I have just been through this case in a meeting as an interviewer, but both me and my interviewee came up with different numbers for the changes in profitability. Is this a mistake of the numbers in the case, the formula (changes in profitability = changes in sales * profit margin) or our understanding of profit margin and calculation of profitability?
E.g, for seatbelts, if the profit margin is 50 %, and the change in sales is - $90 Mio, shouldn't the change in profitability be $-90 Mio*0,5 = -$45 Mio of this, and not -$23 Mio?
Thank you for your help :)
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Calculation of Change in Profitability
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Hi Benedikt,
You are correct! My apologies, the case will be updated shortly :)
In summary:
1) Seatbelt change in profitability is indeed -$45M
2) Total projected change in profitability is -$43M
Apologies for the confusion!
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