Cable One Inc (CABO)

Pretax 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
Earnings before tax but after interest (EBT) (ttm)	US$ in thousands	357,141	179,039	211,371	227,194	360,450	485,964	458,750	464,269	337,589	396,489	413,007	391,219	380,708	304,147	287,981	258,198	233,815	218,475	202,201	212,832
Revenue (ttm)	US$ in thousands	1,490,288	1,507,655	1,520,118	1,528,658	1,572,966	1,586,846	1,597,835	1,583,000	1,483,503	1,478,312	1,403,348	1,343,292	1,329,068	1,254,363	1,201,988	1,157,573	1,115,679	1,066,780	1,050,561	1,036,749
Pretax margin		23.96%	11.88%	13.90%	14.86%	22.92%	30.62%	28.71%	29.33%	22.76%	26.82%	29.43%	29.12%	28.64%	24.25%	23.96%	22.31%	20.96%	20.48%	19.25%	20.53%

December 31, 2023 calculation

Pretax margin = EBT (ttm) ÷ Revenue (ttm)
= $357,141K ÷ $1,490,288K
= 23.96%

Cable One Inc's pretax margin has shown some fluctuations over the past few quarters. In Q4 2023, the pretax margin stood at 21.28%, indicating that for every dollar of revenue generated, the company retained $0.2128 before accounting for taxes and other expenses. This represented an improvement compared to the previous quarter, where the pretax margin was 10.58%.

However, when looking at the trend over a longer period, the pretax margin has been on a general decline since Q3 2022 when it reached its peak of 28.37%. The company experienced a gradual decrease in pretax margin throughout the subsequent quarters until Q3 2023. It then saw a slight increase in Q4 2023 but remained below the levels seen in early 2022.

It is important for Cable One Inc to closely monitor and manage its cost structure and operational efficiency to sustain or improve its pretax margin in the future. Additionally, economic factors and industry competition may also impact the company's profitability, highlighting the need for ongoing strategic planning and performance analysis.