What is the difference between profit margin and markup?
Margin is profit as a percentage of selling price. Markup is profit as a percentage of cost. Example: cost = $60, selling price = $100, profit = $40. Gross margin = $40/$100 = 40%. Markup = $40/$60 = 66.7%. A 50% markup does NOT give a 50% margin - it gives a 33.3% margin. This distinction matters significantly for pricing and financial reporting.