How is the operating profit margin calculated?

The operating profit margin is a key financial metric used to assess a company's profitability from its core business operations, excluding any financing costs or income taxes. This margin provides insights into how efficiently a company can generate profit from its sales after covering its operating expenses, which include wages, rent, and raw materials.

The calculation involves dividing the operating profit by the turnover (or sales revenue) and then multiplying by 100 to express it as a percentage. This ratio illustrates how much operating profit is made for every dollar of revenue generated. A higher operating profit margin indicates better control over costs relative to sales and suggests a potentially strong competitive position.

By focusing on operating profit rather than gross profit or net profit, this measure gives a clearer view of operational efficiency and performance. Gross profit includes only the direct costs of goods sold, while net profit accounts for all expenses, including non-operational factors such as taxes and interest. Capital employed, on the other hand, relates to the total resources used in the business and is not pertinent to operating profitability assessments. Thus, option B accurately reflects the calculation of the operating profit margin.