Book Description
The CPA exam is changing. You need to change as well...to a book that better prepares you for the CPA exam and for business. This is the only book of its kind that demonstrates how to prepare financial reports and then how to analyze what those numbers really mean.
Every manager has incentives to present his or her firm in the most favorable light to lenders, equity investors and others. And, every manager wants to use the flexibility allowed by GAAP to manage the firm's earnings to achieve certain goals. Revsine, Collins, and Johnson
explain these incentives and help readers spot cases of earnings management, which disguises a firm's true performance.
For anyone preparing to take the CPA exam, and for anyone who wants or needs a working knowledge of accounting, financial reporting, and financial statement analysis.
Customer Reviews:
Almost everything I dislike in a textbook.......2006-05-08
This book has many characteristics that I really dislike to see in a textbook.
First, the authors flooded almost every page with extraneous information. When you're learning this stuff, you want it to be explained simply and clearly - but the authors seem more intent on showing you how much they know about some topic, even when that information is tangenital and not very helpful.
They don't word things clearly. They'll call the same thing by two different names - (i.e. "Pension Cost" and "Pension Expense") which needlessly adds to the confusion. They'll discuss some topic for several pages without even writing down the basic, relevant journal entry.
One of the wordiest, most poorly written accounting books I have ever had the displeasure of studying from.
One of the better books available.......2003-09-30
This publication provides a thorough and comprehensive review of almost every important aspect of accounting, financial analytics and reporting. A useful tool for a person new to finance or someone needing a refresh or review of important topics. A solutions manual would have been helpful, but the book is a valuable buy nonetheless.
Very good for understanding the subject.......2002-03-10
The book provides very clear explanations about different aspects of financial statement analysis. The only drawbacks are that the book is a little simplistic and that problem solutions are sorely needed. However, I am sure you are not going to use oit for self-study- you would be using it as a textbook in a financial statement analysis class. The professor, would be able to provide you with solutions (as in my case- thanks Dr. Church!) and will also help you out with some of the tougher stuff. Whatever, the book does an excellent job in explaining the basic stuff- much better than the Sondhi book.
agree with others - needs solutions manual - useless without.......2001-09-27
I agree with those that say this book would be more useful if it came with solutions. Right off in the first chapter, hypothetical situations are presented without any background information in the text. If you haven't had some experience in Accounting, you are going to be left scratching your head. The instructor in my class says that it causes you to think. Hard to think if you have never come close to experiencing anything that is being discussed. Some guidance would be helpful.
Useless without a Solutions Manual.......2001-03-23
I'm studying for the CPA. I bought the book because it's required for a course in school. But to actually learn for the CPA exam, I'll toss this one aside for one that provides a solutions manual. Authors who withold the manual for the instructors benefit miss a fundamental point about economics - who the customer is. It's the student that the book is written for and it is the student who pays for the course. Breffni University of Chicago
Book Description
Stickney/Brown/Wahlen is a balanced, flexible, and complete Financial Statement Analysis book that is written with the premise that students learn financial statement analysis most effectively by performing the analysis on actual companies. Students learn to integrate the concepts from economics, business strategy, accounting, and other business disciplines through the integration of a unique six-step process.
Customer Reviews:
Best book on FSA I have ever read.......2007-09-28
I like its strategic focus and case-oriented approach. The FSAP is terrific. In this book, financial statements finally found its correct place: describe the strategic decisions made by management. This book is never dry. Instead, it is vivid, fascinating, and a great reading for anyone who is serious with a career in equity research.
Worst textbook ever!.......2007-04-30
After three years of graduate school and two Master's degrees (MPH/MBA)I have to say this was the WORST textbook I was unfortunate enough to encounter. I wish I could get a refund for both the cost of the book and the pain and suffering I endured while trying to read it. If a professor tries to get you to buy this book please say "NO"!
HORRIBLE BOOK EVER.......2007-02-22
I am in an MBA program too. I have to use this book as a textbook for the course, Financial Statement Analysis. I have taken Managerial Financing before and done a very good job on that course. But it doesn't help me a lot to understand this terrible book. It isn't that course's fault. I appreciate that I have taken some financing course before I use this book. I can't understand this book very well totally because this book is terrible. Both textbooks for Financing and this course are published by the same publisher, Thomas?..I couldn't believe how different those two books are.
