School of Business Administration

2003-2004

COURSE:                Financial Reporting & Analysis        (Pre/Co-requisite: Fundamentals of Finance)

CREDIT VALUE:      Three (3)

WEB SITE:                www.rohanchambers.com/Courses/FRA/Home.htm

DURATION:              Semester 1

1. COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course integrates some of the concepts learnt in Fundamentals of Finance and Financial Accounting, while at the same time introducing more advanced accounting concepts with an  overall focus on the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. The course is divided into three (3) modules: the first covers financial reporting in Jamaica, the second covers special topical areas, while the third covers financial analysis. 

2. GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES*

At the end of this course, students will be armed with the necessary ammunition to assess a company's past and future performance for investment purposes or for offering them financial assistance. In achieving this goal, this course will enable students to appreciate the uses and limitations of accounting information as a basis for understanding the financial affairs of companies. It is important to note that this course is not designed to convert students into exceptional financial analysts, as this is something that can come only with extensive experience. It will however provide them with a solid base from which they can launch into such a career and at the same time prepare them for more advanced studies.

* - Click on the topic's name below to see the respective notes which include the specific objectives for each topic. 

3. COURSE MATERIALS AND SCHEDULE

4. TEACHING APPROACH

Lectures will be the forum for the introduction and general discussion of each topical area.  To assimilate the information more readily and in turn enhance better quality discussions, students must read the relevant chapter prior to attending the lecture at which it will be discussed. I will assume that this has been done.

Tutorials will follow 1 week after each lecture and will be the forum for students to cement the material covered in those lectures. Such tutorials will consist of computational problems, essays and cases taken from the tutorial sheets.. The tutorial questions are available from the course's web site but a limited amount will also be copied and made available in class. Again, students must prepare all questions prior to attending tutorials, as this is the only way to be successful in this course. The tutors will also assume that this has been done.  

   

 

5. ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES *

a)      Required - Class notes and other materials available from the following web page www.rohanchambers.com/Courses/FRA/Home.htm. You may also access this web page by doing the following: Go to www.rohanchambers.com , select Courses from the left and then select Financial Reporting & Analysis (FRA). The notes and tutorial questions may be copied and distributed in class.

b)      Recommended :

1.      Fundamentals of Financial Management  by Brigham & Houston, , Harcourt College Publishers, 9th Edition. For an 'online' feel, the web site companion of this text is: http://www.harcourtcollege.com/finance/brigham9e/student/ . (Also available in the University's book store)  

2.   Summaries of  International Accounting Standards available at http://www.iasplus.com/standard/standard.htm or the full text available at Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ), 8 Ruthven Road, Kingston 6. 

3.  Accountancy for Banking Students by J.R.Edwards and H.J.Mellet (Latest Edition) - (Available in the University's book store)

 

 c)      Additional - The annual report and financial statements of any publicly listed company and/or group of companies in Jamaica. - available online at www.jamstockex.com

 

Note - Additional references and reading assignments will be prescribed as the need arises.