Core Financial Analysis

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Core Financial Analysis

This course is part of GenAI Enhanced Financial Analysis Specialization

Instructor: Microsoft

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13 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

13 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Apply variance analysis formulas for budget gap detection using Excel.
Evaluate financial ratios against industry benchmarks.
Evaluate financial statements using AI-powered insights.
Investigate margin erosion and cost drivers using Power BI analytics.

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Shareable certificate

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the GenAI Enhanced Financial Analysis Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 13 modules in this course

In this intermediate-level specialization, you will develop foundational financial analysis techniques using Excel, Power BI, and AI tools. You'll learn to evaluate budget variances, analyze financial ratios, decode financial statements, and calculate margins while leveraging AI tools to accelerate your workflow. Through hands-on exercises with real financial data, you'll build the analytical foundation needed for advanced FP&A work.

This course is for financial analysts, FP&A professionals, and business analysts with 1–3 years of experience. By the end of this course, you will be able to apply variance analysis formulas for budget gap detection using Excel, evaluate financial ratios against industry benchmarks, assess financial statements using AI-powered insights, and investigate margin erosion and cost drivers using Power BI analytics. This course requires Power BI Desktop, which runs on Windows PCs or Macs with Parallels Desktop. Microsoft 365 online can be used as an alternative, though the desktop version is recommended for full feature access. Microsoft Copilot is optional but enhances several activities with AI-powered insights.

Build an automated variance detection system in Excel that flags budget deviations exceeding thresholds. You'll use modern Excel formulas to compare actuals to budgets and highlight variances that require attention.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment

Discover how to use Power BI's AI-powered Decomposition Tree to drill into variance drivers. You will learn to navigate hierarchical data to identify the biggest contributors to budget deviations.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment

Learn to assess which variances require immediate attention based on materiality thresholds, business impact, and escalation policies. You'll develop the judgment to prioritize variance investigations.

What's included

2 videos1 reading2 assignments

Transform your variance analysis into clear, actionable communications. You'll learn to write effective variance explanations, create exception reports, and present findings that drive decisions.

What's included

2 videos1 reading3 assignments

Build a comprehensive ratio analysis model in Excel and compare results against industry benchmarks. You'll calculate key financial ratios and identify statistical outliers requiring attention.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment

Learn to spot meaningful patterns in ratio trends and connect changes to business events. You'll use visualization and analysis techniques to uncover the stories behind the numbers.

What's included

2 videos1 reading1 assignment

Transform your ratio analysis into executive-ready reports. You'll learn to synthesize complex findings into clear narratives, with professional visualizations that inform strategic decisions.

What's included

2 videos1 reading3 assignments

Build a comprehensive margin analysis model in Power Business Intelligence (Power BI) using Data Analysis Expressions (DAX). You'll create measures for gross margin and contribution margin at the product level, enabling granular profitability analysis.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment

Use Power BI's Key Influencers and decomposition analysis to identify what's driving margin changes. You'll learn to systematically investigate cost increases and margin erosion patterns.

What's included

3 videos1 reading1 assignment

Transform margin analysis into strategic recommendations. You'll evaluate improvement opportunities, prioritize actions, and create compelling presentations that drive pricing and cost decisions.

What's included

2 videos1 reading3 assignments

Harness Power BI Copilot to rapidly analyze income statement variances and identify key EBIT drivers. You'll learn to prompt AI effectively, interpret results, and validate insights for accuracy.

What's included

3 videos2 readings1 assignment

Create reusable financial analysis templates in Excel with automated formatting and alerts. You'll build a professional framework that standardizes your analysis process and highlights key insights automatically.

What's included

2 videos2 readings2 assignments

Bring together all core financial analysis skills in a comprehensive quarterly review project. You'll analyze a company's Q4 performance using variance analysis, financial ratios, margin investigation, and AI-powered insights to create an executive-ready report that simulates a real-world quarterly close process.

What's included

2 videos1 reading1 assignment

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Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Microsoft

346 Courses2,654,613 learners

Offered by

Microsoft

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Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.