Financial Statements and Performance Analysis - Brussels

Learn to decipher the facts behind the figures

Leaders and managers interpret and utilise financial reports such as the annual report regularly. Reports can help to assess the overall financial performance of your organisation, a particular department and the competition.  Understanding the facts behind the figures provides a basis for sound managerial decision making and action.

In these two days, participants will learn how to read and interpret income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements. By understanding these three principal financial reports, you will be able to conduct advanced analysis of your own or an external organisation financial performance. You will also learn the major financial ratios and their application, which reveals the relationships that exist between various items of information within the accounts.

The main topics:

• How a company's business and financing activities are reflected in its financial statements?
• The nature of financial statements and the accounting methods (GAAP & IFRS)
• The components of financial statements, namely the balance sheet, the income statement and the cash flow statement.
• The distinction between cash flow and profits and the importance of the three documents.
• How to use the statements to forecast future performance.
• How to measure operating, investing and financial performance using ratios.
• Analyse the different types of profitability ratios.
• Understand the liquidity and solvency of the organisation.
• Learn how well the operations are efficient.
• Review and interpret the key impacts of the "Notes of the Accounts".