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Income statement

Cost of revenue (COGS)

Direct cost of producing the goods or services sold. Revenue minus COGS equals gross profit.

Cost of revenue, also called cost of goods sold or COGS, covers what goes directly into the products or services sold: raw materials, direct labor, production, and delivery. For a coffee shop, it is the beans, milk, cups, and the barista's wages, not the rent or the accountant.

When COGS shrinks as a share of sales, the company keeps more of each dollar it takes in, usually thanks to greater scale, stronger pricing power, or more efficient production.

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