What does gross margin mean?

How much of every sales dollar is left after the direct cost of what was sold.

How do you interpret gross margin?

Higher and stable gross margins indicate pricing power and a durable cost structure. A declining trend signals input-cost pressure, pricing competition, or a shift toward lower-margin products.

How does gross margin compare across companies?

Highly comparable within an industry, less so across industries — software runs 70%+ while distributors run in single digits. Track the trend more than the absolute level across sectors.

TransUnion TRU Gross margin

Discontinued — last reported Q4 '19

Gross margin at other companies

EquifaxEFX

56.1%+0.6pp

Fair IsaacFICO

84.2%+3.3pp

Fidelity National Information ServicesFIS

36.4%-0.7pp

Global PaymentsGPN

67.3%-6.4pp

CognizantCTSH

33.5%-0.7pp

SoFi Technologies, Inc.SOFI

83.6%+1.4pp

Other financials

Income statement

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Revenue$1.2B+13.7%

Operating income$244.8M-3.8%

Net income$397.1M+168%

EPS (diluted)$2.04+172%

Balance sheet

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Cash & equivalents$732.5M+20.1%

Total debt$5.6B+9.2%

Total equity$4.8B+8.4%

Total assets$12.0B+10.0%

Cash flow

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Operating cash flow$84.2M+60.4%

CapEx$65.2M-4.7%

Free cash flow$19.0M+219%

Valuation

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Market cap$12.45B-17.6%

Enterprise value$17.35B-12.0%

P/E17.7×-23.5×

P/S2.6×-0.9×

Profitability

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Operating margin17.9%0.0pp

Net margin14.9%+6.3pp

FCF margin14.7%+2.8pp

Returns & leverage

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Return on equity15.4%+6.7pp

Debt / equity1.2×0.0×

Current ratio1.9×-0.1×

Where this comes from

Calculated from TransUnion’s reported figures.

gross profit/total revenue=59.8%

Based on trailing twelve months.

The official record: TransUnion’s 10-K, filed February 22, 2022, on SEC EDGAR. View the filing →

Questions, answered.

What does gross margin mean?: How much of every sales dollar is left after the direct cost of what was sold.
How do you interpret gross margin?: Higher and stable gross margins indicate pricing power and a durable cost structure. A declining trend signals input-cost pressure, pricing competition, or a shift toward lower-margin products.
How does gross margin compare across companies?: Highly comparable within an industry, less so across industries — software runs 70%+ while distributors run in single digits. Track the trend more than the absolute level across sectors.