How to Read and Interpret Financial Statements: A Guide to Understanding What the Numbers Really Mean

Abstract: This course teaches students how to read and analyze reports that are fundamental to gauging the health of any business. It explains how to interpret balance sheets, income statements, and statements of cash flows and considers the numbers in the context of external economic conditions. Topics include: basic concepts and principles of financial accounting and reporting; key financial statements--the balance sheet, income statement, and the statement of cash flows--from the perspective of senior management; applying the right type of analysis--ratio, vertical, or horizontal--to the right statement; recent changes in legislation, rules, and standards of practice that affect accounting and finance; provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and its impact on auditing processes and financial statement value chain; industry statistics, competitive considerations, and other nonfinancial information