Is EBITDA top line or bottom line?
When you hear the term 'top line' with respect to financials, it refers to total revenues or sales for the company. In contrast, when you hear about 'bottom line', it refers to the net earnings or profit of the company, most often what is known as EBITDA, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
The bottom line is very important -- but it's the top line that brings growth to the company and breathing room to enact changes that improve products, production, quality and the customer's buying experience.
- EBITDA = Net Income + Interest + Taxes + Depreciation + Amortization.
- EBITDA = Operating Profit + Depreciation + Amortization.
- Company ABC: Company XYZ:
- EBITDA = Net Income + Tax Expense + Interest Expense + Depreciation & Amortization Expense.
Is EBITDA the same as the bottom line? No, the bottom line (also known as net income, net profit or earnings after tax) is the money left after all expenses and taxes are deducted from all revenues and gains.
At its simplest, EBITDA focuses only on operational profitability, ignoring non-cash expenses by adding them back to Net Income. Revenue is defined as the income generated through a business' primary operations. It is often referred to as “top line” and is shown at the top of an income statement.
The EBITDA margin shows how much operating expenses are eating into a company's gross profit. In the end, the higher the EBITDA margin, the less risky a company is considered financially.
The topline of the horse is the area that runs from the withers, along its back (loin) and down to the croup. The muscling in the topline is important. Not only does it support the spine and joints, it also is an indicator of health (muscling) and diet.
The Bottom Line on the Bottom Line
It is an important indicator of overall conditions in the company's target markets. It is also a barometer of management's effectiveness in selecting strategies, investing in products and services, marketing, and cost control.
Top Line vs Bottom Line Growth
Growth in the top line means your company is seeing an increase either in gross sales, revenue, or both. This is called generating top-line growth. Bottom line growth, however, shows that your company is better at managing costs, particularly operational expenses.
An EBITDA margin of 10% or more is typically considered good, as S&P-500-listed companies have EBITDA margins between 11% and 14% for the most part.
How do you analyze EBITDA?
To determine a good EBITDA, first calculate the margin by dividing EBITDA by total revenue. The EBITDA margin calculated using this equation shows the cash profit a business makes in a year. The margin can then be compared with another similar business in the same industry.
- EBITDA = Net Profit + Interest + Taxes +Depreciation + Amortization.
- EBITDA = Operating Income + Depreciation + Amortization.

The top line refers to the sales or the revenues of a company which is the total income generated during a particular period. The bottom line is the net profit of the company which is after all operating expenses, depreciation, interest and taxes. The bottom line is what the company actually generates for shareholders.
The top line refers to a company's revenues or gross sales. Therefore, when a company has "top-line growth," the company is experiencing an increase in gross sales or revenues. The bottom line is a company's net income, or the "bottom" figure on a company's income statement.
An NYU report on U.S. margins revealed the average net profit margin is 7.71% across different industries. But that doesn't mean your ideal profit margin will align with this number. As a rule of thumb, 5% is a low margin, 10% is a healthy margin, and 20% is a high margin.
EBITDA vs.
Operating cash flow is a better measure of how much cash a company is generating because it adds non-cash charges (depreciation and amortization) back to net income and includes the changes in working capital that also use or provide cash (such as changes in receivables, payables, and inventories).
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) is a widely used measure of core corporate profitability.
It takes into consideration growth and profit. In terms of interpreting the rule, 40% is the baseline figure where the company is deemed healthy and in good shape. If the percentage exceeds 40%, then the company is likely in a very favorable position for long-term growth and profitability.
A “good” EBITDA margin varies by industry, but a 60% margin in most industries would be a good sign. If those margins were, say, 10%, it would indicate that the startups had profitability as well as cash flow problems.
Calculating a company's EBITDA margin is helpful when gauging the effectiveness of a company's cost-cutting efforts. The higher a company's EBITDA margin is, the lower its operating expenses are in relation to total revenue.
Can an EBITDA be too high?
A too-high EBITDA could translate to a very high sales price that makes your business unattractive or uncompetitive. This could price you out of the market and make other dealerships, with their lower EBITDAs and lower sales prices, look like better values as acquisitions.
Topline in horses actually consists of all the muscles along the neck, withers, back, loin and hindquarters of the horse (gluteal, dorsal and cervical extensor muscles). The topline should be rounded and strong, not sunken in in any way.
An ideal topline can be described as well-muscled, displaying a full and rounded athletic appearance, lacking concave or sunken-in areas, providing ability for sustained self-carriage. This region of the horse is a good visual indicator of the whole body amino acid status.
The Topline Summary provides tables of the descriptive statistics for each ratings question within the survey. The descriptive statistics include the number of respondents, mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values.
A company that is growing its earnings or reducing its costs is said to be improving its bottom line. Most companies aim to improve their bottom lines through two simultaneous methods: increasing revenues (i.e., generate top-line growth) and improving efficiency (or cutting costs).