Demystifying Company Accounts and Valuations - Module One
This two-day course provides the foundation knowledge needed to understand a set of accounts and be able to answer questions from analysts, investors and the financial press.
Module One will clearly explain accounting jargon, together with the relevance and limitations of financial statements. You will learn how to identify which key numbers are important in communicating your company’s story and the issues that need explaining.
Module Two will help you to understand in more depth how financial analysts and investors look at companies. It is not necessary to have a financial background to take Module Two, but you should have completed Module One or have an equivalent understanding of basic accounting concepts.
What will I gain?
By attending this course, you will gain
- Foundation knowledge in understanding a set of company accounts
- Fluency in financial jargon
- A clear understanding of the relevance and limitations of financial statements
- An understanding of the key principles behind most commonly used valuation methods
- A grasp of the fundamentals of the discounted cash flow valuation model and key sensitivities
- An awareness of risk and return parameters and non-financial considerations impacting investment decision-making
Who should attend?
- CIR candidates
- IROs with no formal accountancy training, yet have a basic understanding
- Those wanting to understand in more depth how financial analysts and investors assess companies
IROs with an accountancy qualification or extensive accounting training are advised to take Module Two only.
When and where is this course running?
The course dates shown on the right hand side are Module Two dates. It is expected that you should attend both modules of the class.
Course 1 2024: Online (Zoom)
- Module 1: Wednesday 10 April 2024
- Module 2: Thursday 11 April 2024
Course 2 2024: In-Person, City of London
- Module 1: Wednesday 14 August 2024
- Module 2: Thursday 15 August 2024
Course 3 2024: In-Person, City of London
- Module 1: Wednesday 13 November 2024
- Module 2: Thursday 14 November 2024
Course tutor: Deborah Morton-Dare

Deborah specialises in financial training for all levels from beginners to advanced. She presents a comprehensive range of courses to a diverse range of corporate clients and financial institutions and specialises in making complex technical subjects comprehensible.
Deborah qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Young and then worked in Corporate Finance gaining wide ranging experience in a variety of corporate and financial institutions. She then worked as a financial consultant to companies assisting them in raising finance and structuring.
Programme
Module One
- Introduction
- The Accounting Foundations - what is financial information?
- The components of a balance sheet
- The components of a Profit and Loss Account
- Cashflow statements
Module Two
- Introduction
- Fundamental concept of discounted cash flow
- Risk vs return
- Business strategy
- Introduction to valuation methods
- Conclusion: What really matters
Course level
Core courses
Course dates
10 April 2024
9.30am
to 4.30pm
14 August 2024
9.30am
to 4.30pm
13 November 2024
9.30am
to 4.30pm
- IR Society members (£1,240 + VAT, Module One and Module Two)
£1,488 - IR Society members (£620 + VAT, Module One only)
£744 - IR Society Premium members (course allowance included in membership package, one licence per Module)
£0 - Non-members (£1,720 + VAT, Module One and Module Two)
£2,064 - Non-members (£860 + VAT, Module One only)
£1,032