FINANCIAL REPORTING

The course focuses on the basic concepts of financial accounting, which involves the preparation of financial statements, and provides the students with an insight on the key factors explaining corporate performance through the fundamentals analysis.

Students will be able to analyze and interpret three key financial statements (the Income Statement, the Balance Sheet and the Cash Flow Statement) and other financial information like ratios and key performance indicators used by managers and investors in their decision making process. In addition, students will be able to detect differences in annual reports due to national and international accounting standards to better compare company financial performance.

Basic knowledge of accounting and business administration.

The course will focus on the analysis of the balance sheet and income statement, in order to measure the financial performance using financial ratios and the cash flow dynamics.
More specifically, the course will cover the following topics:
- The content of the financial statement
- The balance sheet and its reclassifications
- The income statement and its reclassifications
- Disclosure of the ESG pillars
- The financial ratios and how to interpret them
- The cash flow statement and the short and medium-long term equilibria
- The impact of accounting standards (IAS, IFRS) on financial reports and ratios
- Hints of sustainability reporting

The book will be communicated during the first lecture of the course.

Further materials will be uploaded on the Moodle page of the course.

The exam will be written and made of three questions, both qualitative and quantitative. The structure will be described during the first lecture.

written

Regarding the grading scale (how grades will be assigned), regardless of attending or non-attending mode:

A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be assigned when:

- Adequate knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum are demonstrated.

- Limited ability to collect and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments.

- Sufficient communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the economic functioning of public services.

B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be assigned when:

- Good knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum are demonstrated.

- Fair ability to collect and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments.

- Adequate communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the economic functioning of public services.

C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be assigned when:

- Good or excellent knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum are demonstrated.

- Reasonable or excellent ability to collect and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments.

- Fully appropriate communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the economic functioning of public services.

D. Honors will be granted when there is excellent knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum, exceptional judgment, and communication skills.

Theory and practice: case studies, applications and practical exercises

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development