Which metric is primarily used to evaluate a company’s profitability relative to its total number of shares?

Earnings Per Share (EPS) is the metric that evaluates a company's profitability relative to its total number of shares. It is calculated by dividing the net income of the company by the total number of outstanding shares. This provides investors and analysts with a clear perspective on how much profit is available to each share of stock, making it easier to gauge the company’s financial performance on a per-share basis.

EPS serves as an important indicator for shareholders and potential investors, as it allows for comparisons across other companies in the same industry or sector. A higher EPS usually suggests better profitability, which can lead to an increase in a company’s stock price. Investors often use EPS to help determine the value of a company's shares, and it is a key component when calculating the Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio.

Looking at the other options, metrics such as Net Debt to Equity Ratio focus on financial leverage and capital structure rather than profitability; Interest Cover measures a company's ability to pay interest, not directly related to profit per share; and Breakeven Point pertains to the sales volume at which total revenues equal total expenses, which is not a direct measure of profitability per share. Thus, EPS is uniquely positioned to convey profitability in terms of the number of outstanding shares