If you know nothing about Financial Report and eagerly want to learn about it, I highly recommend you to follow step by step proposed in this post to master Financial Reports.
http://www.vroozi.com/blog/procurement-leaders-4-steps-transform-purchasing-performance
There are some signs used in this blog make the thing simpler and clearer.
Blue means Title
Red means Keyword
Green means Further Info
"double quotation marks" means hyperlink
Lesson 1: Learning The Basic of Financial Report
Step 1
Before start jumping into formal learning process, we first come across an interesting story with the name "A Story About Financial Reports".
Next, click into the "Introduction of Financial Reports". It will brief you about what you need to learn for basic.
http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/a-good-introductionopener/
Step 2
There are four main accounts that you need to know. You can click into each account below to master it.
1 "Balance Sheet"
2 "Income Statement"
3 "Change of Equity Statement"
4 "Cash Flow Statement"
http://xbrl.squarespace.com/
Step 3
Teach you how to use the data in financial reports to compute more informative ratio. Click into the title below to know more.
"Financial Ratio"
http://www.isoscelesfinance.co.uk/accounts-finance-outsourcing/financial-reporting-right-information-right-time/
Congratulation. Now you had mastered the basic of financial reports. But this is not the end, instead it is just a starting point. Now you would like to practice the knowledge you learned to discover potential company that you want to invest in.
Step 4
More Story to Tell
"Story About Depreciation"
"Story of Different Incomes"
"Story of Different Expenses"
Lesson 2: Searching Potential Company
Step 1
Is there any systematic way to search for good company? Yes by eliminate the bad company and keep the good company. But first, scope down your searching area to a few good industries. A bad company in a good industry performs better than a good company in a bad industry. Don't know anything about industry? Click the link below:
"The poorest among the rich is better than the richest among the poor (Industry Analysis)"
Step 2
Want to buy high intrinsic value stock with cheap price? Click the link below:
"Cheap company doesn’t always cheap (Valuation)"
Step 3
What determines stock price to increase? Many investors buy it. What determine investors buying stock? Profit. Click the link below to know more about profit:
"Profit is always the king (Profitability)"
Step 4
Do you know some profits are not real? Check it out through Truthmeter by clicking the link below:
"Fake Profit vs Real Profit (Cash Flow)"
Step 5
Do you know what happen to share when a company bankrupt? It becomes toilet paper. Check the link below to prevent yourself investing in a bankrupt company:
"I don’t want a bankrupt company (Liquidity)"
Step 6
After spotting a good company, what to do next? Click the link below to know more:
"Fundamental is just half way (Technical Analysis)"
Is there any systematic way to search for good company? Yes by eliminate the bad company and keep the good company. But first, scope down your searching area to a few good industries. A bad company in a good industry performs better than a good company in a bad industry. Don't know anything about industry? Click the link below:
"The poorest among the rich is better than the richest among the poor (Industry Analysis)"
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-petrochemical-industry-green-grass-field- good-environment-file-image31187102
Step 2
Want to buy high intrinsic value stock with cheap price? Click the link below:
"Cheap company doesn’t always cheap (Valuation)"
http://www.prlog.org/10232782-how-to-buy-foreclosures-cheap-and-retire-early.html
Step 3
What determines stock price to increase? Many investors buy it. What determine investors buying stock? Profit. Click the link below to know more about profit:
"Profit is always the king (Profitability)"
http://www.podiatryhive.com/profit-is-king
Do you know some profits are not real? Check it out through Truthmeter by clicking the link below:
"Fake Profit vs Real Profit (Cash Flow)"
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/29/ginny-brown-waite/aarp-insurance-health-reform-conflict/
Step 5
Do you know what happen to share when a company bankrupt? It becomes toilet paper. Check the link below to prevent yourself investing in a bankrupt company:
"I don’t want a bankrupt company (Liquidity)"
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/29/ginny-brown-waite/aarp-insurance-health-reform-conflict/
Step 6
After spotting a good company, what to do next? Click the link below to know more:
"Fundamental is just half way (Technical Analysis)"
http://www.theforexcabin.com/overview/
Summary
I had summary a few criteria to shortlist the potential company based on financial report. You only require less than 30 min to shortlist the company you willing to invest in based on following summary. Click the link below:
"Criteria to Shortlist Company"