Reports And Accounts

Published accounts are often not easy to understand and are sometimes downright misleading but, to those who know how to read them, they provide the most readily available source of information on a company's activities, its profitability and its prospects. This book guides the reader through the conventions and complexities of reports and accounts, explaining how to assess the financial and trading position of a company from year to year, how to spot undue risk-taking, where and how to look for clues on the quality of management and how to detect where window-dressing has been used to disguise poor results.In 1990 the authors wrote: 'Company accounting is currently in a state of flux, confusion and controversy'. It is now in much better shape. In ten years, 15 Financial Reporting Standards (FRSs), countless Financial Reporting Exposure Drafts (FREDs), a host of other documents, and, for the first time in the UK, an exposure draft Statement of Principles of Financial Reporting have been produced by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB). Many earlier abuses have been prevented, and much more information now has to be disclosed, the use and purpose of which the authors seek to explain

Now the best-selling book of its kind has gotten even better. This revised and expanded second edition of Ittelson’s master work will give you that firm grasp of “the numbers” necessary for business success. With more than 100,000 copies in print, Financial Statements is a perfect introduction to financial accounting for non-financial managers, stock-market investors, undergraduate business and MBA students, lawyers, lenders, entrepreneurs, and more. Most introductory finance and accounting books fail either because they are written “by accountants for accountants” or the authors “dumb down” the concepts until they are virtually useless. Financial Statements deftly shows that all this accounting and financial-reporting stuff is not rocket science and that you can understand it! Ittelson empowers non-financial managers by clearly and simply demonstrating how the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement work together to offer a “snapshot” of any company’s financial health. Every term is defined in simple, understandable language. Every concept is explained with a basic, straightforward transaction example. And with the book’s uniquely visual approach, you’ll be able to see exactly how each transaction affects the three key financial statement of the enterprise. Two new major sections with nine new chapters were added to this revised second edition of Financial Statements, simply the clearest and most comprehensive introduction to financial reporting available.

An updated new edition of the comprehensive guide to reading and understanding financial reports Financial reports provide vital information to investors, lenders, and managers. Yet, the financial statements in a financial report seem to be written in a foreign language that only accountants can understand. This new Eighth Edition of How to Read a Financial Report breaks through that language barrier, clears away the fog, and offers a plain-English user's guide to financial reports. This updated edition features new information on the move toward separate financial and accounting reporting standards for private companies, the emergence of websites offering financial information, pending changes in the auditor's report language and what this means to investors, and requirements for XBRL tagging in reporting to the SEC, among other topics. Makes it easy to understand what financial reports really say Updated to include the latest information financial reporting standards and regulatory changes Written by an author team with a combined 50-plus years of experience in financial accounting With this new edition of How to Read a Financial Report, investors will find everything they need to fully understand the profit, cash flow, and financial condition of any business.

A comprehensive guide to reading and understanding financial reports Financial reports provide vital information to investors, lenders, and managers. Yet, the financial statements in a financial report seem to be written in a foreign language that only accountants can understand. This comprehensive version of How to Read a Financial Report breaks through that language barrier, clears away the fog, and offers a plain-English user's guide to financial reports. The book features new information on the move toward separate financial and accounting reporting standards for private companies, the emergence of websites offering financial information, pending changes in the auditor's report language and what this means to investors, and requirements for XBRL tagging in reporting to the SEC, among other topics. Makes it easy to understand what financial reports really say Updated to include the latest information financial reporting standards and regulatory changes Written by an author team with a combined 50-plus years of experience in financial accounting This comprehensive edition includes an ancillary website containing valuable additional resources With this comprehensive version of How to Read a Financial Report, investors will find everything they need to fully understand the profit, cash flow, and financial condition of any business.

The second edition includes over 25 percent new and updated information including: New information on the separate accounting and financial reporting standards for private/small businesses versus public/large businesses Updated information that reflects the 2007 law on international financial reporting standards New content to match SEC and other governmental regulatory changes over the past three years New information about how the analyst-corporate connection has actually changed the playing field The impact of corporate communications and new technologies New examples that reflect the current trends Updated websites and resources

Corporate Financial Accounting and Reporting is a comprehensive accounting textbook directed at those using financial reports. Its aim is to help current and future managers gain a thorough understanding of companies' published reports and is unique in the fact that it covers all three years of a traditional financial accounting course. The text is divided into 3 parts: the first covers the foundations of accounting, the second part considers the components of financial statements in more depth and the third part explores how investors analyse financial statements. Recognising the increasingly international nature of accounting, this book provides full coverage of international accounting standards with the European Union's Company Law Directives providing its legal framework Corporate Financial Accounting and Reporting is designed for international MBA programmes and specialist postgraduate programmes in international business/finance in Europe. It can also be used in international business programmes at the undergraduate level.