毕业外文翻译财务报表分析与运用文档格式.docx
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TheUnitedSateshasthemostcomplexfinancialreportingsystemintheword..Detailedac-countingprinciplesareaugmentedbyextensivedisclosurerequirements.Thefinancialstate-mentsoflargemultinationalsadduptodozensofpages,andmanyofthesefirmsvoluntarilypublishadditional“factbooks”fordisseminationtofinancialanalysisandotherinterestedusers.
Financialreportinginothermajordevelopedcountriesandmanyemergingmarketshasalsoevolvedsubstantiallyinrecentyears.withanincreasingemphasisonprovidinginformationusefultobothdomesticandforeigncreditorsandequityinvestors.InternationalAccountingStandardshavebecomeacrediblerivaltoU.S.standards.
Inanidealword,theuseroffinancialstatementscouldfocusonlyonthebottomlinesfinancialreporting:
netincomeandstockholders’equity.Iffinancialstatementswerecomparableamongcompanies(regardlessofcountry),consistentovertime,andalwaysfullyreflectingtheeconomicpositionoffirm,financialstatementanalysiswouldbesimple,andthistextaveryshortone.
Thefinancialreportingsystemisnotperfect.Economiceventsandaccountingentriesdonotcorrespondprecisely;
theydivergeacrossthedimensionsoftiming,recognition,andmeasurement.Financialanalysisandinvestmentdecisionsarefurthercomplicatedbyvariationsinaccountingtreatmentamongcountriesineachofthesedimensions.
Economiceventsandaccountingrecognitionofthoseeventsfrequentlytakeplaceatdifferenttimes.Oneexampleofphenomenonistherecognitionofcapitalgainsandlossesonlyuponsaleinmostcases.Appreciationofarealestateinvestment,whichtookplaceoveraperiodofmanyyears,forexample,receivesincomestatementrecognitiononlyintheperiodmanagementchoosesforitsdisposal.
Similarly,long-livedassetsarewrittendown.Mostoftime.Inthefiscalperiodofmanagement’schoice.Theperiodofrecognitionmaybeneithertheperiodinwhichtheimpairmenttookplacenortheperiodofsaleordisposal.Accountingfordiscontinuedoperations.Inthesamemanner.Resultsinrecognitionoflossinaperioddifferentfromwhenthelossoccurredorthedisposalisconsummated.
Inaddition,manyeconomiceventsdonotreceiveaccountingrecognitionatall.Mostcontracts,forexample,arenotreflectedinfinancialstatementswhenenteredinto,despitesignificanteffectsonfinancialconditionandoperatingandfinancialrisk.Somecontracts,suchasleasesandhedgingactivities,arerecognizedinthefinancialstatementsbysomecompanies,butdisclosedonlyinfootnotesbyothers.Disclosurerequirementsforderivativesandhedgingactivitiesareinplaceinmanyjurisdictions,butrecognitionandmeasurementisonlyrecentlyrequiredintheUnitedStated.
Further,generallyacceptedaccountingprinciples(GAAP)intheUnitedStatesandelsewherepermiteconomiceventsthatdoreceiveaccountingrecognitiontoberecognizedindifferentwaysbydifferentfinancialstatementprepares.Inventoryanddepreciationoffixedassetsareonlytwoofthesignificantareaswherecomparabilitymaybelacking.
Financialreportsoftencontainsupplementarydatathat,althoughnotincludedinthestatementsthemselves,helpthefinancialstatementusertointerpretthestatementsoradjustmeasuresofcorporateperformance(suchasfinancialratios)tomakethemmorecomparable,consistentovertime,andmorerepresentativeofeconomicreality.Whenmakingadjustmentstofinancialstatements,wewillseektodiscernsubstancefromformandexploittheinformationcontainedinfootnotesandsupplementaryschedulesofdataintheannualreportandSECfilings.Theanalytictreatmentof“off-balance-sheet”financingactivitiesisagoodexampleofthisprocess.WealsoillustratetheuseofreconciliationstoU.S.GAAPinforeignregistrants’Form20-Ffilings.
Finally,informationfromoutsidethefinancialreportingprocesscanbeusedtomakefinancialdatamoreuseful.Estimatingtheeffectsofchangingpricesoncorporateperformance,forexample,mayrequiretheuseofpricedatafromoutsidesources.
FOCUSONINVESTMENTDECISIONS
Thisbookisconcernedwiththeconceptsandtechniquesoffinancialanalysisemployedbyusersoffinancialstatementswhoareexternaltothecompany.Principalemphasisisonthefinancialstatementsofcompanieswhosesecuritiesarepubliclytraded.ThetechniquesdescribedaregenerallyapplicabletotheanalysisoffinancialstatementspreparedaccordingtoU.S.GAAP.However,wewillalsodiscussthepronouncementsoftheInternationalAccountingStandardsBoard(IASB)andstandardsettersinothercountries,comparethemtoU.S.GAAP,andanalyzefinancialstatementspreparedinaccordancewiththeseotherreportingstandards.
