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Description

Financial Analysis: Reading the Accounts, Measuring Performance and Assessing Risk

Build a well-argued diagnosis of a company using nothing but its financial statements

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Reading a balance sheet is not enough to know whether a company will hold up. Raw figures lend themselves to any interpretation until they have been restated, placed in a multi-year trend and compared with sector benchmarks. Yet many credit, sourcing and partnership decisions are still taken on a quick glance at the bottom line.

Over two days, this programme builds a complete method: restating the financial statements, analysing the margin cascade, assessing financial balance, reading cash flow statements and finally writing a diagnosis. Each participant may work on the accounts of their own company or of a business partner.

Learning objectives

  • Restate a balance sheet and an income statement to make them fit for analysis
  • Calculate and interpret the successive margin and operating result levels
  • Measure financial balance through working capital and working capital requirement
  • Analyse how cash is generated and used through the cash flow statement
  • Assess the level of debt and the capacity to repay it
  • Write a documented diagnosis with practical recommendations

What makes this programme different

The same accounts are analysed first from a lender's perspective then from a supplier's
Each participant may work on the financial statements of their own company
The final diagnosis is presented orally and then challenged by the group

Programme

1Reading and Restating the Financial Statements

Making accounts comparable

  • Structure of the balance sheet and the income statement
  • Reading the notes to the financial statements and identifying decisive disclosures
  • Restating leases and discounted receivables not yet matured
  • Standalone accounts and consolidated accounts under IFRS
  • Treatment of non-recurring items

2Analysing Activity and Margins

Understanding how the result is formed

  • Successive margin levels and reading the income statement as a cascade
  • Revenue trends and the price versus volume effect
  • Fixed and variable cost structure and break-even point
  • Cash generated from operations and return on capital employed
  • Comparison with sector practice

3Financial Balance and Cash Position

Checking that the structure holds

  • Working capital
  • working capital requirement and net cash position
  • Breakdown of the working capital requirement by cycle
  • Debt levels
  • funding structure and repayment capacity
  • Cash flow statement and reading the three categories of flows
  • Warning signals of deterioration to monitor

4Diagnosis and Presentation

Reaching a conclusion and making it understood

  • Building a diagnostic framework
  • Ranking strengths and vulnerabilities
  • Factoring in the sector context and governance
  • Formulating operational recommendations
  • Writing a summary note

Who is it for

Accountants · management controllers · corporate relationship managers in banks · credit managers · buyers and SME owners who wish to read their own accounts.

Prerequisites

Familiarity with the structure of a balance sheet and an income statement.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.