Accounting: ACC/561
Learning Team B Week 2 Reflection
There are different type of methods used for financial statements and stocks. The comparative analysis shows company information from period to period, and radio analysis is an indicator of the company stability to meet their debt obligations, profitability, solvency and liquidity.
Importance of Comparative Analysis
Comparative analysis is a method used by investors, is used to identify new trends. The investors take the financial statements of determinate amount of years and consolidate them in one page. The analyst compares balance sheets from at least two successive years and analyses them to see changes in the financial statement. …show more content…
Income statements can be used as well by taking at least three successive years. Comparative analysis in stocks takes similar procedure. The investor takes few periods of stock information, he see and identifies changes to determine the way in which the stock got the present price.
The comparative analysis reveals information of changes in a financial statement in different accounting periods; these changes must be evaluated if they represent an absolute or relative change in the company. The investors can see in this analysis company trends, company operations and results and take decisions on future earning, dividends or net income, it also reveals if the company is favorable in the financial and capital markets.
Importance of Ratio Analysis
Ratio analysis is an important tool that corporations use to compare the current year’s numbers with previous year’s numbers.
By use of financial statements, a company can evaluate performance, activity, financing and liquidity. Some common ratios include the price-earnings ratio, debt-equity ratio, earnings per share, asset turnover and working capital” (“Investopedia”, 2012). Ratio analysis helps a business see its progress or failures across the board, it helps them figure out where they need to make improvements financially and business-wide. Ratio analysis is a useful management tool that will improve the understanding of financial results and trends over time, and provide key indicators of organizational performance” (Financial Ratio Analysis; …show more content…
Introduction).
Each ratio helps the corporation in a different way. Price-earnings ratio is “the relationship between the stock price and the company’s earnings.” (Little, 2014). Investors look at this number to see how their money will make them more money, and how quickly it will happen. Debt-equity ratio takes a company’s liabilities and divides them by the shareholders equity; this will show how the company can handle their debts and how they are growing against the debt. Earnings per share will give a company what a picture of how much exactly their shares are growing and how profitable the company really is. Asset turnover is a ratio that puts a business’s revenues over their assets; this will explain how well a company can turn assets into revenue. Working capital, this shows how a company if their assets are matching, exceeding or below their liabilities, this is very important to the company’s investors.
Differentiate between comparative and ratio analysis
The differences between comparative and ratio analysis are that comparative analysis assesses the firm at a period of time to conclude if an increase or decrease has occurred for the given line on the financial statement.
The result is shared as a percentage and/or an amount. The ratio analysis assesses the firm by the way of ratios that measure liquidity, solvency, and profitability. The comparative analysis compares the firm to itself, its competitors, and the industry by using the current year to the base year through a horizontal analysis and reaching the figures.
The vertical analysis of the comparative analysis uses the firm’s financial statements and expresses figures in a percentage to determine how fluid cash is if needed, its ability to endure over time, its profitability level. Profitability is the most frequently used ratio reviewed from a ratio analysis. The ratio analysis calculates the various ratios and assesses the firm to itself and is more of an internal analysis used by the firm to make educated business
decisions
In summary comparative analysis is a method used by investors, is used to identify new trends by taking the financial statements to by use of the balance sheets from at least two successive years and analyses them to see changes in the financial statement. The ratio analysis calculates the various ratios and assesses the firm to it and is more of an internal analysis used by the firm to make educated business decisions. Ratios are imperative to investors, consumers and business managers, as each give a different explanation to how well the company is growing.
This paper will discuss several routines that are utilized for budgetary explanations and stocks reviews. It will explain comparative analysis and how a relative examination shows organization data from period to period, and how a radio investigation can provide useful information of an organization financial steadiness, and how they can fulfill their obligation commitments, productivity, dissolvability and liquidity.
Comparative Analysis
Financial specialists utilized a comparative analysis to determine new patterns and trends of a company’s financial statements. “In accounting, for example, changes in a financial statement items over several accounting periods may be presented together to detect the emerging trends in the company’s operations and results”(QUOTE). A comparative analysis can also determine a company’s stock price and provide key indicators of the direction of the stock price. It can provide net income, dividends future earnings and company operations and results. Investors can determine if a company’s financial statements are generating weak profit margins for the period under review. If this is the case, then it could cause a pull back in the stock price and hurt consumer confidence. However, if the financial statements beat analysis expectations, it can indicate a breakout quarter of growth and gain consumer confidence moving forward to the next quarter. Such confidence can solidify a company within the financial markets.
Ratio Analysis
Ratio analysis helps company’s compare current year numbers to the previous years. It is based on cash flow statements, financial statements and balance sheets. “Ratio analysis is used to evaluate various aspects of a company’s operating and financial performance such as its efficiency, liquidity, profitability and solvency” ("Ratio Analysis", 2015). By analyzing the numbers it can give a company insight of the financial health and determine if they are deteriorating or improving. It can also provide insight to how a company is measuring up against their competition in the same sector and provide comparative valuations.
Separate in the middle of similar and proportion investigation
The contrasts in the middle of similar and proportion examination are that relative investigation evaluates the firm at a time of time to close if a build or diminishing has happened for the given line on the budgetary proclamation. The outcome is shared as a rate and/or a sum. The proportion examination evaluates the firm by the method for proportions that measure liquidity, dissolvability, and benefit. The near investigation contrasts the firm with itself, its rivals, and the business by utilizing the present year to the base year through a level examination and coming to the figures.
The vertical investigation of the similar examination utilizes the company 's monetary explanations and communicates figures in a rate to decide how liquid money is if necessary, its capacity to continue over the long haul, its benefit level. Gainfulness is the most regularly utilized proportion audited from a proportion examination. The proportion investigation ascertains the different proportions and surveys the firm to itself and is a greater amount of an inner examination utilized by the firm to settle on instructed business choices
In rundown near investigation is a technique utilized by financial specialists, is utilized to distinguish new patterns by taking the budgetary proclamations to by utilization of the monetary records from no less than two progressive years and investigations them to see changes in the money related proclamation. The proportion investigation figures the different proportions and evaluates the firm to it and is a greater amount of an interior examination utilized by the firm to settle on instructed business choices. Proportions are basic to speculators, purchasers and business directors, as every give an alternate clarification to how well the organization is developing.
References
Ratio Analysis. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/ratioanalysis.asp