Basic ratio analysis can tell you whether a company made a profit last year. It cannot tell a decision-maker whether that company is worth acquiring, how it will hold up in a downturn, or what its numbers imply about the road ahead. That gap between a surface-level review and real strategic insight is exactly where advanced financial analysis comes in.

This programme is designed to close that gap. Participants move beyond routine ratio calculations into in-depth techniques for evaluating creditworthiness, forecasting and valuation, sensitivity and risk, and financial analysis in mergers, acquisitions and economic crises — all tied back to the organisation’s overall strategy. Delivered by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy, the course positions financial analysis as a core managerial tool, not just a numerical exercise.

Who Should Attend?

• Internal and external auditors
• Senior financial managers and experienced accountants seeking to sharpen their analytical skills
• Staff in financial planning and budgeting departments
• Financial consultants and investment analysts

Knowledge and Benefits

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Apply advanced financial ratios and tools to evaluate financial performance in depth
• Analyse financial statements to support accurate, strategic decision-making
• Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in an institution’s financial standing
• Develop professional analytical financial reports tailored for top management
• Understand the concepts and practical applications of advanced financial analysis in modern business

• From Traditional to Advanced: Foundations of Financial Analysis

  • Differences between traditional and advanced financial analysis, and its goals from a managerial perspective
  • Sources of financial data used in analysis
  • Accounting principles impacting financial reports and the effect of accounting policies on results
  • Differences between international and local accounting standards

• Ratio-Based and Trend Analysis of Financial Statements

  • Profitability, operational profitability, liquidity, efficiency, leverage and debt ratios
  • Steps for conducting horizontal (trend) analysis
  • Vertical analysis to assess financial structure, and combining both methods to read financial trends

• Advanced Cash Flow Analysis

  • Understanding the components of the cash flow statement
  • Differentiating between operating, investing and financing cash flows
  • Assessing liquidity and cash flow efficiency

• Working Capital Management and Liquidity

  • Components of operating working capital
  • The relationship between working capital and liquidity
  • Strategies to improve working capital management

• Advanced Ratios, Creditworthiness and Solvency

  • Coverage and capital structure ratios, and market valuation ratios
  • Cross-analysis of financial ratios to assess risk
  • Assessing institutional creditworthiness and key indicators for measuring solvency
  • Reading and interpreting credit reports

• Linking Financial Analysis to Strategy

  • Linking financial indicators with strategic objectives
  • Tools such as Economic Value Added (EVA)
  • Using financial analysis to evaluate strategic decisions

• Analysing Business Groups and Holding Companies

  • Challenges in multi-entity environments
  • Consolidation of financial statements and analysis
  • Analysing intercompany transactions

• Risk, Sensitivity, Forecasting and Valuation

  • Analysing the impact of financial assumption changes, using quantitative models to evaluate risk
  • Hedging tools and financial risk management
  • Preparing financial forecasts based on historical analysis
  • Using discounted cash flows to determine present value, and break-even and cost-benefit analysis

• Financial Analysis for M&A and Investment Projects

  • Assessing financial health prior to mergers and acquisitions, and evaluating financial and strategic feasibility
  • Consolidating post-merger statements and analysing impact
  • Evaluating the financial feasibility of new investment projects, and risk and return indicators
  • The link between financial analysis and feasibility studies

• Financial Planning, Budgeting and Excel-Based Modelling

  • Preparing operating and capital budgets
  • Gap analysis between actual and planned performance, and the role of financial analysis in future planning
  • Building financial models in Excel using advanced formulas and functions
  • Creating dynamic analytical reports

• Financial Analysis in Times of Crisis

  • Analytical strategies in times of uncertainty
  • Evaluating financial crisis impacts on the organisation
  • Early warning indicators for financial distress

• Reporting Quality: Preparing Analysis for Top Management

  • Designing reports tailored for executives and presenting results in clear business language
  • Providing strategic recommendations based on findings
  • Characteristics of effective financial analysis and tools for verifying data accuracy
  • Key performance indicators for analysis quality

• Ethics and Comprehensive Performance Evaluation

  • Integrity and objectivity in report preparation, and dealing with conflicts of interest
  • Safeguarding sensitive financial data and information
  • Integrated analysis of profitability, efficiency and liquidity using financial KPIs
  • Building financial dashboards for performance tracking

• Putting It All Together: Review and Application

  • Summarising the tools and concepts learned
  • Applying financial analysis in real-world scenarios
  • Building a self-development plan for financial analysts