Trading profit is a financial term used to express the difference between the cost of goods sold and revenue generated from trading activities. The spelling of "trading profit" is transcribed as /ˈtreɪdɪŋ ˈprɒfɪt/. In phonetic transcription, the word starts with the "t" sound, followed by the "r" consonant, and then the "ei" diphthong. Finally, the second syllable of "profit" is pronounced with the short "o" sound and the "f" and "t" consonants to complete the phonetic spelling of "trading profit."
Trading profit refers to the financial gain or profit made by a business entity through its trading activities. It represents the amount of revenue left over after deducting the direct costs directly associated with trading or providing goods and services.
Trading profit is a key metric used in financial analysis as it provides insights into the company's core trading operations and indicates its ability to generate profits solely from its primary business activities. It mainly includes revenues from sales of products or services and excludes any income or expenses arising from non-trading activities such as interest on investments or property rentals.
To calculate trading profit, the direct costs related to the production or acquisition of goods or services, such as the cost of raw materials, direct labor, and any outsourced manufacturing or processing costs, are subtracted from the total revenue generated by sales.
Trading profit should not be confused with net profit or net income, as it does not account for indirect costs such as administrative expenses, taxes, interest payments, or depreciation. However, trading profit is a crucial operating measure for evaluating the profitability and efficiency of a company's core business activities.
Investors, analysts, and stakeholders often assess trading profit to gain insight into a company's profitability trends over time, compare it with industry peers, and make informed decisions regarding investment or business strategies based on the company's trading performance.
The etymology of the word "trading" can be traced back to the Old English word "trad", which means "path" or "track". It has its roots in the Proto-Germanic word "trado" and the Latin word "transitus", both of which mean "crossing" or "passage". Over time, the word "trad" evolved to mean "a regular course or pathway", and later, in the context of commerce, it came to refer to the exchange or circulation of goods.
The word "profit" comes from the Latin word "proficere", which means "to make progress" or "to advance". It was derived from the combination of "pro" (meaning "forward") and "facere" (meaning "to make" or "to do").