Overview

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This beginner-friendly course provides a practical introduction to financial statement analysis and financial modelling for learners with little to no background in accounting or finance. It introduces the structure, purpose, and relationship between the three core financial statements, the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement and explains how they work together to reflect a business’s financial performance, position, and cash flow health. Through real-world examples, hands-on Excel exercises, and practical case studies, learners will explore fundamental accounting concepts, identify key components of financial statements, prepare simplified financial statements from business transactions, and apply ratio and trend analysis techniques to assess business performance. The course also introduces the fundamentals of financial modelling, enabling learners to build a basic financial model to forecast business performance and support informed decision-making. By the end of the course, participants will be able to confidently interpret financial statements, evaluate a company’s financial health, perform basic financial analysis, and apply essential Excel modelling techniques in a business context. The course includes a comprehensive learning framework with module content, learning objectives, practical exercises, assessments, case studies, recommended readings, and supporting resources to help learners develop foundational financial analysis and modelling skills.

Syllabus

Introduction to Financial Statements
- This module sets the scene by introducing the three key financial statements and their components: Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement.
Relationship between Financial Statements and Accounting Framework
- This module discusses the relatiohship between the financial statements, and introduces some accounting terminologies and principles. We also look at the Annual Report of the case company and consider the role of the auditors. Then we start to see how financial statement analysis is used in practice.
Prepare Financial Statement and Ratio Analysis
- In this module we will learn the "nuts and bolts" behind the financial statements. We will see how business transactions affect the Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement and you will prepare a set of accounts. We will also learn about a range of financial metrics such as trends, and ratios.
Modelling In Excel
- Welcome to the topic of Modelling in Excel! In this module, we will learn how to build a financial model in Excel from the ground up. We will begin by reviewing fundamental Excel functions that are commonly used in financial modelling. After that, we will apply these skills to a real‑world case study using JB Hi‑Fi, where we will build an income statement and develop financial forecasts based on assumptions.
Final Assessment
- In this final module, you'll review the financial model you have built throughout the course and reinforce the key concepts covered. You'll also explore how these foundational skills can be applied in more advanced financial modelling and real-world business situations.