In this book, Pepsi case keeps confusing most readers. Most equations are not highlighted so you can not find them easily and quickly. Homework is not designed for the students who are studying this book but for the authors themselves. Fortunately, our professor sends his master copy to us. It will help us understand homework more, but unfortunately after we have handed in our results.
If anyone who teaches FSA, please do not use this book as your textbook for your students. Pls, pls, pls..Even though you are an expert on accounting or finance, your students will still suffer from your course and almost learn nothing from this TERRIBLE book.
This book sucks if you're learning for the first time........2006-09-26
This book is TERRIBLE. I am an engineer in an MBA program. The book is supposedly for non accountants, but I don't see how it's possible to understand this book if you're not an accountant. If you're unfortunate and have to use this book, find a good book that you can actually read to supplement the subject.
There's a lot mumbo jumbo using technical terms that could be much easier stood with a table and reference to specific numbers in the table. There has got to be a better way to learn finacial statement analysis.
Book Description
Financial statements are the basis for a wide range of business analysis. Managers, securities analysts, bankers and consultants all use them to make business decisions. There is strong demand among business students for course materials that provide a framework for using financial statement data in a variety of business analysis and valuation contexts.
Customer Reviews:
Case study is worth reading..........2007-04-21
First part of this book is about reading financial statements. If you already know the statements, you don't need to read the first part. However, even if you can read the statements, the second part, case study, will be helpful to your real analysis.
good case study.......2006-04-30
I found the chapters are not very in detail. I was using it as the textbook and the lecture notes are way better. I read the book at the begginning but stopped in the middle as it doesn't really help. However, the end of chapter case studies are pretty good.
Useful if cumbersome.......2002-12-16
This review applies to the edition WITH CASES. This isn't recommended for anyone who is just starting out with choosing investments. Beginners might be better off with a more general overview of financial statement analysis (FSA) like Higgins' "Analysis of Financial Statements" or Fraser and Omriston's "Understanding Financial Statements".
This was one of two textbooks used in a financial statement analysis course I took for my MBA. Most chapters are down-to-earth and as a whole the book is well-written.
The other text we used was Penman's "Financial Statement Analysis and Security Valuation" which was also a great resource as far as gaining a basic understanding of the mechanics of financial statements and how to build a valuation model.
I contrast the two books because while Penman provides a run-down of several different models analysts can use (and does a good job of arguing for the Residual Income Model of valuation model as being the best), Palepu delves into the implications of companies' choices of accounting methods and provides more insight into what different kinds of businesses should look like in terms of their financial statements.
The cases at the end of each chapter add a lot of value to the text because they get students to focus on the specific issues detailed in each chapter. By picking apart different companies' financial statements we learned to use financial statements to assess the success or failure of companies' efforts to carry out their business strategies.
I rate it "Good - 4 stars"
Required Text.......2002-09-17
This is a required text at my school, but after having read the first 5 chapters there is almost nothing of value that I have read. I have spoken to several people that have used this text for the class in prior semesters and they told me that they had stopped reading it after the first several chapters also.
Excellent Capstone Book.......2000-10-12
This book is an excellent description of all the elements that would go into reviewing a potential investment opportunity. It is not a detailed book in one category, such as financial accounting, but it ties business strategy analysis, financial analysis, forecasting analysis, and valuation analysis together. Most other books focus on one area and don't tie all of these together well. This one takes you down the path to evaluating the opportunity to its fullest. It is an excellent capstone book after you have sifted through the details of strategy, finance, and accounting.
Book Description
Accounting Standards (US and International) have been updated to reflect the latest pronouncements.
* An increased international focus with more coverage of IASC and non-US GAAPs and more non-US examples.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent supplement to an advanced accounting class.......2007-04-19
This is not a "how-to" book. It offers in-depth reading in the areas that are normally covered in an Advanced Accounting class. I would recommend this book as "further reading" for a student taking such a class but not as a "how-to" book. Each chapter does have some example diagrams and financial statements that illustrate the subject. At the end of each chapter you will find some review exercises, however, there are no answers to those exercises. This fact makes the exercises nothing more than annoying and this is the reason that I took off one star from my rating. If you are looking for a "how-to" book, I would suggest getting the CPA study guide called "Financial Accounting and Reporting" by Wiley.
