Financial Analysis: A Business Decision Guide (Currently Unavailable)

Author: Steven Bragg

Financial Analysis describes how to extract meaningful information from the financial statements of a business. The course also delves into a number of analyses that can be used to improve business decisions, such as price optimization, constraint management, and credit granting. Another area addressed is financing, where the course covers financial leverage, capital structure, foreign exchange risk, and more. Other topics include financial forecasting, discounted cash flow analysis, and the valuation of acquisitions.

Designed For
CPAs and other practitioners that can benefit from the financial analysis.

Topics Covered

• Overview of Financial Analysis
• The Financial Statements
• Accounting Issues Impacting the Financials
• Interpretation of Financial Statements
• Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis
• Pricing Decisions
• Cost Object Analysis
• Constraint Analysis
• Credit Decisions
• Financing Choices
• Financial Leverage
• Capital Structure Analysis
• Dividend Analysis
• Foreign Exchange Risk Analysis
• Interest Rate Risk Analysis
• Financial Forecasting
• Managing the Rate of Growth
• The Cost of Capital
• Discounted Cash Flow Techniques
• Capital Budgeting
• The Lease or Buy Decision
• Acquisition Valuation
• The Enhancement of Shareholder Value

Learning Objectives

• List the concepts supporting the use of financial analysis.
• Identify the financial statements and how they are formatted.
• Cite the various issues that can alter the information in the financial statements.
• State the methods used to interpret the information in the financial statements.
• List the techniques used to interpret the cost-volume-profit relationship.
• Identify the methods used to derive prices.
• Cite the issues involving the analysis of cost objects.
• Identify the key constraint concepts and how they can be used to improve profitability.
• List the concepts under which credit is granted to customers.
• Itemize the financing choices available to a company.
• Cite the impact and risks of financial leverage on a business.
• State the issues impacting the capital structure of a business.
• List the options available to a company that is contemplating the issuance of a dividend.
• Identify the risks and mitigating actions associated with foreign exchange.
• Cite the risks and mitigating actions associated with interest rates.
• Itemize the elements of a system of forecasting and budgeting.
• List the concepts impacting the rate of growth of a company.
• Identify the elements of the cost of capital.
• Cite the formulas used to calculate discounted cash flows and the issues impacting these formulas.
• State the methods available for analyzing requests for capital projects.
• List the concepts involved in the lease or buy decision process.
• Identify the techniques used to place a value on a target company.
• Cite the methods used to measure and improve shareholder value.

Level
Overview

Instructional Method
Self-Study

NASBA Field of Study
Finance (20 hours)

Program Prerequisites
None

Advance Preparation
None