ClassesofUsers
Externalusersoffinancialinformationencompassawiderangeofinterestsbutcanbeclassifiedintothreegeneralgroups:
Creditandequityinvestors
Government(executiveandlegislativebranches),regulatorybodies,andtaxauthorities
Thegeneralpublicandspecialinterestgroups,laborunions,andconsumergroups
Eachoftheseusergroupshasaparticularobjectiveinfinancialstatementanalysis,but,astheFASBstated,theprimaryuserareequityinvestorsandcreditors.However,theinformationsuppliedtoinvestorsandcreditorsislikelytobegenerallyusefultootherusergroupsaswell.Hence,financialaccountingstandardsaregearedtothepurposesandperceptionsofinvestorsandcreditors.Thatisthegroupforwhomtheanalyticaltechniquesinthisbookareintended.
Theunderlyingobjectiveoffinancialanalysisisthecomparativemeasurementofriskandreturntomakeinvestmentorcreditdecisions.Thesedecisionsrequireestimatesofthefuture,beitamouth,ayear,oradecade.General-purposefinancialstatements,whichdescribethepast,provideonebasisforprojectingfutureearningsandcashflows.Manyofthetechniquesusedinthisanalyticalprocessarebroadlyapplicabletoalltypesofdecisions,buttherearealsospecializedtechniquesconcernedwithspecificinvestmentinterestsor,inotherwords,risksandreturnsspecifictooneclassofinvestorsorsecurities.
Theequityinvestorisprimarilyinterestedinthelong-termpowerofthecompany,itsabilitytogrow,and,ultimately,itsabilitytopaydividendsandincreaseinvalue.Sincetheequityinvestorbearstheresidualriskinanenterprise,thelargestandmostvolatilerisk,therequireanalysisisthemostcomprehensiveofanyuserandencompassestechniquesemployedbyallotherexternaluser.
Creditorsneedsomewhatdifferentanalyticalapproaches.Short-termcreditors,suchasbanksandtradecreditors,placemoreemphasisontheimmediateliquidityofthebusinessbecausetheyseekanearlypaybackoftheirinvestment.Long-termearningpowerofthecompanyinvestorsinbonds,suchasinsurancecompaniesandpensionfunds,areprimarilyconcernedwiththelong-termassetpositionandearningpowerofthecompany.Theyseekassuranceofthepaymentofinterestandthecapabilityofretiringorrefundingtheobligationatmaturity.Creditrisksareusuallysmallerthanequityrisksandmaybemoreeasilyquantifiable.
Moresubordinatedorjuniorcreditors,especiallyownersof“high-yield”debt,however,bearrisksimilartothoseofequityinvestorsandmayfindanalytictechniquesnormallyappliedtoequityinvestmentsmorerelevantthanthoseemployedbycreditors.
FinancialInformationandCapitalMarkets
Theusefulnessofaccountinginformationinthedecision-makingprocessesofinvestorsandcreditorshasbeenthesubjectofmuchacademicresearchoverthelast35years.Thatresearchhasexaminedtheinterrelationshipofaccountinginformationandreportingstandardsinfinancialmarketsingreatdetail.Attimes,theresearchconclusionsarehighlycriticaloftheaccountingstandard-settingprocessandoftheutilityoffinancialanalysis.Thiscriticismisbasedonresearchperformedinacapitalmarketsetting.Thesefindingsdonotnegatetheusefulnessoffinancialanalysisofindividualsecuritiesthatmaybemispricedorofdecisionsmadeoutsideacapitalmarketsetting.
PRINCIPALFINANCIALSTATEMENTS
TheBalanceSheet
Thebalancesheet(statementoffinancialposition)reportsmajorclassesandamountsofassets(resourcesownedorcontrolledbythefirm),liabilities(externalclaimsonthoseassets),andstockholder’equity(owners’capitalcontributionsandotherinternallygeneratedsourcesofcapital)andtheirinterrelationshipsatspecificpointsintime.
Assetsreportedonthebalancesheetareeitherpurchasedbuythefirmorgeneratedthroughoperations:
theyare,directlyorindirectly,financesbythecreditorsandstockholdersofthefirm.Thefundamentalaccountingrelationshipprovidesthebasisforrecordingalltransactionsinfinancialreportingandisexpressedasthebalancesheetequation:
Assets(A)=Liabilities(L)+Stockholders’Equity(E)
IntheUnitedStatesfirmissuebalancesheetsattheendofeachquarterandtheendofthefiscal.Annualorsemiannualreportinginthenorminmostothercountries.
ElementsoftheBalanceSheet
SFAC6discussestheelementsoffinancialstatements.Althoughthisstatementalsodealswithnonprofitorganizations,werestrictourcommentstobusinessenterprises.
AssetsaredefinedinSFAC6as
Probablefutureeconomicbenefitsobtainedorcontrolledbyaparticularentityasaresultofpasttransactionsorevents.
Thisdefinitionseemstobenoncontroversial.Itsweaknessisitslackofreferencetorisk.Itseemstousthatanenterprisethat