Overview

Reading Financial Statements Overview

A thorough knowledge of financial statements and company reports is crucial to becoming a world-class financial analyst. In this course, learn how to read and understand financial statements. We use real company annual reports and financial statements to better understand and analyze the financial strength of a company and help us make more informed decisions.


Learning Objectives

  • Learn the contents of an annual report.
  • Understand a company’s operations and business strategy.
  • Realize the many risk factors a company must navigate.
  • Analyze company financial statements, as well as its different business segments. 
  • Read and comprehend the Management Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) section.
  • Review the notes to the financial statements for additional detail.


   

Who Should Take This Course? 

This course is designed for anyone who wants to review accounting fundamentals and master the ability to read and interpret financial statements and reports. It will also be useful for current finance professionals who want to review concepts necessary for financial modeling and valuation in some of CFI’s core courses.


Recommended Prerequisites

The prerequisites are optional, but we recommend you complete these courses or possess the equivalent knowledge prior to enrolling in this course:Accounting Fundamentals

Reading Financial Statements

4.8

Level 2

Approx 2h to complete

100% online and self-paced

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What you'll learn

Lesson
Multimedia
Exams
Files

Qualified Assessment

This Course is Part of the Following Programs

Why stop here? Expand your skills and show your expertise with the professional certifications, specializations, and CPE credits you’re already on your way to earning.

Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) Certification

  • Skills Learned Financial modeling and valuation, sensitivity analysis, strategy
  • Career Prep Investment banking and equity research, FP&A, corporate development

Financial Planning & Wealth Management Professional (FPWMP™) Certification

  • Skills Learned Financial Learning, Business Development, Investment Management, Practice Management, Relationship Management
  • Career Prep Financial Planner, Investment Advisor, Portfolio Manager

Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization

  • Skills learned Accounting, Financial Analysis, Reading Financial Statements and more
  • Career prep Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Corporate Development, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Equity Research, and more.

What Our Members Say

Awesome this far
I’m moving over to the paid service

Emmanuel Madzvamuse

Exhilarating
The course is comprehensive with informative materials that allows the reader to have an in-depth understanding of the financial statements.

Dennis Kamau

Interesting and concise
The course is easy to follow; it is fast to learn main concepts; and it has good real-life examples to test your knowledge from the course.

Valentina Popovska

Best course for understanding the financial statements
The quality of content and knowledge of instructor is very good. You will see the improvement in your knowledge after completing this course.

Nitesh Sawant

Frequently Asked Questions

If you haven’t found your answer from our FAQ, please send us a message.
What are the requirements to take the courses?
All of our certification programs are open to students and professionals in various industries and levels of experience. Our curriculum is designed to teach what you need to know from basic fundamentals to advanced practical case studies. To take the courses and complete the exercises, students will only need access to a PC and/or Mac, Microsoft Suite (2016 or newer), and a stable internet connection. Click here to view the Technical Requirements
Can I download the Excel files and financial modeling templates for the course?
Absolutely! All the files and templates needed in a course are available for download. Just look for a module that shows Downloadable Files within the course dashboard. See here for a visual guide on how to do this.
How long do I have to complete the courses?
You will have yearly access to the courses as long as you maintain an active subscription. All the courses are self-paced as well so you can take your time in learning without worrying about any deadlines. Click here to compare our available enrollment options.
Are CFI courses officially accredited?
Yes, CFI is accredited by the Better Business Bureau® (BBB) to maintain training standards, the CPA Institutions in Canada, and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in the USA. Most of our courses qualify for verified CPE credits for CPA charter holders. Please refer to this page to view all available CPE credits.
Are there any additional fees or costs?
None! The bundle price includes everything and there are no additional fees or charges to earn your digital certification. You can see our enrollment fees listed here.
What currency are your courses priced in?
All our online courses are priced in USD. As this is a recurring payment, we accept all major credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.
How do I earn my certificates?
Students must complete all the video lessons, quizzes, and final assessments in each course. You can retake the assessments as many times as necessary until you reach an 80% passing grade. For more information on how to earn a course certificate, click HERE.
How are the exams conducted?
Students are required to complete an online assessment (Multiple choice questions, Fill-in-the-Blanks, and Excel Questions) at the end of each course. You can take the exams on your own schedule and will need to earn at least 80% to pass the course and earn your certificate of course completion. Please note that course exams can be repeated as many times as you need. Students are also required to complete the FMVA® final exam to earn their certification. How to Take a Qualified Assessment
Can I email the instructor if I have questions?
While the courses are designed mainly for self-study, we are happy to provide email assistance for general or technical support inquiries. The Full Immersion bundles include a premium email support function that allows you to communicate directly with in-house experts regarding course content. This is one of the key features that sets the Full Immersion bundle apart and makes it a worthwhile upgrade over the more affordable self-study bundle. You can compare more features in our bundles here.
Will these courses help me advance my career?
Based on hundreds of reviews from thousands of students we know how CFI courses have helped so many people advance their finance careers. Our courses are designed to be extremely practical and simulate the experience of being trained as a professional financial analyst…the ultimate way to advance your career. For real-world examples and to help delve even deeper into the course concepts, please look into our free career resources library.
More Questions?
You can view more detailed information through our Help Center or Email us and we'll be happy to answer any of your questions
If you haven’t found your answer from our FAQ, please send us a message.
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