Understanding and Analysing Financial StatementsFinancial Management

Introduction

In today’s business world, understanding the finance and accounting knowledge is no longer an option for Management and Executives. Indeed, organisation will be able to perform better and achieve superior results if all staff in the organisation is able to apply relevant finance and accounting tools in their jobs and functions.

There is a growing trend to work in multi-disciplinary teams where knowledge of the core Finance, Accounting and Cost Concepts is necessary to achieve a common level of understanding and communication in relation to shared objectives and corporate drivers.

Those who need to make presentations to Board of Committees will benefit from knowing some of the key financial concepts in order that they can present their ideas with a high level of financial authority. The course is designed to discuss the main features of the financial statements prepared by a business enterprise.

Key Takeaways

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to;

• Understand the meaning and fundamental structure of the financial statements
• Learn the inter-relationship of the items in the statements
• Learn to apply the key management ratios to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the business operations
• Know how to apply various analytical techniques to examine the performance of the business operation

Who Should Attend

Managers and Executives who do not work in accounting but who need to know how basic accounting work and apply accounting related techniques when making business decisions.

Programme Outline

Module 1: What You Want to Know about the Financial Statements?

• Nature and Role of Accounting
• Desirable Qualities of a Financial Report
• Accounting as an Information System
• Financial and Management Accounting Compared
• Fundamental Accounting Assumptions
• Accounting Policies
• Objectives of Financial Statements. User Groups and their Areas of Interest

Module 2: Balance Sheet

• Source and Use of Funds Approach
• Vertical Format Presentation
• Current Assets
• Fixed Assets
• Liabilities
• Shareholders’ Funds
• Capital Employed
• Net Worth
• Working Capital
• Long and Short Balance Sheet Analysis.
• Profit and Loss Account
• Timing Adjustments
• Distribution or Appropriation of Profits
• Cash Flow Statement
• Cash Flow Statement
• Operating Cash Cycle
• Relationship Between Depreciation and Cash Flow
• Non-Operating Cash Outflows and Inflows

Module 3: Interpretation of Auditors’ Reports

• Objectives and Scope of Audit
• Reasonable Assurance
• True and Fair View
• Auditors Opinion
• Unqualified
• Emphasis of Matters
• Qualified
• Disclaimer
• Adverse Opinion

Module 4: Analysing Performance of an Enterprise – Part 1

• Liquidity Ratios
• Importance of Liquidity
• Application, Case Study and Interpretation Techniques
• Profitability Ratios
• Importance of Profitability
• Meaning of Return on Investment (ROI)
• Drivers of Margin on Sales
• Drivers of Sales to Total Assets
• Operating Profit Model
• Application, Case Study and Interpretation Techniques
• Solvency Ratios
• Importance of Solvency
• Application, Case Study and Interpretation Techniques

Module 5: Analysing Performance of an Enterprise – Part 2

• Asset Management Ratios
• Importance of Asset Management
• Application, Case Study and Interpretation Techniques
• Stock Market Ratios
• Application, Case Study and Interpretation Techniques
• Competitor Analysis
• Approaches and Techniques of Conducting Competitor or Industrial Analysis

Methodologies

Presentation, interactive discussion, individual exercises, case studies and group activities. Published corporate information and recent corporate development both local and overseas will be used to provide “real-life” examples.

Note: Each participant needs to bring calculator for this course.Participants may bring financial statements and annual reports of corporations to the workshop for discussion and analysis.

Programme Trainer

Lim Kaim Soon is a corporate trainer specialising in accounting and financial management.His past appointments include careers in financial control and general management in the banking, insurance, retail and manufacturing industries. He has held management positions as a Financial Controller and a Director for manufacturing companies. He was also in-charge of the group and subsidiaries’ accounting, finance, and investing projects and management, including reporting to the board and statutory bodies in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia.

He holds a Bachelor degree (honours) in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore majoring in finance and investment. He is a fellow member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, UK and has obtained his MBA at the Helsinki School of Economics, Finland.