Download or read book The Economist Guide to Analysing Companies written by Bob Vause and published by Economist Books. This book was released on 2014-12-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In today's volatile, complex and fast-moving business world, it can be difficult to gauge how sound a company really is. An apparently strong balance sheet and impressive reported profits may be hiding all sorts of problems that could even spell bankruptcy. So how do you:Know whether a company is well run and doing well? Decide which ratios and benchmarks to use to assess performance? Work out if a company has massaged its results? Recognise the danger signs on the corporate horizon?Compare companies operating in different sectors or countries?These and many other important questions are answered in a completely updated and revised sixth edition of this clear and comprehensive guide. It is aimed at anyone who wants to understand a company's annual report, judge a customer's creditworthiness, assess a company's investment potential, and much more.