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Chapter 3 Analysis of Financial Statements
Chapter 3 Analysis of Financial Statements
The need for international accounting standards
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In this essay I am going to explain and identify external users of accounting information and give detail on the main characteristics and how these characteristics and the conceptual framework develop the benefits of financial statements for external users. Financial accounting includes information distributed to external users that are not part of the enterprise, e.g. stockholders, creditors, customers and suppliers, although the information is also of interest to the company's officers and managers. (Yahoo, 2007) External users have an interest in the businesses final accounts. They are individuals or groups from outside the business. (Cox, Fordon, 2008) They are also interested in the capability of a business to pay dividends. They may estimate the future cash flows using the past cash flow. The main external users consist of shareholders, creditors/suppliers, government, customers and lenders. (Elliot B and Elliot J, 2011, p.16) Shareholders are interested in dividends and profits. As they invest their own money in to the business they are really interested in how the business is running and how well it is doing. They are the owners of the business and they need to get information from those that manage the business on their behalf. They don’t have access to the same amount of detailed information as the managers do. The financial reports that are given to the shareholders are also used by other users such as lenders and trade creditors. These reports are regarded as general reports. (Elliot B and Elliot J, 2011, p.4) Creditors are interested in profits and net current assets. Anyone to whom money is owed to by the business is a creditor. They will look at how reliable the business they are supplying to is and see whethe... ... middle of paper ... ...023619AAR12UR> [Accessed 2nd November 2011] Tutor, 2011 Accounting information characteristics [Online]. Available from: [Accessed 2nd November 2011] Tutor, 2011 Accounting concepts and conventions [Online]. Available from: [Accessed 5th November 2011] Tutor, 2011 Key characteristics of accounting information [Online]. Avaialable from: [Accessed 6th November 2011] Journal (Electronic) Morina D. David W. (2010) Financial Reporting for Private Companies: The Canadian Experience [Online] Available from: Journal Accountancymagazaine.com (2002) Accountancy, p.142
The Securities and Exchange Commission requires that publicly owned businesses provide annual reports, which are available to the public. Many different people use annual reports, to make informed business decisions. Management from the company uses the information to determine a number of items. Some of these items are the profitability of the company, the inventory turnover rate, and the accounts receivables rate. Creditors use the annual report to determine how well a company can satisfy its current liabilities, as well as, how the company is doing in the aspect of long tem survival. Another group of people who use the annual reports furnished by companies are the investors, who can purchase shares of stock from the publicly company. Annual reports are very important to these people, because they are an over all picture to help them determine the over all stability and reliability of the company’s financial outlook. These annual reports are important because they do not only contain the financial statements of the company, but there is a management ‘s note to discuss reasons for any unexpected numbers, and an auditor’s report, from an independent accounting firm, who either agrees or disagrees with the financial numbers. Market reporter Matt Krant said, “Ignoring these reports is akin to driving down the freeway blindfolded.”
The annual report or 10-K of a company is a useful source of information for many agents outside of the corporation. Shareholder’s can view the contents of an annual report to get a more comprehensive idea of what the company is built upon. Additionally, annual reports show a company’s progress over the past financial periods and give a detailed breakdown of company investing and operations. The 10-K and all related documents are easily accessible on a company’s website for the public to view. i
According to the conceptual framework, the potential users of financial statements are investors, creditors, suppliers, employees, customers, governments and agencies, and the general public (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 2006). The primary users are investors, creditors, and those who advise them. It goes on to define the criteria that make up each potential user, as well as, the limitations of financial reporting. The FASB explicitly states that financial reporting is “but one source of information needed by those who make investment, credit, and similar resource allocation decisions. Users also need to consider pertinent information from other sources, and be aware of the characteristics and limitations of the information in them” (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 2006). With this in mind, it is still particularly difficult to determine whom the financials should be catered towards and what level of prudence is necessary for quality judgment.
An important part of financial planning for corporations is the annual report. Publically held companies are required to submit an annual report to the SEC and private companies, even though not required, can use an annual report to gauge the performance of the company for the past year and use the report to plan for the future. The financial statements that make up an annual report are the income statement, the balance sheet, and the statement of cash flows. (Melicher, 2014) Once all of the financial information has been compiled and the three statements that make up the annual report have been completed a corporation can then start to analyze the data. There are several different categories of financial ratios
Marshall, M.H., McManus, W.W., Viele, V.F. (2003). Accounting: What the Numbers Mean. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.
A consolidated financial statement can be defined as the financial statements of a parent and its subsidiaries combined to form a single economic entity (AASB 10, 2011). The entity, which acquires the other entity, is known as the parent and the entity, which has been acquired, is known as the subsidiary. Consolidation financial reports arise when one entity purchases another entity, to then form a group.
Marshall, D. H., McManus, W. W, & Viele, D. (2002). Accounting: What the Numbers Mean. 5th ed. San Francisco: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.
Thesis: Businesses deem financing necessary when they are just beginning, expanding, or recovering; Debt financing and equity financning have many advantages and disadvantages but also change the entire accounting method that is to be considered while running the business.
Garrison, R. H., Noreen, E. W., & Brewer, P. c. (2010). Managerial Accounting. New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin.
Financial accounting is the analysis, classification, and recording of financial transactions and reporting such information to respective users especially external users who use the information to make decisions about their engagements with the entity. In financial accounting general purpose financial statements are used for external reporting. The public by standards imposes the development of the statements through respective national professional bodies, International Accounting Standards Board and respective company Acts for various nations.
Schofield (2014) researches the difference between public and private company financial reporting. For instance, a private company has fewer consumers reviewing their financial statements, whereas public companies could have multiple consumers reviewing financial statements. In addition, private companies typically have less specialized accounting personnel, whereas public companies will have several. Lastly, Schofield (2014), reviewed the number of amendments proposed and finalized to help benefit private companies financial reporting.
Investors-Would examine financial statements to learn about a company's ability to continue paying dividends, or to generate earnings, or to continue growing .
It should be pres... ... middle of paper ... ... o monitor the health of the company and also to make the right choices. They are the most important users of financial information as without this group using the information properly the company could cease to survive. Bibliography Biz/ed 2004, Accounting [Online], available http://www.bized.ac.uk Duncan Williams 2004, User of Financial Statements, [online], available http://www.duncanwill.co.uk Finance Demon 2004, User of Financial Information, [online], available http://www.financedemon.co.uk Financial Reporting Council 2004, About the FRC [online], available http://www.asb.org.uk Hacker Young Chartered Accountants 2004, Accounts Explained [online], available http://www.account-explained.co.uk Joe Corbett 2004, Class Notes, Borders College, Galashiels
2. External Users: are potential investors, banks, government agencies and other parties who are outside the business but need financial information about the business for a diverse number of reasons.
In addition, the objective of the financial statement user is to find and interpret this data in order to have answers for questions regarding the organisation such as: Would an investment generate returns, or what is the degree of risk inherent in the investment (M. Fraser, Ormiston 1998). Additionally, an organisation’s financial conditions are the main concern to investors and creditors. Investors are simply the capital providers and they rely on an organisation’s financial conditions for both the safety and profitability of their investments. Moreover, investors must to know where their money was spent and where it is now. The financial statement of balance sheet reports that kind of issues by providing detailed information about an organisation’s asset investments. Furthermore, the balance sheet shows a business’s outstanding debt and equity components, and so debt and equity investors are able to better understand their relative positions in a company’s capital mix (Way