Just like Gross Margin %, it is important to see a company maintains its operating margin over time. Among the same industry, a company with higher operating margin is more efficient in its operation. It is also more stable during industry slowdown or recessions. Peter Lynch prefers those with higher margins than those with lower margins.
Be Aware
Operating Margin % can be manipulated by adjusting the rate of depreciation, depletion and amortization (DDA).
If a company is facing competition, its Operating Margin % may decline. Often the Operating Margin % declines well before the company's Revenue or even profit decline. Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important indicator of whether the company is facing problems.
For instance, by 2012, Nokia (NOK)'s problems were well known and its stock had lost more than 90% of its market value since 2007. But Nokias Operating Margin % had already been in decline since 2002, although its Earnings per Share (Diluted) were still rising. Investors who paid attention to Operating Margin % would have avoided this huge loss. The same can be said for Research-in-Motion (RIMM).
Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important screening filter for GuruFocus. GuruFocus's Buffett-Munger screener requires that the profit margin is either consistent or expanding. The Model Portfolio of the Buffett-Munger screener has outperformed the market every year since inception in 2009.
Surface Transforms Operating Margin % Related Terms
Surface Transforms Operating Margin % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Surface Transforms's Operating Margin % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
LSE:SCE vs ORLY, AZO, GPC: Operating Margin % Comparison
For the Auto Parts subindustry, Surface Transforms's Operating Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Operating Margin % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Surface Transforms Operating Margin % vs Vehicles & Parts Industry
For the Vehicles & Parts industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Surface Transforms's Operating Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Surface Transforms's Operating Margin % falls into.
Operating Margin % - also known as operating income margin, operating profit margin and return on sales (ROS) - is the ratio of Operating Income divided by net sales or Revenue, usually presented in percent.
Surface Transforms's Operating Margin % for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2024 is calculated as
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Surface Transforms (LSE:SCE) has a Operating Margin % of -63.64% as of Jun. 2025. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Surface Transforms and its competitors.
Is Surface Transforms' Operating Margin % too high?
Surface Transforms' current Operating Margin % is -63.64%.
How does Surface Transforms' Operating Margin % compare to ORLY and AZO?
Surface Transforms' Operating Margin % of -63.64% can be compared against companies in the Vehicles & Parts industry. The industry median Operating Margin % is 4.86. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Operating Margin % for a Vehicles & Parts company?
The median Operating Margin % among Vehicles & Parts companies is 4.86, based on 1,325 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Operating Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Operating Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Operating Margin % mean?
A high Operating Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Surface Transforms and its competitors. For the Vehicles & Parts industry, the median Operating Margin % is 4.86 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Surface Transforms's current Operating Margin % is -63.64%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Surface Transforms stock overvalued right now?
Surface Transforms (LSE:SCE) has a current Operating Margin % of -63.64%. The stock's GF Value™ is £0.03, compared to a current price of £0.00 — trading 96.2% below its estimated fair value. The current Operating Margin % is -63.64%. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Operating Margin % calculated?
Operating Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Surface Transforms (LSE:SCE), the current Operating Margin % is -63.64% as of Jun. 2025. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Surface Transforms PLC is a company that develops, manufactures, and markets carbon-ceramic products for the brakes market. It also engages in developing new products and applications for carbon fiber-reinforced ceramic friction and non-friction materials. The Company operates in a single segment being the manufacture and sale of carbon fiber materials and associated technologies. This segment includes all manufacturing, development, and sales activities related to carbon fiber materials, regardless of the specific market or product application. It has operations spread across the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden the United States of America, the Rest of Europe, and the Rest of the World.
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