Discuss financial statements, financial statement analysis and ratio analysis Discuss financial statements, financial statement analysis and ratio analysis Solution The financial statements include income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement and statement of changes in stockholder\'s equity . The purpose of preparing these financial statements is to ensure that the stakeholders of the company are provided with the correct and reliable information on the operations and financial aspects of the company. These statements are frequently used by various parties for investment purposes and understand growth prospects of the company (by investors), to grant loans (by banks and financial institutions) and for tax related issues (by government and state-tax authorities). Important information as to the ownership of the company, assets and liabilities can also be obtained from the balance sheet of the company. Current cash flow position can also be evaluated with the use of cash flow statement. Financial statement analysis is performed to evaluate the current financial position of the company. Analysts use techniques such as horizontal, vertical and ratio analysis to determine the financial performance of the company over a particular period. Information for 2 or more periods is compared with the use of these tools to analyze the growth/decline in the company\'s overall financial performance/soundness. It is on the basis of information derived from financial statement analysis, that various decisions relating to investment (in the company) are made by outside parties. The company can also perform such comparisons for investing money in growth and expansion projects. Ratio analysis is considered as one of the most important tools for financial analysis. Different types of ratios can be calculated to determine the liquidity (short term financial position) and solvency (long term financial position) of the company. Overall profitability and operational efficiency can also be determined with the use of ratios. Various forms of ratios can be calculated and compared with the ratios of other companies within the same industry to determine the company\'s overall financial and operational performance. Calculation and comparision of ratios over a period of years can also provide highly useful results with respect to the profitability and growth of the company. .