Contribution Margin and Break Even Analysis

There would still be a net loss in 2006 due to the increase of break-even point, which increased from $7,505 to $8,640.

To find the break-even point for napkins, you use the same formula. The fixed cost is still $420,000.00. The selling price of napkins is $7.00. The variable cost is $4.50. $7.00 minus $4.50 is $2.50. So then you take $420,000.00 and divide it by $2.50 to find the breaking point of $168,000.00. The company will have to sell $168,000.00 to break even in sales. The margin for safety for napkins is -$48,000.00. This is found by subtracting the actual or expected cost of $120,000.00 by the break-even point of $168,000.00. You can cut sales by $48,000.00 and not sustain a loss.

Objective: Analyze the effect of changes in marginal revenues and costs on a firm’s profit-making potential.

In this paper I am going to explain some of the key terms that companies need to keep in mind when operating their business. First, we will start with marginal revenue, which is defined simply as the extra revenue that is made for each additional unit of a product that is sold. This is directly related to marginal cost, which is what it costs the company to make that additional unit of product.

The breakeven point is used my companies to prevent loss. The Cost Volume Profit (CVP) is the tool in which to capture the breakeven point. Sometimes it is referred to as the breakeven analysis. The CVP assists the company in identifying future operation need, production costs, and expansion possibilities based on estimating costs, prices, and volumes. This profit response can help Competition Bikes determine the amount of needed sales, what products to manufacture, pricing policies, marketing strategies, and how much profit is actually needed. In this analysis we will assume

According to, Skills for Business Decisions, “Cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis examines changes in profits in response to changes in sales volumes, costs, and prices.” (Kimmel P.D. 2009) A company’s profit is the CVP profit equation of Profit = Revenue – Expenses. A Cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis consists of five basic components that include:

There are some limitations of break-even as well. For example, it cannot give accurate results if the data used for it is predicted. Data such as change in direct cost

This question gives students an opportunity to exercise their ability to interpret break-even analyses. Key teaching points should include explaining the preparation of a break-even chart, the interpretation of the break-even volume (938,799 hectoliters [HL]), and the comparison of the break-even volume to the current volume (1,173,000 HL). Another key point is that the chart in case Exhibit 5 is relevant only for the current cost structure of the company—if variable costs increase or the plant expansion is approved, the break-even volume will rise. Finally, students should be aided in understanding that “break-even” refers to operating profit, not free cash flow. The typical use of the break-even chart ignores taxes, investments, and the depreciation tax shield.

The company’s debt ratios are 54.5% in 1988, 58.69% in 1989, 62.7% in 1990, and 67.37% in 1991. What this means is that the company is increasing its financial risk by taking on more leverage. The company has been taking an extensive amount of purchasing over the past couple of years, which could be the reason as to why net income has not grown much beyond several thousands of dollars. One could argue that the company is trying to expand its inventory to help accumulate future sales. But another problem is that the company’s

As an example, if fixed costs are $100, price per unit is $10, and variable costs per unit are $6, then the break-even quantity is 25 ($100 ÷ [$10 − $6] = $100 ÷$4). When 25 units are produced and sold, each of these units will not only have covered its own marginal (variable) costs, but will have also have contributed enough in total to have covered all associated fixed costs. Beyond these 25 units, all fixed costs have been paid, and each unit contributes to profits by the excess of price over variable costs, or the contribution margin. If demand is estimated to be at least 25 units, then the company will not experience a loss. Profits will grow with each unit demanded above this 25-unit break-even level.

To practice using “what-if” analysis for estimating the financial performance of the firm and its potential for profitability.

Under the original costing system used by Dakota Office Products, Customer A is shown to be slightly less profitable than Customer B. From the calculations above, we see that Customer A is slightly profitable at 0.3% profit as a percent of sales, and Customer B is not profitable, at a loss of (7.1%). We observe that Customer A is a consumer of low-cost services and generally pay their bills within 30 days unlike customer B who took 90 days or more. Timely servicing of debt led to profitability of Customer A.

Based on the real world functioning of businesses, every organization that deals with the process of manufacturing of certain products operates in accordance with the main principle of maximizing its profits. During the performance of daily activities, many business managers face a series of questions related to planning, control and decision making. In order to give answers to all these questions, an additional analysis needs to be considered. It is very important for managers to plan carefully how they are going to generate sufficient money to pay down costs and, in this way to result with a profit. As managers are interested in having the adequate information about the influence that certain actions might have on the profitability of the business, "Cost Volume and Profit" analysis plays a significant role by being a potential tool in facilitating the process of making the right decisions regarding planning and control in order to add value to the company. (Trifan and Anton, 2011). To further illustrate the essential impact that CVP analysis has on management authorities in making better decisions, I will refer to and analyze the case of the Hampshire Company which follows as below.

Cost volume profit (CVP) analysis and costing for the 21st century has evolved into a very complex and difficult paradigm. Even the most gifted accountants find that grasping the entire concept of accounting for a corporation can be very mind-boggling and difficult. Yet, understanding such a fundamental principle can allow corporations to grow in ways that other, less educated, corporations can never dream to achieve and simultaneously understand the ‘bottom-line’. In this paper we will discuss value costing in the 21st century, other relevant costing methods, and the relevancy of CVP in today’s workplace.

This equation is solved for the sales volume in units. c. In the graphical approach, sales revenue and total expenses are graphed. The break-even point occurs at the intersection of the total revenue and total expense lines. 8-2 The term unit contribution margin refers to the contribution that