23.3 1) it has increased steadily, 1 percent a year.

2) while company A’s gross profit margin increased by 1 percent, the company B’s gross profit
margin decreased by 2 percent but company B has a higher gross profit margin than company A in 2012.

3) Maybe the company spent a bit too much on its production or marketing.

4) Company A because the gross profit is steadily increasing year by year and the profit is not
decreasing rapidly like the company B.