Postgraduate Course: Financial Analysis (BUST11001)

Course Outline
School	Business School	College	College of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	10	ECTS Credits	5
Summary	Financial Analysis is an important skill for all those in management positions who deal with financial statements as part of their understanding of a business. This includes those outside the business such as investment analysts and those responsible within the business for financial analysis and for relations with outside stakeholders including investors and banks. Financial statements do not exist in a vacuum but are a reflection of business activity. To understand financial statements it is necessary to understand business activity and vice versa. The course therefore is as much about business as it is about accounting. The course contrasts traditional accounting ratio techniques rooted in old economy perspectives of fixed asset utilisation and cost control, with financial analysis as a tool for assessing the performance and development of intangibles. This new economy perspective is particularly appropriate for knowledge companies in areas such as pharmaceuticals, consultancies, and software. Case studies are drawn from these industries and the Enron case is also covered as company which transformed from the old to the new economy.
Course description	Not entered

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	For Business School PG students only, or by special permission of the School. Please contact the course secretary.

Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, the student should be able to analyse a set of financial statements in conjunction with an annual report, identifying the key business issues so as to advise either investors or management on the financial performance and prospects for the business.