Finance and TreasuryFinancial Statement Analysis for Decision Making
Financial statements are prepared by people with a view about how the business should appear, within rules that permit judgement, which means reading them means reading the judgements as much as the numbers. This course covers that. Delegates work through the three statements and how they connect, ratio analysis organised around questions rather than recited as a list, and the quality of earnings including the accruals and estimates that flatter a result. Cash flow is treated as the discipline it is, since cash is harder to manage than profit. Off balance sheet arrangements and disclosure reading follow. Peer and trend comparison and its pitfalls are covered. The course closes on assessing a counterparty, on early warning signs of distress and on the limits of published information.
Course objectives
- Explain how the three statements connect
- Use ratios to answer questions rather than reciting them
- Assess quality of earnings and the estimates behind a result
- Read cash flow as the discipline on reported profit
- Identify off balance sheet arrangements from the disclosures
- Compare against peers and trends without the common pitfalls
- Assess a counterparty and recognise early signs of distress
Who should attend
- Credit analysts and relationship managers
- Investment and equity research analysts
- Financial controllers and business analysts
- Procurement staff assessing supplier financial stability
- Managers responsible for evaluating counterparties and partners
Course outline
- 01Reading the judgements, not only the numbers
- 02How the three statements connect
- 03Ratio analysis organised around questions
- 04Quality of earnings and accruals
- 05Cash flow as a discipline
- 06Off balance sheet arrangements and disclosures
- 07Peer and trend comparison
- 08Counterparty assessment and distress signals
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September to 2 October 2026 | Durban, South Africa | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 4 to 6 November 2026 | Online | Online | R6,500 per delegate | Register Now |
| 28 to 30 December 2026 | Mbabane, Eswatini | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 1 to 3 February 2027 | Windhoek, Namibia | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 10 to 12 March 2027 | Accra, Ghana | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |