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Financial Statements Analysis23764/3977/1718/1/75
Study guide

Financial Statements Analysis

23764/3977/1718/1/75
Academic year 2017-18
Is found in:
  • International Curriculum, programme stage 2
In other study programme:
  • Bachelor of Business Management as Financial statements analysis (Dutch)
  • Bachelor of Business Management as Financial statements analysis (Dutch)
  • Bachelor of Business Management as Financial statements analysis (English)
This is a single course unit.
Study load: 4 credits
Weight: 4,00
Total study time: 100,00 hours
Possible deadlines for learning account: 01.12.2017 () or 15.03.2018 ()

Organisation of education

Teaching Activities, Learning Activities, Assessment Activities
Lecture12,00 hours
Self-study64,00 hours
Seminar12,00 hours
Supervised independent work12,00 hours
This course unit is marked out of 20 (rounded to an integer).
Re-sit exam: is possible.
It is not possible to enrol in this course unit under
  • exam contract (to obtain a credit).
  • exam contract (to obtain a degree).
Special admission is required to enrol in this course unit under credit contract.
Co-ordinator: De Wilde Jacob
Language course: No
Languages: English
Scheduled for: Semester 1 or Semester 2

Objectives

Giving advice and decision-making are an essential part of the duties of a financial graduate. In order to do this, he has to be able to interpret the figures from the Financial statements, to do a complete financial analysis and draw conclusions on how the company is being run.

An accurate interpretation of the many figures from the Financial statements is not easy for most students. Figures only have a meaning when placed in the right context and correlations are being made. In this course the emphasis lies on how an external user of a company’s financial information can draw conclusions on that company’s financial health.

To be able to draw up alternative scenarios you have to be prepared to investigate a problem and in order to be able to give advice you need to be scrupulous and able to assess.

This course is the basis for “Credits to companies” and ”Applications portfolio management”. In the businessproject you will have to put your knowledge and skills from this course into practice, so that you are able to do a complete Financial statements analysis on your own.

Contents

  • Study of Financial statements and rules of appreciation
  • Balance sheet and profit and loss account
  • Financial balance
  • Horizontal and vertical analysis
  • Cash flow analysis
  • Interpretation of financial statements based upon ratios
  • Comparing companies
  • Basic principles of proper management and consolidation

Order of enrolment

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of bookkeeping.

Final objectives

1. Assessing the financial situation of a company correctly.
Indicators:

  • Knowing and understanding the contents of the entries of the Financial statements.
  • Interpreting, reworking and analysing the financial statements.
  • Calculating and interpreting financial ratios.
  • Assessing a company’s financial situation in a critical way.
  • Having an understanding of the criteria of a good social annual report has to comply with.

2. Gathering relevant financial information efficiently and applying methods and aids in order to take decisions and give advice.
Indicators:

  • Gathering relevant information in order to get insight in a company’s .financial situation.
  • Assessing and assimilating the given information.
  • Linking the obtained results.

3. Dealing with duties in a professional way.
Indicators:

  • Performing duties accurately, with an eye for detail without losing the overview.
  • Planning, organizing and structuring duties within a given deadline.
  • Indicating the causes of a problem and suggesting improvements.

Organisation of education

Lectures supplemented by examples and exercises.

Study guidance

Students can use the learning paths in Chamilo as well as the forum to ask questions.

Evaluation

  • First exam opportunity:
    • non-period bound evaluation: 30% continuous assessment
    • period bound evaluation: 70% written exam
  • Second exam opportunity:
    • 100% written exam

Study materials

1. Mandatory books
Mandatory
  • Author: A. Reheul, J. Van den Boscche, P. Van de Wiele, S. Verbrugge Verbrugge
  • Publisher: Kluwer
  • Edition: 26/01/2011
  • ISBN-nr: 978-10-900-4485-3

Key words

Financial analysis, IWETO: S190 Bedrijfsbeleid, S192 Boekhoudkundige wetenschappen