LOS a: Evaluate and compare companies using ratio analysis, common-size financial statements, and charts in financial analysis.
Are the following statements about common-size financial statements true or false?
Statement #1 – Expressing financial information in a common-size format enables the analyst to make better comparisons between two firms of similar size that operate in different industries.
Statement #2 – Common-size financial statements can be used to highlight the structural changes in the firm’s operating results and financial condition that have occurred over time.
With respect to these statements:
Vertical common-size statements enable the analyst to make better comparisons of two firms of different sizes that operate in the same industry. Horizontal common-size financial statements express each line as a percentage of the base year figure; thus, horizontal common-size statements can be used to identify structural changes in a firm’s operating results and financial condition over time. |