Income statements chronicle the gains or deficiencies of a company’s operations over a period of time, by reporting all revenues and expenses. These statements are processed each month, and at the end of the fiscal year. Income statements include definite expenses and revenues. Sometimes these statements are also known as P&L statements or profit and loss. The second statement is known as a retained earnings statement. This is for displaying the beginning balance of retained earnings and adjustments during the course of the year. The statement usually includes beginning balance, net income for the current cycle, dividends disclosed in the current period and ending balance. Balance sheets detail assets and claims to assets at a distinct point in time. Claims of creditors and claims of owners are examples of claims to assets. This particular statement provides a clear outline of the financial standing of the company as a whole. The direct function of a statement of cash flow is to present financial information such as cash receipts and payments during a set point in time. This assists investors and creditors to analyze a company’s financial position.. These statements address a company’s financing, investment and operational activities. Financial statements are useful to managers as these statements are utilized to measure the performance of the organization. Sales and expenses are compared to the income statements from previous periods by management to pinpoint possible problematic areas. Major variations adjure management to thoroughly understand what the causes of those changes are. Variations in liabilities and assets are examined on the balance sheets from one cycle to the next. Any large variations need to be identified, explained and reasons established to whether the variations
