Exit barriers are also important as they vary widely across industries depending on the amount of sunk costs. These are costs a company will not recover when it exits a business.

Power of supplier: Integration potential Industry dynamics might be changed, for example, by vertical integration
of suppliers.

Threat by new competitors: High entry barriers can decrease the threat by new competitors. Entry barriers can result from:

• Economies of scale
• Product differentiation
• Cost advantages
• Capital needs
• Access to distribution channels
• Technology know-how
• Access to raw materials
• Location advantages
• Government subsidies
• Learning curve/product experience.

Threat by substitutes: The quality or price of substitutes poses a threat to an industry since those substitutes may induce a structural change of an industry.

Power of buyers: Price sensitivity and bargaining power of buyers have a great effect on the profitability of industries. The automobile industry is a good example at this point. The build-up of overcapacities created a buyers market.

The various types of competition can be grouped as follows:

Pure monopoly: Only one company provides a certain product or service in an area (e.g. post office, local utility companies). It is a result of regulation, patent, license or economies of scale. Earnings are highly predictable since competition is almost nonexistent and the degree of regulation is very high.

Pure oligopoly: A few companies produce the same commodity (e.g. oil, steel). There is enough market share for every competitor. Profit margins will depend on the economic cycle and the cyclicality of industries.

Differentiated oligopoly: A few companies produce partially differentiated products (e.g. cars, computers). The differentiation occurs along lines of quality, features, styling or services. Here it is important to evaluate the different business models of the companies. Profit margins will vary across different industries and companies.

Monopolistic competition: This industry consists of many competitors able to differentiate their products and services (e.g. food, beverage).

Pure competition: Many competitors offer the same product and service (e.g. commodity market). The degree of product differentiation gives an estimate about the margin structure of an industry. Alow product differentiation is accompanied by an intense price competition which results in low profit margins.