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.
Eastern Platinum Operating Margin % Related Terms
Eastern Platinum Operating Margin % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Eastern Platinum'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.
For the Other Precious Metals & Mining subindustry, Eastern Platinum'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.
Eastern Platinum Operating Margin % vs Metals & Mining Industry
For the Metals & Mining industry and Basic Materials sector, Eastern Platinum's Operating Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Eastern Platinum'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.
Eastern Platinum's Operating Margin % for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 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.
Eastern Platinum (TSX:ELR) has a Operating Margin % of -21.85% as of Mar. 2026. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Eastern Platinum and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Eastern Platinum ranks #592 out of 841 companies in the Metals & Mining industry, placing it in the top 70.4%.
Is Eastern Platinum's Operating Margin % too high?
Eastern Platinum's current Operating Margin % is -21.85%. Based on the distribution chart, Eastern Platinum ranks #592 out of 841 companies in the Metals & Mining industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Eastern Platinum has a GF Score™ of 31/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Eastern Platinum's Operating Margin % compare to HL?
According to the Metals & Mining industry distribution chart, Eastern Platinum ranks #592 out of 841 companies for Operating Margin %. This places Eastern Platinum in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Operating Margin % is 5.79. 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 Metals & Mining company?
The median Operating Margin % among Metals & Mining companies is 5.79, based on 841 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 Eastern Platinum and its competitors. For the Metals & Mining industry, the median Operating Margin % is 5.79 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Eastern Platinum's current Operating Margin % is -21.85%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Eastern Platinum stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Eastern Platinum (TSX:ELR) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is C$0.12, compared to a current price of C$0.30 — trading 150% above its estimated fair value. The current Operating Margin % is -21.85%. Eastern Platinum's overall GF Score™ is 31/100 with 8 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 Eastern Platinum (TSX:ELR), the current Operating Margin % is -21.85% 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 Eastern Platinum (TSX:ELR) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Eastern Platinum stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of C$0.30 is trading 150% above its estimated GF Value™ of C$0.12.
GuruFocus considers Eastern Platinum to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for TSX:ELR:
Operating Margin %: -21.85%
GF Value™: C$0.12 vs. price of C$0.30 (150% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the TSX:ELR stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Eastern Platinum Ltd owns, directly and indirectly, a number of PGM and chrome assets in the Republic of South Africa. All of the company's properties are situated on the western and eastern limbs of the Bushveld Complex, the geological environment that hosts approximately 80% of the world's PGM-bearing ore. It has three segments CRM, Eastern Limb and Corporate. Operations at the Crocodile River Mine include re-mining and processing its tailings resource, with an offtake of the chrome concentrate to Union Goal from the Zandfontein UG2 tailings facility and the processing and extraction of platinum group metals.
31GF Score
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