Overview

Google, IBM & Meta Certificates – 40% Off

One plan covers every Professional Certificate on Coursera.

Develop the skills to analyze financial statements and use financial ratios to support informed business decisions. In Apply and Analyze Financial Ratios for Business Decisions, you will learn how to evaluate business performance through horizontal and vertical analysis before progressing to ratio analysis techniques that measure financial health, operational efficiency, and shareholder returns. The course begins with the foundations of financial analysis, helping you identify trends and proportional relationships in financial statements and understand the purpose of key ratio categories. You will then apply activity ratios to evaluate asset utilization, receivables, inventory efficiency, and working capital turnover. Building on these concepts, you will analyze liquidity, solvency, and profitability ratios through comprehensive case studies and assess shareholder value using return on equity (ROE) and dividend payout ratios. Designed for students, aspiring financial analysts, and business professionals, this course emphasizes practical application by connecting financial analysis concepts with real-world business scenarios. Its progressive structure guides you from comparative financial statement analysis to integrated ratio interpretation and shareholder-focused evaluation, enabling you to interpret financial performance with confidence and make well-informed business decisions.

Syllabus

Foundations of Financial Analysis

This module introduces the fundamental tools of financial analysis, focusing on horizontal and vertical methods as well as ratio techniques. Learners will explore how to interpret income statements and balance sheets, evaluate efficiency through activity ratios, and analyze key financial metrics. By the end of this module, participants will be able to apply comparative approaches and ratio-driven insights to assess a company’s performance and operational effectiveness.

Applying Ratios for Insights

This module advances financial analysis by applying ratio techniques to real-world business cases and shareholder-focused metrics. Learners will explore liquidity, solvency, and profitability measures, work through comprehensive case studies of activity ratios, and evaluate shareholder value using ROE and dividend payout analysis. By completing this module, participants will gain practical expertise in interpreting ratios for decision-making and financial performance assessment.

Mastering Income Tax Accounting

This module provides a comprehensive exploration of income tax accounting, covering the fundamentals, recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities, and advanced insights into temporary and permanent differences. Learners will develop the ability to analyze the income statement for tax implications, interpret timing differences between accounting and tax treatments, and evaluate the effect of valuation allowances and tax rate changes on deferred taxes. By completing this module, participants will gain practical skills to apply income tax accounting concepts in real-world financial reporting and decision-making.