Horizontal Analysis → The comparison of a company’s financial data between periods to spot trends , as well as for peer group benchmarking purposes. Thus, companies of different sizes in terms of total revenue and currently at different stages in their lifecycle can still be compared to obtain useful insights. Horizontal analysis typically shows the changes from the base period in dollar and percentage. For example, a statement that says revenues have increased by 10% this past quarter is based on horizontal analysis. The percentage change is calculated by first dividing the dollar change between the comparison year and the base year by the line item value in the base year, then multiplying the quotient by 100. With different bits of calculated information now embedded into the financial statements, it’s time to analyze the results. The identification of trends and patterns is driven by asking specific, guided questions.

• Regardless, accounting changes and one-off events can be used to correct such an anomaly and enhance horizontal analysis accuracy.
• A manager, on the other hand, is concerned with the day-to-day operations of the company, so he uses this evaluation technique to pinpoint areas for improvement.
• So, any investor would most likely prefer to invest in the company and vise versa.
• Retained earnings went up by 16.70% and shareholders’ equity increased by 14.59%.
• Using the comparative income statement above, you can see that your net income changed by $1,500 from 2017; a percentage increase of 5.3%, but what really stands out on the income statement is the 266% increase in depreciation expense.
• Even so, one-off events and accounting changes can be implemented to correct these anomalies to improve the accuracy of the analysis.
• Since, any line item in a financial statement or financial ratio can be compared across a period of time, it makes the horizontal analysis extremely useful for anyone trying to track a company’s performance over time.

Horizontal analysis also makes it easier to compare growth rates and profitability among multiple companies in the same industry. The analysis of critical measures of business performance, such as profit margins, inventory turnover, and return on equity, can detect emerging problems and strengths. For example, earnings per share may have been rising because the cost of goods sold has been falling or because sales have been growing steadily. As a result, some companies maneuver the growth and profitability trends reported in their financial horizontal analysis report using a combination of methods to break down business segments.

Types of Analysis

See how to do a horizontal and vertical analysis and a detailed horizontal analysis example. Drag down the cell with the formula to copy it to the other revenue line items, as well as the total net revenue. The priority here should be to identify the company’s areas of strengths and weaknesses to create an actionable plan to drive value creation and implement operating improvements. INVESTMENT BANKING RESOURCESLearn the foundation of Investment banking, financial modeling, valuations and more.

• That’s exactly why it’s called horizontal analysis – you compare the data from each period side by side to calculate your results.
• This income statement shows that the company brought in a total of $4.358 billion through sales, and it cost approximately $2.738 billion to achieve those sales, for a gross profit of $1.619 billion.
• In the current year, company XYZ reported a net income of $20 million and retained earnings of $52 million.
• These ratios make problems related to the growth and profitability of a company evident and clear.
• Determining the percentage change is important because it links the degree of change to the actual amounts involved.

The process of comparing data points over time obviously requires at least two data sets to be available. You can perform horizontal analysis on any financial statement metric, financial ratio, or financial statement line item. Horizontal analysis can help you identify trends in your data using your financial statements. Using Excel or Google Sheets is a great way to carry out a horizontal analysis of financial statements, especially if you use a pre-made template. If you use Layer, you can even automate parts of this process, including the control of data flows, calculations, and sharing the results.

The Usefulness of Horizontal Analysis

Horizontal analysis allows financial statement users to easily spot trends and growth patterns. This type of analysis in the balance sheet is typically done in a two-year manner, as illustrated below, with a variance indicating the difference between the two years for each line item. This type of analysis allows an analyst to go deeper into a financial statement’s structure and gain a better understanding of it. However, an extra vertical analysis approach is required for management and innovators to make better-informed judgments. Ratios such as asset turnover, inventory turnover, and receivables turnover are also important because they help analysts to fully gauge the performance of a business. For example, if a company starts generating low profits in a particular year, expenses can be analyzed for that year. This makes it easier to spot inefficiencies and specific areas of underperformance.

Consistency is important when performing horizontal analysis of financial statements. When the same accounting standards are used over the years, the financial statements of the company are easier to compare and trends are easily analyzed.

How to Perform a Horizontal Analysis

Finance analytics solutions, with their multiple capabilities, supply you with accurate and previously undetected important data, reducing any difficulties. It assists you in keeping track of your financial flows, including income and costs, across the board. For example, a low https://www.bookstime.com/ inventory turnover would imply that sales are low, the company is not selling its inventory, and there is a surplus. This could also be due to poor marketing or excess inventory due to seasonal demand. Consistency and comparability are generally accepted accounting principles .

Solvency Ratios – Just as the name implies, these ratios reveal how solvent a company is, most specifically, how capable of paying its long-term debts. Alhtough this comparison is useful on its own, investors and management typically use both horizontal andvertical analysistechnuques before making any decisions.