How to Read a Financial Statement

Course Description

Financial statements can look intimidating and, as a non-financial manager, you may feel like ascertaining the right conclusion from a financial statement is like finding a needle in a haystack. This course covers financial reports and their meaning. You will learn the fundamentals and importance of the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows, and how they can be used to manage a business. You will also be exposed to financial (ratio) analysis.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Identify and describe the documents and financial statements included in an organization's financial report
• Itemize and interpret the information in the income statement, balance sheet, statement of changes in shareholders' equity, and statement of cash flows
• Correctly state the impact of specific business activities on cash flow
• Define financial (ratio) analysis and explain its objectives and limitations
• Identify the various types and categories of financial ratios
• Perform calculations using financial ratios