The field of FP&A is an ever-changing, dynamic landscape. To help finance professionals stay ahead of the curve, it’s important to have a solid understanding of financial analysis methods and processes.
Whether you’re a new finance professional or someone looking to brush up on your skills, there are countless fp&a books you can read. The question is, which ones are worth reading?
You are reading: Financial planning and analysis books
Therefore, we have put together a list of recommended fp&a books in 2021. Read on to discover which books can help you unlock the power and untapped potential of financial reporting.
1. financial planning & performance analysis and management by jack alexander
jack alexander is a celebrated author and an experienced CFO and business consultant. In this five-part book, Jack offers a practical guide that helps professionals bridge the gap between performance and planning.
The author draws on his extensive experience as a CFO and business consultant to create a phenomenal reference manual for fp&a analysts and investor relations teams.
When it comes to financial planning and analysis books, this is among the best fp&a books out there with its wide variety of topics, ranging from basic fp&a best practices and critical tools to more advanced topics such as managing uncertainty and risk.
This book also has the unique feature of having a companion website, wiley.com/go/fpapm, which emphasizes the importance of selecting the right financial measures and panels. It does this through the use of illustrative performance dashboards and excel templates to be used as working examples and starting points for the reader’s use.
Excel examples used in the books have attached spreadsheets on the website that allow readers to fully understand the context, goals, and analysis logic of the worksheet.
2. financial planning and analysis with sap: sap solutions for enterprise performance management (epm) by malcolm j. faulkner and william d. new man
financial planning and analysis with sap is fp&a’s definitive guide for professionals who want to develop and execute a fully optimized epm strategy and process. Covering topics ranging from strategic planning to integration and the requirements of SAP for its successful application in EPM, the content in this book has made navigating the business path a little easier.
takes the concept of epm and explores it extensively, trying to give the reader an understanding of how sap epm can be leveraged with other solutions, while further expanding the flexibility and power of sap epm.
As expert consultants and SAP experts, Faulkner and Newman provide an inside look at the technical set-up of the FP&A and EPM processes with the strategic utilization of SAP with a focus on EPM solutions. the book helps you discover how epm can help you manage your organization’s fp&a processes.
also introduces readers to sap business planning and consolidation, the most influential sap applications for budgeting and planning at epm. Professional financial analysts can use the book as a guide to navigate the company’s strategic journey. provides a process for designing the plans and execution elements that businesses must take to help them achieve financial stability.
3. Financial Analysis, Planning, and Forecasting: Theory and Application (Third Edition) by Cheng F. lee and john lee
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Financial Analysis, Planning and Forecasting: Theory and Application, a five-part book, is an excellent introduction to fp&a and forecasting for beginners. Drawing on Professor Cheng-Few Lee’s extensive business, teaching, and research experience, this guide helps the reader understand and integrate the practical and theoretical aspects of financial planning and forecasting.
The five parts covered in the book are:
- financial analysis information and methodology
- alternative finance theories and cost of capital
- capital budgeting and leasing decisions
- corporate policies and their interrelationships -relationships
- financial planning and forecasting
These five parts analyze the interrelationships between the various theories in fp&a carefully using real-world examples to discuss the ideas in depth, using relevant methodology and data.
Topics covered in this publication include the fundamental concepts of financial analysis and planning, using financial management as the basis for discussing financial analysis and planning.
With new chapters added and other chapters combined in the third edition, the topic has been extensively expanded and updated to adapt and keep up with the digital migration of the business world, thus providing a holistic view of the topic.
However, the integrity of the authors’ wisdom remains, even though the book features new updates and more modern versions of the concept. this has earned it a place in the prestigious literary canon of financial titles.
4. Corporate Financial Analysis: Simple Methods and Strategies for Mastering Financial Analysis by Blaine Robertson
This is a book that will enable your readers to understand the intricate and surprisingly simple concept of corporate financial analysis, so that they can correctly judge whether or not your company is financially sound.
With a number of finance and investment-related books to his credit, Robertson has proven himself an expert in the finance department, imparting his wealth of knowledge to professionals and beginners alike.
Corporate Finance Analysis: Simple Methods and Strategies to Master Financial Analysis, this book comes at a time when the need for financial analysis has grown exponentially in today’s digital world.
Businesses, especially small ones, need to weigh the effects of certain financial decisions, such as borrowing, on their business. This book covers financial analysis, which gives a business owner the tools he needs to evaluate his business’s financials.
It also provides potential investors with the information they need to form an opinion about the company’s investment value and future performance expectations.
5. Corporate Financial Analysis: A Complete Beginner’s Guide 3 in 1 Simple Methods & Strategies + Advanced Methods & Techniques for Financial Statement, Report & Market Analysis by Blaine Robertson
This is the beginner’s guide that provides its readers with a wide range of information on the different strategies and methodologies used in corporate financial analysis to create a financially sound organization.
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From the mind that brought you Corporate Financial Analysis: Simple Methods and Strategies for Mastering Financial Analysis, Robertson combines their works in this masterpiece.
This book covers the concept of corporate financial analysis in its entirety, extensively breaking down the processes step by step to simplify them so that beginners can easily understand them.
This book answers some of the questions that entrepreneurs often ask. The book provides true learning by equipping its readers with enough knowledge to allow them to practice what they have learned and apply it to real life situations, and teaching readers the basics of corporate financial analysis.
This book is versatile, and professional financial analysts can also use the book’s content to guide their practice. the book is available in paperback and ebook versions that people can read on any device.
6. using excel for business analysis: a guide to financial modeling fundamentals + website by danielle stein fairhurst
mrs. Fairhurst channels his expertise and experience as a financial analyst to bring to life this comprehensive guide to financial modeling, suitable for beginning traders and professional analysts.
Readers of the book will benefit from the author’s talent for financial modeling and help them create meaningful financial models in the form of pricing models, business cases, and management reports that they can use to write and prepare proposals and financial reports.
The book is packed with financial modeling concepts and practicalities that are essential for performing complex analyzes in excel.
The modern business world relies heavily on technology and real-time data and insights to keep financial forecasts one step ahead of the competition. The book deeply exploits the functionality of Excel to enable financial professionals to build a compelling financial model to provide accurate information for sound financial decision making.
The author opens the book with a general guide to financial models, developing skill after skill in each subsequent chapter, leading to an actual working model. The book thoroughly covers financial features, functions, and tools from a practical perspective, highlighting their application in a real-world situation using relevant examples.
Financial modeling using Excel and its different aspects are also covered, including step-by-step instructions on the process. the companion website provides readers with live model worksheets that give them practice and experience.
conclusion
The importance of financial planning and analysis cannot be stressed enough in the modern business world. And while there are numerous financial analysis books out there to help professional analysts develop their FPA knowledge, there are many more that can simplify the subject and are highly recommended for beginners.
You can apply the theoretical aspects of fp&a found in these books to real-world situations, allowing you to leverage the insights or metrics to make significant improvements to your business. and, in return, allowing your business to thrive and thrive.
If you want to expand your knowledge of financial analysis, the books mentioned above should be at the top of your list.
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