Risks: Reading Corporate Signals

The investor or lender is putting money at risk. To be successful, both need to know the extent and magnitude of these risks. This title points out some of the shortfalls of traditional accountancy and explores some of the basic mechanisms and cycles that direct a business operation, with heavy emphasis on cash flow. Traditional methods do not focus on these crucial aspects and tend to disguise their importance and effect. There are some elementary but thought-provoking comments on the ``risk and reward equation'', the concept of valuation, and how to write about credit and investment proposals. This insightful text may prove controversial to many traditional commentators who are used to taking profit figures specifically and annual reports at face value.