Does small-cap Software company Qumu have a sustainably profitable business model? By studying its gross margins and comparing them to its operating margins, we can gain insight into quality of its business. With gross margins at 74.3%, you might be telling yourself the Qumu is profitable -- but there is more to the story.
Gross margins take into account only the cost of revenue, meaning the expenses directly related to each sale. So it's important to also look at operating margins, which take into account overhead costs. One way to look at it is that gross profit gives insight into Qumu's market and the viability of its business model. Operating margins, on the other hand, show you how efficiently the company is implementing this business model.
| Date Reported | Revenue ($ MM) | Cost of Revenue ($ MM) | Gross Margins (%) | YoY Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-31 | 24 | 6 | 74.32 | 4.28 |
| 2020-12-31 | 29 | 8 | 71.27 | -1.25 |
| 2019-12-31 | 25 | 7 | 72.17 | n/a |
Qumu's gross margins have a coefficient of variability of 2.2%, with a low percentage rate being more desirable as it indicates stability. Revenues have a delta of -1.4% while cost of revenue is shrinking at a rate of -3.9%, which allows for the company's gross margins to grow at an average 1.5% per year.
| Date Reported | Total Revenue ($ MM) | Operating Expenses ($ MM) | Operating Margins (%) | YoY Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-31 | 24 | 36 | -76.16 | -289.76 |
| 2020-12-31 | 29 | 26 | -19.54 | 6.69 |
| 2019-12-31 | 25 | 24 | -20.94 | n/a |
The table above tells us that, on average, Qumu has not been profitable over the last four years, which should be a warning sign to prospective investors. Indeed, the company's operating margins are sinking at rate of -141.5%
