What is a comparative financial statement?

A comparative financial statement is a financial statement that shows the changes in a company’s financial position over a period of time. It can show how a company’s assets, liabilities, and equity have changed from one period to another.

Comparative financials are two years’ worth of earnings and expenses listed side by side on a single report. Comparative statements also sometimes contain two additional columns that show ratios and analyzes. Year-end statements are the most common type of comparative financials. They list all the company’s activity for both years side by side. The extra columns show the variance between the two years. Comparative financial statements can also help you make smart business decisions.

Compares revenues and expenses of two companies

Comparative financial statements are necessary for public companies to use when reporting to the public on Forms 10-K and 10-Q. The following example illustrates a comparative financial statement. In a similar scenario, a company may report that its costs increased from 30 percent to 45 percent of sales over three years. A comparison between the two companies’ respective income statements would make it easier to understand the changes and make necessary adjustments.

The purpose of comparative financial statements is to show how certain business decisions have affected a company’s financial results in the past. Comparative financial statements help managers identify trends, evaluate the performance of managers, and assess the success of new products and lines of business. Comparative statements are particularly useful for analyzing cost management and predicting future performance. Comparative financial statements should be based more on operational and leading indicators when predicting future performance.

Another method of comparing the two companies’ financial statements is to use a vertical analysis. The vertical analysis method shows each line item’s percentage change in relation to the total base figure. For example, Colgate’s gross profit has been around 56%-59%, while its SG&A expenses decreased from 36.1% in 2007 to less than 10% in 2014. The tax rate has been around thirty-three percent since 2008, which makes the comparison quick and easy.

Another method of comparing the performance of two companies is through the comparative income statement. This method allows comparisons between companies based on operating results from multiple accounting periods. It allows business owners to compare their own performance with competitors’, and to understand the underlying causes of changes across accounting periods. However, a comparative income statement can only be useful for companies with similar operating results and business lines. This can be extremely useful for analyzing the efficiency of a company.

Identifies trends in your business

By reviewing your comparative financial statements, you can spot trends and make informed business decisions. The income statement and balance sheet are critical pieces of information you need to know. When evaluating your business, these ratios can show you the health of your business, as well as the overall trends in your industry. For example, your net profit margin measures how much profit you made compared to your sales. Higher profit margins usually mean your business is more efficient, more flexible, and better positioned to take advantage of opportunities.

Helps you make smart business decisions

Comparisons between the last year’s comparative income statement and the most recent year can provide you with valuable insights into past financial decisions and changes in circumstances. They can also help you make future financial decisions. When it comes to financial decisions, looking backwards can provide some useful insight. Take, for instance, Alice. In her early twenties, Alice has paid off her student loan and has started saving for retirement and a down payment on a house.

A comparison of the actual results with the projected figures will allow you to evaluate whether you are on track for success. In the case of a popsicle cart, a blowout on the tire costs $50. Over the course of the year, the maintenance costs add up. A high-quality cart with kevlar tank treads costs six hundred dollars, but it pays for itself in two years.

In conclusion, comparative financial statements are important for understanding a company’s overall financial health. By analyzing trends and ratios, investors and other interested parties can get a better sense of how well the company is doing and where it may be headed in the future. It is also a valuable tool for benchmarking a company against its competitors. Therefore, if you are looking to invest in a company, it is important to review its comparative financial statements.