Outlines practical analytical techniques to reading between the lines of corporate financial reports in order to better evaluate company performance

Presents real-life case studies and examples of previous accounting scandals and corporate collapses

Examines the reliability of corporate financial reports and demonstrates the many pitfalls that investors, managers and analysts often encounter when analysing them

Chapter 1. Most common distortions in a financial statement analysis caused by objective weaknesses of accounting and analytical methods.- Chapter 2. Other "noise" in a financial statement analysis caused by objective weaknesses of accounting and analytical methods.- Chapter 3. Deliberate accounting manipulations: introduction and revenue-oriented accounting gimmicks.- Chapter 4. Deliberate accounting manipulations: expense-oriented accounting gimmicks and intentional profit understatements.- Chapter 5. Evaluation of financial statement reliability and comparability based on Auditor's opinion, narrative disclosures and cash flow data.- Chapter 6. Problems of comparability and reliability of reported cash flows.- Chapter 7. Evaluation of financial statement reliability and comparability based on quantitative tools other than cash flows: primary warning signals.- Chapter 8. Evaluation of financial statement reliability and comparability based on quantitative toolsother than cash flows: additional warning signals.- Chapter 9. Techniques of increasing comparability and reliability of reported accounting numbers: selected simple tools.- Chapter 10. Techniques of increasing comparability and reliability of reported accounting numbers: some more advanced tools