Margin of Safety: Formula, Example, How to Calculate?

In accounting, the margin of safety, also known as safety margin, is the difference between actual sales and breakeven sales. It indicates how much sales can fall before the company or how much project sales may drop. This number is crucial for product pricing, production optimisation and sales forecasting. 

Calculated using a financial ratio, it reveals the profit a company earns after covering all fixed and variable costs. Maintaining a positive margin of safety is critical to profitability because it marks the point at which the company avoids losses. 

To dive deeper into this concept, read further in this blog.

What Is Margin Of Safety? 

Value investing follows the Margin of Safety (MOS) principle, where securities should only be purchased if their market price is lower than their estimated intrinsic value. 

The margin of safety essentially represents the difference between the intrinsic value of a security and its current market price and serves as a shield for investors against potential losses. 

This concept is applied both in investments that ensure the purchase of stocks at a deep discount and in budgeting, where the gap between current or expected sales and the break-even point is defined, helping companies make informed decisions and optimise their performance.

Importance Of Margin Of Safety

The margin of safety is a vital financial measure indicating the margin below which a business becomes unprofitable. 

• It serves as an essential management tool for assessing risks associated with revenue fluctuations. 
• By maintaining an adequate margin, businesses can adjust marketing strategies and control expenses to prevent losses. 
• This ratio also plays a key role in investment decisions, guiding analysts and businesses in evaluating inventory management and strategic decisions. 
• A great margin of safety indicates a strong position that allows the business to withstand market fluctuations, while a small margin makes the company vulnerable to even minor declines in sales. 

Generally, a high degree of security is preferred, which shows the company's resilience in the face of market uncertainty.

Margin Of Safety In Cost Accounting

The margin of safety in finance measures the difference between current or expected sales and the break-even point. It is calculated as a percentage of actual or expected sales and serves as a critical indicator for company risk management. 

A greater degree of safety indicates that the company can withstand a decline in sales without losses, which highlights its stability and ability to handle market fluctuations.

In accounting, the following formula is used for safety margin: 

Safety Margin= Expected or Actual Sales Level – Break-even sales Level

Margin Of Safety In Stocks

In investing, the margin of safety represents the difference between a stock's intrinsic value (the actual value of the company's assets or future income) and its market price. 

Investors calculate this margin based on assumptions and buy securities when the market price is significantly lower than the estimated intrinsic value. The determination of intrinsic value is subjective and varies between investors. It helps prevent losses and can increase returns, especially when investing in undervalued stocks. 

This approach also protects against unexpected market declines. Intrinsic value analysis includes estimating growth rates, historical performance and future projections. However, it is less applicable in situations where the business already knows its profitability, such as production and sales.

Margin Of Safety At Break-Even Point

The margin of safety represents the gap between expected profits and the break-even point. It is calculated by subtracting the breakeven point from the current sale and dividing the result by the current sale.

The formula for the same is: 

Margin of Safety = (Current sales level – breakeven point) / current sales level X 100, or, 

The Margin of Safety (MOS) = 1 − (Current Share Price / Intrinsic Value)

How To Calculate Margin Of Safety?

Apart from the formula mentioned above, there are various other formats of the formula used for calculation. They are as below: 

• Margin of Safety in Percentage 

MOS% = [Current sales – breakeven point / current sales] x 100

• Margin of Safety in Units 

Safety margin (units) = Current sales – breakeven point/sales price per unit

• Margin of Safety in Dollars 

MOS in $ = Current (estimated) sales – breakeven point

Margin Of Safety Example

Let’s understand how MOS works s with the help of one of the formulas mentioned above: 

The Margin of Safety (MOS) = Actual sales - break-even sales

Suppose, the actual price of a product is Rs.800. However, the break-even sales of the product is Rs.600. Hence, the MOS in this scenario would be: 

MOS = Rs.800 - Rs.600 = Rs.200

This indicates that the margin of safety of the product is Rs.200. 

High Margin of Safety

A high or good margin of safety denotes that the company is performing optimally and has the capacity to withstand market volatility. This margin differs from one business to another depending upon their unit selling price. 

Benefits Of Investing With A Margin Of Safety

You can figure out from the margin of safety of a company if it is running on profit or loss. A high margin of safety indicates that the company can survive temporary market volatility and will still be profitable if the sales go down. 

The company can also invest its funds for expansion of the company or other purposes without worrying about hitting the bottom line anytime soon. 

Conclusion

A margin of safety is basically a safety net for a company to fall into during difficult times by just facing minimal or no consequences. However, if a company's MOS is falling, it should reconsider its selling price, halt production of not-so-profitable products, and reduce variable costs, fixed costs, etc., to boost it.