Amd Financial

Trident University

Adam L. Massey

Module 1 Case Study

ITM 432 Principles of Finance and Financial Information Systems

Dr. Corey Thomas

13 April 14

While there are many ways in which a business entity can be evaluated, the most common measures are financial in scope. All businesses must understand how well or how poorly their operations are performing at all times, not only at the end of some pre-determined fiscal time period. Financial statements provide the basic data for analyzing and understanding the company’s performance, over time. These financial statements are concise reports designed to summarize particular financial activities for a specific time period (one month, one quarter, one year, five years, etc.). There are several different types of financial statements. Some are generally used internally; others have greater usage outside the company, for bankers and investors, for example. The two key reports for companies of all sizes and categories of business are the Income Statement, which records revenue and expense, and the Balance Sheet which lists what the business owns and what it owes. It is a “snapshot” of the business at a particular point in time. These two basic financial statements can provide a picture of the company’s strengths and weaknesses -- provided that you know how to read them. By regularly analyzing a company’s financial statements’ information, both management and investors can detect problems early, and take corrective action on problems such as falling sales volume, high operating costs, credit and inventory mismanagement, and funds tied into excessive fixed assets. By comparing financial statements over several fiscal periods, the company’s management can more easily spot and track trends and makes the necessary budget revisions before small problems become big ones. Also, all these financial data help lenders and other investors make intelligent decisions about their participation in the business. It is equally important...