Balance Sheet Analysis

Meaning and Definition of Balance Sheet Analysis

Balance sheet analysis can be defined as an analysis of the assets, liabilities, and equity of a company. This analysis is conducted generally at set intervals of time, like annually or quarterly. The process of balance sheet analysis is used for deriving actual figures about the revenue, assets, and liabilities of the company.

Purpose of Balance Sheet Analysis

The purpose of a balance sheet analysis is to understand a company's financial position at a specific point in time by assessing its assets, liabilities, and equity. This information can be used to make investment decisions, assess a company's liquidity and solvency, and identify potential financial risks or opportunities. A balance sheet analysis can also help to identify trends in a company's financial performance over time. Balance sheet analysis is useful for investors, investment bankers, stock brokers, and financial institutions to verify the profitability of investing in a particular company.

How to Perform a Balance Sheet Analysis

Performing a balance sheet analysis is not a difficult task. The main steps are as follows:

• The first step is to add up liabilities and paid-in capital. The sum must equal the sum of total assets. After the totaling process is completed, the total assets are compared to the total liabilities. However, this evaluation does not include the amount of issued shares in the liabilities. If total assets exceed total liabilities, the company's financial position and performance are considered good.
• The next step is to look at the current assets and liabilities. Sometimes it is considered a good sign to have more unsecured liabilities.
• Another important step is to calculate ROA by dividing net income by assets. Manufacturing companies have a high ROA as opposed to real estate and leasing companies which have a low ROA.
• The fourth step is to pay special attention to copyrights and patents. It is important to consider the ratio between the amount invested in research and the resulting returns.
• The next step is to calculate the debt-to-equity ratio by dividing total liabilities by total assets. A lower debt ratio reflects a better performance of the company.
• Another step is to estimate the receivables turnover ratio, which is the ratio of investment in sales to receivables. A better financial status is reflected in a high amount of accounts receivable.
• Another important ratio is the inventory turnover ratio, which indicates the company's ability to produce goods with available assets.
• The final step includes analyzing other characteristics of the company such as goodwill, credit rating and current projects. This analysis is helpful in evaluating the company's activities in the near future.

The length of time for which you should analyze a company's balance sheet depends on the purpose of your analysis and the type of company you are evaluating. In general, it's beneficial to look at a company's balance sheet over several years to identify trends and patterns in its financial performance.

Balance Sheet Analysis vs Profit & Loss Analysis

A balance sheet analysis and a profit and loss (P&L) analysis are both tools used to evaluate a company's financial performance, but they provide different types of information.

A balance sheet provides a snapshot of a company's financial position at a specific point in time. It lists all of the company's assets, liabilities, and equity. By analyzing the balance sheet, investors and analysts can assess a company's liquidity (its ability to pay its bills), solvency (its ability to meet its long-term obligations), and overall financial health.

A P&L statement, on the other hand, shows a company's revenue, expenses, and profit (or loss) over a specific period of time, usually a quarter or a year. By analyzing the P&L statement, investors and analysts can assess a company's profitability and efficiency. They can see how well the company is generating revenue, controlling costs, and growing its business.

Both Balance sheet and P&L analysis are important tools for assessing a company's financial performance, but they provide different types of information. A balance sheet analysis gives a picture of a company's financial position at a point in time, while a P&L analysis shows how well a company is performing over a period of time.