Economic profit

An economic profit arises when revenue exceeds the opportunity cost of inputs, noting that these costs include the cost of equity capital that is met by normal profits. If a firm is making an economic loss (its economic profit is negative), it follows that all costs are not being met in full, and the firm would do better to leave the industry in the long run. In terms of the wider economy, economic profit indicates that resources are being employed in useful endeavours, while economic losses indicate that those resources would be better employed elsewhere.^[3]