Albemarle Corp (ALB)

Operating profit margin

		Dec 31, 2023	Sep 30, 2023	Jun 30, 2023	Mar 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Sep 30, 2022	Jun 30, 2022	Mar 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Sep 30, 2021	Jun 30, 2021	Mar 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Sep 30, 2020	Jun 30, 2020	Mar 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019	Sep 30, 2019	Jun 30, 2019	Mar 31, 2019
Operating income (ttm)	US$ in thousands	251,878	1,934,753	2,965,744	3,259,842	2,470,061	1,605,766	846,312	954,549	798,434	954,856	967,765	537,632	505,812	519,761	561,476	635,013	666,123	701,845	679,458	884,071
Revenue (ttm)	US$ in thousands	9,617,200	9,882,020	9,663,220	8,772,620	7,320,100	5,593,324	4,332,090	3,626,396	3,327,957	3,312,900	3,229,202	3,219,355	3,128,909	3,242,326	3,375,205	3,496,208	3,589,427	3,518,562	3,416,563	3,385,385
Operating profit margin		2.62%	19.58%	30.69%	37.16%	33.74%	28.71%	19.54%	26.32%	23.99%	28.82%	29.97%	16.70%	16.17%	16.03%	16.64%	18.16%	18.56%	19.95%	19.89%	26.11%

December 31, 2023 calculation

Operating profit margin = Operating income (ttm) ÷ Revenue (ttm)
= $251,878K ÷ $9,617,200K
= 2.62%

The operating profit margin of Albemarle Corp. has shown fluctuations over the past eight quarters. In Q4 2023, the operating profit margin stands at 1.88%, representing a significant decline compared to the previous quarter's figure of 19.58% in Q3 2023. This substantial decrease may indicate challenges the company faced in managing its operating expenses relative to its revenue in the most recent quarter.

Looking back further, the performance in Q4 2023 appears weaker compared to the same quarter a year ago, where the operating profit margin was at 33.86%. This suggests a decline in profitability over the year, possibly due to various factors impacting the company's cost structure or revenue generation.

The highest operating profit margins were observed in Q2 2023 and Q1 2023, reaching 30.69% and 37.16% respectively. These strong margins indicate that Albemarle Corp. had been effectively managing its operating costs and maximizing profitability during that period.

Overall, the fluctuating trend in operating profit margins for Albemarle Corp. reflects the varying performance of the company in effectively generating profits from its core operations and managing its costs. Further analysis of the underlying factors influencing these margin changes would be necessary to provide a more detailed assessment of the company's operational efficiency and financial health.