Hi Anonymous,

you can easily answer it yourself if you start with the definition of your subject:

Margin = Profits / Revenue

Hence, whether margins increase/decrease/stay constant depends on whether the percentage of revenue decline is higher/lower/identical than the profit decline. If revenues have decreased at a stronger rate compared to profits, then the margin increases despite decreasing costs.

Simple example:

• Year 1: EUR 10 million revenue and EUR 7 million costs. Hence profits amount to EUR 3 million (margin = 30%).
• Year 2: Costs have been reduced to EUR 6 million, but also revenue went downhill to EUR 8.8 million. Hence profits have decreased to EUR 2.8 million, while the margin has increased to 32% (2.8 / 8.8).

(editiert)