re: #104 sattv4u2

Or maybe not

The average net profit margin for the S&P Energy sector, according to figures from Thomson Baseline, is 9.7%. The average for the S&P 500 is 8.5%

[Link: money.cnn.com…]

Ok, so we’re clear on the whole RoR business? Not to rub it in, but if you were aware of how RoR was calculated, you really had all you needed.

You’re answering me with the S&P energy sector, which probably has a different composition from the “Mining, Crude-Oil production” in the Fortune 500 ranking. Another problem is that I don’t know how the Thomson Baseline index is calculated, and what artifacts it may have.

A third problem is that comparing the S&P energy sector with an S&P average that includes the energy companies is a bit fishy. The energy sector has 40+ companies, and, more importantly, some of these companies are big boys — Exxon is the largest US corporation, Chevron is 3rd, Valero is 10th. So it would be nice to see the same comparison without the oil companies.