Advanced Financial Statement Analysis

4.7

(45 ratings)

·

3 Weeks

·

Cohort-based Course

The Investor's Guide to Interpreting the Numbers

Course overview

Warren Buffett Said it Best:

"Accounting is the language of business, and it's an imperfect language, but unless you are willing to put in the effort to learn accounting - how to read and interpret financial statements - you really shouldn't select stocks yourself."


If you don't know how to analyze financial statements, this 3-week course is here to help.


We'll show you how to find, read, and interpret financial statements like a seasoned pro.


These skills will make you a better investor and accelerate your career.

Who is this course for

01

Intermediate Investors who want to learn how to interpret financial statements like a professional analyst.

02

Executives and professionals who want to level-up their financial analysis skills.

03

Entrepreneurs who want to see their business through the eyes of an investor.

What you’ll get out of this course

Analyze financial statements - fast

Learn how to read an income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement in minutes to make quick decisions.

Identify Yellow & Red Flags

Spot warning signs in financial statements that can reveal trouble on the horizon.

Calculate & Interpret Ratios

Learn how a few simple calculations will empower you to analyze financial statements in minutes.

Identify Valuation Creation

Some businesses create value as they grow. Others destroy it. We'll teach you how to identify the difference.

Master the Business Growth Cycle

Learn the six stages of the business growth cycle and how to tell which phase a company is in.

Profitability Analysis

Master the differences between Free Cash Flow, Net Income, EBITDA, NOPAT, and Owner Earnings.

Capital Allocation Analysis

A CEO's #1 job is capital allocation. Learn how to use ratios such as Return on Invested Capital (ROIC), Return on Assets (ROA), and Return on Equity (ROE) to ensure they are doing a good job.

Course syllabus

19 modules • 17 lessons
Expand all modules
  • Week 1

    Mar 4—Mar 10

    Modules

    • Free preview

      📺 Warren Buffett's Rules of Thumb Webinar

    • Free preview

      📺 How to Analyze Unprofitable Businesses Webinar

    • Balance Sheet - 🔎 Fast Analysis

      We'll start by covering the balance sheet in detail. We'll teach you how to analyze it quickly, calculate useful ratios, and practice spotting yellow & red flags.

    • Income Statement - 🔎 Fast Analysis

      Next, we'll cover the income statement in detail. We'll teach you how to analyze it quickly, calculate useful ratios, and practice spotting yellow & red flags.

    • Cash Flow Statement - 🔎 Fast Analysis

      We'll then move on to the cash flow statement. We'll teach you how to analyze it quickly, calculate useful ratios, and cover yellow & red flags.

    • Office Hours: 🗣️ Ask us anything

  • Week 2

    Mar 11—Mar 17

    Modules

    • Business Cycle - 🔎 Analysis

      We kick off week 2 by discussing the six stages of the business growth cycle. We'll cover how to tell which stage a business is currently in and the key metrics in each stage.

    • Survival 🔎 Analysis

      Next, we'll talk about how to analyze companies that are currently losing money, how they will raise capital, and the key metrics for investors to watch.

    • Cash 🔎 Analysis

      Week 3 starts with a deep dive into the cash dynamics of a business. We'll talk about the importance of the cash conversion cycle and how growth can either create or consume cash.

    • Office Hours: 🗣️ Ask us anything

  • Week 3

    Mar 18—Mar 22

    Modules

    • Operating Leverage 🔎 Analysis

      We'll next learn how to analyze the financial statements of companies that are growing rapidly but not yet fully optimized for profit.

    • Capital Allocation 🔎 Analysis

      Capital allocation is a CEOs #1 job. We'll show you how to calculate and use advanced metrics like Return on Equity, Return on Assets, and Return on Invested Capital to tell whether or not management is doing a good job.

    • 🎓 Practice & Graduation

      It's time to put your new skills to the test! We'll end the course with a full day of practice. You'll analyze the financial statements from companies in different stages of the business growth cycle and tell us what YOU think.

  • Post-Course

    Modules

    • 🗣️ Community

      We keep the community open for an extra week to answer any burning questions

    • 📺 Replays

      Watch the replays to the events any time you'd like

    • 📜 Transcripts

      Prefer to read? We provide transcripts of everything we say in the course.

    • 🖥️ Slides

      Need a quick refresher? We provide access to all of the slides we use to teach the course.

  • Bonus

    Modules

    • Office Hours: 🗣️ Ask us anything

      Join us for TWO bonus 1-hour bonus session.

