As we are comparing profits of, let the revenue for 2010 = \(r\), the expenses for 2010 = \(e\) and the profit for 2010 = \(p\).
There for the equation for the profit for 2010 will be \(p = r - e\)
(1) Company X’s revenue increased by 10% from 2010 to 2011.
With this we know that the revenue for 2011 will be \(1.1r\). This alone does not provide enough information.
INSUFFICIENT
(2) Company X’s expenses decreased by 5% from 2010 to 2011.
With this we know that the expenses for 2011 will be \(0.95e\). This alone does not provide enough information.
INSUFFICIENT
(1+2)
Putting this together, we know that the profit for 2011 will be \(1.1r - 0.95e\). As the increase/decrease for expenses and revenues is not uniform, and we are dealing with algebraic terms, it is impossible to solve for the percentage change in profits.
To illustrate this: the percentage change formula in this case will be 100*[(Profit for 2011 - Profit 2010)/Profit 2010]
\(100*\frac{(1.1r - 0.95e) - (r - e)}{(r - e)}\)
\(100*\frac{(0.1r + 0.5e)}{(r - e)}\)
\(\frac{10r + 50e}{(r - e)}\)
As the values in the numerator are not the same and the sign between the values is not the same, it is impossible to take out a common factor which would isolate and cancel out the algebraic. ie. had it been \(\frac{10r - 10e}{(r - e)}\)
Then \(\frac{10(r - e)}{(r - e)}\)
\(10*1\)
\(10%\) there would have been a 10% increase in profit.
INSUFFICIENT
ANSWER E