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Vertical Analysis

[VUR-ti-kuhl uh-NAL-uh-sis]

What is the definition of Vertical Analysis?

A financial analysis technique that expresses each item in a financial statement as a percentage of a base figure, allowing for the assessment of relative financial condition and performance within the statement.

Using Vertical Analysis in an Example

In vertical analysis of an income statement, if total sales are $100,000 and cost of goods sold is $40,000, then cost of goods sold would be represented as 40% of total sales. This percentage can be compared across different periods to analyze trends in the cost structure.

Using Vertical Analysis in a sentence

During the meeting, the CFO presented a vertical analysis of the balance sheet, highlighting how each component's percentage of total assets had shifted from the previous year.

Related Terms

The process of determining the current value of an asset, whether it be a bond, stock, or any other financial asset, based on factors like market conditions, earnings, and asset values.

A method used in accounting to adjust the carrying value of an asset or liability to its estimated recoverable amount or settlement amount through the use of a contra account.

The monetary worth or importance of something, typically determined by its utility, demand, and supply factors.

A consumption tax levied on the incremental value added to a product at each stage of its production or distribution cycle, culminating in the final purchase by the consumer.

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Costs that vary in direct proportion to the number of units produced, including expenses such as raw materials and labor that increase or decrease with the production volume.

A statistical measure of the dispersion of a set of data points around their mean value, calculated as the average of the squared deviations from the mean. The square root of the variance is known as the standard deviation.

A consumption tax levied on the value added to a product at each stage of its production and distribution, as well as at the time of purchase by the ultimate consumer.

The rate at which money is spent or turns over in a specific period of time, affecting the amount of economic activity generated by a given money supply.

A vendor is a supplier or seller of goods or services, often involved in wholesale distribution, manufacturing, or importation.

Funds provided by investors to startup firms and small businesses with perceived long-term growth potential. This is a very important source of funding for startups that do not have access to capital markets.

The process by which an employee accrues nonforfeitable rights over employer contributions made to the employee's retirement account or other benefit plans, based on years of service. Full vesting can occur over a specific period, commonly five years, or through a graded vesting schedule.

A contract or transaction that can be legally declared invalid or annulled by one of the parties involved due to reasons such as fraud, coercion, misrepresentation, or incompetence.

Characterized by or subject to rapid and extreme fluctuations, often used to describe financial markets or securities that experience high volatility.

A statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security or market index, often quantified as the standard deviation or variance between returns from that same security or market index. Volatility can reflect the degree to which the price of the security or market fluctuates over a short period, indicating the level of risk associated with price changes.

The total number of shares or contracts traded for a particular security, commodity, or financial instrument within a specific period.