"Slogging" Defined.......2006-06-13
OK folks, here's a contrarian review of this book. Consider it an opinion which "balances" other reviews presented in this book review section. Here goes.
Webster defines the word "slog" as "to plod one's way perseveringly especially against difficulty; to plod heavily".
What an apt description of the effort required to read this book!
If you're engaged in the CFA curriculum, this book comes as a recommended (practically required) textbook. That's unfortunate because this book's various authors are inconsistent in making the material readable and understandable.
Yes, the book is comprehensive. Chapter topics include: Accrual Concept, Analysis of Cash Flows, Ratio and Financial Analysis, Analysis of Long-Lived Assets, Analysis of Income Taxes, Analysis of Financing Liabilities, Leases and Off-Balance-Sheet Debt, Pensions, Intercorporate Investments, Multinational Operations, and Business Combinations. Great stuff to know - practical matters to understand and master.
However, this book presumes a solid understanding of intermediate level accounting, and provides little or no review of these concepts before delving into the topical material. It makes learning more challenging, and when time is of the essence, that's problematic. So I found myself "slogging" through the course material in an effort to learn Level II material.
Supplemental reading is often required to make up for what the authors fail to teach effectively. Here's a tip: Schaum's Intermediate Accounting II has an excellent chapter #10 on Pension Accounting which will benefit you in your studies. Likewise, I have found other Schaums's Outlines to be very instructive and beneficial (consider reading my other reviews).
The CFA Institute would do well to consider recommending other Financial Analysis textbooks to cover the same material - a book that is more readable and user-friendly. One that's more engaging rather than one which requires heavy plodding!
Very good book, but not for beginners.......2006-05-14
The book requires solid knowledge of accounting so not recommended for beginners. Do not expect long explanations and illustrations. They just give some basic examples and generally they don't provide journal entries. It is not an accounting book! Don't be scared if first time there are parts that are not clear as the chapters are interlinked. Give it another chance.
Pretty good book.......2005-12-19
My accounting professor recommended this book ... found it to be very useful to get a handle on many accounting principles I was struggling with in my MBA course. What I like the best about the book is that it allows you to et as detailed as you want to get - it all depends on your interest. For instance I just wanted to get familiar with some issues like accounting for pension and it has very well explained the basics of pension accounting and on other hand where I wanted to get into details of handling of stock options it had all the details I was looking for.
Horribly written.......2005-12-13
I have read this book several times because it was lucky enough to be selected as part of the CFA curriculum. Out of all the accounting texts that I have read, this is by far the worst. I found myself reading and rereading this book several times just to make sense of it, not to mention the fact that I was continually calling upon friends that work as accountants for help. This book even managed to confuse them. I'm sure that there is a wealth of good information in this book; the problem is that you may have to read it five times before you decipher it.
Book Description
Financial Statement Analysis, 9e, emphasizes effective business analysis and decision making by analysts, investors, managers, and other stakeholders of the company. It continues to set the standard (over 8 prior editions and hundreds of thousands in unit book sales) in showing students the keys to effective financial statement analysis. It begins with an overview (chapters 1-2), followed by accounting analysis (chapters 3-6) and then financial analysis (chapters 7-11). The book presents a balanced view of analysis, including both equity and credit analysis, and both cash-based and earnings-based valuation models. The book is aimed at accounting and finance classes, and the professional audience as it shows the relevance of financial statement analysis to all business decision makers. The authors:
1. Use numerous and timely “real world” examples and cases
2. Draw heavily on actual excerpts from financial reports and footnotes
3. Focus on analysis and interpretation of financial reports and their footnotes
4. Illustrate debt and equity valuation that uses results of financial statement analysis
5. Have a concise writing style to make the material accessible.
Customer Reviews:
Not user friendly.......2006-11-13
I have been using this textbook for a few weeks now in a class at Regis University. It is not an easy read. Full of details without a good layman's explanation of concepts. It assumes a lot of prior accounting knowledge.
