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Introduction to Financial Analysis - The "Why?"

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Introduction to Financial Analysis - The "Why?"

This course is part of Financial Analysis - Skills for Success Specialization

Instructor: Gies College of Business, University of Illinois

29,959 already enrolled

Included with

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3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

351 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

95%

Most learners liked this course

3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

351 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

95%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Estimate the value of basic financial securities such as bonds and stocks.
Define a financially analytic mindset and perspective.
Identify and apply fundamental finance and accounting principles.
Describe the purpose and components of financial statements.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

25 assignments

Taught in English

91%

of learners achieved a positive career outcome

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Financial Analysis - Skills for Success 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 3 modules in this course

In this course, you will learn the foundations important to developing and implementing a financially analytic mindset. This course introduces the foundations of financial analysis, beginning with the first question: what is financial analysis?

You will learn about the importance of adopting and applying a financial perspective. You will learn about accounting and finance principles and fundamentals. Accounting principles allow for the creation of consistent and reliable financial information. Key fundamentals of finance facilitate the use of a financially analytic mindset in different settings, including corporate and organizational, investment opportunities, and entrepreneurial settings. Ultimately, from this course, you will take away a strong foundational understanding of financial analysis, on which you can build further knowledge and skills related to financial analysis of organizations and organizational decisions and scenarios.

Module details

In this module, you will be introduced to the agency problem, and how organizations mitigate it. You will also learn the goals of financial management, and be be introduced to three basic forms to organize a business based on the nature of the business and its financing needs. Examining the goal of financial business helps us to develop a concrete framework to evaluate a manager’s financial decisions. The corporation organization form is widespread because it can solve problems facing big business, but it also incurs the agency cost.

What's included

7 videos6 readings5 assignments1 discussion prompt

7 videosTotal 35 minutes

Meet Professor Nerissa Brown4 minutes
Meet Professor Xi Yang2 minutes
Meet Professor Oktay Urcan2 minutes
Module 1 Introduction1 minute
The Goal of Financial Management8 minutes
Corporate Governance10 minutes
The Agency Problem8 minutes

6 readingsTotal 54 minutes

Syllabus10 minutes
Glossary10 minutes
About the Discussion Forums4 minutes
Updating Your Profile10 minutes
Module 1 Overview10 minutes
Module 1 Readings10 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 75 minutes

Introduction to Finance Quiz30 minutes
Orientation Quiz30 minutes
Lesson 1-1 Practice Quiz 5 minutes
Lesson 1-2.1 Practice Quiz5 minutes
Lesson 1-2.2 Practice Quiz5 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Getting to Know Your Classmates10 minutes

In this module, you will first learn about accounting and why it - as well as financial statements as a key component of accounting - is important to all types of organizations. You will then engage in an overview of key aspects of financial statements, including how they reflect an organization's position and performance. Finally, you will be introduced to accounting for transactions, which comprise the "building blocks" of financial statements. By the end of this module, you will have been introduced to key dimensions of accounting, and thus have created a foundation for a deeper dive into these concepts (presented in other related modules and courses).

What's included

10 videos2 readings12 assignments

10 videosTotal 73 minutes

Module 2 Introduction1 minute
What Is Accounting?14 minutes
Why Are Financial Statements Important?8 minutes
The Balance Sheet - An Introduction8 minutes
Statement of Cash Flows9 minutes
How Did You Perform?8 minutes
Income Statements7 minutes
Transaction and Transaction Worksheets4 minutes
T-Accounts, Debits, and Credits7 minutes
Journal Entry, Ledger, Trial Balance6 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Module 2 Overview 10 minutes
Module 2 Readings10 minutes

12 assignmentsTotal 230 minutes

Financial Reports and Company Position Quiz60 minutes
Company Performance Quiz60 minutes
Accounting for Transactions Quiz30 minutes
Lesson 2-1.1 Practice Quiz5 minutes
Lesson 2-1.2 Practice Quiz5 minutes
Lesson 2-2.1 Practice Quiz15 minutes
Lesson 2-2.2 Practice Quiz5 minutes
Lesson 2-3.1 Practice Quiz5 minutes
Lesson 2-3.2 Practice Quiz5 minutes
Lesson 2-4.1 Practice Quiz15 minutes
Lesson 2-4.2 Practice Quiz15 minutes
Lesson 2-4.3 Practice Quiz10 minutes

In this module, you will be introduced to the basic concepts about the time value of money: the present value, the future value, and the net present value. There are widespread applications of time value of money in our daily life and business valuation. Some examples include mortgage plan selection, pension plan choice, and investment decisions. And, of course, the time value of money affects organizational valuation and decision-making as well. You will then turn to different forms of financing, including debts (e.g., bonds) and equity (e.g., stocks). How a company finances its operations, strategy, and long-term investment has major implications for its valuation, as well as its success.