Economic Value Added (EVA)
EVA is registered trademark of Stern Stewart.
Economic value added or economic profit is the difference between revenues and costs,where costs include not only expenses, but also cost of capital.
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Economic Profit
Comcast Corp., economic profit calculation
US$ in millions
| 12 months ended: | Dec 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net operating profit after taxes (NOPAT)1 | ||||||
| Cost of capital2 | ||||||
| Invested capital3 | ||||||
| Economic profit4 | ||||||
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31).
1 NOPAT. See details »
2 Cost of capital. See details »
3 Invested capital. See details »
4 2024 Calculation
Economic profit = NOPAT – Cost of capital × Invested capital
= – × =
- Net Operating Profit After Taxes (NOPAT)
- The net operating profit after taxes exhibits a fluctuating trend over the five-year period. Starting at $14,617 million in 2020, it increased significantly to $19,205 million in 2021. However, in 2022, there was a sharp decrease to $6,839 million, followed by a recovery to $16,517 million in 2023 and a further increase to $18,803 million in 2024. This pattern indicates volatility, with a notable dip in 2022 but a subsequent positive rebound.
- Cost of Capital
- The cost of capital remained relatively stable across the years, fluctuating slightly between 9.99% and 10.97%. It was highest in 2021 at 10.97%, decreased marginally in subsequent years, reaching its lowest point at 9.99% in 2024. The general trend suggests minor declines in capital costs towards the end of the period.
- Invested Capital
- Invested capital shows a general declining trend from 2020 to 2023, starting at $224,149 million in 2020 and decreasing to $211,709 million by 2023. However, in 2024, there is a slight increase to $215,148 million. Overall, invested capital declined by approximately 4.0% over the five years, indicating a moderate contraction before a slight expansion in the final year.
- Economic Profit
- Economic profit throughout the period is negative, reflecting that the returns did not exceed the cost of capital. Although the magnitude of loss fluctuated, it remained substantial. The economic loss reduced from -$9,477 million in 2020 to -$5,934 million in 2021, then worsened sharply to -$16,221 million in 2022. Thereafter, it improved to -$6,626 million in 2023 and further to -$2,687 million in 2024. This pattern indicates significant underperformance relative to capital cost, with the worst performance in 2022 but gradual improvement afterwards.
Net Operating Profit after Taxes (NOPAT)
Comcast Corp., NOPAT calculation
US$ in millions
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31).
1 Elimination of deferred tax expense. See details »
2 Addition of increase (decrease) in allowance for credit losses.
3 Addition of increase (decrease) in deferred revenue.
4 Addition of increase (decrease) in equity equivalents to net income attributable to Comcast Corporation.
5 2024 Calculation
Interest expense on capitalized operating leases = Operating lease liability × Discount rate
= × =
6 2024 Calculation
Tax benefit of interest expense = Adjusted interest expense × Statutory income tax rate
= × 21.00% =
7 Addition of after taxes interest expense to net income attributable to Comcast Corporation.
The financial data reveals notable fluctuations and a generally positive trend in profitability over the five-year period.
- Net Income Attributable to Comcast Corporation
- The net income increased significantly from 10,534 million US dollars in 2020 to 14,159 million US dollars in 2021, indicating a strong growth phase. However, there was a sharp decline in 2022 to 5,370 million US dollars, representing a substantial decrease from the previous year. This drop was followed by a robust recovery in 2023, with net income rising to 15,388 million US dollars, surpassing earlier levels. The upward trend continued in 2024 with net income further increasing to 16,192 million US dollars, reaching the highest point in the five-year span.
- Net Operating Profit After Taxes (NOPAT)
- NOPAT exhibited a similar pattern to net income. It increased from 14,617 million US dollars in 2020 to 19,205 million US dollars in 2021, reflecting improved operational profitability. In 2022, NOPAT dropped sharply to 6,839 million US dollars, mirroring the decline seen in net income. Following the decline, NOPAT rose again to 16,517 million US dollars in 2023, nearly returning to its previous peak. This increase continued into 2024, reaching 18,803 million US dollars, indicating strengthened operational efficiency and profitability.
