In business terminology, a company with a small share of a fast-growing market is described as a

In business terminology, a company with a small share of a fast-growing market is described as a

• A. Star
• B. Cash Cow
• C. Question Mark
• D. Dog

Answer: (C)

In portfolio analysis, positions are read by looking at two factors: how fast the market is growing and how big the company’s share is relative to competitors. A fast-growing market signals opportunity, but having only a small share means the business hasn’t yet established dominance. This combination is called a Question Mark: it has potential and needs significant investment to grow its market share, with outcomes that could go either way. If the company succeeds in capturing more share, it can become a Star; if it fails to gain traction, it may fade toward being a Dog. For contrast, a Star already holds a large share in a high-growth market, a Cash Cow has a large share in a slow-growth market and generates steady profits, and a Dog has a small share in a slow-growth market with little upside.

In portfolio analysis, positions are read by looking at two factors: how fast the market is growing and how big the company’s share is relative to competitors. A fast-growing market signals opportunity, but having only a small share means the business hasn’t yet established dominance. This combination is called a Question Mark: it has potential and needs significant investment to grow its market share, with outcomes that could go either way. If the company succeeds in capturing more share, it can become a Star; if it fails to gain traction, it may fade toward being a Dog.

For contrast, a Star already holds a large share in a high-growth market, a Cash Cow has a large share in a slow-growth market and generates steady profits, and a Dog has a small share in a slow-growth market with little upside.