The gross margin is a concept Comptable representing the difference between the Turnover net of tax and totality of the purchases net of tax carried out, undervalued variation of the Stock S during the countable Exercice.

This concept should not be confused with the Gross margin of self-financing, which is a notion related to the self-financing of the company, and thus comprises a character, above all, financial.

The gross margin of self-financing (MBA) is, with the Bilan of end of exercise of a company, the total consisted the damping S, whole or part of the Provision S and the Bottom line after tax. It represents the Capacité of self-financing company released during the exercise (before a possible distribution of benefit).

Note APFA: the Plan general accountant of 1982 replaced the “gross margin of self-financing (MBA)” by the concept not very different from “Capacité of self-financing”. However the old term is still often used.

English: cash-flow.

Source: old decree of November 29th, 1973 (OJ of January 3rd, 1974) and APFA.