Earnings per share
Why is earnings per share called “the bottom line” and should it be?
If one firm is growing rapidly and another is not, how might this distort a comparison of their inventory turnover ratios?
Sample Answer
Earnings per share (EPS) is called “the bottom line” because it is the last line on the income statement. It is calculated by dividing the company’s net income by the number of outstanding shares of common stock. EPS is important because it is a measure of how much profit each share of stock is worth.
Whether or not EPS should be called “the bottom line” is a matter of opinion. Some people believe that it is the most important financial metric, while others believe that it is not as important as other metrics, such as return on equity (ROE) or return on assets (ROA).