Most strategic and operational business decisions rely on a fundamental knowledge of financial management. Speaking and understanding the language of finance is an essential skill for leaders and managers throughout the organization. This understanding is also a prerequisite for finance professionals who need to make day to day decisions, and for accounting professionals who wish to advance their careers. Without a clear understanding of financial statements and financial analysis and management, you lack credibility with finance managers and business leaders alike. This certificate in financial management course consists of modules that reveal financial terminology and concepts, giving you the tools, you need to communicate fluently with top executives and articulate business investment and project proposals to decision makers.

Course Methodology

The course uses a mix of interactive techniques, such as brief presentations by the consultant, group exercises, case studies and the use of Excel to apply knowledge acquired throughout the course followed by participants' presentations of the results.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Apply their knowledge of corporate financial management
• Employ their understanding in the macro finance roles from strategic and operational perspectives
• Develop a practical understanding of corporate finance, capital budgeting and cost of capital
• Compare how equities and fixed income securities are priced
• Design dynamic strategic financial planning models
• Demonstrate understanding of mergers, acquisitions, takeovers, and corporate control

Target Audience

Finance professionals, finance managers, corporate controllers, financial controllers, treasury professionals, chief accountants, accounting managers, senior accountants, banking professionals, and corporate business professionals.

Target Competencies

• Understanding financial statements
• Financial analysis
• Financial management
• Financial modelling
• Investment valuation
• Equity valuation
• Fixed income valuation
• Mergers and Acquisitions (M and As)

Course Outline

The scope of corporate financial management

• Introduction to the three pillars of financial management
• An inside look at the key financial statements
• Why cash flow is king?
• The building blocks of financial analysis:
  • Vertical analysis and common size financial statements
  • Horizontal and trend analysis
  • Liquidity analysis
  • Solvency analysis
  • Efficiency analysis
  • Profitability analysis
• Practical applications of the time value of money using Excel

Strategic and operational financial planning

• Overview of the financial planning process
• Understanding the sustainable growth rate
• Pro-forma financial statements and assumptions
• Building income statement projections
• Building balance sheet projections
• Modelling 'what-if' analysis

Corporate finance, capital budgeting and cost of capital

• The capital budgeting process

• Net present value: key decision-making criteria
• Internal rate of return
• Discounted payback period
• Profitability index
• Weighted average cost of capital

Mergers, acquisitions, and corporate control

• Methods of acquisitions
• Types of Mergers and Acquisitions (M an dAs)
• Motives for mergers and acquisitions
• 5 phases to the M and A process
• The process of due diligence
• Reasons behind failed mergers
• Anti-takeover measures

Stock and bond valuation

• Valuation fundamentals of financial instruments
• An inside look at common and preferred stocks

• Stock valuation principles
• Stocks held for specific period
• Stocks held indefinitely
• The free cash flow approach
• Fixed income securities valuation
• Bonds: premiums and discounts

Working capital and the financing decision

• Components of working capital
• Conservative approach for working capital management
• Aggressive approach for working capital management
• Ways of financing current assets
• The cash conversion cycle and cash management