Reading & Analyzing a Bank’s Financial Statements

Name: Reading & Analyzing a Bank's Financial Statements
Rating: 4.91 (11 reviews)

Understanding bank financial statements is crucial for investors, analysts, and anyone interested in the banking sector. While the general structure of financial statements for banks shares similarities with those of regular companies, there are notable differences due to the unique nature of banking operations.

Explain how a bank’s balance sheet and income statement are laid out and how banks make money.
Learn how banks utilize leverage and its impact on shareholder returns.
Calculate and analyze financial ratios specific to banking to get a more comprehensive view of a bank’s financial health and performance.

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Corporate Finance Institute

Reading & Analyzing a Bank’s Financial Statements

Overview

Reading & Analyzing a Bank’s Financial Statements Overview

Banks have unique classes of balance sheet and income statement line items that other companies won’t have. In “Reading & Analyzing a Bank’s Financial Statements” we will explore those differences and review real-life examples of different sized banks. This course also includes a model so you can practice calculating and analyzing financial ratios specific to banking and learn how to interpret a bank pyramid of ratios.

Reading & Analyzing a Bank’s Financial Statements Learning Objectives

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

Explain how a bank’s balance sheet is laid out and how a bank makes money off its balance sheet.
Read a bank’s income statement and understand how it differs from a typical income statement.
Calculate and analyze financial ratios specific to banking.
Use a bank pyramid of ratios to get a more comprehensive view of a business.
Calculate and interpret bank regulatory ratios.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is designed for entry-level investment bankers, entry-level equity or credit research analysts, corporate development professionals, and financial planning and analysis (FP&A) professionals working in the banking sector.

Courses we recommend you take in advance

These prerequisite courses are optional, but we recommend you complete the stated prep course(s) or possess the equivalent knowledge prior to enrolling in this course:

What you'll learn

Lesson

Multimedia

Exams

Files

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

Learn More

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.

Learn More

What Our Members Say

Fantastic

Great course! Concise and deep at the same time...

Valentin Zhurba

Its a good class when Scott Powell Teaches it

He makes complex topics into something digestible. Top class teacher

Diego Cortes Padilla

Great value for money

I loved the content, the pace of the tutorial and hands-on, real-life experience of it

Albert Ayirebi Acquah

Good teacher leads me to use excel shortcut as well👍

John Wisnu Alwi

Great course

Provided great insight on understanding bank financial statements. I really enjoyed this course

Rachael Larkins

A Treasure of Knowledge Made Easy to Understand

The content of this course is absolutely outstanding! It's impressive how complex concepts related to banks' financial statements are broken down in such a clear, well-structured manner, making them accessible and easy to grasp. Simplifying these topics while ensuring learners gain valuable insights in a time-efficient way is not an easy job. Scott does an incredible job of keeping the material engaging, which made me eager to keep learning. Thank you so much for this enlightening experience!

Mohammed Al Zahrani

Solid foundation in reading and analyzing bank financial statements

Overall, this course offers a solid foundation for reading and analyzing bank financial statements. The clear structure, visuals, and practical examples make it a valuable resource for students, professionals, and anyone seeking to understand the financial health and performance of banks. The addition of interactive elements and more in-depth analysis would elevate it further.

Dr Gregory Gray Jr

More depth

It would be great to have the opportunity to build a model from scratch and not always complete a few sections in an already made model.

Joel Andrew Kühn

Great course on how to analyze a bank's Financials

If you want a simplified yet detailed guide on how to analyze a bank's financial statement, this is your go to course. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Wasiu Ayinde

Unforgetable experiencie

When taking a course the instructor played a significant role in making the course engaging and enjoyable, so he did. I was surprised that his deep knowledge of the subject was paired with an approachable and enthusiastic teaching style that encouraged my curiosity. The pace of the lessons was perfectly balanced—not too fast to feel overwhelming, but not too slow to become tedious. This allowed time to absorb the material while keeping the momentum of the class. Additionally, the instructor's genuine passion for teaching made the learning experience unforgettable. Regarding the course itself, was its relevance and practicality. I’ve found myself applying what I learned in real-life situations. It’s rare to encounter a course that continues to provide value long after it’s finished. In short, this course wasn’t just a learning experience; it was transformative. It set a benchmark for what I now consider an excellent educational experience. It was the kind of course where you looked forward to every session.

Ana Maria Ballesteros

Banking Financial Statements

Learned a lot about how different banks have to report their financial information. Helped me better understand the general banking reporting industry.

Jeff Parsons, CGA/CPA

Frequently Asked Questions

If you haven’t found your answer from our FAQ, please send us a message.

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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.

Reading & Analyzing a Bank’s Financial Statements

Reading & Analyzing a Bank’s Financial Statements Overview

Reading & Analyzing a Bank’s Financial Statements Learning Objectives

Who Should Take This Course?

Courses we recommend you take in advance

Reading & Analyzing a Bank's Financial Statements

What you'll learn

Course Introduction

Reading a Bank's Income Statement

Calculating and Analyzing Bank Financial Ratios

Interpreting a Bank's Pyramid of Ratios

Understanding Bank Regulatory Ratios

Course Summary

This Course is Part of the Following Programs

Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) Certification

Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization

What Our Members Say

Valentin Zhurba

Diego Cortes Padilla

Albert Ayirebi Acquah

John Wisnu Alwi

Rachael Larkins

Mohammed Al Zahrani

Dr Gregory Gray Jr

Joel Andrew Kühn

Wasiu Ayinde

Ana Maria Ballesteros

Jeff Parsons, CGA/CPA

Frequently Asked Questions