Accounting involves recording, classifying, and summarizing business transactions to provide internal and external stakeholders with accurate information for decision-making. Financial statement analysis evaluates the recorded financial data and a company’s financial health by looking at the three core financial statements: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement. 

These open-access course notes are excellent resources for financial analysts, auditors, bankers, consultants, small-business owners, and finance students who wish to understand better the basic accounting principles and the major elements of financial statements. You’ll also learn about the most common types of financial ratios tracked by investors and financial managers.  

Equip yourself with theoretical knowledge and practice your skills with real-life case studies in our Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis course.  

Explore related topics and practice with our free Excel templates on Cash Flow Statement, Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and the 3-Statement Model. Additionally, you can access our free all-in-one list of the Fundamentals of Financial Reporting Formulas.