This book, first published in 1977 and reissued in 1990, examines one of the most familiar aspects of accountancy – that of company financial reporting. Assessing the view that shareholders have little time for financial reports, this book presents the findings from a research project analysing whether or not shareholders understand financial reports; what they do and don’t understand; their use of financial reports; the type of shareholders who have the most, and least, understanding and who make most, and least, use of financial reports.

"All investors, from beginners to old hands, should gain from the use of this guide, as I have." From the Introduction by Michael F. Price, president, Franklin Mutual Advisors, Inc. Benjamin Graham has been called the most important investment thinker of the twentieth century. As a master investor, pioneering stock analyst, and mentor to investment superstars, he has no peer. The volume you hold in your hands is Graham's timeless guide to interpreting and understanding financial statements. It has long been out of print, but now joins Graham's other masterpieces, The Intelligent Investor and Security Analysis, as the three priceless keys to understanding Graham and value investing. The advice he offers in this book is as useful and prescient today as it was sixty years ago. As he writes in the preface, "if you have precise information as to a company's present financial position and its past earnings record, you are better equipped to gauge its future possibilities. And this is the essential function and value of security analysis." Written just three years after his landmark Security Analysis, The Interpretation of Financial Statements gets to the heart of the master's ideas on value investing in astonishingly few pages. Readers will learn to analyze a company's balance sheets and income statements and arrive at a true understanding of its financial position and earnings record. Graham provides simple tests any reader can apply to determine the financial health and well-being of any company. This volume is an exact text replica of the first edition of The Interpretation of Financial Statements, published by Harper & Brothers in 1937. Graham's original language has been restored, and readers can be assured that every idea and technique presented here appears exactly as Graham intended. Highly practical and accessible, it is an essential guide for all business people--and makes the perfect companion volume to Graham's investment masterpiece The Intelligent Investor.

This is the first and only book to combine the concept of shareholder value creation with the financial reporting process. Readers will discover the clear links between shareholder value creation, the financial accounting statements, and the market value of the firm. They'll also explore the steps leading from good decisions by management to strong financial statements, and higher shareholder value and stock prices. Throughout the pages, the authors strike an effective balance among the mechanics underlying the preparation of the statements, the measurement issues behind the mechanics, and the economic context in which the statements are prepared and used.

Essay from the year 2011 in the subject Business economics - Banking, Stock Exchanges, Insurance, Accounting, grade: A, University of Westminster, course: BSc (Hons) Accounting and Business Management, language: English, abstract: The annual report that a company must send to its shareholders is a key part of the directors’ fulfilling their stewardship function. Explain this to a shareholder who has just received their company’s latest annual report. Areas covered include; •the nature of financial reporting •the function of the four financial statements-statement of comprehensive income, statement of financial position, statement of cash flow and the statement of changes in equity. •the function of the supporting notes, with particular reference to the disclosure of accounting policies and their role within the overall report. •the ways in which financial information provided to shareholders is regulated in the UK with reference to the reasons for the major shifts in the UK regulatory framework in the last twenty years. •effectiveness in maintaining investor’s confidence in published annual reports. •identifying which, in your opinion, has been the most significant development to affect the regulatory framework in recent years. Give reasons.

The text and images in this book are in grayscale. A hardback color version is available. Search for ISBN 9781680922929. Principles of Accounting is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of a two-semester accounting course that covers the fundamentals of financial and managerial accounting. This book is specifically designed to appeal to both accounting and non-accounting majors, exposing students to the core concepts of accounting in familiar ways to build a strong foundation that can be applied across business fields. Each chapter opens with a relatable real-life scenario for today's college student. Thoughtfully designed examples are presented throughout each chapter, allowing students to build on emerging accounting knowledge. Concepts are further reinforced through applicable connections to more detailed business processes. Students are immersed in the "why" as well as the "how" aspects of accounting in order to reinforce concepts and promote comprehension over rote memorization.

"Financial Statements is a perfect introduction to financial accounting for non-financial managers, investors, business students, lawyers, lenders, entrepreneurs, and more. Financial Statements deftly shows that all this accounting and financial-reporting stuff is not rocket science and that anyone can understand it! Ittelson empowers non-financial managers by clearly and simply demonstrating how the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement work together to offer a snapshot of any company's financial health. Every term is defined in simple, understandable language. Every concept is explained with a basic, straightforward transaction example. And with the book's uniquely visual approach, you'll be able to see exactly how each transaction affects the three key financial statements of the enterprise. Each statement paints a different and essential picture--the (3z (Bthree-legged stool (3y (Bof company reporting"--Amazon.com.

Over 200,000 copies sold! Thomas R. Ittelson's master work for entrepreneurs, non-financial managers, business students, lawyers, lenders, and investors - the bestselling book of its kind, with over 200,000 copies in print - has gotten even better with this 20th anniversary edition. Ittelson is an expert at translating complicated financial topics in an accessible way for non-financial audiences. In this book, he empowers readers by clearly and simply demonstrating how the three major accounting statements interact to offer a snapshot of a company's financial health. This book teaches readers how to use specialized accounting vocabulary and makes accessible the structure and purpose of the three major numeric statements that describe a company's financial condition. Each statement paints a different and essential picture - the "three-legged stool" of company reporting: The income statement shows the manufacturing (or service offerings) and selling actions of the company that result in profit or loss during a period. It gives a very important perspective on the company's performance, its profitability. The cash flow statement details cash into and out of the company for a period. You need money to make money. Running out of cash is bad. Duh. The balance sheet records at the end of a period, an instant in time, what the company owns and what it owes, including the owners' stake, called shareholders' equity. With two new major topic sections (nonprofit organization accounting and pricing theory for profitability) and spot color reformatting to improve comprehension, this third edition of Financial Statements is simply the clearest and most comprehensive introduction to financial reporting available. No accounting background is required.