Top Financial Modeling Courses

Most Popular Financial Modeling Courses

Top financial modeling courses – If you want to learn how to build an Excel model from scratch, you’ve come to the right place.  CFI has an extensive library of tutorials, lessons, and training to teach you how to build advanced Excel models. This guide outlines the most popular financial modeling courses offered as part of the FMVA® certification program.

A Curated List of Financial Modeling Courses

Below is a detailed description of each of the top eight financial modeling courses, ranked from beginner to advanced. CFI has 24+ courses designed to help transform anyone into a world-class financial analyst.

#1 Building a 3-Statement Financial Model

The course teaches the foundations of building a financial model and is designed for beginners.

Learning objectives:

• Link the three financial statements using formulas and calculations in Excel
• Build a financial forecast based on assumptions – use drivers to create an income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement
• Learn important formulas and functions required to build a dynamic model

Image: Building a Financial Model in Excel

#2 Business Valuation Modeling

This course builds on the three statement model and teaches students how to build a discounted cash flow (DCF) model from scratch.

Learning objectives:

• Comparable company analysis – calculating trading multiples for public companies
• Precedent transactions – analyzing past M&A transactions to value a company
• DCF modeling – how to calculate the intrinsic value of a business based on its intrinsic value

Image: Business Valuation Fundamentals Course

#3 Sensitivity Analysis and Scenario Modeling

This is one of our most popular courses. It teaches students to layer a sensitivity analysis, as well as scenario analysis, onto a DCF model.

Learning objectives:

• Create three discrete scenarios – a base case, an upside case, and a downside case
• Build a scenario chooser and “live case” – use Excel’s CHOOSE function
• Perform direct and indirect sensitivity analysis

Image: Sensitivity Analysis Course

#4 Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Financial Modeling

This is an advanced financial modeling course that teaches analysts how to model a merger or acquisition (M&A).

Learning objectives:

• Build the assumptions: takeover premium, synergies, sources/uses of cash
• Create a pro forma model that combines two businesses into one consolidated company
• Perform accretion/dilution analysis of key per share metrics such as Earnings Per Share (EPS)
• Assess the impact on the share price of the M&A transaction for the acquirer

Image: Mergers and Acquisitions M&A course

#5 Leveraged Buyout (LBO) Modeling 

This advanced course teaches analysts how to build a Leveraged Buyout (LBO) model from scratch.

Learning objectives:

• Build a traditional DCF model for the target company
• Layer on a high degree of leverage and several tranches of debt
• Make key transaction assumptions such as debt/EBITDA, interest rates, covenants, etc.
• Asses the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) by investor type

Image: LBO Model Course

#6 Real Estate Financial Modeling

This industry-specific financial modeling course is designed to teach users how the economics of a real estate development project works.

Learning objectives:

• Learn how to value a property based on Cap Rate and Net Operating Income (NOI)
• Build a development cash flow model including land acquisition, construction, and sales
• Build a cash flow and IRR waterfall by investor type for GPs and LPs
• Create a development pro forma and a one-page summary

Image: Real Estate Financial Modeling Course

#7 eCommerce Financial Modeling

This is a very popular financial modeling course for anyone considering starting their own online business or who works for an eCommerce company.

Learning objectives:

• Set up all the necessary assumptions and drivers for the eCommerce business
• Model the three financial statements into the future
• Calculate important customer metrics (e.g., Lifetime Value LTV) and unit economics
• Value the business and create output charts and graphs

Image: Startup e-commerce Financial Modeling Course

#8 Advanced Financial Modeling and Valuation

CFI’s advanced financial modeling course is built on a case study on how to value Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) using various valuation methods.

Learning objectives:

• Calculate Amazon’s Total Addressable Market (TAM) for each business segment, and determine the market share in each
• Use actual financial statements to build a historical 3-statement model
• Set up all the assumptions and drivers required to build out the DCF model
• Create a 10-year forecast for Amazon’s business
• Learn about advanced topics such as segmented revenue, stock-based compensation, capital leases, and more
• Perform comparable company analysis (Comps) using Capital IQ and PitchBook Data
• Perform a Sum-Of-The-Parts (SOTP) valuation
• Generate multiple operating scenarios to explore a range of outcomes and values for the business
• Perform sensitivity analysis on key assumptions and assess the overall impact of the transaction

Image: Advanced Financial Modeling & Valuation Course

Financial Modeling Courses in the FMVA™ Program

These courses progress from beginner to advanced and are recommended to be taken in the order laid out above. If you are considering enrolling in the full Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst Program (FMVA)® you will also be required to complete other classes that cover critical skills for becoming a world-class financial analyst.

Additional topics include:

• Accounting
• Financial subjects (financial theory, financial math)
• Presentations and pitchbooks
• Data visualization, charts, and graphs
• Corporate strategy

The modern financial analyst requires more than just technical Excel skills and should be able to perform a comprehensive analysis that has beautiful presentations and considers the overall strategy of the business and industry being analyzed.

Additional Resources

To continue advancing your career as a world-class financial analyst, the additional CFI resources below will be helpful:

• Types of Financial Models
• Analysis of Financial Statements
• Valuation Methods
• Free Excel Modeling Templates
• See all financial modeling resources