Which measurement indicates the profitability available to equity owners?

Net Income is the financial metric that represents the profitability available to equity owners. It is often referred to as the "bottom line" of the income statement and reflects the total revenues minus all expenses, taxes, and costs associated with running the business. This figure ultimately portrays how much profit the company has generated that can be distributed to shareholders, making it particularly relevant to equity owners.

In contrast, gross profit focuses solely on the revenue remaining after direct costs of goods sold are subtracted, which does not provide a complete picture of the company’s profitability when considering operating expenses and taxes. EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) is useful for evaluating a company's operating performance, but it does not account for interest expenses and tax obligations that equity owners must consider. EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) offers insight into operational performance and cash flow but also does not directly indicate the profit available to equity owners, as it ignores non-cash expenses and interest obligations. Thus, net income is the most direct measure of profitability relevant to equity holders.