Interpreting Accounts
This two day course provides delegates with the core accounting principles they need to be aware of to read a set of published accounts effectively. The course covers basic accounting principles and financial analysis skills, explains the real meaning of accounting jargon and how to measure financial performance. There is also a review of the significance and impact of accounting standards and the change to international accounting standards and the key areas of impact will be discussed.
The course is intended for those with no previous accounting experience who need to be able to interpret and use a set of published accounts.
Programme
DAY 1
THE ACCOUNTING FOUNDATIONS - WHAT IS FINANCIAL INFORMATION?
- Understanding the basics
- Review of financial statements
- Profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow
- How they are produced, why are they needed and how they inter-relate, who are they really for?
THE COMPONENTS OF A BALANCE SHEET
- Assets and liabilities
- Working capital cycle
- Sources of capital and funding
- What does this tell you about a company
THE COMPONENTS OF A PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT
- Income and expenses
- Why profit does not equal cash
- What is EBIT and EBITDA
- What does this tell you about a company
CASH FLOW STATEMENTS
- How to read cash flow statements
CASE STUDY
- Producing financial statements and understanding the inter-relationship
DAY 2
INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
- How ratios can be used effectively to help you understand
- profitability,
- liquidity and
- gearing
MEASURING FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE – USING THE ACCOUNTS
- Historical information vs. future
- Accruals and cashflow
- Profit measurement
- Effect of accounting policies
- Creative accounting
- Funding and gearing
- Valuation of assets
REVIEW OF ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
- The impact on the balance sheet and profit and loss account of recent accounting standards and the change to International Accounting Standards