Is a 40% EBITDA good?

Asked by: Lily Howe  |  Last update: September 19, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (69 votes)

The Rule of 40 states that the sum of a healthy SaaS company's annual recurring revenue growth rate and its EBITDA margin should be equal to or exceed 40%. It is a measure of how well a SaaS balances growth with profitability.

Is a 50% EBITDA good?

An EBITDA margin falling below the industry average suggests your business has cash flow and profitability challenges. For example, a 50% EBITDA margin in most industries is considered exceptionally good.

What is a good EBITDA percentage?

A good EBITDA margin may fall between 15% and 25%, says Simon Thomas, Managing Director of accountancy firm Ridgefield Consulting. Generally, the higher the EBITDA margin, the greater the profitability and efficiency of a company.

Is an EBITDA of 20% good?

A “good” EBITDA margin is industry-specific, however, an EBITDA margin in excess of 10% is perceived positively by most.

Can EBITDA be over 100%?

EBITDA margins can range from 1% to 100%, but they are almost always less than 100%. The reason is margin can only hit 100% if a company had no taxes, depreciation, or amortization for the period being calculated.

Is EBITDA a good reflection of a company's performance?

42 related questions found

Is 40% EBITDA margin good?

The “Rule of 40” in SaaS valuations is a rule of thumb used to assess a company's financial health and growth potential. It suggests that the sum of a company's top line year over year growth rate (annual recurring revenue growth percentage) and its EBITDA margin should ideally be at least 40%.

What is the rule of 40 EBITDA?

The Rule of 40 states that the sum of a healthy SaaS company's annual recurring revenue growth rate and its EBITDA margin should be equal to or exceed 40%. It is a measure of how well a SaaS balances growth with profitability.

What is an acceptable EBITDA?

What Is a Good EBITDA? A strong EBITDA is considered to be at least two times the company's interest expense. For example, if a company's annual interest expense is $1 million, then a strong EBITDA would be at least $2 million. In some industries, a higher EBITDA margin above 15% or more, may be considered favorable.

What is the 20 EBITDA rule?

The other way round: the first million euros in interest is deductible, but after that the amount of deductible interest may not exceed 20% of the profit (more accurately: 20% of the fiscal EBITDA).

What is a bad EBITDA multiple?

While the "healthy" range for EV/EBITDA varies by industry—in 2024, it ranged from about eight to 30, depending on the sector—this ratio provides critical context when analyzing a company's value. 1. Many analysts consider an EV/EBITDA below 10 a strong signal of an undervalued company.

What is the 30% EBITDA rule?

The Interest Limitation Rule (ILR) is intended to limit base erosion using excessive interest deductions. It limits the maximum net interest deduction to 30% of Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization (EBITDA). Any interest above that amount is not deductible in the current year.

Does EBITDA include owner salary?

The Main Difference Between SDE and EBITDA

SDE – The primary measure of cash flow used to value small businesses and includes the owner's compensation as an adjustment. EBITDA – The primary measure of cash flow used to value mid to large-sized businesses and does not include the owner's salary as an adjustment.

What is rule of 50 EBITDA?

Stated simply, the Rule of 50 is governed by the principle that if the percentage of annual revenue growth plus earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) as a percentage of revenue are equal to 50 or greater, the company is performing at an elite level; if it falls below this metric, some ...

What if EBITDA is too high?

A too-high EBITDA could translate to a very high sales price that makes your business unattractive or uncompetitive. This could price you out of the market and make other dealerships, with their lower EBITDAs and lower sales prices, look like better values as acquisitions.

Why is EBITDA controversial?

The reason these issues matter is that EBITDA removes real expenses that a company must actually spend capital on – e.g. interest expense, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. As a result, using EBITDA as a standalone profitability metric can be misleading, especially for capital-intensive companies.

What is Pfizer's EBITDA margin?

Analysis
  • Pfizer's latest twelve months ebitda margin is 30.9%
  • Pfizer's ebitda margin for fiscal years ending December 2019 to 2023 averaged 34.3%.
  • Pfizer's operated at median ebitda margin of 34.7% from fiscal years ending December 2019 to 2023.

What does EBITDA multiple tell you?

The EBITDA multiple is a financial ratio that compares a company's Enterprise Value to its annual EBITDA (which can be either a historical figure or a forecast/estimate). This multiple is used to determine the value of a company and compare it to the value of other, similar businesses.

Is a 20% EBITDA good?

Generally speaking, a good EBITDA margin for manufacturing businesses falls between 5% and 10%. However, this will vary depending on the specific industry you are manufacturing your products for, and how capital-intensive your operations are.

What is the rule of 40?

The Rule of 40—the principle that a software company's combined growth rate and profit margin should exceed 40%—has gained momentum as a high-level gauge of performance for software businesses in recent years, especially in the realms of venture capital and growth equity.

What is EBITDA for dummies?

EBITDA stands for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization. It is a financial metric used to measure a company's operational performance and profitability by excluding non-operating expenses and accounting factors.

What is a healthy EBITDA ratio?

The EBITDA ratio varies by industry, but as a general guideline, an EBITDA value below 10 is commonly interpreted as healthy and above average by analysts and investors.

What is the 40 percent rule?

The idea is that when your mind tells you that you are done and can't go any further, you are only at about 40 percent of your actual capacity."Push for that extra 60% when your mind is telling you to quit, that you're "at your limit." Because you likely aren't.

What is the 3 3 2 2 2 rule of SaaS?

The rule of thumb for growth rate expectations at a successful SaaS company being managed for aggressive growth is 3, 3, 2, 2, 2: starting from a material baseline (e.g., over $1 million in annual recurring revenue [ARR]), the business needs to triple annual revenues for two consecutive years and then double them for ...

What is the rule of 40 in palantir?

Rule of 40 refers to the sum of our revenue growth rate year-over-year and our adjusted operating margin for each of the periods presented. Total revenue grew 27% Y/Y and 7% Q/Q, driven by the continued acceleration of our US business. Total revenue excluding strategic commercial contracts grew 30% Y/Y and 10% Q/Q.