What is financial reporting?

Financial reporting is the process in which companies disclose financial results and related financial information to external audiences like investors, customers, and regulators, as well as to their internal managers and employees. Financial reports provide these audiences a snapshot of the financial status of the company and how it has performed during a specific set of time. Financial reporting in publicly-traded companies is an ongoing process, with the official public announcement of the financial results usually done in quarterly intervals during the year. However, industry analysts and other insiders are usually briefed more often during the year.

Why is it important that I learn about financial reporting?

It's important to learn about financial reporting to better comprehend how revenues in a business are balanced out against the costs of running the company. When you learn about financial reporting, you will get a strong understanding of a company’s assets and liabilities, what an income statement is, how to understand a profit and loss report, and how important a cash flow statement is on a company’s financial activities. Learning about financial reporting is an integral asset for anyone with an aptitude for numbers, mathematics, and financial accountability.

What are careers that use financial reporting?

Some of the careers associated with financial reporting include accountant, financial manager, financial analyst, senior tax accountant, and controller. Many of these positions exist in large organizations, especially publicly-traded companies, as there are financial positions in order to handle the work of strict financial reporting measures. To move into a career in financial reporting, it helps to have a background of knowledge in such areas as accounting, financial analysis, and financial management and reporting, along with more general knowledge of sales, project management, and data analytics.

How can taking online courses help me learn financial reporting?

When you take online courses to learn financial reporting, you will gain specific knowledge on topics like accounting analysis, financial statements, cash flow reporting, and profit and loss statements. You can become proficient in using the top financial statements common in organizations: balance sheet, income statement, and the statement of cash flows. As you learn more about financial reporting in online courses, your interests may widen to include other areas of financial accounting and financial reporting. Understanding these subjects is integral to your accounting experience in working on an accounting team at a professional organization.

What are the benefits of taking an online Financial Reporting course?

Online Financial Reporting courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Financial Reporting skills. Choose from a wide range of Financial Reporting courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Financial Reporting courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Financial Reporting, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Financial Reporting Courses - Learn Financial Reporting Online

Explore the Financial Reporting Course Catalog

Status: Free Trial
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Investment Banking: Financial Analysis and Valuation
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Investment Banking, Financial Forecasting, Business Valuation, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Mergers & Acquisitions, Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flows, Benchmarking, Spreadsheet Software
Build toward a degree
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
172 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Rice University
Finance for Non-Finance Professionals
Skills you'll gain: Capital Budgeting, Cash Flows, Financial Analysis, Finance, Business Valuation, Return On Investment, Financial Management, Corporate Finance, Financial Modeling, Investments, Financial Statements, Risk Analysis, Equities
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
2.7K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Copenhagen Business School
Digital Transformation in Financial Services
Skills you'll gain: FinTech, Technology Strategies, Payment Systems, Financial Services, Digital Transformation, International Finance, Mobile Banking, Banking, Innovation, Financial Regulations, Business Technologies, Business Transformation, Financial Market, Competitive Analysis, Analysis, Financial Regulation, Business Strategy, Business Analysis, Business Strategies, Market Dynamics
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
2K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Coursera Instructor Network
Financial Analysis: Portfolios, Risks, Strategic Decisions
Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management, Investment Management, Risk Management, Financial Management, Finance, Financial Market, Investments, Financial Planning, Financial Analysis, Asset Management, Risk Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Business Valuation, Market Dynamics, Quantitative Research
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
117 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of California, Irvine
Finance for Non-Financial Professionals
Skills you'll gain: Cash Management, Financial Analysis, Financial Statements, Budgeting, Accounting, Cash Flow Forecasting, Business Valuation, Financial Accounting, Finance, Financial Management, Balance Sheet
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
4.5K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Financial Planning for Young Adults
Skills you'll gain: Financial Planning, Investments, Budgeting, Risk Management, Goal Setting, Loans, Finance, Insurance, Credit Risk
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.4K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Columbia University
Introduction to Financial Engineering and Risk Management
Skills you'll gain: Financial Market, Securities (Finance), Derivatives, Financial Systems, Actuarial Science, Mathematical Modeling, Mathematics and Mathematical Modeling, Applied Mathematics, Financial Trading, Capital Markets, Financial Services, Securities Trading, Futures Exchange, Equities, Finance, Financial Modeling, Market Liquidity, Risk Modeling, Probability, Risk Management
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
285 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Pennsylvania
Fundamentals of Quantitative Modeling
Skills you'll gain: Mathematical Modeling, Statistical Modeling, Regression Analysis, Business Modeling, Financial Modeling, Business Mathematics, Markov Model, Probability, Predictive Analytics, Process Optimization, Risk Management, Statistics, Probability Distribution, Simulation and Simulation Software, Forecasting
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
9.2K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Nanjing University
Data Processing Using Python
Skills you'll gain: Data Processing, Data Mining, Data Structures, Data Presentation, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Web Scraping, Data Analysis, Python Programming, Pandas (Python Package), NumPy, Data Visualization, Data Import/Export, Data Manipulation, Matplotlib, User Interface (UI) Design
4.1
Rating, 4.1 out of 5 stars
374 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Minnesota
Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers
Skills you'll gain: Performance Management, Performance Appraisal, Employee Performance Management, Compensation Management, Compensation Strategy, Compensation and Benefits, Constructive Feedback, Workforce Planning, Human Resource Strategy, Human Resources, Employee Onboarding, Recruitment, Recruitment Strategies, Human Capital, Compensation Analysis, Talent Acquisition, Human Resources Management and Planning, People Management, Job Analysis, Payroll
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
15K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Sustainability Reporting: From Regulation to Implementation
Skills you'll gain: Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Sustainability Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Business Reporting, Data Storytelling, Compliance Reporting, Data Visualization, Management Reporting, Environmental Regulations, Compliance Management, Financial Reporting, Annual Reports, Stakeholder Communications, Strategic Communication, Corporate Communications, Business Ethics, Regulatory Requirements, Stakeholder Engagement, Benchmarking, Report Writing
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
15 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Indian School of Business
Financial Planning
Skills you'll gain: Financial Planning, Tax Planning, Wealth Management, Income Tax, Insurance, General Finance, Financial Management, Investments, Financial Market, Loans, Portfolio Management, Budgeting, Risk Management, Goal Setting
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
43 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months