Accounting and Financial Analysis | London Business School

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Accounting and Financial Analysis

Programme impact

Use financial analysis to understand your business

Gain the skills and knowledge to measure a company's profitability, assess its strengths and weaknesses and understand the main drivers of value.

Good for you
Good for your organisation

Become an expert user of financial statements. Practice your skills on real and up-to-date company data and case studies.
Explore the current business landscape. Gain an in-depth understanding of accounting tools and advanced-level economic analysis.
Understand how the GAAP accounting rules, and company accounting choices, affect the measures we use when analysing and comparing firms.

Learn to tell a company’s economic story by measuring its company performance and financial strength.
Examine the major governance and regulatory issues, including those that arising from current concerns about sustainability.

"I analyse financial statements from one point of view; but we learned to see the bigger picture."

Ahmed Kayyal

Senior Relationship Manager, Riyad Bank; Programme: Accounting and Financial Analysis; Nationality: Saudi Arabian

Read Ahmed's story

Right for you

The Accounting and Financial Analysis course is for experienced professionals looking to enhance their ability to analyse financial statements and interpret the economic story of businesses. Participants should have some exposure to financial statements in their work. The classroom is internationally diverse with individuals representing a variety of professional backgrounds and industries.

10 years of professional experience

on average

13 industries

on average per cohort

Recent attendees include:

Company board members
Financial analysts
Private equity investors and venture capitalists
Government officials
Strategy consultants
Lawyers
Financial planners
Risk managers

Who attends

By nationality
By industry

Accounting and Financial Analysis programme regional distribution map, showing attendee origins by percentage: Europe (39%), Middle East (27%), UK (11%), Africa (10%), with smaller percentages elsewhere.

_{The data above displays the top nationalities and top 10 industries across a three year average of participants on this programme.}

Programme Content

Extract more value from financial statements

Deconstruct return on capital to reveal the economics of the business, and the drivers of return and value.

What you learn
How you learn
Your learning experience
FAQs

Understand the income statement and balance sheet, and key financial concepts such as earnings, economic profit, EBITDA, capital, equity, leverage.
Measure, and analyse, return on capital to reveal the economics of the business and the drivers of return and value.
Explore GAAP accounting standards, and the accounting policy choices that companies make, and their impact on the financial measures we use in analysis.
Understand the current issues in company reporting, these include amongst others: intangibles, impact and ESG reporting, the resilience of banks.
Develop your understanding of assets and liabilities, and how M&A impacts the financial statements.
Understand the nature of income, including measurement strategies, analysis of cashflow and prediction of financial distress.
Develop skills in financial modelling. Forecast and strategise for the future of a business by projecting its financial statements.
Learn how companies are evolving their balance sheet models in pursuit of economic value.

Middle East Iteration

Access our world-renowned faculty, immersive learning methods and breakthrough ideas in the heart of London. Due to increased regional interest, LBS has included extra iterations of programmes for Middle East professionals. The programmes deliver all the content and insights from the global cohort, with the additional opportunity to network closely with peers working and living in the Middle East.

Certificate in Finance

This programme can also be taken as part of the Certificate in Finance. Gain the knowledge and tools to build expertise in finance. Customise your learning by selecting four courses from our extensive, world-class portfolio.

Find out more

Our faculty

Experts in the field

Access some of the world’s leading thinkers whose cutting-edge research in global business is grounded in real-world practicality.

Chris Higson

Associate Professor of Accounting Practice

Academic Focus

Chris Higson’s serves as an expert witness in the areas of financial statements, financial performance and valuation, taxation, governance and regulation. He comments on financial matters on television, radio and in the international press.

Experience

Chris Higson has advised on financial performance in many of the world’s leading industrial and financial companies. He is a member of the oversight board of a UK investment company and has been involved in creating several new businesses, including a consultancy advising governments and financial institutions on the value of their information assets, and a media start-up. He has had several non-executive roles for the UK Government, as a member of the UK’s Industrial Development Advisory Board, the Regional Growth Fund panel, in the UK Green Investment Bank and the British Business Bank.

View full profile

How to apply

Submit your application through our online application form.

Apply now

Not ready to apply yet? Reserve a place

Fees

The fee for the programme is £8,900.*

The programme fee covers all required study materials, programme activities, as well as refreshments and most meals. It also includes access to a well-appointed gym with a swimming pool. It does not include accommodation.

We offer a 25% discount for London Business School Alumni and for those who have completed four eligible Certificate in Management or Certificate in Finance programmes.

For more information on what the programme fee covers, please speak to our Client Relationship Manager.

*Fees are subject to change

Two colleagues in conversation at a bright office space, one smiling while the other gestures during discussion.

Related programmes

Explore our Corporate Finance Series

Extend your mastery of corporate finance and complete the other programmes in our recommended learning journey.

Contact us

Whether you are an individual or an organisation/group looking for a programme, get in touch and we can help find the best solution for you.

David Ratcliffe

Client Relationship Manager

David Ratcliffe

+44(0) 20 7000 7051