Get a tutor..........2006-10-20
If you have class with an instructor that uses this book you better:
A. Hope the instructor is a good teacher and only uses it as a supplement
or
B. Take a different course
Unfortunately, I had/did neither. This book is, in a way, similar to many math textbooks in that it gives relatively mundane and simple analysis in the text, while asking complex hour-plus long financial analysis in the chapter review, leaving the reader to largely fend for his or her self.
Terrible book.......2006-08-15
This is an awful book. I took a class on accounting principles and this was the first semester that we used this particular book. Many of the check figures for this book were wrong. Even in the teacher's solution, many answers were wrong. It wasn't an easy read either.
Book Description
This book describes valuation as an exercise in financial statement analysis. Students learn to view a firm through its financial statements and to carry out the appropriate financial statement analysis to value the firm's debt and equity. The book takes an activist approach to investing, showing how the analyst challenges the current market price of a share by analyzing the fundamentals. With a careful assessment of accounting quality, accounting comes to life as it is integrated with the modern theory of finance to develop practical analysis and valuation tools for active investing.
Customer Reviews:
The Best book in Fundamental Analysis.......2007-09-27
This is an excelente book in Fundamental & Valuation reading, The idea of The author is that reformulation on the tradicional statement must be done for investor propose. He do it, and he teach how to do the work in a eassy form. But first of it, he teach about the fundamental essential and he use value drivers for analysis and estimation value.
The author thinks and demostrated that the Fundamental model are much better than other model of valuation like discount Free Cash flow.
In a line of Graham, Dodds, The fundamental analysis of this book is very deep in concept that I founded very usefull. IS a best book than other traditional. I think that de exercise present in the book must have the answer in a internet site, If this is done, dont doubt:It will be The best book in Fundamental an valuation.
Great Text BUT no access to the site materials.......2007-09-11
great text but shame on the publisher not providing access to the solutions of the materials inside the book.
Good Text, Horrible Service.......2007-07-29
This is such an excellent text. McGraw Hill has to provide access to the solutions so that individual investors who are trying to teach themselves can learn the material. This is ludicrous. It stinks.
Incomplete.......2007-05-13
The book itself is great. I bought it with the idea that I would read it and teach myself the material since completing an MBA two years ago. I was denied access to solutions for the exercises and other resources reserved for instructors and students in degree programs. All information provided to instructors was denied to me by the publisher. For the money spent on this volume, all of the educational resources should be made available either through instructors in formalized degree programs or by some other means to people like myself not in degree programs. Otherwise, this text should not be made available to the general public on Amazon. That stated, the book itself is superb...if you want to read it like a novel.
Book Description
Praise for Financial Statement Analysis
A Practitioner's Guide
Third Edition
"This is an illuminating and insightful tour of financial statements, how they can be used to inform, how they can be used to mislead, and how they can be used to analyze the financial health of a company."
-Professor Jay O. Light
Harvard Business School
"Financial Statement Analysis should be required reading for anyone who puts a dime to work in the securities markets or recommends that others do the same."
-Jack L. Rivkin
Executive Vice President (retired)
Citigroup Investments
"Fridson and Alvarez provide a valuable practical guide for understanding, interpreting, and critically assessing financial reports put out by firms. Their discussion of profits-`quality of earnings'-is particularly insightful given the recent spate of reporting problems encountered by firms. I highly recommend their book to anyone interested in getting behind the numbers as a means of predicting future profits and stock prices."
-Paul Brown
Chair-Department of Accounting
Leonard N. Stern School of Business, NYU
"Let this book assist in financial awareness and transparency and higher standards of reporting, and accountability to all stakeholders."
-Patricia A. Small
Treasurer Emeritus, University of California
Partner, KCM Investment Advisors
"This book is a polished gem covering the analysis of financial statements. It is thorough, skeptical and extremely practical in its review."
-Daniel J. Fuss
Vice Chairman
Loomis, Sayles & Company, LP
Customer Reviews:
Great Value.......2006-02-25
I'm not a financial analyst but I'm interested in analysing companies for my own investments. I found the book easy to read. It's a big eye-opener for someone who was not aware of all the accounting gimmicks that aggressive companies can play. I'm certainly a better investor now.
