benefit financially from their investment in successful companies in three main ways: 1. Dividends, which are a distribution of part of a company's net profit to shareholders, as part owners of the company.