Discover Financial Services 10-K form for the fiscal year ended 2023-12-31, page 86: 
DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES


Consolidated Statements of Income

(dollars in millions, except for share amounts)|    |                                                       |                                  |        |      |        |      |        |        |    |       |
|---:|:------------------------------------------------------|:---------------------------------|:-------|:-----|:-------|:-----|:-------|:-------|:---|:------|
|  1 |                                                       | For the Years Ended December 31, |        |      |        |      |        |        |    |       |
|  2 |                                                       | 2023                             |        | 2022 |        | 2021 |        |        |    |       |
|  3 | Interest income                                       |                                  |        |      |        |      |        |        |    |       |
|  4 | Credit card loans                                     | $                                | 14,438 |      |        | $    | 10,632 |        | $  | 8,717 |
|  5 | Other loans                                           | 2,515                            |        |      | 1,870  |      |        | 1,734  |    |       |
|  6 | Investment securities                                 | 449                              |        |      | 179    |      |        | 182    |    |       |
|  7 | Other interest income                                 | 443                              |        |      | 183    |      |        | 18     |    |       |
|  8 | Total interest income                                 | 17,845                           |        |      | 12,864 |      |        | 10,651 |    |       |
|  9 | Interest expense                                      |                                  |        |      |        |      |        |        |    |       |
| 10 | Deposits                                              | 3,886                            |        |      | 1,257  |      |        | 661    |    |       |
| 11 | Short-term borrowings                                 | 5                                |        |      | 2      |      |        | -      |    |       |
| 12 | Long-term borrowings                                  | 855                              |        |      | 606    |      |        | 473    |    |       |
| 13 | Total interest expense                                | 4,746                            |        |      | 1,865  |      |        | 1,134  |    |       |
| 14 | Net interest income                                   | 13,099                           |        |      | 10,999 |      |        | 9,517  |    |       |
| 15 | Provision for credit losses                           | 6,018                            |        |      | 2,359  |      |        | 218    |    |       |
| 16 | Net interest income after provision for credit losses | 7,081                            |        |      | 8,640  |      |        | 9,299  |    |       |
| 17 | Other income                                          |                                  |        |      |        |      |        |        |    |       |
| 18 | Discount and interchange revenue, net                 | 1,447                            |        |      | 1,380  |      |        | 1,188  |    |       |
| 19 | Protection products revenue                           | 172                              |        |      | 172    |      |        | 165    |    |       |
| 20 | Loan fee income                                       | 763                              |        |      | 632    |      |        | 464    |    |       |
| 21 | Transaction processing revenue                        | 303                              |        |      | 249    |      |        | 227    |    |       |
| 22 | (Losses) gains on equity investments                  | (9)                              |        |      | (214)  |      |        | 424    |    |       |
| 23 | Other income                                          | 85                               |        |      | 75     |      |        | 66     |    |       |
| 24 | Total other income                                    | 2,761                            |        |      | 2,294  |      |        | 2,534  |    |       |
| 25 | Other expense                                         |                                  |        |      |        |      |        |        |    |       |
| 26 | Employee compensation and benefits                    | 2,434                            |        |      | 2,139  |      |        | 1,986  |    |       |
| 27 | Marketing and business development                    | 1,164                            |        |      | 1,035  |      |        | 810    |    |       |
| 28 | Information processing and communications             | 608                              |        |      | 513    |      |        | 500    |    |       |
| 29 | Professional fees                                     | 1,041                            |        |      | 871    |      |        | 797    |    |       |
| 30 | Premises and equipment                                | 89                               |        |      | 118    |      |        | 92     |    |       |
| 31 | Other expense                                         | 680                              |        |      | 540    |      |        | 620    |    |       |
| 32 | Total other expense                                   | 6,016                            |        |      | 5,216  |      |        | 4,805  |    |       |
| 33 | Income before income taxes                            | 3,826                            |        |      | 5,718  |      |        | 7,028  |    |       |
| 34 | Income tax expense                                    | 886                              |        |      | 1,344  |      |        | 1,606  |    |       |
| 35 | Net income                                            | $                                | 2,940  |      |        | $    | 4,374  |        | $  | 5,422 |
| 36 | Net income allocated to common stockholders           | $                                | 2,859  |      |        | $    | 4,286  |        | $  | 5,323 |
| 37 | Basic earnings per common share                       | $                                | 11.27  |      |        | $    | 15.45  |        | $  | 17.75 |
| 38 | Diluted earnings per common share                     | $                                | 11.26  |      |        | $    | 15.44  |        | $  | 17.74 |

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Question: What does the change in gross profit margin for Discover Financial Services in 2023 compared to the previous year indicate about its profitability?
Answer: Analysis of Gross Profit and Gross Profit Margin: 2022 vs. 2023

Gross profit is defined here as the sum of net interest income (after provision for credit losses) and total other income. This measure represents the company's revenue after covering direct costs, such as interest expenses and credit loss provisions, but before accounting for operating expenses.

Gross Profit Calculations
For 2023:

Net Interest Income (after provision for credit losses): $7,081 million
Total Other Income: $2,761 million
Gross Profit: $7,081 million + $2,761 million = $9,842 million
For 2022:

Net Interest Income (after provision for credit losses): $8,640 million
Total Other Income: $2,294 million
Gross Profit: $8,640 million + $2,294 million = $10,934 million
Total Revenue Calculations
For 2023:

Total Interest Income: $17,845 million
Total Other Income: $2,761 million
Total Revenue: $17,845 million + $2,761 million = $20,606 million
For 2022:

Total Interest Income: $12,864 million
Total Other Income: $2,294 million
Total Revenue: $12,864 million + $2,294 million = $15,158 million
Gross Profit Margin
The gross profit margin is calculated as:

Gross Profit Margin=( Gross Profit/Total Revenue )×100
For 2023:
Gross Profit Margin=(9,842/20,606 )×100≈47.8%
For 2022:
Gross Profit Margin=(10,934/15,158 )×100≈72.1%
Analysis and Interpretation
The gross profit margin experienced a significant decline from 72.1% in 2022 to 47.8% in 2023, indicating a notable reduction in profitability. This drop suggests the company faced challenges in maintaining its cost-efficiency or revenue growth. Possible factors contributing to this decline include:

-Higher interest expenses
-Increased provisions for credit losses
-Operational inefficiencies

The substantial margin decrease raises concerns about the company's financial stability and efficiency. Further investigation into these trends is recommended to identify specific drivers and determine strategies to address declining profitability.