    • ♻️ Putting it all together

      It's time to put your new skills to the test! Each student will analyze the financials of a company of their choosing. We will review the submissions together and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of several businesses.

4.7

(45 ratings)

What students are saying

Course schedule

4-6 hours per week
  • Monday, Wednesday & Thursdays

    12:00 PM - 1:30 PM EST

    9:00 AM - 10:30 AM PST

    5:00 PM - 6:30 PM GMT

    10:30 PM - 12:00 PM IST

  • Starts March 4, 2024

    Mon, Mar 4 - Balance Sheet

    Wed, Mar 6 - Income Statement

    Thur, Mar 7 - Cash Flow Statement

    Mon, Mar 11 - Business Stage

    Wed, Mar 13 - Survival

    Thur, Mar 14 - Growth

    Mon, Mar 18 - Profitability

    Wed, Mar 20 - Capital Allocation

    Thur, Mar 21 - Graduation

  • Office Hours

    Ask us anything

    Stop by and ask us any questions you'd like on Friday, March 8th, or Friday, March 15th from 12:00 PM EDT - 1:00 PM EDT.

100% Risk Free

100% Risk Free

Money Back Guarantee

If you attend the sessions, actively participate, and still don’t find the course valuable, we’ll happily refund your payment in full. Simply let us know before the end of the 4th class, and we will issue you a full refund, no questions asked.

A pattern of wavy dots
Join an upcoming cohort

Advanced Financial Statement Analysis

AFSA Cohort 2 - March 2024

$1,299 USD

Dates

Mar 4—22, 2024

Payment Deadline

Mar 2, 2024

|

Bulk purchases

Meet your instructor

Brian Feroldi

Brian Feroldi

Author / Financial Educator

Brian Feroldi is a financial educator, author, speaker, and YouTuber. He has an MBA in finance and has been investing since 2004. Brian is the author of the best-selling book, Why Does the Stock Market Go Up?


Brian’s career mission statement is “to spread financial wellness.” He loves to help other people do better with their money, especially their investments. He has written more than 3,000 articles on stocks, investing, and personal finance for the Motley Fool.

Brian Stoffel

Brian Stoffel

Investor / Financial Educator

Brian Stoffel is a teacher at heart. Brian has been investing for more than a decade and he has written more than 4,000 articles for The Motley Fool.


Brian worked as a middle school teacher in Washington, DC for more than 5 years. He and his wife had a "mini-retirement" in Costa Rica and now spent a portion of their year there in a containership home. Brian plans his life and his investments around "antifragile" principles.

Free resource

8 Accounting Terms Explained Simply

This ebook explains 8 of the most confusing accounting terms -- like Amortization, Goodwill, and Retained Earnings -- in plain English.

Download For FREE

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I can’t make a live session?
How long will I have access to the recordings?
Can I expense this course?
I work full-time, what is the expected time commitment?
What’s the refund policy?
What if I don't live in the U.S. - will this course still help me?
A pattern of wavy dots
Join an upcoming cohort

Advanced Financial Statement Analysis

AFSA Cohort 2 - March 2024

$1,299 USD

Dates

Mar 4—22, 2024

Payment Deadline

Mar 2, 2024

|

Bulk purchases

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

More feedback on Brian & Brian:

        Brian Feroldi and Brian Stoffel are knowledgeable investors and amazing teachers who truly understand financial statements.
Jessica Ablamsky

Jessica Ablamsky

Investor
        Brian and Brian have done a phenomenal job. Simplifying complex tasks is hard, and they nailed it."
Wish Panda

Wish Panda

Analyst | Alumni
        Brian is super knowledgeable about stocks and breaks down concepts clearly and simply for anyone to understand."
Sharon Tseung

Sharon Tseung

Investor
        Brian Feroldi and Brian Stoffel are the most amazing educators in the financial industry. They can break down the jargon and explain it like you are 5."
Dhaval Kotecha

Dhaval Kotecha

Investor, Co-Host of Fintwit Summit
        I have followed the Brian’s for years and continue to learn new things from them. They use the perfect blend of academic principles and real-life examples that I can immediately apply to my investment process."
Austin Lieberman

Austin Lieberman

Investor
        I don't know of any duo with a more perfect combination of in-depth knowledge of financial statements paired with the ability to explain it in a simple and easy-to-understand way. Brian and Brian are the Yoda and Obi-Wan of financial statements."
Paul Essen

Paul Essen

Investor & Author

$1,299 USD

4.7

(45)

·

3 Weeks