That being said, please note that this book won't tell you much about what you need to do to value a company and invest in it. It will help you spot troublesome companies and accounting tricks that don't look right, but after that you're on your own. You need more than this book to be a good investor, but this book is a pretty important part of being a good investor.
Definately for the Practitioner.......2006-02-17
I needed this book for a Financial Statement Analysis class. It is a decent book, full of examples, so that makes it very interesting; however, the themes are very repetitive. It not an exciting book by any stretch, but it does have some usefulness.
Adobe reader format is a bad choice.......2004-07-25
The publisher limits how many pages can be printed. If you want to print say, two chapters, to take on the plane for reading, you can't print that many pages.
excellent analyst-level text.......2004-05-02
in all likelihood, average investors will not get much out of this book, as average investors don't pore over 10-ks, annual reports and conduct industry analysis prior to investing (which they should!). but for those above average investors who do (read: intelligent investors, per ben graham), this book is an excellent read.
2/3 of the book deals w/ alterting the investor to some of the areas where company mgmt can play games w/ the #s in order to goose the stock price. the examples were helpful, but the insights were not exactly earth shattering for experienced investors.
however, the last 1/3 of the book, on forecasts & security analysis, is worth the price of the book. in 100pgs, you get an MBA-level text on security / credit / financial statement analysis, complete w/ ratio definitions, caveats(!), and applicability. excellent stuff for the beginning or experienced analyst, and i will doubtless refer to the last 1/3 time and again.
Reads well.......2003-05-14
This book is for someone that wants an overview style book. It reads as a novel, or loose conversation would be read. Not a textbook style (dry) book.
Book Description
Penman's
Financial Statement Analysis and Security Valuation 2/e focuses on the output of financial statements, not the input. As such, the book asks what financial statements tell you, not how they are prepared. The idea is to get students to see accounting "working." The book focuses on using financial statements in valuation. The text takes the approach that the best way to accurately value a firm is to look at the future earnings of the firm. The main pretext of the book is that financial statement analysis and valuation analysis are inextricably entwined: valuation is an exercise in financial statement analysis. Financial statement analysis is directed by the need to get information for valuation. Accordingly, the book brings finance and accounting concepts together. The book stresses concepts, but the idea is to show how to move from concepts to practice.
Customer Reviews:
Heir to the Throne.......2006-06-23
For decades Graham and Dodd's "Security Analysis" has been the Bible of Value Investing. But now Stephen Penman, Columbia professor who teaches what Graham did, stakes his claim as a truly worthy successor, with this textbook.
I felt a profound expansion of my understanding of fundamental analysis when I read Security Analysis. Penman's textbook is the only other book that has provided me with a similar deepening of my understanding. Indeed, if Graham were still around, I am quite sure this is the book he would have written.
If you seek a strong foundation and understanding of how accounting information and valuation work together, there is no better book i have come across. All the other texts seem to pale in comparison.
Here's a small extract:
"A valuation model not only tells you how to think about the value generation in the future, but it also tells you how to account for the value generation. A valuation model is really a model of proforma accounting for the future. Should you account for the future in terms of dividends? should you account for the future in terms of cash flows? Or should you use accrual accounting for the future? You see, then, that accounting and valuation are very much alike. Valuation is a matter of accounting for value."
Statements like these will give a dedicated value investor a high. If you are one, make sure u read this book!
Best Fundamental Analysis Textbook .......2004-09-20
I must first disclose that I am a student in Professor Penman's class at Columbia, therefore I may have some insights and access to items that other readers may not have. Nonetheless, this textbook is amazing! I am in my last 2 electives before graduating from a dual MBA program at Columbia/LBS, and this textbook and class are "pulling everything together." I have taken 5 finance courses and 3 accounting classes and thus, have a pretty good background in finance/accounting, despite being a physician with no practical experience in the financial services industry (yet).
