Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization

4.9 (13,779 Ratings)

Develop the necessary accounting knowledge to interpret, adjust, and analyze financial statements.

Skills You’ll Gain:

Accounting, Financial Analysis, Reading Financial Statements and more

Great For:

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Corporate Development, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Equity Research, and more.

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11 courses to earn Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization
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Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization Overview

CFI's Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization provides a practical understanding of core and advanced accounting concepts.

Starting with fundamental accounting concepts, the curriculum covers detailed financial statement analysis for banks and insurance companies, business combinations, and equity investments. Key topics also include specialized accounting for inventory, leases, shares outstanding and earnings per share, along with techniques for normalizing income statements.

Designed for real-world application, this specialization will prepare you to interpret and analyze financial statements across different companies, industries, and geographies.

What's in the Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization?

11 courses

Consisting of 530+ lessons

30+ interactive exercises

Learn by doing with guided simulations

Blockchain certificate

To verify your skills

500,000+ 5-star ratings

Best-in-class training, as rated by you

Earning Your Certificate in Financial Analysis

Step 1.

10 Required Courses

Accounting Fundamentals

4.9 (7,489 Ratings)

2h 28min

Reading Financial Statements

4.8 (4,300 Ratings)

1h 45min

Financial Analysis Fundamentals

4.8 (1,916 Ratings)

2h 4min

Reading & Analyzing a Bank's Financial Statements

4.9 (12 Ratings)

1h 39min

Reading & Analyzing an Insurance Company's Financial Statements

5 (6 Ratings)

1h 20min

Accounting for Business Combinations & Other Equity Investments

5 (8 Ratings)

1h 14min

M&A Accounting & Purchase Price Allocation

4.8 (16 Ratings)

1h 31min

Accounting for Inventory

5 (4 Ratings)

1h 4min

Accounting for Leases

4.9 (14 Ratings)

58min

Accounting for Diluted Shares and Earnings per Share

5 (6 Ratings)

1h 6min

Hide All Courses

Step 2.

1 Elective Course

Normalizing Income Statements

4.8 (8 Ratings)

1h 30min

Skills & Learning Objectives in Accounting for Financial Analysts

Accounting

Identify key items on the financial statements and describe the relationship among the three core financial statements.
Understand the most common accounting concepts encountered by financial analysts and explain how these impact financial statements and models.
Recognize how differences in accounting policies among companies affects comparability.

Financial Analysis

Adjust financial statements for differences in accounting, leading to greater comparability.
Calculate and interpret various financial ratios, offering insights into profitability, asset utilization, leverage, and liquidity.
Analyze companies using horizontal (trend) analysis and how these companies compare against peers and the industry average.

Reading Financial Statements

Define the key components of company financial reports.
Analyze company filings including financial statements, notes, and management's discussion and analysis (MD&A).
Identify non-recurring items and adjust for these factors since they can skew a company's actual financial performance.

Meet Your Instructors

Scott Powell

Scott is the Co-Founder of CFI. Over the past 30 years, he has focused on designing and delivering learning solutions for clients in the financial services sector, particularly in the areas of commercial banking, investment banking, capital markets, and asset management.

Jeff Schmidt

Jeff is the Vice President, Financial Modeling at CFI. Prior to joining CFI, Jeff Schmidt taught financial modeling and valuation to thousands of learners all over the world for over a decade.

Careers in Accounting for Financial Analysts

Over 85% of executives, supervisors, and HR professionals agree that certified individuals bring value, gain credibility, and are seen as top performers.
* Source

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) professionals help guide company strategy by performing budgeting, forecasting, and analysis that support major corporate decisions of the CFO, CEO, and the Board of Directors. Knowledge of accounting is absolutely crucial in order to analyze key metrics and project financial targets.
Corporate Development

Corporate Development professionals analyze potential acquisition opportunities, similar to M&A advisors at investment banks. The difference is that corporate development professionals work for corporations and not at sell-side investment banks. A thorough understand of accounting is necessary to analyze potential acquisition targets as well as performing due diligence.
Investment Banking

Investment banking financial analysts help companies facilitiate financial transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, and capital raises. Accounting knowledge helps them assess the financial health of companies involved in transactions, conduct due diligence, and structure deals to maximize value for clients.
Private Equity

Private equity professionals make significant investments in private companies. Accounting knowledge allows PE analysts to perform thorough due diligence, evaluate financial health, and structure investments effectively. This knowledge helps support accurate valuation, portfolio management, and exit strategies, helping ensure adequate returns on investment.
Equity Research

Knowledge of accounting helps equity research analysts evaluate financial statements, assess company profitability, and forecast future performance. This foundational skill supports rigorous valuation modeling, enhancing credibility with clients and investors.

Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization Graduates Work in Leading Organizations

What Our Members Say

This particular course is very engaging and clear even for me, who have very little knowledge of finance.

Akshay Sanwal

The introductory course was very concise, detailed, and informative with relevant real world examples which significantly helped apply the concepts in assessing my own business’ footprint.

Brittian Foster

ESG specialization is highly required skills and glad CFI is solving that issue.

Chaitanya Korra

CFI’s ESG programme is a very useful tool towards mitigating contemporary challenges facing the business world.

Johnny Marudu

Displaying the varying investment strategies a ESG-observant business may pursue, along with the relative factors taken into consideration for each strategy, enabled me to understand a business’ general stance on an ESG-related concept, such as greenhouse gas emissions. The bonus content pertaining to the use of data tables to automatically generate status quo figures was an enlightening trick, even for a frequent Excel user.

Jude Baguio

The Course was very educating, precise and informative. The diagrams helped a lot in understanding the terms and concept being explained.

Juliet Nwosu

Very practical and presents the most update-to-date practice and standards in ESG disclosure over the world.

Liwei Ma

My employer had asked me to look into it to prepare an ESG initiative for our company. I was so relieved to see that CFI offered an ESG course. I was super thrilled to learn so many new skill sets and topic areas.

Olga Abinader

Great illustration of the potential for ESG to impact a business. Incorporating a holistic view to complement the initiatives proposed and sensible assumptions with a high degree of prudence as to the positive ESG impact on WACC and employee and customer behaviour.

Steve Nevin

The course really helped me in understanding the various ESG factors that may affect the decisions and have an impact on its stakeholders.

Veral Bajaj

Frequently Asked Questions

If you haven’t found your answer from our FAQ, please send us a message.

What is the Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization and who is it designed for?

The Accounting for Financial Analysts specialization is designed for finance professionals who need to strengthen their accounting knowledge to analyze financial statements with confidence. It’s a strong fit for analysts, accountants, students, and professionals in roles like FP&A, corporate finance, or equity research who want to bridge accounting and financial decision-making.

What are the admission requirements for the Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization?

There are no formal prerequisites for this specialization. All you need is a computer, a reliable internet connection, and Microsoft Excel 2016 or newer. The courses guide you from core accounting concepts to advanced applications, making it accessible whether you’re refreshing fundamentals or building new expertise.

How long does it take to complete the Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization, and how flexible is it?

Most learners complete the specialization in about 30 to 35 hours, but you’re free to set your own pace based on your schedule. You can start anytime, pause when needed, and revisit lessons as often as you like during your CFI subscription. This flexibility makes it easy to balance professional development with work or studies.

Is the Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization recognized worldwide by employers?

Yes. Employers value CFI’s credentials because they show both technical knowledge and the ability to apply accounting principles in real-world financial analysis. After completing all required courses and assessments, you’ll earn a blockchain-verified digital certificate.

What career opportunities can the Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization help me pursue?

This specialization supports careers that require strong accounting and analysis skills, such as financial analyst, FP&A professional, credit analyst, or equity research associate. It’s also valuable for corporate finance roles where accurate interpretation of financial statements drives decision-making. Strengthening your accounting foundation helps set you apart in competitive finance careers.

How does CFI ensure the Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization is practical and job-ready?

The program is built around real case studies, datasets, and simulations so you practice analyzing financial statements the same way professionals do. Every exercise is designed to build skills you can immediately apply at work, from handling specialized accounting topics like business combinations to interpreting income statements.

How are Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization exams conducted, and how do I earn my certificate?

Each course includes an online exam with multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, Excel-based exercises, and applied accounting scenarios. You must successfully complete each required course to earn your certificate, and you can retake assessments until you’re confident. Once finished, your blockchain-verified certificate is issued instantly and stored securely.

Are CFI courses accredited?

Yes. CFI is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and recognized by CPA institutions in Canada and NASBA in the United States for continuing professional education credits. Accreditation ensures your learning not only builds career skills but can also contribute toward professional development requirements. You can find more information here.

How much does the Accounting for Financial Analysts Specialization cost, and what’s included with my subscription?

The specialization is included in your annual CFI all-access subscription, with no extra fees. Your membership provides unlimited access to all courses, updates, downloadable templates, and certificates, along with community features and career resources to help you apply what you learn, during your CFI subscription.

What kind of learner support and career resources does CFI provide during the Accounting for Financial Analysts program?

CFI provides resources designed to help you succeed both in the courses and in your career. You’ll have access to technical support, study tools that simplify complex accounting concepts, and a global learner community. Full Immersion members also receive personalized 1-on-1 guidance from instructors and instant Answers with AI Tutor.

If you haven’t found your answer from our FAQ, please send us a message.