Course Title:

FINANCIAL FORECASTING:

TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS

Course Description:

Business forecasting is of extreme importance to managers at practically all levels. It is required for top managers to make long-term strategic decisions. Middle management uses sales forecasts to develop their departmental budgets. Every other plan such as a production plan, purchasing plan, manpower plan, and financial plan follows from sales forecasting.

     The goal of this course is to provide a working knowledge of the fundamentals of business forecasting that can be applied in the real world regardless of firm size. We walk you through basic forecasting methodology, and then practical applications.  It encompasses a wide range of topics of major importance to practical business managers, including cash flow forecasting, cost prediction, earnings forecasts, bankruptcy prediction, foreign exchange forecasting, interest rate forecasting, and technological forecasting. Stress is placed on the use of computer technology, i.e., spreadsheets and stand-alone forecasting software.

Prerequisites:

Basic accounting

Basic finance

Basic statistics

Level:

Intermediate