Business Analyst — Financial Analysis & Modeling
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What you'll learn:
**Description**: Focus on understanding the nuances of financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement). Analyze key financial ratios across profitability, liquidity, solvency, and efficiency. Explore advanced techniques for identifying trends, evaluating risk, and uncovering potential red flags in financial performance. This includes detailed analysis of industry-specific ratios and comparing a company's performance against its peers. **Specific Resources or Activities**: Review annual reports of publicly traded companies (e.g., from the S&P 500). Focus on footnotes to understand accounting methods. Calculate and interpret key ratios. Study examples of financial statement fraud and how to detect them. **Expected Outcomes**: Deepened understanding of financial statement components and interrelationships. Ability to calculate, interpret, and apply advanced financial ratios to assess a company’s financial health and risk profile. Identify potential areas of concern and investment opportunities.
Personal Notes:
What you'll learn:
**Description**: Build a comprehensive 3-statement financial model (income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement). Incorporate advanced features such as: detailed revenue and expense projections, working capital management, debt and equity modeling, and depreciation schedules. Focus on sensitivity analysis, scenario planning, and understanding how different assumptions affect the model's outputs. Learn to build models that can handle complex business environments and changing economic conditions. **Specific Resources or Activities**: Download financial model templates and practice building them from scratch. Use Excel (or a comparable modeling software). Focus on linking all three statements and ensuring accuracy. Create various scenarios with different assumptions (e.g., growth rates, interest rates, inflation). **Expected Outcomes**: Ability to construct a robust, dynamic 3-statement financial model from scratch. Proficiency in incorporating key assumptions and conducting sensitivity and scenario analysis. Ability to use the model to forecast future financial performance.
Personal Notes:
What you'll learn:
**Description**: Deepen the understanding of DCF valuation. Explore various methods, including free cash flow to firm (FCFF) and free cash flow to equity (FCFE). Develop skills in forecasting cash flows, selecting an appropriate discount rate (WACC and cost of equity), and determining terminal value. Learn to handle complex scenarios, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A) valuations and private equity valuations. **Specific Resources or Activities**: Review industry-specific DCF case studies. Practice calculating WACC, Cost of Equity, and terminal values. Build a detailed DCF model using historical financial data and forward-looking assumptions. Analyze the impact of different assumptions on the final valuation. **Expected Outcomes**: Mastery of DCF methodologies. Ability to conduct robust and insightful company valuations. Understanding the implications of different valuation methods and assumptions.
Personal Notes:
What you'll learn:
**Description**: Focus on financial modeling for M&A transactions. Learn about synergies modeling, accretion/dilution analysis, and the impact of different financing structures. Explore techniques for valuing target companies, structuring deals, and modeling the combined financials of the acquirer and the target. **Specific Resources or Activities**: Study M&A case studies and deal terms. Build an M&A model to analyze a hypothetical transaction. Perform accretion/dilution analysis under various financing scenarios. Practice sensitivity analysis of the deal. **Expected Outcomes**: Ability to build and interpret M&A models. Understanding of how financial modeling informs strategic decisions in M&A deals. Ability to assess the financial impact of a deal on the acquiring company.
Personal Notes:
What you'll learn:
**Description**: Delve into advanced capital budgeting techniques. Explore how to evaluate projects using Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Payback Period, and Profitability Index (PI). Focus on considering risk and uncertainty in project analysis using sensitivity analysis, scenario analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations. **Specific Resources or Activities**: Review project analysis examples from different industries. Build a project analysis model that incorporates risk and uncertainty. Practice sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of different capital budgeting techniques. **Expected Outcomes**: Proficiency in capital budgeting techniques and risk analysis. Ability to make informed investment decisions based on financial modeling.
Personal Notes:
What you'll learn:
**Description**: Master advanced Excel techniques for financial modeling and data analysis. Focus on: Using advanced Excel functions (INDEX/MATCH, OFFSET, INDIRECT), VBA for automation, data cleaning, and manipulation with Power Query/Get & Transform. Explore data visualization techniques to effectively communicate financial results and insights. **Specific Resources or Activities**: Practice using advanced Excel functions and VBA. Explore Power Query for data manipulation. Learn to create effective financial dashboards and visualizations using Excel's charting tools. Work through advanced Excel tutorials focused on financial modeling. **Expected Outcomes**: Enhanced Excel skills for efficient financial modeling and data analysis. Ability to automate tasks and create compelling financial visualizations.
Personal Notes:
What you'll learn:
**Description**: Apply the learned knowledge and skills to a comprehensive case study involving financial analysis and modeling. The case study should present a complex business scenario requiring the development of a 3-statement model, DCF valuation, and M&A analysis. Analyze the results and make recommendations based on the findings. Conduct a self-assessment and identify areas for further improvement. **Specific Resources or Activities**: Complete a comprehensive case study. Prepare a presentation summarizing the analysis and recommendations. Review the week's notes and resources. **Expected Outcomes**: The ability to synthesize and apply all the learned concepts and skills to a real-world financial analysis and modeling scenario. Confidence in using financial modeling to inform business decisions. A strong understanding of financial analysis and modeling, positioning for career advancement and complex business problems.
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