Financial statement analysis is one of the most fundamental practices in financial research and analysis.
In layman’s terms, it is the process of analyzing financial statements so that decision-makers have access to the right data.
Financial statement analysis is also used to take the pulse of a business. Since statements center on a company’s key financial details, they are useful for evaluating activities.
This is essential to understanding the firm’s overall performance.
According to the American Institute of Public Accounts, financial statements are prepared for the following purposes:
Financial statements reflect a combination of recorded facts, accounting conventions, and personal judgments.
The judgments and conventions that are applied are dependent on the competence and integrity of those who make them and on their adherence to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and conventions.
Public companies are forced to keep track of their financial statements in very specific ways through a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.
However, private companies often underestimate the importance of these statements because they are not required to keep track of them. It’s not that they don’t create them, but they typically don’t use them to their full benefit.
Let’s consider the following important financial documents:
Financial statement analysis is centered on the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. It is the best way to gauge the overall health of a business.
There are several tools and techniques with which this is done, including:
Now that we’ve gone over some of the basics, let’s dive deeper into financial research and analysis. Here’s what makes financial statement analysis such a powerful tool.
Financial statement analysis can identify several important factors in a business’s marketplace, sometimes finding smaller niches that are other methods miss.
We can use financial statement analysis to determine market size, compare competitors, and investigate the growth rate of a market as it relates to a variable such as spending.
It’s also possible to look beyond your own company and find out how others are faring in new markets before you decide to invest in them.
Another powerful tool that a lot of brands are using is product differentiation analysis. This method crunches financial numbers to see how well a brand’s products and prices are holding up against others in the same market.
There are several factors at play here, including distribution, purchasing, and advertising costs.
All entrepreneurs understand the importance of finding the right strategy to meet the needs of their business. They spend a lot of time searching for the perfect one.
When you break it all down, the blueprint is usually the same, whether it’s developing a business plan or developing advanced strategies. That blueprint is defined by data.
The only difference between the two is that a business strategy is focused more on the future and the development of the business.
Once a strategy is established, then it has to be measured. The only true way to get accurate results is to compare financials.
Most strategies evolve, and financial analysis helps steer us in the right direction. For example, a detailed financial statement analysis will reveal the direction your company is moving. It will be the first indicator if growth is not where you want it to be.
All businesses must have a method of efficiently analyzing their financial statements. This process requires three key points of understanding that must always be accounted for.
These can all be found through a sound financial statement analysis.
Inaccurate financial statements are common in small businesses. If left unchecked, this will lead down a path of ruin.
Financial research and analysis are the best way to ensure that these valuable reports are steering your growth in the right direction.
Every business strategy has risks, and the majority of those risks are felt on a financial level. Therefore, it’s important for businesses to devise ways to identify and mitigate these risks.
While it’s not possible to avoid every risk, we can identify them before they cause too much damage. This is done by keeping a close eye on profitability.
Noteworthily, then, financial statement analysis helps you to keep track of profitability ratios, enabling you to truly measure the overall value of a strategy moving forward.
Forecasts are how companies predict the direction in which their business is heading. These forecasts need to be aligned with the company’s overall goals.
Income, cash flow, and balance sheets must all be closely monitored to ensure that they are aligned with the organization’s overall growth objectives.
Financial statement analysis is the practice that the world’s leading businesses engage in to stay ahead of their competitors.
Financial Statement Analysis is the process of analyzing a company’s financial statements and using this information to gauge its performance over time, assess its current condition, and make predictions about future performance.
Financial Statement Analysis is an essential tool for investors and financial professionals as it can help them better understand a company’s financial health and improve their decision-making processes when making investments or loan decisions.
The three main financial statements used in Financial Statement Analysis are the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow statement.
Common analysis techniques used in Financial Statement Analysis include trend analysis, vertical and horizontal analyses, ratio analysis, and cash flow statement analysis.
Financial Statement Analysis can provide insights into a company’s financial position, performance over time, liquidity and solvency, profitability, the efficiency of operations, and more. It can also be used to assess the quality of accounting practices and risk levels.
About the Author
True Tamplin is a published author, public speaker, CEO of UpDigital, and founder of Finance Strategists.
True is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®), author of The Handy Financial Ratios Guide, a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, contributes to his financial education site, Finance Strategists, and has spoken to various financial communities such as the CFA Institute, as well as university students like his Alma mater, Biola University, where he received a bachelor of science in business and data analytics.
To learn more about True, visit his personal website or view his author profiles on Amazon, Nasdaq and Forbes.
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