accounting, and describe the roles impact of accounting standards such the accounting equation, and of private and public accountants. as GAAP and the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act explain the purpose of double‐entry on corporate accounting. bookkeeping and the matching principle. Summary: Accounting is the system a Summary: Accounting standards such as Summary: The basic accounting business uses to identify, measure, and GAAP help ensure consistent financial equation is Assets = Liabilities + Owners’ communicate financial information to reporting, which is essential for equity. Double‐entry bookkeeping is a others, inside and outside the regulators and investors to make system of recording every financial organization. Accountants perform a informed decisions. To ensure transaction twice in order to keep the wide variety of tasks, including preparing consistency on a global scale, GAAP is accounting equation in balance. The financial statements, analyzing and likely to be merged with the matching principle makes sure that interpreting financial information, international financial reports standards expenses incurred in producing revenues preparing financial forecasts and (IFRS) in the coming years. Sarbanes‐ are deducted from the revenue they budgets, preparing tax returns, Oxley introduced a number of rules generated during the same accounting interpreting tax law, computing and covering the way publicly traded period. analyzing production costs, evaluating a companies manage and report their Critical thinking: (1) How does double‐ company’s performance, and analyzing finances, including restricting loans to entry bookkeeping help eliminate the financial implications of business directors and executives, creating a new errors? (2) Why is accrual‐based decisions. Private accountants work for board to oversee public auditors, accounting considered more fraud‐proof corporations, government agencies, and requiring corporate lawyers to report than cash‐based accounting? not‐for‐profit organizations, performing financial wrongdoing, requiring CEOs and various accounting functions for their CFOs to sign financial statements under It’s your business: (1) Does looking at employers. Public accountants, in oath, and requiring companies to the accounting equation make you contrast, sell their services to individuals document their financial systems. reconsider your personal spending and organizations. One of the most habits? (Think about taking on liabilities Critical thinking: (1) Should U.S. public important functions of public that don’t create any long‐term assets, companies with no significant overseas accountants is performing audits, a for example.) (2) How would accrual business activity be forced to follow formal evaluation of a company’s basis accounting give you better insights international accounting standards? Why accounting records and processes. into your personal finances? or why not? (2) How does requiring CEOs Critical thinking: (1) Why would a private to personally attest to the accuracy of Key terms to know: assets, liabilities, accountant bother with becoming a financial statements eliminate errors and owners’ equity, accounting equation, CPA? (2) What effect can unreliable or misrepresentations? double‐entry bookkeeping, matching uncertain accounting have on the principle, accrual basis, cash basis, economy? It’s your business: (1) How might the depreciation convergence of GAAP and IFRS in the It’s your business: (1) How rigorous are coming years affect you as an investor? your personal bookkeeping and (2) If you were considering buying stock accounting efforts? Do you keep in a company, would you support accurate records, analyze spending, and rigorous and detailed financial set budgets? (2) If you don’t really accountability such as that called for by account for your personal finances, how Section 404 of Sarbanes‐Oxley? Why or might doing so help you, now and in the why not? future? Key terms to know: generally accepted Key terms to know: accounting, financial accounting principles (GAAP), external accounting, management accounting, auditors, international financial reporting bookkeeping, private accountants, standards (IFRS), Sarbanes‐Oxley controller, certified public accountants (CPAs), public accountants, audit
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Chapter 17 topics at http://real-timeupdates.com Copyright 2011 Bovée and Thill LLC LEARNING OBJECTIVE 4: Identify the LEARNING OBJECTIVE 5: Explain the LEARNING OBJECTIVE 6: Explain the major financial statements, and purpose of the income statement purpose of ratio analysis, and list explain how to read a balance sheet. and statement of cash flows. the four main categories of financial ratios.
Summary: The three major financial Summary: The income statement, also Summary: Financial ratios provide statements are the balance sheet, the known as the profit and loss statement, information for analyzing the health and income statement, and the statement of reflects the results of operations over a future prospects of a business. Ratios cash flows. The balance sheet provides a period of time. It gives a general sense of facilitate financial comparisons among snapshot of the business at a particular a company’s size and performance. The different‐size companies and between a point in time. It shows the size of the statement of cash flows shows how a company and industry averages. Most of company, the major assets owned, the company’s cash was received and spent the important ratios fall into one of four ways the assets are financed, and the in three areas: operations, investments, categories: profitability ratios, which amount of owners’ investment in the and financing. It gives a general sense of show how well the company generates business. Its three main sections are the amount of cash created or consumed profits; liquidity ratios, which measure assets, liabilities, and owners’ equity. by daily operations, fixed assets, the company’s ability to pay its short‐ investments, and debt over a period of term obligations; activity ratios, which Critical thinking: (1) Why do analysts time. analyze how well a company is managing need to consider different factors when its assets; and debt ratios, which evaluating a company’s ability to repay Critical thinking: (1) How could two measure a company’s ability to pay its short‐term versus long‐term debt? (2) companies with similar gross profit long‐term debt. Would the current amount of the figures end up with dramatically owners’ equity be a reasonable price to different net operating income? (2) How Critical thinking: (1) Why is it so pay for a company? Why or why not? might a statement of cash flows help a important to be aware of extraordinary turnaround expert decide how to rescue items when analyzing a company’s It’s your business: (1) What are your a struggling company? finances? (2) Why is the quick ratio current and long‐term financial frequently a better indicator than the liabilities? Are these liabilities restricting It’s your business: (1) What would your current ratio of a firm’s ability to pay its your flexibility as a student or consumer? personal income statement look like bills? (2) As a potential employee, what today? Are you operating “at a profit” or intangible assets can you offer a “at a loss”? (2) What steps could you It’s your business: (1) Assume you are company? take to reduce your “operating about to make a significant consumer expenses”? purchase, and the product is available at Key terms to know: closing the books, two local stores, one with high inventory balance sheet, calendar year, fiscal year, Key terms to know: income statement, turnover and one with low. Which store current assets, fixed assets, current expenses, net income, cost of goods would you choose based on this liabilities, long‐term liabilities, retained sold, gross profit, operating expenses, information? Why? (2) If you were earnings EBITDA, statement of cash flows applying for a home mortgage loan today, would a lender view your debt‐to‐ assets ratio favorably? Why or why not? Key terms to know: return on sales, return on equity, earnings per share, working capital, current ratio, quick ratio, inventory turnover ratio, accounts receivable turnover ratio, debt‐to‐equity ratio, debt‐to‐assets ratio