Theory and practical tools to help investors analyse businesses using Excel

By Paul Lower

Financial models in Excel allow investment analysts and other finance professionals to take the laborious number crunching out of financial analysis and forecasting. Models help them to gain meaningful insights into the way that a business is working and focus attention on areas to improve bottom-line results. They can also be used as powerful tools to test the potential impact of various risks on business performance.

In this brand new guide, financial modelling expert Paul Lower presents step-by-step instructions for seven spreadsheet models that will help the user to gain a better understanding of the financial data coming out of a business.

These seven models can be used to:

1. Assess how a business is performing on key financial indicators.
2. Produce sales and cost forecasts.
3. Create a cash flow forecast.
4. Understand the impact of product price changes on profitability.
5. Assess potential investment decisions.
6. Check the sensitivity of key financial measures to risk events.
7. Produce a business valuation.

The book also includes downloadable spreadsheets of the author’s original Excel models and introductory chapters about best practice when modelling in Excel.

With this suite of seven tools, a financial analyst will be equipped to use Excel to achieve a deep understanding of a business and its financial data.

Paul Lower is a trainer, lecturer and author, specialising in financial planning and analysis, and financial modelling and forecasting. He has worked for major clients in the UK (including Associated British Foods, Reckitt Benckiser and Angel Trains) and the Middle East (including SABIC and Saudi Aramco) and has also lectured on the MBA programme at one of the UK’s leading business schools.

Before moving into training he enjoyed a successful business career spanning more than 30 years. After gaining experience in blue chip companies, including Asda, H. J. Heinz and Pfizer, he held a number of Finance Director roles with major international companies in the media and publishing sector. Working for more than 20 years at board level, he gained extensive experience in financial planning and analysis, business valuations and acquisitions.

Paul is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, a Chartered Global Management Accountant and is also a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management.