5.1 Balance Sheet
5.2 Income Statement
5.3 Statement of Cash Flow
5.4 Key Financial Ratios
5.5 Stock Analysts’ Reports
It is very easy to drown in corporate financial information. If you have no experience in reviewing financial documents, go first to our Financial Analysis for Union Researchers or one of the many guides to corporate finance online, such as the Merrill Lynch Guide to Understanding Financial Analysis. There are many places to access a company’s financial statement, but for the first-time user we would recommend getting your firm’s balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow from Yahoo Finance, which provides the simplest version of these statements. As you become more familiar with them you can explore more detailed statements which are available in the company’s Annual Return.
In addition to the financial statements, financial analysts utilize financial ratios. This allows them to track the performance of a firm over time and to compare it to others in the industry. For a basic introduction to financial ratios, go to our Financial Analysis for Union Researchers. Mergent Online (fee-based) is an excellent source of financial ratios.
There are many stock analysts reports online.
UMass Resources (for UMass students only)
Mergent Online is the best site for accessing corporate financial information. You can see in-depth financial statements as well as a number of financial ratios.