Define financial statement analysis in financial management.
Financial statements provide summary of the accounting of an organisation. The balance sheet reflects the
assets and liabilities and capital as on certain data and the income statements tells about the results of
operation in a certain period.
Financial statements consist of the following −
- Income statements or Profit and loss account
It provides entire operational of the concern like total revenue generated and expenses incurred for
earning that revenue. Income statement helps to understand the gross profit and net profit of the
concern.
- Balance sheet or the position statement
It helps to ascertain and understand the total assets, liabilities and capital of the firm. One can
understand the strength and weakness with the help of position statement.
Business concern also prepares some of others parts of statements for internal purpose, which are as
follows −
- Statements of changes in owners’ equity
It provides information about changes or position of owners’ equity in the company. It is also termed
as statement of retained earnings.
- Statement of changes in financial position
It shows only about the position of finance. Statement of changes in financial position helps to
identify the change in financial position of a company from one period to another period.
Types of financial statement analysis
The types of financial statement analysis are based on material used and on methods of operations.
External analysis
It is very much useful to understand the financial and operational position of business concern. It
mainly depends on the published financial statement of the concern. This provides only limited
information about the business concern.
Internal analysis
It helps in understanding the operational performances of each and every department and unit
of the business concern. Internal analysis helps to make decisions accordingly to achieve goals.
- Based on method of operations
Horizontal analysis
Financial statements are compared with several years and based on that decisions will be taken.
This is also called as dynamic analysis.
Vertical analysis
Financial statements measure the quantities relationship of various items in the financial
statement on a particular period. It is also called as static analysis.
Published on 06-Aug-2020 11:54:05
