Financial Analysis (AC0023)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : MSE-P-AC0023

Financial Analysis is an important skill for all those in management positions who deal with financial statements as part of their understanding of a business. This includes those outside the business such as investment analysts and those responsible within the business for financial analysis. Financial statements do not exist in a vacuum but are a reflection of business activity. To understand financial statements it is necessary to understand business activity and vice versa. The course therefore is as much about business as it is about accounting.

In part, the course will take an internal focus by considering how information is collected and used within organisations. However, in the main the course will take an external focus by looking at how financial statements should be used by investors as part of their fundamental analysis of a business. In this connection, it is important to understand how financial numbers can mislead as well as inform and the course will therefore address issues of how much we can trust the numbers.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : PGs Only

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Business Studies, (Management School and Economics, Schedule H)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the student should be able to analyse a set of financial statements in conjunction with an annual report, identifying the key business issues so as to advise either investors or management on the financial performance and prospects for the business.