Overall, the data shows a period of growth through 2021, followed by a significant contraction in 2022. The company demonstrated resilience with a strong recovery in 2023 and further improvement in 2024. Both net income and NOPAT followed consistent trends, suggesting that the fluctuations in net income were largely driven by changes in operational performance. The recovery and subsequent growth imply effective management responses to the downturn experienced in 2022.
Cash Operating Taxes
Comcast Corp., cash operating taxes calculation
US$ in millions
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31).
The financial data over the five-year period reveals fluctuations in both income tax expense and cash operating taxes. Income tax expense exhibited a rising trend from 2020 through 2021, increasing significantly from 3,364 million USD to 5,259 million USD. In 2022, there was a decline to 4,359 million USD, followed by a rebound to 5,371 million USD in 2023. The most recent figure for 2024 shows a pronounced reduction to 2,796 million USD, representing the lowest value in the five-year span.
Cash operating taxes present a less consistent pattern. There was an initial decrease from 4,911 million USD in 2020 to 4,326 million USD in 2021. However, this was followed by a sharp increase in 2022 to 6,068 million USD, and a further substantial rise in 2023, reaching 9,025 million USD. In 2024, cash operating taxes dropped significantly to 4,622 million USD, nearing the levels observed at the start of the period.
- Income Tax Expense Trends
- Overall, income tax expenses experienced volatility with peaks in 2021 and 2023, and a notable trough in 2024, indicating possible changes in taxable income, tax rates, or deductions impacting the tax burden.
- Cash Operating Taxes Trends
- The pattern suggests variability with a dip in 2021, followed by two consecutive years of sharp increases and a steep decline in 2024. This could reflect fluctuations in operating profits, changes in tax regulations, or timing differences in tax payments.
- Comparative Insights
- Both tax-related measures show significant increases in 2023 followed by reductions in 2024, possibly indicating strategic tax planning or extraordinary items affecting tax calculations in those years. The divergence in 2022 and 2023, where cash operating taxes increased sharply yet income tax expense moved relatively moderately, might point to differences between tax liability and cash tax payments during the periods.
Invested Capital
Comcast Corp., invested capital calculation (financing approach)
US$ in millions
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31).
1 Addition of capitalized operating leases.
2 Elimination of deferred taxes from assets and liabilities. See details »
3 Addition of allowance for doubtful accounts receivable.
4 Addition of deferred revenue.
5 Addition of equity equivalents to total Comcast Corporation shareholders’ equity.
6 Removal of accumulated other comprehensive income.
7 Subtraction of construction in process.
8 Subtraction of marketable equity securities.
The financial data presents trends across a five-year period from 2020 to 2024 for key balance sheet items related to debt, equity, and invested capital.
- Total reported debt & leases
- The total reported debt and leases showed a decreasing trend from 2020 to 2022, falling from 108,218 million US dollars to 101,593 million US dollars. However, from 2022 onwards, there was a gradual increase, reaching 105,413 million US dollars by the end of 2024. This indicates some degree of deleveraging followed by a moderate uptrend in debt levels, suggesting a cautious approach to leverage after a period of reduction.
- Total Comcast Corporation shareholders’ equity
- Shareholders’ equity increased from 90,323 million US dollars in 2020 to a peak of 96,092 million US dollars in 2021. Following this peak, there was a sharp decline to 80,943 million US dollars in 2022. Equity subsequently experienced a mild recovery, increasing to 85,560 million US dollars by 2024. This pattern suggests significant changes in retained earnings or other comprehensive income components during 2022, possibly reflecting impactful operational results or adjustments, with partial restoration of equity in later years.
