Financial Analysis and Forecasting: Tools and Techniques |Smart

Overview

Why Attend

Decision making process is a challenge given the future uncertainties and risk of not making the optimal decision. This course will explain the methodology required to be followed to properly analyze the assess historical performance and making sound future forecasts, hence improving the business financial results and success.

Course Methodology

The course is a hands-on workshop that applies the forecasting techniques utilizing MS Excel through the use of different exercises and case studies.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Use ratio and financial analysis to Interpret company financials and industry position
Analyze real-life financial statements from companies traded on the world and 'GCC' stock exchanges
Apply different forecasting techniques that will help in making financial and business decisions
Utilize Microsoft Excel to build forecasting models effectively

Target Audience

Financial controllers, analysts, finance and accounting managers, supervisors, and finance professionals who need to interpret and analyze financial statements and use them to create and maintain forecasts in their organizations.

Target Competencies

Understanding and performing financial analysis
Perform vertical, horizontal and trend analysis
Forecasting
Modeling financial statements
Applying Excel functions and tools

Note

This is a hands-on training course using laptops. Participants are required to use their own laptops equipped with Excel 2016 or higher for the duration of the training.

Course Outline

Required components of financial statement analysis
- Role of financial reporting and analysis
- Core financial statements and the importance of the annual report
- The important role of notes and supplementary information
- Objectives of financial statements audit
- Types of audits
- Financial statement analysis framework
- The accounting cycle
- Financial reporting mechanics
- Relationship, elements and classification of financial statements
Mechanisms of financial analysis techniques
- Vertical analysis and strategy: balance sheet and income statement approaches
- Horizontal, trend analysis and growth
- Liquidity analysis:
  - Current, quick, and cash ratios, defensive interval and cash conversion cycle
- Asset management and activity ratios:
  - Total and fixed assets turnover
- Solvency analysis:
  - Debt, equity, and times interest earned ratios
- Profitability analysis:
  - Profit margin, gross margin, return on assets, return on equity
- Market and valuation:
  - Price earnings and earnings-per-share ratios
- DuPont analysis: the three-step and five-step models
- Limitation of ratio analysis
Forecasting techniques
- Qualitative models
  - Market research approach
  - Delphi method technique
- Quantitative models
  - Causal models
    - Econometric models
    - Regression analysis: simple and multiple
    - Correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination
- Time series methods
  - Simple average
  - Moving average
  - Exponential smoothing
  - Expected value
Modeling projected financial statements
- Micro and macro factors
- Forecasting sales
  - Estimating market demand
  - Estimating company demand
  - Developing sales forecast
- Forecasting cost of sales
- Forecasting operating expenses
- Forecasting key assets and liabilities accounts
- Modeling the income statement forecast
- Modeling the balance sheet forecast

Schedule & Fees

2026 Schedule & Fees

20 - 24 Sep, 2026

English

Per participant USD 2,900

20 - 24 Sep, 2026

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

8 - 12 Nov, 2026

English

Per participant USD 2,900

8 - 12 Nov, 2026

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

20 - 24 Dec, 2026

English

Per participant USD 2,900

20 - 24 Dec, 2026

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

2027 Schedule & Fees

7 - 11 Feb, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

7 - 11 Feb, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

21 - 25 Mar, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

21 - 25 Mar, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

9 - 13 May, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

9 - 13 May, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

20 - 24 Jun, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

20 - 24 Jun, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

8 - 12 Aug, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

8 - 12 Aug, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

19 - 23 Sep, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

19 - 23 Sep, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

7 - 11 Nov, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

7 - 11 Nov, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

19 - 23 Dec, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

19 - 23 Dec, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900