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Comprendre le compte de résultat en 5 minutes

فهم حساب النتائج في 5 دقائق

Understanding the income statement in 5 minutes

The income statement in one sentence

The income statement tells you what a company earned or lost over a year. You start with what it sold (revenue) and work down, floor by floor, to net income: what is left for shareholders after tax. It is the first document to check on the Casabourse company page, before the balance sheet or ratios.

Guided line-by-line read — Cosumar 2024

We follow Cosumar (CSR), Morocco’s listed sugar leader on the Casablanca Stock Exchange. Figures below come from the 2024 RFA published on Casabourse (company page → annual accounts). Current market cap: about 17.0 bn MAD; recent price: ~179.7 MAD.

Line 1 — Revenue

10.24 billion MAD of sales in 2024. That is the starting point: everything Cosumar invoiced (sugar, ethanol, co-products). Simple question: is revenue growing? Here, yes — +13 % vs 2023 (~9.05 bn). Revenue growth is a first positive signal, but not enough on its own.

Line 2 — EBITDA

1.76 billion MAD. EBITDA measures operating performance before depreciation, interest and tax. It is the business’s “cash machine”. EBITDA margin: 17.2 % (1.76 / 10.24). Cosumar keeps about 17 dirhams of operating gross margin per 100 dirhams sold — reasonable for agro-industry, with slight pressure on energy costs.

Line 3 — Operating income

1.33 billion MAD. Depreciation and amortisation (~425 M MAD) are deducted from EBITDA. Operating margin: 13.0 %. That is what the sugar business actually earns before debt and tax.

Line 4 — Net income

850 million MAD — final profit for shareholders. Net margin: 8.3 %. EPS: ~9.0 MAD. Cosumar clearly made money in 2024, with stable margins despite an inflationary backdrop.

Line 5 — Dividend and payout

Cosumar proposed 10 MAD dividend per share for 2024. The payout ratio reaches 111 %: the company distributes more than that year’s earnings (drawing on cash or reserves). Yield shown on Casabourse: ~5.6 %. Note: a payout above 100 % is not sustainable indefinitely — watch the following years.

Cascade table — from revenue to net income

Step 2024 amount Margin (% of revenue) Beginner read
Revenue 10,239 M MAD 100 % Starting point: sales.
EBITDA 1,758 M MAD 17.2 % Gross operating profitability.
↳ Depreciation (estimated) −425 M MAD Plants, equipment: accounting charge without immediate cash outflow.
Operating income 1,333 M MAD 13.0 % What the business earns before debt and tax.
↳ Finance charges & tax (estimated) −483 M MAD Debt interest + corporate income tax.
Net income 850 M MAD 8.3 % Final profit for the shareholder.
Proposed dividend / share 10 MAD Payout 111 % Generous distribution — above accounting profit.

Source: Cosumar 2024 RFA, Casabourse page. Intermediate items (depreciation, finance & tax) are deducted to illustrate the cascade; see the official income statement for line-by-line detail.

Three questions for any income statement

  1. Is revenue growing? Cosumar: yes (+13 %).
  2. Are margins holding? Net margin ~8.3 %: stable vs 2023 (~8.5 %).
  3. Does net income follow activity? Yes: profit rise consistent with revenue.

The beginner trap

A sharp profit jump can come from a one-off event (asset sale, provision reversal). Here, the rise seems tied to sugar activity. But on other stocks, always check the “non-recurring items” note in the RFA — you will go deeper at intermediate level.

BVC practical case

Open the Cosumar page on Casabourse. Find 2024 revenue, EBITDA and net income. Calculate net margin (net income ÷ revenue × 100). Then open the comparator and compare Cosumar with Label Vie (same consumption universe, different models): revenue, net margin, P/E and dividend yield. The income statement alone does not say whether CSR is a good deal — sector comparison completes the read.

Key takeaways

  • Read the income statement top to bottom: revenue → EBITDA → operating income → net income.
  • Margins (EBITDA, operating, net) show what the company keeps at each floor.
  • Cosumar 2024: 10.2 bn revenue, 850 M net income, 111 % payout — concrete BVC example.
  • Rising revenue with stable margins is a good sign; eroding margins warn.
  • Always check the RFA on Casabourse for official figures and explanatory notes.

Self-check

  1. What is Cosumar’s revenue in 2024?
  2. What does a 111 % payout mean?
  3. What is Cosumar’s net margin in 2024?
  4. What is the difference between EBITDA and operating income?
  5. Why is the income statement the first document to read?