- Invested capital
- Invested capital increased slightly from 224,149 million US dollars in 2020 to 229,233 million US dollars in 2021, then declined steadily to 213,605 million US dollars in 2022 and further to 211,709 million US dollars in 2023. A slight recovery was observed in 2024, with invested capital increasing to 215,148 million US dollars. The overall trend points to a cautious reduction in invested capital post-2021, with a minor resurgence in the most recent year.
In summary, the period is characterized by an initial improvement in equity and invested capital until 2021, followed by a notable decrease in equity and invested capital in 2022, coinciding with the lowest debt level in the analyzed timeframe. The subsequent years show moderate recovery in equity and invested capital alongside a gradual increase in debt levels, indicating strategic adjustments in financial structure after a phase of deleveraging and equity decline.
Cost of Capital
Comcast Corp., cost of capital calculations
| Capital (fair value)1 | Weights | Cost of capital | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity2 | ÷ | = | × | = | |||||||||
| Debt3 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Operating lease liability4 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Total: | |||||||||||||
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31).
1 US$ in millions
2 Equity. See details »
3 Debt. See details »
4 Operating lease liability. See details »
| Capital (fair value)1 | Weights | Cost of capital | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity2 | ÷ | = | × | = | |||||||||
| Debt3 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Operating lease liability4 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Total: | |||||||||||||
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31).
1 US$ in millions
2 Equity. See details »
3 Debt. See details »
4 Operating lease liability. See details »
| Capital (fair value)1 | Weights | Cost of capital | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity2 | ÷ | = | × | = | |||||||||
| Debt3 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Operating lease liability4 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Total: | |||||||||||||
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31).
1 US$ in millions
2 Equity. See details »
3 Debt. See details »
4 Operating lease liability. See details »
| Capital (fair value)1 | Weights | Cost of capital | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity2 | ÷ | = | × | = | |||||||||
| Debt3 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Operating lease liability4 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Total: | |||||||||||||
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31).
1 US$ in millions
2 Equity. See details »
3 Debt. See details »
4 Operating lease liability. See details »
| Capital (fair value)1 | Weights | Cost of capital | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity2 | ÷ | = | × | = | |||||||||
| Debt3 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Operating lease liability4 | ÷ | = | × | × (1 – 21.00%) | = | ||||||||
| Total: | |||||||||||||
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31).
1 US$ in millions
2 Equity. See details »
3 Debt. See details »
4 Operating lease liability. See details »
Economic Spread Ratio
Comcast Corp., economic spread ratio calculation, comparison to benchmarks
| Dec 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||
| Economic profit1 | ||||||
| Invested capital2 | ||||||
| Performance Ratio | ||||||
| Economic spread ratio3 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Economic Spread Ratio, Competitors4 | ||||||
| Alphabet Inc. | ||||||
| Meta Platforms Inc. | ||||||
| Netflix Inc. | ||||||
| Trade Desk Inc. | ||||||
| Walt Disney Co. | ||||||
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31).
1 Economic profit. See details »
2 Invested capital. See details »
3 2024 Calculation
Economic spread ratio = 100 × Economic profit ÷ Invested capital
= 100 × ÷ =
4 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The financial data reveals several key trends regarding economic performance and capital management over the five-year period under review.
- Economic Profit
- The economic profit figures show a consistently negative outcome across all years, indicating that the company did not generate returns above its cost of capital. Despite this, there is variability in the magnitude of losses. Notably, economic profit improved significantly from a low of -16,221 million USD at the end of 2022 to -2,687 million USD by the end of 2024. This suggests a trend toward narrowing economic losses, implying potential operational enhancements or cost control measures that may be positively impacting profitability.
- Invested Capital
- The invested capital remained relatively stable, fluctuating within a range of approximately 211,709 million to 229,233 million USD. There was an initial increase from 224,149 million USD in 2020 to a peak of 229,233 million USD in 2021, followed by a decline to 211,709 million USD in 2023, and a slight recovery to 215,148 million USD in 2024. This pattern of moderate capital adjustment suggests a dynamic approach to asset management and capital allocation consistent with changing business or investment strategies.
