Horizontal Analysis of Financial Statements Definition and Examples

By | November 12, 2020

horizontal analysis example

Horizontal analysis of the balance sheet is also usually in a two-year format, such as the one shown below, with a variance showing the difference between the two years for each line item. An alternative format is to add as many years as will fit on the page, without showing a variance, so that you can see general changes by account over multiple years.

How do you perform a horizontal analysis?

Horizontal Analysis is performed by placing multiple years’ worth of data lined up next to each other and then graphing the data points to determine if there is a trend, and where it is going. You can find either the dollar change or the percentage change, or both.

Mary Girsch-Bock is the expert on accounting software and payroll software for The Ascent. Adding a third year to the analysis will be even more helpful, as you’ll be able to see if there is a definite trend. FREE INVESTMENT BANKING COURSELearn the foundation of Investment banking, financial modeling, valuations and more.

Horizontal Analysis Vs Vertical Analysis

However, Google’s other costs (such as sales, marketing, general & administrative, and R&D) are much higher, since Google’s EBITDA horizontal analysis margin was 33.7%, compared to Apple’s 34.0%. This causes difficulties, since it’s hard to compare companies of different sizes.

horizontal analysis example

The horizontal analysis shows that sales increased a total of USD 469.0 million, an increase of 4.7 per cent. Since cost of goods sold increased by a much smaller amount (USD 117.6 million), gross profit increased by USD 351.4, or 7.3 per cent. The USD 552.6 million expense in 2009 was the result of a provision for restructured operations.

Business is Our Business

However, income statement and balance sheet are mostly used financial statement to do horizontal analysis . A company’s financial statements – such as the balance sheet, cash flow statement, and income statement – can reveal operational results and give a clear picture of business performance.

For example, in this illustration, the year 2012 is chosen as a representative year of the firm’s activity and is therefore chosen as the base. With a Horizontal Analysis, also, known as a “trend analysis,” you can spot trends in your financial data over time. For example, using financial ratios can be helpful in determining costs or identifying changes in processes to increase savings. Thereby, achieving a goal of the budgeting process to determine the firm’s game plan.

What is horizontal analysis?

Although there is increase in liabilities and provision, investments in made in fixed assets and other assets have increased showing a good balance in the company statement. Vertical analysis shows a comparison of a line item within a statement to another line item within that same statement. For example, a business may compare cash to total assets in the current year. This allows a business to see what percentage of cash makes up total assets during the period. Vertical analysis compares line items within a statement in the current year. This can help a business to know how much of one item is contributing to overall operations. For example, a business may want to know how much inventory contributes to total assets.

horizontal analysis example

In the same vein, a company’s emerging problems and strengths can be detected by looking at critical business performance, such as return on equity, inventory turnover, or profit margin. The comparative financial statements of Synotech, Inc., will serve as a basis for an example of horizontal analysis and vertical analysis of a balance sheet and a statement of income and retained earnings.

With it, the company can assess its profitability and operational efficiency while also looking at what has been driving the company’s performance. This results in variations since balances for each period are compared sequentially. You can make your current year look better if you choose historical periods of poor performance as your base comparison year. Vertical analysis is when different aspects of the financial statement are compared in terms of percentage of the total amount (Amihud & Lev, 1981).

  • With a Horizontal Analysis, also, known as a “trend analysis,” you can spot trends in your financial data over time.
  • Financial statements are written records that convey the business activities and the financial performance of a company.
  • But taking the time to learn about financial statements, such as an income statement, can go far in helping you advance your career.

However, you can do this quickly for multiple years, particularly if you’re interested in long-term trends. Horizontal analysis enables investors, analysts, and other stakeholders in the company to see how well the company is performing financially. Operating and administrative expenses also increased slightly and interest expense increased by over 12%. This resulted in only a slight increase in net income for 2019 over 2018.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *