Hofseth BioCare ASA (OSTO:HBCO) Operating Margin %: -67.93% (As of Mar. 2026)

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OSTO:HBCO Hofseth BioCare ASA OSTO:HBCO
53 GF Score
Price kr1.45
GF Value kr2.29
Valuation Possible Value Trap
! 6 Warning Signs
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What is Hofseth BioCare ASA Operating Margin %?

Hofseth BioCare ASA OSTO:HBCO 53 Operating Margin % is -67.93% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates OSTO:HBCO with a GF Score™ of 53/100 and a GF Value™ of kr2.29 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,956 Consumer Packaged Goods companies, Hofseth BioCare ASA ranks worse than 94.89% on this metric.

Operating Margin % is calculated as Operating Income divided by its Revenue. Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Income for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was kr-33.6 Mil. Hofseth BioCare ASA's Revenue for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was kr49.5 Mil. Therefore, Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Margin % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -67.93%.

Good Sign:

Hofseth BioCare ASA operating margin is expanding. Margin expansion is usually a good sign.

The historical rank and industry rank for Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Margin % or its related term are showing as below:

OSTO:HBCO' s Operating Margin % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -719.93   Med: -112.67   Max: -10.11
Current: -47.55


OSTO:HBCO's Operating Margin % is ranked worse than
94.89% of 1956 companies
in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry
Industry Median: 5.3 vs OSTO:HBCO: -47.55

Hofseth BioCare ASA's 5-Year Average Operating Margin % Growth Rate was 23.60% per year.

Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Income for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was kr-33.6 Mil. Its Operating Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was kr-116.5 Mil.

Warning Sign:

Hofseth BioCare ASA has never been profitable in the past 3 years. It lost money every year.


Hofseth BioCare ASA  (OSTO:HBCO) Operating Margin % Explanation

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 Nokia’s 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.


Hofseth BioCare ASA Operating Margin % Related Terms


Hofseth BioCare ASA Operating Margin % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Hofseth BioCare ASA'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.

Hofseth BioCare ASA Operating Margin % Chart

Hofseth BioCare ASA Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Operating Margin %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -135.32 -106.78 -64.74 -43.98 -43.79

Hofseth BioCare ASA Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Operating Margin % Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -48.46 -21.71 -55.76 -51.83 -67.93

OSTO:HBCO vs KHC, GIS, HRL: Operating Margin % Comparison

For the Packaged Foods subindustry, Hofseth BioCare ASA'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.


Hofseth BioCare ASA Operating Margin % vs Consumer Packaged Goods Industry

For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Margin % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Margin % falls into.


OSTO:HBCO
53GF Score
Hofseth BioCare ASA OSTO:HBCO
Operating Margin % is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Hofseth BioCare ASA Operating Margin % Calculation

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.

Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Margin % for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as

Operating Margin %=Operating Income (A: Dec. 2025 ) / Revenue (A: Dec. 2025 )
=-112.253 / 256.341
=-43.79 %

Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Margin % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as

Operating Margin %=Operating Income (Q: Mar. 2026 ) / Revenue (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=-33.61 / 49.476
=-67.93 %

* 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.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Operating Margin % →
What does a Operating Margin % of -67.93% mean?
Hofseth BioCare ASA (OSTO:HBCO) has a Operating Margin % of -67.93% as of Mar. 2026. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Hofseth BioCare ASA and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Hofseth BioCare ASA ranks #1856 out of 1956 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, placing it in the top 94.9%.
Is Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Margin % too high?
Hofseth BioCare ASA's current Operating Margin % is -67.93%. Based on the distribution chart, Hofseth BioCare ASA ranks #1856 out of 1956 companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Hofseth BioCare ASA has a GF Score™ of 53/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Hofseth BioCare ASA's Operating Margin % compare to KHC and GIS?
According to the Consumer Packaged Goods industry distribution chart, Hofseth BioCare ASA ranks #1856 out of 1956 companies for Operating Margin %. This places Hofseth BioCare ASA in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Operating Margin % is 5.30. 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 Consumer Packaged Goods company?
The median Operating Margin % among Consumer Packaged Goods companies is 5.30, based on 1,956 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 Hofseth BioCare ASA and its competitors. For the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, the median Operating Margin % is 5.30 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Hofseth BioCare ASA's current Operating Margin % is -67.93%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Hofseth BioCare ASA stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Hofseth BioCare ASA (OSTO:HBCO) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is kr2.29, compared to a current price of kr1.45 — trading 36.7% below its estimated fair value. The current Operating Margin % is -67.93%. Hofseth BioCare ASA's overall GF Score™ is 53/100 with 6 warning signs to review. 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 Hofseth BioCare ASA (OSTO:HBCO), the current Operating Margin % is -67.93% as of Mar. 2026. 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.

Is Hofseth BioCare ASA (OSTO:HBCO) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Hofseth BioCare ASA stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of kr1.45 is trading 36.7% below its estimated GF Value™ of kr2.29. GuruFocus considers Hofseth BioCare ASA to be Possible Value Trap.

Key valuation signals for OSTO:HBCO:

  • Operating Margin %: -67.93%
  • GF Value™: kr2.29 vs. price of kr1.45 (36.7% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 53/100 with 6 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the OSTO:HBCO stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Hofseth BioCare ASA Business Description

Address Keiser Wilhelmsgate 24, Aalesund, NOR, 6003
Hofseth BioCare ASA is a Norway-based company engaged in the business of developing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling marine ingredients such as oil, calcium, and protein products. Its brands, which also generate revenue, include salmon oil (OmeGo), water-soluble protein (ProGo), calcium/collagen (CalGo and NT-II), and non-soluble protein (PetGo), all of which are produced in the Midsund plant. The firm sells its products to various segments of the human nutrition market, such as sports nutrition, supplements, and health foods, as well as to the market within nutrition for the pet and feed industry. Geographically, the company generates maximum revenue from Europe, followed by North America and Asia.
53GF Score

Get the complete analysis for OSTO:HBCO

Operating Margin % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

kr1.45
Price
kr2.29
GF Value