Operating Profit is a financial metric that measures the profits generated by a company's business operations. It is calculated by subtracting a company's operating expenses, such as cost of goods sold, wages, depreciation and amortization, operating and administrative costs, and other direct costs associated with generating revenue, from its gross profits. In other words, it is the company's gross profits minus the costs associated with creating those profits.

Operating profit is an important measure of a company's financial performance and efficiency because it shows how much profit a company has made from the sale of its products and services — that is, it reveals the amount of money left over after all of a company's operating expenses are paid. Operating profit margin is also an important indicator of company performance and compares total operating profits to total sales revenues. The higher the ratio, the more profitable the company.

Operating profits can also be thought of as the amount of money available for debt servicing and shareholder distributions. It is also impacted by how well a company manages its operating expenses, so companies should strive to keep their expenses in check and optimize their operating profit margins.

Operating profit should not be confused with net income, which includes the effect of taxes and non-operating income items such as investment gains and losses. Operating profit is also different from earnings per share (EPS), which measures the profit available to each share of stock.

In conclusion, operating profit is an important indicator of a company's financial performance, efficiency, and management. Companies should aim to increase their operating profit margins by minimizing operating costs, optimizing sales strategies, and reinvesting profits in the business.