Comparatively, 'question marks' have lower market shares and weaker performance. Stars, also observed as the 'future cash cows,' are resource-intensive but also present a high market share, growth prospects, and positive results.

The quadrants 'star' and 'question marks' operate in high growth industries or markets. Compared to each other, the cash cow, as its name suggests, is profitable and consolidated with a substantial market-share whereas the dog operates with low or even negative cash returns. The quadrants 'cash cow' and 'dog' present a low growth rate-most probably, already operating in mature markets and industries. These are also often described, respectively, as the 'ability to generate cash/cash generation' and the 'need for cash/cash usage,' assuming that significant market shares are an indicator of positive performance and supporting higher growth rates is more resource demanding. It's a 2x2 matrix organized along two axes: market share and growth. As a strategic business framework, it helps to assess the performance of different elements of a portfolio individually as well as its overall balance (able to fund growth opportunities and assure future competitive advantages), and guide the placement of priorities and resources. The BCG matrix (also known as growth-share matrix, product portfolio matrix, and Boston Consulting Group analysis) is an analytical tool to rank products or strategic business units based on their relative market share and growth rate.

Bcg portfolio matrix