1. Analysis of Foreign Financial Statements
Reasons for analyzing foreign financial statements.
Problems encountered in analyzing foreign financial statements.
Possible solutions to problems encountered in analyzing foreign financial statements.

2. Reasons to Analyze Foreign Financial Statements
Foreign portfolio investment
Investors can diversify away some risk by investing internationally.
While stock returns in many countries are positively correlated with U.S. returns, these correlations are far from perfect.
International investors, including managers of international mutual fund, rely on foreign financial statements.
Learning Objective 1

3. Reasons to Analyze Foreign Financial Statements
International mergers and acquisitions
The frequency and size of international corporate mergers has increased in recent years.
Examples include Daimler/Chrysler and acquisitions by Ford Motor such as Volvo (of Sweden).
The purchaser of an international company needs to analyze the target company’s financial statements to determine the acquisition price.
Learning Objective 1

4. Reasons to Analyze Foreign Financial Statements
Other reasons
Extending credit for foreign customers.
Evaluating foreign vendors.
Comparisons to international competitors.
Learning Objective 1

5. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Data accessibility
Relative to the U.S., financial information is difficult to obtain in many countries.
While databases of foreign financial statements do exist, these can contain errors and present information in a variety of formats.
These databases also do not contain complete disclosure notes.
Another approach is to obtain a copy of the foreign company’s annual report.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

6. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Language
Many international companies do not produce financial statements in English.
The financial statement user could hire a translator or develop foreign language capability.
Since English is the language of business, companies in many foreign countries produce convenience translations of their financial statements in English.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

7. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Currency
Many international companies produce their financial statements in a currency other than the U.S. dollar.
These can be converted to U.S. dollars by translating all balances at the exchange rate at the end of the current year.
In order to avoid distortions, the current exchange rate should be used for all previous years.
Analysis using ratios is not distorted by different currencies.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

8. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Terminology
Differences in terminology exist between countries using the same language.
For example, sales in the U.S. is normally called turnover in the UK.
In cases of convenience translations, sometimes these include terminology unfamiliar to English speakers.
Knowledge of the business and accounting environment can help alleviate some of these problems.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

9. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Format
Some format differences are not problematic because the information is given, just in a different place.
However, other format differences are a problem because the information is not provided.
It is common in Europe not to provide cost of good sold.
This prevents an analyst from determining gross margin percentage and inventory turnover.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

10. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Format
German and other continental European companies often do not distinguish between current and noncurrent liabilities.
This makes it difficult or impossible to compute a current ratio.
At least one Chinese company does not present sales as a separate item.
This would hinder analysis of top-line growth.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

11. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Extent of disclosure
Disclosure internationally tends to be limited compared to the U.S. where full disclosure is fundamental.
Some of the most serious disclosure limitations are information on segments, asset valuation, foreign operations, interim statements, and reserves.
Lack of disclosure contributes to the significance of format problems.
Globalization of capital markets tends to enhance disclosure as companies attempt to attract investors.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

12. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Timeliness
Timeliness is one aspect of the relevance of information.
This varies significantly internationally since filing deadlines differ from country to country.
Among developed countries, the U.S. and Canada are the most timely whereas continental Europe is the least.
Requirements about the frequency of information also vary internationally from quarterly to annual reporting.
There is very little investors can do to overcome these problems.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

13. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Differences in accounting principles
Differences in accounting principles often result in significantly different income and other financial statement amounts.
Some of the biggest problem areas are consolidations, fixed asset valuation and depreciation, and goodwill.
These differences cause some investors to limit the scope of their investments.
Some investors attempt to reframe foreign financial statements to a more familiar GAAP.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

14. Restating Foreign GAAP Net Income to US GAAP Net income
Microsoft Corporation
Consolidated Statement of Earnings
Year Ended June 30, 1999
Australian
Canadian UK
French
NIAT Foreign GAAP
$10,658
$10,794
$10,529
$7,783
Preferred stock dividends
-28
Acquired in-process 99
Tax benefits of stk options
-2,873
-3,107
-2,743
Other adjustments 29 3
NIAT US GAAP
$7,786
NIBT
$11,891
$11,793
$11,892
$11,888

15. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Differences in accounting principles
Another approach is to use a stripped down measure of earnings that excludes items most affected by diversity.
Some firms alleviate some of financial statement users’ problems in their convenience translation.
In summary, as the use of IFRSs becomes more widespread, many of these problems will abate.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

16. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Business environment differences
Differences in culture and economic environments have an impact on the relevance of ratios.
A study of companies in Japan, Korea, and the U.S. found significant differences due to business environment.
For example, Japanese and Korean companies borrow much more on a short-term basis than U.S. companies, leading to lower current ratios.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

17. Foreign Financial Statement Analysis – Problems and Solutions
Business environment differences
Debt ratios also tend to be higher in Japan and Korea because of the sources of financing.
Lower profit margins in Japan, relative to U.S., can be partly explained by those companies focus on market share as opposed to profits.
In summary, an investor needs to be aware of these differences and not forgo potentially profitable investments.
Learning Objectives 2 and 3

18. Restating Foreign Financial Statements to U.S. GAAP
Form 20-F
Foreign companies that file non-U.S. GAAP financial statements with the SEC are required to complete a Form 20-F.
The Form 20-F reconciles net income and stockholders’ equity to U.S. GAAP.
However, there is no requirement to reconcile assets and liabilities.
In essence, this represents a partial restatement from foreign GAAP to U.S. GAAP.
Learning Objective 4

19. Restating Foreign GAAP Net Income to US GAAP Net income
You are employed by a US-based multinational, Exxon Mobil. You have been asked to compare Exxon’s profitability (net income) for 2006 with the profitability (net income) for 2006 of the following foreign-based multinationals: BP
Royal Dutch Shell
Total
Petrobras
All of the information necessary for these comparisons can be found on the company websites.

20. Restating Foreign GAAP Net Income to US GAAP Net income
Company
Country/
Local
GAAP
Local GAAP
US GAAP
Difference
US Dollars
(millions)
Net Income (Loss)
Currency
Exxon Mobil
USA
$39,500 BP UK
IFRS
$22,000
$21,114
($886)
Royal Dutch
Shell
$25,442
$24,797
($645)
Total
France
€11,768
$14,828
€11,400
$14,364
($464)
Petrobras
Brazil
$10,344