THE BOOK: What I have found different about this text book and every other finance/valuation textbook I have used in my studies including Brealey and Myers (the finance bible)is that it handles both the broad, conceptual aspects and the nuts-and-bolts valuation tools extremely well. Penman is able to start with a broad concept and then introduce valuation tools/techniques that build on these concepts. This makes it easier to understand and remember the valuation process (at least for me). The graphs and diagrams are equally helpful (for a change) and re-enforce the textual information. In contrast, the McKinsey valuation textbook (bible #2) is good on the conceptual aspects, but lacks tremendously in the detailed analysis sections. The additional workbook for the McKinsey book fails miserably as well. This textbook has it all, and provides an excellent framework and tool set to enter the financial services industry.
Easily the best book in the field..........2004-08-23
Penman's book is rapidly becoming THE textbook for MBA courses in fundamental analysis and equity valuation, and rightly so. The approach he suggests just plain makes good economic sense, and he is able to offer a method that allows the users of financial statements to get to the core of how economic profits are created, and perhaps most importantly, how those profits should be valued.
In the end, of course, no one has all of the answers -- a major weakness in the book, in my opinion, is a less-than-complete discussion of the issues surrounding the determination of the elusive "cost of operations". He rather vaguely suggests the application of a basic statistical method that I won't go into here (read the book and see what you think!), but the discussion is a little thin and will hopefully be beefed up in future editions. But, hey, like I said: no one has really cracked the case on this perennial grey area, and Penman's ideas are as good as any I've encountered.
Again, though, this book provides the reader with some rather powerful tools with which to tackle financial statements. My only regret is that I bought the softcover international edition to save some cash -- I can honestly say that this is the only textbook I've ever purchased where I wished I had picked up the hardcover edition. Don't make the same mistake. This is a text you will want to refer to time and time again, so just go ahead and buy the real, hardcover deal. I know I'll be picking up my own hardcover copy once the next edition is released.
Professor Penman, if you happen to read the reviews here, thanks for the effort and please keep striving to improve on this landmark text!!
A Banking Professional.......2004-07-13
Very much thorough and practical point of view. Awesome! An art piece of integrating in-depth accounting and valuation!
Excellent!.......2003-08-22
I've studied innumerable books on Security Analysis, but have yet to find one that satisfied my desire to fully integrate financial statement analysis with valuation--until now! Penman's book does an excellent job of presenting all the various valuation methods and critiquing the strengths and weaknesses of each one. He does a superb job of showing the relationship between cash flow and accrual accounting and how each relates to valuation. He also shows how corporate strategy affects both the financials and valuation and how to do decent pro formas. For the studious stock analyst, this book is well worth the extra time required to digest its many insights. I rate this book second only to the original Graham and Dodd's Security Analysis.
Book Description
Applied Equity Analysis treats stock valuation as a practical, hands-on tool rather than a vague, theoretical exercise—and covers the entire valuation process from financial statement analysis through the final investment recommendation. Its integrated approach to valuation builds viable connections between a firm’s competitive situation and the ultimate behavior of its common stock. Techniques explained include EVA, newer hybrid valuation techniques, and relative multiple analysis.
Download Description
Applied Equity Analysis treats stock valuation as a practical, hands-on tool rather than a vague, theoretical exercise--and covers the entire valuation process from financial statement analysis through the final investment recommendation.
Customer Reviews:
great book for those in finance.......2006-06-20
This book is great if you're in the field of finance. This is not for the average consumer looking for investment advice. I've been in corporate financial planning and analyis for the past five years and always wondered how equity analysts built their models. This books will give you insight into their thinking and also give enough detail to build your own models. I would have rated it five stars if the book included a CD with his examples in Excel. The author does have website where you can download sample models.
for SELL-SIDE analysts only.......2006-01-14
I bought this book based on the strong reviews as a complement to Damodaran's classic on valuation, but felt disappointed.
To qualify my comments: First, I am not a sell-side analyst, and secondly, I haven't finished the book. After about 50 pages, I threw in the towel.
