You have learnt about the financial statements (Income Statement and Balance Sheet) of companies. Basically, these are summarised financial reports which provide the operating results and financial position of companies, and the detailed information contained therein is useful for assessing the operational efficiency and financial soundness of a company. This requires proper analysis and interpretation of such information for which a number of techniques (tools) have been developed by financial experts. In this chapter we will have an overview of these techniques.
4.1 Meaning of Analysis of Financial Statements
The process of critical evaluation of the financial information contained in the financial statements in order to understand and make decisions regarding the operations of the firm is called ‘Financial Statement Analysis’. It is basically a study of relationship among various financial facts and figures as given in a set of financial statements, and the interpretation thereof to gain an insight into the profitability and operational efficiency of the firm to assess its financial health and future prospects.
The term ‘financial analysis’ includes both ‘analysis and interpretation’. The term analysis means simplification of financial data by methodical classification given in the financial statements. Interpretation means explaining the meaning and significance of the data. These two are complimentary to each other. Analysis is useless without interpretation, and interpretation without analysis is difficult or even impossible.
4.2 Significance of Analysis of Financial Statements
Financial analysis is the process of identifying the financial strengths and weaknesses of the firm by properly establishing relationships between the various items of the balance sheet and the statement of profit and loss. Financial analysis can be undertaken by management of the firm, or by parties outside the firm, viz., owners, trade creditors, lenders, investors, labour unions, analysts and others. The nature of analysis will differ depending on the purpose of the analyst.
A technique frequently used by an analyst need not necessarily serve the purpose of other analysts because of the difference in the interests of the analysts. Financial analysis is useful and significant to different users in the following ways:
(a) Finance manager: Financial analysis focusses on the facts and relationships related to managerial performance, corporate efficiency, financial strengths and weaknesses and creditworthiness of the company. A finance manager must be well-equipped with the different tools of analysis to make rational decisions for the firm. The tools for analysis help in studying accounting data so as to determine the continuity of the operating policies, investment value of the business, credit ratings and testing the efficiency of operations. The techniques are equally important in the area of financial control, enabling the finance manager to make constant reviews of the actual financial operations of the firm to analyse the causes of major deviations, which may help in corrective action wherever indicated.
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