Forecasting Financial Statements & Valuation for Accountants (Coursera)

Forecasting Financial Statements & Valuation for Accountants (Coursera)

The objective of this course is to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze, interpret, understand and use financial information to make informed decisions. We will discuss financial reporting from a user’s perspective, use a variety of tools to break apart financial reports into meaningful units for analysis, forecast financial statements, and value a firm. This course is intended to give you exposure to the issues facing users of financial statements. You will better understand your role in the financial reporting process if you know how the financial statements will ultimately be used.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Beyond the Financials: Insights, Analysis and Valuations will require you to think critically about issues for which there can be more than one “correct” answer. Hence, your analysis and conclusions must be based on sound assumptions and well-constructed analysis and arguments.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Orientation
You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.
Module 1: Beyond the Financials - External
You will gain an understanding of why it is important to consider external information beyond the financials and how to access this data when performing financial statement analysis and valuation.

WEEK 2
Module 2: Beyond the Financials: Internal
You will gain an understanding of why it is important to consider internal information beyond the financials and how to access this data when performing financial statement analysis and valuation.

WEEK 3
Module 3: Non-GAAP Adjustments
You will gain an understanding of Non-GAAP adjustments, why they are permitted and how they are sometimes mis-used by companies.

WEEK 4
Module 4: Forecasting
In this module, you will gain an understanding to different approaches to financial statement forecasting and the pros and cons to each.

WEEK 5
Module 5: Forecasting- Advanced
In this module, you will gain an understanding of advanced forecasting approaches and the pros and cons to each.

WEEK 6
Module 6: Valuation
In this module, you will learn why valuations are critical in making business decisions and how to execute Simple Valuation Models.

WEEK 7
Module 7: Valuation- Advanced Part 1
In this module, you will learn basic valuation principles and guidelines, and how to estimate intrinsic value and key model inputs such as the discount rate.

WEEK 8
Module 8: Valuation- Advanced Part 2
In this module, you will learn how to execute popular advanced valuation models.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Private Equity and Venture Capital (Coursera) Coursera
Università Bocconi

Private Equity and Venture Capital (Coursera)

The course deals with the analysis of the private equity and venture capital business. Over the course, students will be provided with a deep understanding of the mechanism underpinning the creation and/or development of a firm and the financial support it can get from the financial system through venture capital investment. The course tries to discover how special financial intermediaries (called private equity investors) finance through equity companies belonging to different stages of their life-cycle, starting from the very beginning (startup and early stage) to a more mature phase (i.e. expansion, mature age, etc.) or also staying into crises and decline.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Understanding Financial Statements: Company Position (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Understanding Financial Statements: Company Position (Coursera)

This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of financial statements with an emphasis on the balance sheet. However, to understand accounting driven financial statements, it is important to recognize that accounting is less about counting and more about measuring. “What is it that is being measured?” Well, as the course unfolds, you will learn about the three measurement questions and how the balance sheet helps to answer the first two of these questions.

Sep 28th 2026
4 Weeks
Financial Markets (Coursera) Coursera
Yale University

Financial Markets (Coursera)

An overview of the ideas, methods, and institutions that permit human society to manage risks and foster enterprise. Emphasis on financially-savvy leadership skills. Description of practices today and analysis of prospects for the future. Introduction to risk management and behavioral finance principles to understand the real-world functioning of securities, insurance, and banking industries. The ultimate goal of this course is using such industries effectively and towards a better society.

Sep 28th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Foundations of Hotel Budgeting and Forecasting (Coursera) Coursera
Starweaver

Foundations of Hotel Budgeting and Forecasting (Coursera)

The "Foundations of Hotel Budgeting and Forecasting" course is designed to equip learners with the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel in the dynamic hospitality industry. As the industry continues to evolve, effective budgeting and forecasting have become imperative for hotel management. This course offers a comprehensive understanding of fundamental concepts, practices, and tools in hotel budgeting and forecasting, making it an ideal choice for various target learners.

Oct 12th 2026
4 Weeks
Introduction to Finance: The Basics (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Introduction to Finance: The Basics (Coursera)

In the Introduction to Finance I: The Basics course, you will be introduced to the basic concepts needed to understand the financial manager’s decision-making process. To achieve that, you will learn about the basic forms a business can take and the goal of the financial manager. You will also learn the fundamentals of financial statements and how to measure a company’s financial health using financial ratios.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Fundamentals of Finance (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Fundamentals of Finance (Coursera)

In this course, you’ll learn the basic fundamentals of corporate finance. Based on the pre-term qualifying courses for Wharton MBA students, Professor Jessica Wachter has designed this course for learners who need a refresher in financial concepts, or for those who are learning about corporate finance for the first time. You’ll identify foundational concepts in corporate finance, such as NPV, Compound and Simple Interest, and Annuities versus Perpetuities.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Fundamentals of financial and management accounting (Coursera) Coursera
Politecnico di Milano

Fundamentals of financial and management accounting (Coursera)

This is an introductory course on financial and management accounting. The first part of this course will introduce the basic accounting principles and accounting terminology to understand how a company keeps control of financial events and provides information on how it is performing. These basic concepts will support the analysis of financial reports companies prepare. We will go through balance sheet, income statement, financial statement, learning how to read and analyze them.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
FinTech Law and Policy (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

FinTech Law and Policy (Coursera)

Being a successful FinTech firm requires more than just great technology; it also requires an understanding of the laws and regulations applicable to your business. This course will provide you with that understanding. You will learn about the critical legal, regulatory, and policy issues associated with cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings, online lending, new payments and wealth management technologies, and financial account aggregators.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Financial Regulation in Emerging Markets and the Rise of Fintech Companies (Coursera) Coursera
University of Cape Town

Financial Regulation in Emerging Markets and the Rise of Fintech Companies (Coursera)

This course gives an overview of the changing regulatory environment since the 1997 Asian and 2008 global financial crisis. Following these two major crises, governments around the globe enacted a set of far-reaching new financial regulations that are aimed towards safeguarding financial stability. However, banks find it increasingly difficult to be profitable in this new regulatory environment.

Oct 12th 2026
4 Weeks
Introduction to Finance: The Role of Financial Markets (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Introduction to Finance: The Role of Financial Markets (Coursera)

In Introduction to Finance: The Role of Financial Markets, you will be introduced to the basic concepts and skills needed for financial managers to make informed decisions. With an overview of the structure and dynamics of financial markets and commonly used financial instruments, you will get crucial skills to make capital investment decisions.

Oct 12th 2026
4 Weeks
Finance for Everyone: Debt (Coursera) Coursera
McMaster University

Finance for Everyone: Debt (Coursera)

In Debt, we take on one of the most challenging financial questions that remains unresolved: How much to borrow? We start by demonstrating why using debt has always been and continues to be a great temptation, particularly when borrowing costs are historically low. We identify conditions for selecting the optimal amount of debt for a corporation looking to maximize its value. You’ll become fluent in related concepts like norms and benchmarks.

Oct 12th 2026
4 Weeks