COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this program, participants will be equipped to:
- Implement essential financial analysis methods to analyse financial statements & evaluate company performance proficiently.
- Create sophisticated financial models utilising Excel & other software to aid in forecasting, decision-making & strategic planning.
- Apply a range of forecasting techniques to accurately project future financial trends & results.
- Perform thorough financial statement analysis to uncover strengths, weaknesses & opportunities for enhancement within organisations.
- Leverage insights from financial modelling to make well-informed investment choices, assess strategic possibilities & minimise financial risks.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
- Individuals engaged in budgeting & strategic planning.
- Employees aiming to improve their skills in financial analysis, modelling & forecasting.
- Financial analysts.
- Investment banking professionals.
- Corporate finance specialists.
- Accounting practitioners.
- Business analysts.
- Management consultants.
PROGRAM OUTLINE:
DAY 1: Foundations of Financial Analysis
- Introduction to financial analysis and its importance in decision-making.
- Understanding financial statements: balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.
- Financial ratio analysis: liquidity, solvency, profitability, and efficiency ratios.
- Interpretation of financial performance indicators to assess company health.
- Overview of financial analysis tools and software for data analysis.
DAY 1: Basics of Financial Analysis
- Overview of financial analysis & its significance in making informed decisions.
- Familiarisation with financial statements: balance sheet, income statement & cash flow statement.
- Analysis of financial ratios: liquidity, solvency, profitability & efficiency metrics.
- Understanding financial performance indicators to evaluate the overall health of a company.
- Introduction to financial analysis tools & software for analysing data.
DAY 2: Advanced Financial Modelling Techniques
- Overview of financial modelling & its significance in forecasting and decision-making.
- Creating & organising financial models: key assumptions, inputs & outputs.
- Conducting sensitivity analysis & scenario planning to evaluate model stability.
- Utilising dynamic variables & macros within financial models.
- Recommended practices for model documentation, version control & error detection.
DAY 3: Forecasting Methods & Techniques
- Introduction to various forecasting techniques: time series analysis, regression analysis & causal forecasting.
- Preparing & cleaning data for precise forecasting.
- Developing forecasting models with Excel, statistical software & specialised forecasting tools.
- Assessing forecast accuracy & enhancing models based on their performance.
- Integrating qualitative factors & expert insights into forecasting methodologies.
DAY 4: Financial Statement Analysis & Interpretation
- In-depth examination of financial statements: trend analysis, common-size analysis & DuPont analysis.
- Recognising warning signs & potential issues in financial statements.
- Assessing capital structure, leverage & the cost of capital.
- Comparing company performance against industry benchmarks & competitors.
- Effectively presenting financial analysis results to stakeholders.
DAY 5: Financial Modelling for Decision-Making & Strategy
- Leveraging financial models to aid strategic decision-making & planning.
- Analysing investment prospects: capital budgeting methods & investment assessment.
- Evaluating mergers & acquisitions: financial due diligence & valuation methods.
- Conducting stress tests & scenario analysis for risk management & contingency planning.
- Merging financial modelling with business strategy to promote organisational growth & profitability.
