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Seeing Beyond the Numbers: Financial Statement Analysis for CFOs & Controllers

Master the art of translating financial statements into actionable stories that drive strategic business decisions.

Created byDavid Peters
IntermediateUpdated Apr 16, 2026

What You'll Learn

  • check_circleIndicate how different stakeholders utilize financial statements.
  • check_circleRecognize how flexible budgeting may be used by CFOs and Controllers.
  • check_circleRecall how time series analysis and common-size financial statements are used in trend analysis.
  • check_circleCalculate liquidity, leverage, and profitability ratios.
  • check_circleIdentify the uses and limitations of ratio analysis.

About This Course

Financial statements are a crucial window into the daily operations and overall health of a company. They reveal the strengths and weaknesses that define the organization's financial standing. However, the interpretation of financial statements can vary widely depending on the user's perspective. This course is designed to help you refine your financial statement analysis skills and gain insights that will enable you to better understand and communicate your company's financial performance.

This course explores the critical skill of financial statement analysis, moving beyond basic accounting to uncover the story behind the numbers. It focuses on how different stakeholders—including lenders, investors, and internal teams—interpret financial data and how financial leaders can tailor their communication to make this information meaningful and impactful.

  • Learn to identify oddities and trends using horizontal and vertical analysis.
  • Explore advanced techniques like flexible budgeting, stress testing, and scenario planning.
  • Evaluate company health using liquidity, leverage, and profitability ratios.
  • Master the use of the statement of cash flows to assess true operational viability.

Who Should Attend:

Controllers or accountants who are involved in the financial reporting functions of their companies and are looking to improve their review skills.

Course Content

2 activities • 1 videos • duration: 3h 28m

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Seeing Beyond the Numbers: Financial Analysis for Leaders1 videos • 1 quiz • 3.5 hours
  • videocamSeeing Beyond the Numbers: Financial Analysis for Leaders
    Duration 208:05
  • quizSeeing Beyond the Numbers: Financial Analysis for Leaders Quiz
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Final Assessment1 quiz

Your Instructor

David Peters

CPA, CFP, CLU, CPCU, MST, MBA

menu_book129 courses
star2,243 reviews

David Peters is the Founder and Owner of Peters Professional Education in Richmond, VA. He is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an Investment Advisor Representative (IAR) with Peters Financial LLC. He brings over 20 years of experience in financial services, including three years in the hedge fund industry and six years in insurance. David was the first Chief Financial Officer of Compare.com, where he served for more than three years. He holds four master’s degrees, contributes frequently to professional publications, and is a nationally recognized CPE instructor and discussion leader for Surgent seminars and a former instructor for Don Farmer. David received the AICPA Outstanding Facilitator Award in 2021, 2023, and 2024 as well as Surgent's Outstanding Discussion Leader awards in 2019 and 2022. He also co-authored the Virginia CPA Ethics course in 2018, 2019, and 2020, which is a requirement for all CPAs licensed in Virginia. Through Peters Professional Education, David is the author and instructor for over 125 recorded on-demand CPE courses and leads private trainings, in-person tax seminars, and quarterly live tax update webinars. His areas of instruction include accounting, finance, insurance, financial planning, and ethics, and he regularly teaches professionals across the United States.

Credit Information

Is this course eligible for my CPD requirements as a Canadian CPA?

Provincial regulators of CPAs in Canada do not require that independent providers of CPD be approved to offer courses. Instead, individual CPAs are responsible for assessing whether a CPD activity meets their requirements, and may take activities from any source provided those requirements are met.

Every course offered on LearnFormula is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, and advances learning objectives that are relevant to the responsibilities or professional competencies of Canadian CPAs. All activities on LearnFormula are quantifiable in terms of hours, and are also verifiable, in that users receive documented evidence of their attendance via a certificate of completion after finishing a course (and this certificate is stored by LearnFormula indefinitely). Nearly 100,000 Canadian CPAs successfully satisfy their CPD requirements via LearnFormula on an annual basis.

What Students Are Saying

4.9 out of 5
Student's Choice
37 reviews
  • LM
    Lin M.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Practical points of view and overview of financial statement analysis from a high level. It made me re-evaluate my focus points and understanding when I'm in my monthly financial review meeting. Strong recommend people to take this course to elevate your views when you are exposed to this level of corporate financial info. It's always useful to evaluate your investment portolio.

  • JS
    James S.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Extremely helpful to me as a CFO.

  • JL
    Jackie L.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Really good course.

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 300+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 27 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.

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