Taiwan Semiconductor also lowered its expectations for gross profit margin and operating profit margin by four percentage points each.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Start with three or four key financial metrics, such as revenue, profit margin, or operating expenses as a percentage of revenue.

FORBES: It's Time For Your First Quarter Checkup

On balance, firms that derive less than 10% of its sales through Wal-Mart averaged 39.1% in gross margin, or the percentage of profit realized before items like fixed costs and interest expense are considered.

FORBES: The Wal-Mart Squeeze

In the first half of the current year, the margin earned by British Gas - that is profit as a percentage of sales - was 7.2%, compared with 6.9% in the first six months of last year, and 8.9% in the whole of 2010.

BBC: Are British Gas's profits too big?

The gross profit margin (excluding occupancy expense as a cost of the merchandise) edged up a percentage point, to 56%, in 1998, but sales growth slowed, to 6% from 14%.

FORBES: The logistics of a dinner plate