How to Read Financial Statements - Free Course

Reading Financial Statements Course

Learn how to read financial statements. In this 2-part free course, we use a company's financial statements and annual report to understand the financial strength of a company and help us make informed decisions.

Reading & Understanding the Balance Sheet

In this first module, we learn how to read the balance sheet and its related notes using a company case study, Espresso Software. This will help us understand the financial strength of the company and help us make informed decisions. By the end of this module, you will have a solid understanding of the specific accounts in a typical balance sheet and the related notes to the financial statements.

• Navigate successfully through the notes to the financial statements.
• Read and interpret the various items in a published balance sheet.
• Understand complex balance sheet concepts (e.g. deferred taxes, goodwill, investments, etc.)

Reading & Understanding the Income Statement and Cash Flow

In this second module of this free course, we continue reading Espresso Software's financial statements. We look at the company's income statement and statement of cash flows and conclude by covering the key contents of an annual report. By the end of this module, you will have a solid understanding of a typical income statement, statement of cash flows and annual report.

• Understand the different ways to present an income statement and cash flow statement.
• Read and interpret the various items in a published income statement.
• Identify the operating, financing, and investing activities of a company.
• Determine what is contained in an annual report and where to find it.

More About this Free Financial Statements Course

This accounting course is highly interactive with many different applied exercises and case studies. Sophisticated search and navigation tools allow you to go at your own pace while pop quizzes test what you have learned. The reading financial statements course also includes two PDF reference guides – a financial statements glossary and an accounting factsheet. These can be used while taking the course and downloaded to your computer for future reference.