Keys To Reading An Annual Report

How to cut through the public relations jargon and analyze a company's financial health and future prospects as it's spelled out in an annual report. Sound advice for non-expert investors in the stock market. New topics covered and explained in this edition include annual reports on the Internet, materiality, and financial derivatives. Titles in the easy-to-understand Business Keys series are directed at consumers and non-professionals, with advice on saving, investing, protecting assets, and increasing wealth through prudent money management. The books define terms, cut through business jargon, speak in plain language, and take the mystery out of business.

This book introduces the reader to the Annual Report and discusses its various components namely, the directors report, the audit report and the financial statements. It helps the reader to unravel the mysteries of the financial statements and comprehend the innovativeness of creative accounting.

Annual corporate reports provide a window into a company?s strategy for future growth; however, many financial managers as well as the investing public focus exclusively on corporate earnings and fail to understand all the factors that comprise the earnings computation. Understanding Corporate Annual Reports explains the regulatory environment surrounding annual reports, providing a detailed review of how to read reports correctly. Using Home Depot?s annual report as the primary example, Brian Stanko and Thomas Zeller?s easy-to-use guide examines a variety of types of financial reports, addressing both SEC and FASB regulations. Understanding Corporate Annual Reports allows readers to appreciate the complete implications of a corporate annual report.

This manual cuts through the hype and explains the anatomy of an annual report in clear, concise language that any business reader can understand. Each chapter covers a different section of the report, from the corporate profile and letter to shareholders to the financial statements and operational overview. The easy-to-follow format shows the reader what is and what is not important to know, where to find it, and how to benefit from the information. Loth provides a mini-lesson on financial analysis, and gives the reader an excellent overview of such important concepts as balance sheet and statement of income.

Annual Reports 101 gets past the PR machine to show the meaning behind the spin. This ultra-practical guide shows you how to thoroughly translate and read "between the lines" of the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow report, and the accompanying text. The book helps you get a true sense of the "big picture" behind the company, allowing you to move beyond the numbers themselves and the fluffy, PR-driven copy. Before you know it, you'll have the tools to spot red flags, decipher footnotes, and see past common practices that, while legal, may not give the most accurate picture.

Reveals ways in which businesspeople of all levels can better understand accounting and how to analyze financial data effectively.

Hidden somewhere among all the numbers in a financial report is vitally important information about where a company has been and where it is going. This is especially relevant in light of the current corporate scandals. The sixth edition of this bestselling book is designed to help anyone who works with financial reports--but has neither the time nor the need for an in-depth knowledge of accounting--cut through the maze of accounting information to find out what those numbers really mean.