Knowledge and understanding: The course aims to provide students with critical approach in understanding the information potential contained in the financial statements to publish. For this purpose, the students will be provided with knowledge about logic and tools of the financial statement analysis useful for representing and understanding the processes of business management, acquiring a specific language. In particular, reclassifications of financial statements, ratio analysis and cash flow, will enable students to learn about the main profitability indicators, capital strength and liquidity indicators, and to understand their relationships, deriving a coordinated system of indicators for appreciation the levels of efficiency and performance. In addition, the focus will be on financial communication peculiarities, with the aim of analyzing the informative role of other documents closely connected with the financial analysis of a company.

Applying knowledge and understanding: The aquired knowledge in the financial statement analysis will ensure that students acquire the necessary tools to analyze the economic and financial position of the company from the perspective of an external analyst. The student will be able to to choose and apply different criteria for the restated balance sheet and the restated income statement; and to build a system of economic and financial indicators. Students also acquire the tools necessary for a better understanding of the financial statements and for a more effective analysis of earnings quality.

Making judgements: The course will enable students to develop a range of opinion, and will put him/her in the position to express critical considerations about the results derived from the financial statements, the fiscal policies adopted by companies and the manipulation techniques of certain balance sheet items.

Communication skills: Based on the acquired knowledge, students can develop communication and social skills for business consulting and accounting assessments, working in positions related to the administrative and managerial function.

Learning skills: The study of the discipline will enable the student to understand the logic and assumptions of the financial statement analysis, reclassification procedures and the tipologies of analyses. In particular, the student will be able to build, comment and connect margins and ratios derived from the financial statement in order to know their informational value for the purpose of appreciation.