- Economic Spread Ratio
- The economic spread ratio was negative throughout the period, indicating that returns on invested capital were below the cost of capital each year. This ratio worsened notably in 2022, reaching -7.59%, reflecting a pronounced decline in value creation relative to the cost of capital at that point in time. However, a steady recovery trend is observed through 2023 and 2024, with the ratio improving to -1.25% by the end of 2024, demonstrating progress in reducing the economic loss margin and moving closer to a positive spread.
Overall, the data suggest the company has faced challenges in generating returns exceeding its cost of capital but has shown signs of recovery and improvement since the lowest performance observed in 2022. Stability in invested capital combined with an upward trend in economic profit and economic spread ratio indicates efforts toward enhancing operational efficiency or optimizing capital use, with potential for future positive economic value creation.
Economic Profit Margin
Comcast Corp., economic profit margin calculation, comparison to benchmarks
| Dec 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||
| Economic profit1 | ||||||
| Revenue | ||||||
| Add: Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue | ||||||
| Adjusted revenue | ||||||
| Performance Ratio | ||||||
| Economic profit margin2 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Economic Profit Margin, Competitors3 | ||||||
| Alphabet Inc. | ||||||
| Meta Platforms Inc. | ||||||
| Netflix Inc. | ||||||
| Trade Desk Inc. | ||||||
| Walt Disney Co. | ||||||
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31).
1 Economic profit. See details »
2 2024 Calculation
Economic profit margin = 100 × Economic profit ÷ Adjusted revenue
= 100 × ÷ =
3 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Revenue Trends
- The adjusted revenue of the company has exhibited a steady upward trajectory over the five-year period. Starting at approximately 103.9 billion USD in 2020, revenue increased to about 116.4 billion USD in 2021, then further to 120.8 billion USD in 2022. The growth continued more moderately to 122.3 billion USD in 2023 and 124.0 billion USD in 2024. This consistent rise suggests effective revenue-generating activities and possibly expanded market reach or service offerings.
- Economic Profit Trends
- The economic profit figures display significant fluctuations and generally adverse values throughout the period. The economic profit was negative in all years, indicating economic losses each year. In 2020, the company experienced a substantial economic loss of approximately 9.5 billion USD, which improved notably in 2021 to around 5.9 billion USD. However, the loss intensified sharply in 2022 to a peak negative value of about 16.2 billion USD. Subsequently, economic losses decreased again to 6.6 billion USD in 2023 and further reduced to 2.7 billion USD in 2024. This pattern demonstrates considerable volatility in economic profitability, with a marked deterioration in 2022 followed by a recovery trend towards reduced losses in the latest years.
- Economic Profit Margin Analysis
- The economic profit margin similarly portrays negative percentages across all reported periods, indicating that the company did not generate profit relative to its revenues. The margin was -9.12% in 2020, improving to -5.10% in 2021, then worsening significantly to -13.43% in 2022, which aligns with the peak economic loss observed in the same year. Improvement followed in 2023 when the margin climbed to -5.42%, and further positive movement was seen in 2024 reaching -2.17%. This ongoing improvement in margin, although still negative, suggests enhanced operational efficiency or cost management relative to revenue.
- Overall Assessment
- While revenue showed consistent growth, economic profit and economic profit margin indicate persistent challenges in translating revenue growth into economic profitability. The large losses in 2022 represent an outlier negative event or period, followed by recovery efforts evident in the decreasing losses and improving margins in subsequent years. The company's efforts to close the economic profit gap are apparent but as of 2024, full positive economic profit has not yet been achieved. Continued focus on cost control, efficiency improvements, or higher margin revenue streams may be necessary to achieve sustainable economic profit.