FS4. Analysing Financial Statements – To drive results, returns and ratios
Self-paced, whenever and wherever you like
Deriving maximum value from them means analysing within and across the Income Statement (Profit & Loss Account), Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement to leverage the information they contain to inform the best business decisions.
Often, no doubt, the finance team provides analysis to you but sometimes you need to be able to analyse the Financial Statements yourself. Regardless, you need to understand what the analysis really means. The analysis needs to be communicated too.
Using clear, colourful diagrams and by translating jargon into plain English, this course explains how to Analyse Financial Statements, including:
- Assessing your business’s results internally and externally and the limitations of both
- Using trends effectively to reveal the longer term, underlying performance of the business
- Some accepted norms and when to ignore them
- Combining comparisons, trends and ratios for the deepest understanding
- Communicating clearly and concisely analysis of the Financial Statements (impress the boss and head office)
This approximately three-hour course, which includes several quizzes, explains how to Analyse Financial Statements in plain English. You can make notes on the accompanying booklet and there’s a Glossary of Terms for easy reference afterwards. You get a certificate when you’ve completed the course. You should be familiar with Income Statements/Profit & Loss Accounts (course FS1), Balance Sheets (course FS2) and Cash Flow Statements (course FS3) before taking this course.
Learning outcomes:
- Being able to thoroughly analyse your business’s financial performance in the short, medium and long terms
- Understanding the analysis provided to you by the finance team
- Pinpointing areas that need attention and the successes that can be ramped up
- Knowing how to communicate analysis clearly and concisely
- Being able to determine how well your business is really performing
- Informing the best financial and business decisions