My first stylistic objection to the book is its low content density. There is tremendous repetition and examples are trotted out in excruciating detail, even where the conclusions are fairly obvious. For example, on p. 34: "At competitive equilibrium, the firm can identify no incremental investment opportunities likely to generate returns in excess of capital costs. Competitive equilibrium is often defined as a condition in which investment opportunities generate returns equal to capital costs, but existing investments continue to earn abnormal rates." To me these two sentences are already redundant. But in case you still didn't get it, further DOWN on the SAME PAGE: "...This situation is called economic equilibrium, or economic parity. What does equilibrium mean? When returns are forced down to capital costs, then economic rents and/or abnormal earnings disappear and no further incentive to enter the business exists".
But the most frequently repeated point of the first two chapters, is best summed up on p. 19: "As I say many times in the coming pages [and he's not kidding, there], equity analysis is not prophecy; it's opinion. It was never meant to be objective description, but it is strong advocacy." If you're the sell-side analyst, having to "dress up a pig" to help your firm gain some banking business, this book might offer some ideas. But where does this leave the consumer of such analysis? "It's the investor's job to 'diversify' by considering a variety of analysts' positions." (p.9)
I think better advice for the investor might be to learn how to perform sound analysis themselves. For that, I recommend Damodaran's book. I lost my faith in this book's intent to provide balanced (let alone predictive) analysis.
One of the Best.......2005-11-01
There are reams and reams of investment valuation books on the market -- that is obvious.
In my opinion, the three no one should be without are Applied Equity Analysis, Stephen Penman's monster tome "financial statements and...", and lastly, Aswath Damadoran's book, "investment valuation."
Most hyperventilating MBAs default to Damadoran; I really enjoy the simplicity behind Applied Equity Analysis.
Caution: Neither of the 3 are what you'd call "light reading."
If you have any money left, honorable mention goes to Cooke's "security analysis on wall street."
Probably the best.......2004-07-15
I've been looking for a practical step by step book on equity analysis from a practitioners viewpoint. This is it. Other books try to take shortcuts. This book does not take short-cuts, but neither is it bogged down with unncessary academic exercises. If you really want to understand how to do valuation and applied equity analysis I can't recommend any book more highly. It is head and shoulders above anything else out there. Penman's book (from Columbia Business School) is also good but it is a VERY serious and weighty book that probably should only be attacked after you have read this one. Get this book by English and you will not be sorry. I have spent way too much time reading hundreds of other books that weren't nearly as educational. Again, however, it is only for the serious investor.
Very readable, very insightful, and extremely practical.......2001-09-23
James English's "Applied Equity Analysis" is a how-to manual on evaluating stocks based on his 20 years of experience at JP Morgan. The book is very well-written and readable since the author employs plain english (no pun intended) to make his three major points: 1) accounting numbers--while by no means perfect--are excellent tools in evaluating stocks, 2) accounting-based stock valuation is superior to (but does not neccessarily supplant) cash flows, and 3) competition ensures that eye-popping financial performance doesn't last forever.
Contrary to another reviewer, English employs excellent examples to clarify and explain his points. Some examples: Gateway 2000's earnings history was used to explain how to find and interpret non-recurring items (NRI) on financial statements. Ratio analysis was demonstrated by looking at the PC industry in 1998. Emerson Electric was the company chosen to show why mature companies were still good buys. Many other examples abound, and English does a successful job in tying their relevance to his arguements.
But successful use of examples is not just the only strength of the book. The author also tackles a range of topics complete with insightful and clear discussions: the flaws of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH), Economic Value Added (EVA), financial statement analysis, fundamental analysis, etc.
A quick glance at the table of contents below gives you an idea of the scope of English's book. I highly recommend this book to not just Wall Street analysts, anyone who is interested in finding fundamental value in evaluating stocks instead of following the crowd.
