Quarterly Operating Profits Survey QMI

Overview:

• measures operating profit before exceptional items, depreciation, amortisation, impairment, losses and/or profits on disposals, and exceptional items
• it covers private non-financial corporations (PNFCs) in the industrial, commercial and services sector
• the survey results are used in the production of the National Accounts, in particular the release Profitability of UK Companies

The QOPS data forms part of information used for producing the Profitability of UK Companies release. Gross operating profits for PNFCs are also published in the UK National Accounts.

The survey covers PNFCs in the industrial, commercial and services sector. Agricultural businesses, oil and gas extraction businesses, public sector organisations and charities are excluded from the survey but data for these are obtained from other sources.

Sample selection is carried out using the Inter-departmental Business Register (IDBR), which holds a record of all businesses VAT registered within the UK.

Businesses with 5,000 or more employment are all included in the sample. Businesses with lower employment are selected using stratified random sampling and are kept in the sample for a minimum of 4 quarters. Small businesses with 0-19 employment are not sampled.