This course uses fundamental financial statement analysis to evaluate the present condition of a firm and predict its future condition. The course is designed to provide:
- Exposure to public sources of financial information used in capital markets;
- The skills to analyze and interpret financial statements;
- An appreciation for the usefulness and limitations of financial statement analysis in specific decision contexts (e.g., bankruptcy prediction, investment decisions, corporate valuation, consulting, and restructuring decisions);
This course contrasts with Financial Accounting because that course starts with an economic event and instructs you how to account for it. This course moves in the opposite direction: we start with the view that financial reports can reveal much about the underlying economics of the firm. Thus, we will apply what you have learned in prior accounting (and other) classes to real companies and situations, to improve your understanding of how to interpret, assess and evaluate a firm’s strategy and performance by using financial statements. Ultimately, by the end of the course, you should have a better understanding of how to acquire financial information from public documents and how to use that information to assess a company’s condition and its intrinsic value.
Prereq: Bus 30000 (or 30116) and Bus 35000 (or 35001) strongly recommended. Bus 35200 strongly recommended (may be concurrent). Cannot enroll if taken 30130 or 20150 taken previously.
Class Meets: 8/2, 8/3, 8/4, 8/6, 8/7