The narrative report is a collection of information used to represent a company’s business, its market position, the used strategy, the performance and the future prospect. Occurred events, different detail and descriptions are usually the main focus of narrative reporting. The narrative report assign the presenter of the company to put the occurred events, that lead to any kind of compilation or problem, in a certain order. The main body of the essay will include a critical discussion of some key characteristics required for a good narrative report to be produced. It will also include critical discussion for the usefulness of narrative reports in the decision making of managers and shareholders. There is also a description of some of the most important characteristics for producing a good annual report. The public limited company used as an example for supporting the discussion in the essay is Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company is leader in beverage and brewing in the world with more than 25 percent global market share and as of March 2012 it is the largest fast-moving consumer goods company by firm value. (Anheuser-Busch InBev 2012 Annual Report) The conducting of multiple studies in the last years provides us with information about the usefulness of corporate annual reports for investors. The evidences developed after the studies are conflicting one to each other, since they were conducted only among individual investors. (Anderson, 2012) The next sentences include discussion on the different findings obtained from the studies, such as investment objectives, information sources, readership and importance of sections contained in corporate annual reports, the desire for additional information and others. The investment objectiv... ... middle of paper ... ...ribution of the company is helpful for the company’s reputation. Works Cited • Anheuser-Busch InBev, 2012. Annual report 2012. [online]; Available at: http://www.ab-inbev.com/pdf/AR12/AB_InBev_AR_EN.pdf; [Accessed 4 February 2014]; • ACCA & Deloitte, 2010, “Hitting the notes, but what’s the tune?” • Anderson, R. 1981, “The Usefulness of Accounting and Other Information Disclosed in Corporate Annual Reports”; • Campbell, D. & Slack, R. 2008, “Narrative reporting: Analysts’ perceptions of its value and relevance”; • Deloitte 2013, “A new beginning: Annual report insights”; • FRC 2011, “Cutting clutter: Combating clutter in annual reports”; • Yeoh, P. 2010, “Narrative reporting: the UK experience”; • Shadunsky, A. 2011, “What Information in an Annual Report Can Be Misleading to Investors?” [online]; Available at: http://bit.ly/LPNz6u; [Accessed 4 February 2014];
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.
Marshall, M.H., McManus, W.W., Viele, V.F. (2003). Accounting: What the Numbers Mean. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.
Marshall, D. H., McManus, W. W, & Viele, D. (2002). Accounting: What the Numbers Mean. 5th ed. San Francisco: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.
Gibson, C. H. (2011). Financial reporting & analysis: Using financial accounting information. (12th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Garrison, R. H., Noreen, E. W., & Brewer, P. c. (2010). Managerial Accounting. New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin.
Information on the financial statement can offer an overview of a company’s performance over the past fiscal year. However, gaining crucial investment insights requires financial manipulation that yields financial ratios.
Hines, R. D. (1991). The FASB’s conceptual framework, financial accounting and the maintenance of the social world. Accounting organizations and society, 16(4), 313-331.
On May 23, 2016, at approximately 9:25 P.M. I, was dispatched to Hillcrest South Hospital for a sexual assault of a 3 year old that occured in Creek County, Oklahoma. While en-route I was advised by dispatch that the victim was transferred to Hillcrest for a SANE exam. Creek County dispatch contacted the SANE nurse and advised of situation.
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.
Marshall, D., McManus, W., & Viele, D. (2004). Accounting: What the numbers mean. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies.
I believe in storytelling. I believe that the stories society’s tell reflect the way the people in said societies live their lives. Embedded in our stories are our value systems, our hopes, and dreams. It’s through stories and shared experiences that people connect.
Prospective investors make use of financial statements to assess the viability of investing in a business. Financial analyses are often used by investors and is prepared by professionals (financial analysts), thus providing them with the basis in making investment decisions.
Financial reporting is an example of an ethical problem for an organization or business. Many busin...
Philippe, J. (2002), “How information are value-at-risk disclosure?”, the Accounting review, vol. 77, pp. 11-31