What are Audited Financial Statements? Public companies are obligated by law to ensure that their financial statements are audited by a registered certified public accountant (CPA). The purpose of the independent audit is to provide assurance that company management has presented financial statements that are free from material error. Additionally, hiring an independent and qualified…
What is Section 338? The United States Congress enacted Section 338 in 1982 to allow taxpayers to treat certain qualified stock purchases as asset acquisitions for federal income tax purposes. Section 338 provides two elections: the so-called “regular Section 338 election” under Section 338(g), and the other under Section 338(h)(10). These elections treat a stock…
What is Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)? Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) measures the “direct cost” incurred in the production of any goods or services. It includes material cost, direct labor cost, and direct factory overheads, and is directly proportional to revenue. As revenue increases, more resources are required to produce the goods or service….
What is a Cost Driver? A cost driver is the direct cause of a cost and its effect is on the total cost incurred. For example, if you are to determine the amount of electricity consumed in a particular period, the number of units consumed determines the total bill for electricity. In such a scenario, the…
What is the Energy Industry Comps Template? The energy industry comps template allows investors to compare one energy company to other ones in the same industry. This method helps to determine the relative value of a particular company. This template looks at Occidental Petroleum which is one of the largest energy company in the United…
What is Variance Analysis? Variance analysis is the analysis of the difference between planned and actual numbers. The sum of all variances gives a picture of the overall over-performance or under-performance for a particular reporting period. For each item, companies assess their favorability by comparing actual costs to standard costs in the industry. For example,…
What is a Capital Expenditure (CapEx)? A capital expenditure (“CapEx” for short) is the payment with either cash or credit to purchase long-term physical or fixed assets used in a business’s operations. The expenditures are capitalized (i.e., not expensed directly on a company’s income statement) on the balance sheet and are considered an investment by…
What is Goodwill Impairment? Goodwill is acquired and recorded on the books when an acquirer purchases a target for more than the fair market value of the target’s net assets (assets minus liabilities). Per accounting standards, goodwill is recorded as an intangible asset and evaluated periodically for any possible impairment in value. Private companies in…
What is a Rolling Forecast? A rolling forecast is a type of financial model that predicts the future performance of a business over a continuous period, based on historical data. Unlike static budgets that forecast the future for a fixed time frame, e.g., January to December, a rolling forecast is regularly updated throughout the year…
What is Operating Income? Operating income, also referred to as operating profit or Earnings Before Interest & Taxes (EBIT), is the amount of revenue left after deducting the operational direct and indirect costs from sales revenue. It can also be computed using gross income less depreciation, amortization, and operating expenses not directly attributable to the production…
