Financial analysis is an aspect of the overall business finance function that involves examining historical data to gain information about the current and future financial health of a company.

One of the most effective ways to compare two businesses is to perform a ratio analysis on each company's financial statements. A ratio analysis looks at various numbers in the financial statements ...

Q. I often perform horizontal, vertical, and trend analysis for clients. Each time revised financial statements arrive, I find myself recreating formulas, rechecking ranges, and confirming that ...

Financial statements are essentially the report cards for businesses. They tell the story, in numbers, about the financial health of the business. The information found on the financial statements of ...

Imagine being handed the medical chart of a company. Every revenue figure, every expense, every dollar of debt is laid out in front of you. The challenge is not whether the information exists, but ...

J.B. Maverick is an active trader, commodity futures broker, and stock market analyst 17+ years of experience, in addition to 10+ years of experience as a finance writer and book editor. David ...

Learn how to read financial statements with simple tips that help you spot trends, connect reports, and understand a company’s performance with clarity. Reading financial statements becomes much ...

Financial statements include a balance sheet and an income statement, commonly referred to as a profit and loss statement. The balance sheet presents a company's assets, liabilities and equity as of a ...

Q. I read the JofA article last month about performing horizontal, vertical, and trend analyses in Excel. How can Excel be used to organize these analyses and highlight possible red flags in a company ...