Breakeven Analysis
Dr Kamalakanta Muduli
What is Breakeven?
• The Point at which Revenues = Costs
– Revenues above the breakeven point result in profit
– Revenues below the breakeven point result in loss
• May be measured in units of output or revenue
Rs./ Dollars
• Represents a “Reality Check”
– Is this level of revenue reasonable?
– If not, what actions would yield a reasonable
breakeven point?
Breakeven Analysis Defined
• Breakeven analysis examines the short run
relationship between changes in volume and
changes in total sales revenue, expenses and
net profit
• Also known as C-V-P analysis (Cost Volume
Profit Analysis)
Uses of Breakeven Analysis
• C-V-P analysis is an important tool in terms of
short-term planning and decision making
• It looks at the relationship between costs, revenue,
output levels and profit
• Short run decisions where C-V-P is used include
choice of sales mix, pricing policy etc.
Decision making and Breakeven
Analysis: Examples
How many units must be sold to breakeven?
• How many units must be sold to achieve a
target profit?
• Should a special order be accepted?
• How will profits be affected if we introduce a
new product or service?
Key Terminology: Breakeven Analysis
• Break even point -the point at which a company
makes neither a profit or a loss.
• Contribution per unit -the sales price minus the
variable cost per unit. It measures the
contribution made by each item of output to the
fixed costs and profit of the organisation.
Key Terminology ctd.
• Margin of safety -a measure in which the
budgeted volume of sales is compared with the
volume of sales required to break even
• Marginal Cost – cost of producing one extra unit
of output
Breakeven Formula
Fixed Costs
*Contribution per unit
*Contribution per unit = Selling Price per unit – Variable Cost per unit
Cost Terminology
• Fixed Costs - Costs that do not change in total
with the volume produced or sold. Total fixed
costs are represented on a graph by a horizontal
line. Fixed costs per unit will decrease as number
of units increase.
• Variable Costs - Costs that change in direct
proportion with the volume produced or sold
• Mixed Costs - A combination of fixed and variable
costs.
• Semi-variable Cost - Costs that change with
volume produced, but not in direct proportion.
Breakeven Chart
Graphic Depiction of Breakeven
Rs.
Units Sold
Graphic Depiction of Breakeven
Rs.
Units Sold
Graphic Depiction of Breakeven
Rs.
Units Sold
Graphic Depiction of Breakeven
Rs.
Units Sold
Graphic Depiction of Breakeven
The Point at which
Total Cost and
Revenue intersect
(are equal) is the
Break Even point at which
Point profit = zero
Rs.
Units Sold
Margin of Safety
• The difference between budgeted or actual
sales and the breakeven point
• The margin of safety may be expressed in
units or revenue terms
• Shows the amount by which sales can drop
before a loss will be incurred
Example 1
Using the following data, calculate the
breakeven point and margin of safety in units:
Selling Price = K50
• Variable Cost = K40
• Fixed Cost = K70,000
• Budgeted Sales = 7,500 units
Example 1: Solution
• Contribution = K50 - K40 = K10 per unit
• Breakeven point = K70,000/K10 = 7,000 units
• Margin of safety = 7500 – 7000 = 500 units
Target Profits
• What if a firm doesn’t just want to
breakeven – it requires a target profit
• Contribution per unit will need to cover
profit as well as fixed costs
• Required profit is treated as an addition to
Fixed Costs
Example 2
Using the following data, calculate the level of
sales required to generate a profit of K10,000:
• Selling Price = K35
• Variable Cost = K20
• Fixed Costs = K50,000
Example 2: Solution
• Contribution = K35 – K20 = K15
• Level of sales required to generate profit
of K10,000:
K50,000 + K10,000
K15
4000 units
Limitations of B/E analysis
• Costs are either fixed or variable
• Fixed and variable costs are clearly discernable
over the whole range of output
• Production = Sales
• One product/constant sales mix
• Selling price remains constant
• Efficiency remains unchanged
• Volume is the only factor affecting costs
