contribution margin


Contribution margin

The difference between variable revenue and variable cost.

Contribution Margin

The profit a company makes on a product calculated by subtracting its variable revenues from its variable costs. Because variable revenues and costs are largely dependent on the business cycle, a company with a high contribution margin is likely to have an even higher margin during economic expansion.

contribution margin

The price at which a firm sells its product less the variable cost of producing the product. A company with a large contribution margin is likely to experience substantial profit increases during an economic upswing.