Pt. 1 Getting Started
Ch. 1 A Day in the Life
Ch. 2 Fundamentals of Equity Valuation
Ch. 3 Strategy and Competition I: The Firm's External Environment
Ch. 4 Strategy and Competition II: The Firm's Internal Competitive Resources
Ch. 5 Fundamentals of Stock Behavior
Pt. 2 The Basic Tools
Ch. 6 Reading a Financial Statement: The Accuracy, Sustainability, and Predictability of Financial Information
Appendix 6-1 Gateway Financial Statements
Ch. 7 Reading a Financial Statement: the Composition of Returns
Appendix 7-1 Comparative Financial Analysis: Personal Computer Industry
Ch. 8 Reading a Financial Statement: Early-Stage Companies and Investment Capacity
Ch. 9 Reading a Financial Statement: Later-Stage Companies and the Transition to Maturity
Ch. 10 Economic Value Added: An Alternative to Traditional Analysis Techniques
Appendix 10-1 Gateway's Cost of Capital
Pt. 3 Financial Models
Ch. 11 Financial Modeling: Base Case Assumptions and Model Design
Appendix 11-1 Dell Computer Corporation Consolidated Statement of Income
Ch. 12 Financial Modeling: The Income Statement and Balance Sheet
Ch. 13 Financial Modeling: The Statement of Cash Flows
Pt. 4 Equity Valuation
Ch. 14 Valuation: Foundations and Fundamentals
Ch. 15 Combat Finance: Relative Methods and Companion Variable Models
Ch. 16 Hybrid Valuation Techniques
Ch. 17 The Quirky Price/Earnings Ratio
Ch. 18 Valuation of Speculative Stocks
Ch. 19 Equity Analysis and Business Combinations
Pt. 5 Getting It Down on Paper
Ch. 20 Financial Writing: Don't Bury the Lead
Bibliography
Index
Book Description
Maintaining the high standards of prior editions, Security Analysis puts at your fingertips the authoritative guidance on analyzing securities that generations of investment bankers have come to rely on.
Customer Reviews:
The 1934 edition is the last edition you should buy........2007-04-08
My star rating is for the 1934 edition, but this review may appear for other editions of the book.
The 1934 edition came out before the creation of the SEC and deals with a lot of accounting irregularities that are not such a problem today. I suggest you buy a newer edition.
Some people seem to have a preference for the 1940 edition. The 1951 edition was the first one written after the Great Depression, so it dealt with businesses in a more normal economic environment. The 1962 edition was the last written directly by Graham and Dodd, but it is currently unavailable. The 1988 edition is the most recent edition of Security Analysis, but it was updated by other authors years after Graham had died. The 1988 edition is the one currently used as a textbook for Columbia University's Security Analysis course.
Best Book on Stocks.......2007-01-16
The best book for stock analysis. The thing that impresses me the most is that it takes investors emotions into account--the main reason people don't make money in stocks.
Best investing book I've ever read.......2006-01-17
Yes, this is the best investing book I've ever read, but I never read the 2nd or 3rd editions so maybe they are better? I do know that the 5th edition is absolutely horrible, it wasn't written by Graham and has nothing to do with this book, and you won't learn anything about investing from reading it.
You do need a strong background in accounting to understand this book. There are some archaic accounting terms used in the book that no longer apply today. A law school course in Corporations Law is helful here too.
Nevertheless, every more modern book on "value investing" never really explained it as well as this book written in 1934.
Yes, the book is long, but who said investing should be easy? If you want easy money, go to Vegas. I made hundreds of thousands of dollars in the stock market after I read this book. This book is more valuable than a college education and a lot cheaper.
A MUST read.......2005-08-10
Security Analysis is the most important book ever written about the subject. (...)
Sven Klein, Santa Barbara, CA
A MUST read.......2005-08-07
Security Analysis is the most important book ever written about the subject. It should be mandatory to read this book prior to getting any security license.
Sven Klein, Santa Barbara, CA
Books:
- Financial Reporting, Financial Statement Analysis, and Valuation: A Strategic Perspective (with Thomson One Access Code)
- Financial Statements: A Step-By-Step Guide to Understanding and Creating Financial Reports
- Foundations of Financial Management (The Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate)
- Foundations of Financial Markets and Institutions (3rd Edition)
- Global Strategy (with World Map and InfoTrac )
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
- Healthcare Finance: An Introduction To Accounting And Financial Management
- Healthcare Finance: An Introduction To Accounting And Financial Management
- Healthcare Finance: An Introduction To Accounting And Financial Management
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General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies, Fourth Edition
Investments
Investments with S&P bind-in card
Financial Modeling - 2nd Edition: Includes CD
Principles of Corporate Finance + Student CD + Ethics in Finance PowerWeb + Standard and Poor's (McGraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Finance, Insurance, and Real Est)
