Financial Reporting & Analysis

Many headlines in today's leading business publications talk about how managers are "cookin' the books" to meet earnings targets or analysts' earnings projections. How can managers utilize the flexibility in GAAP to manipulate the numbers for their own purposes? How can analysts learn how to uncover the hidden truths behind reported accounting numbers and interpret financial statements correctly?

Financial Reporting & Analysis by Revsine/Collins/Johnson emphasizes both the process of financial reporting and the analysis of financial statements. This book employs a true "user" perspective by discussing the contracting and decision implications of accounting--and this helps readers understand why accounting choices matter and to whom. Revsine, Collins, and Johnson train their readers to be good financial detectives, able to read, use, and interpret the statements and-most importantly--understand how and why managers can utilize the flexibility in GAAP to manipulate the numbers for their own purposes.

Extensive real-world examples are designed to build interest and expand understanding not only of current practices, but also how to make comparisons between firms. For example:

* See how the Regina Company's management team manipulated the numbers in the annual report to suggest a $10.9 million profit when they had actually lost $16.8 million (chapter 1)

* Discover how Kmart Corporation managers used legitimate accounting means to keep a substantial portion of their leases off the balance sheet to enhance their reported return on assets and debt/equity ratio-and then see how Revsine, Collins, and Johnson use financial statement footnotes to undo this accounting choice and put the numbers back onto the balance sheet (Chapter 11)

* See what happened at Bausch & Lomb when managers treated shipments of products to distributors as final sales. Managers who have not used this text would only know how that receivables increased, whereas financial detectives learning from Revsine, Collins, and Johnson would know that something was amiss when collections slowed and receivables increased faster than sales (Chapter 7).

FR&A perfectly meets the guidelines for the new 150 hour requirement for CPA certification through the development of analytical and conceptual thinking, problem solving, and understanding of why accounting really matters. Moreover, because of its unique user focus and analysis orientation, this book is well suited for preparing for all levels of the Chartered Financial Analysts' (CFA) exam. Readers will be better prepared for both the CPA and CFA exams because of the extensive in-chapter technical material and end-of-chapter problems and real-world cases.