The firm I am doing a Financial Statement analysis of is Nike and what a financial analyst might find useful within its Annual Report. Nike will be interesting to research because of its popularity and how well it is doing financially. The financial analyst will review the financial statements along with the notes to develop an understanding of how the business is doing and their projected financial performance. Along with this information, the section labeled Management Discussion, and Analysis (MD&A) is also useful because it contains information not found in the financial data. "This section includes reporting of any favorable or unfavorable trends and substantial events or fears when it comes to liquidity, capital resources, and results of operations" (Fraser, 2010). Along with the financial statement and MD&A, the annual statement provides the detailed information required to disclose financial information and is an excellent tool for decision making. This Financial Analysis report will consist of:
financial statements
notes to the financial statements
the auditor's report
a five-year summary of key financial data
high and low stock prices
management's discussion and analysis of operations.