| How do I create a Report on a public company? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Reports button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the New Report button. |
| Step 3: | Fill in the fields including the type of report template that you would like to use. Enter the ticker symbol for the company. Select the Select Data button. |
| Step 4: | Select the time periods that you want data for the company. Select the Load Data button. |
| Step 5: | Verify and edit the uploaded data, if needed. When finished, or if no changes are necessary, select the Finished button. |
| Step 6: | To view the finished report, go to the Reports page and find the report in the Reports box on the left hand side. Your output selections include HTML, Excel, or PDF to view the report in the desired format. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create a Report on a private company? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Reports button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the New Input Sheets button. |
| Step 3: | Enter the information for the Input Sheets for the company that you want to analyze. When running a report on a company with no ticker symbol, use a unique identifier such as PRIV_1. Select the Create Input Sheets button. This will create an Excel file for the company. |
| Step 4: | Note: Forecast information may be entered in for a private company in two ways: 1) Enter the forecast information manually via the Excel sheet, OR 2) Have the system automatically create the forecast information and then edit it through the HTML interface when the data is loaded. |
| Step 5: | Save the file to your hard drive, and then open the file. |
| Step 6: | Enter input information in the spreadsheet for Company Data, Statements of Income, Balance Sheet, Quarterly Statements of Income, Quarterly Balance Sheet, and Forecast Input as appropriate. |
| Step 7: | Save the changes to the file. |
| Step 8: | Return to CashFlowAnalytics.com. On the Reports page, Select the New Report button. |
| Step 9: | Fill in the fields including the type of report template that you would like to use. Enter the unique company identifier from Step 3 for the ticker symbol. Select the Select Data button. |
| Step 10: | Select Load data from new Excel Input Sheet. Browse to find the file on your computer and select it so that the path to the file appears in the edit box. Select the Load Data button. |
| Step 11: | Verify and edit the uploaded data including the forecast information, if needed. When finished, or if no changes are necessary, select the Finished button. |
| Step 12: | To view the finished report, go to the Reports page and find the report in the Reports box on the left hand side. Your output selections include HTML, Excel, or PDF to view the report in the desired format. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I edit my Report? |
| |
| From the Reports page, find the existing Report in the Reports box on the left hand side and select Edit. On this page you can edit the Data Frequency and the inclusion of Forecasting. When finished, select the Select Data button to reload the company data, OR select the View Existing Data button to use the previously loaded data. On the Report Confirmation page, you can edit data from any year or any line item including the Balance Sheet, the Statements of Income, and the Forecast projections. To edit a row of data, select the Edit button at the beginning of the row. Input the new data into the fields, as necessary. When finished, select the Change Data button. To edit a year of data, select the Edit icon near the year. Input the new data into the fields, as necessary. When finished, select the Update Data button. When you are finished with all of the editing, select the Finished button in the upper left corner to save all of the changes. To view the finished Report, find the report in the Reports box and select HTML, Excel, or PDF to view the Report in the desired format. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| When is it appropriate to consider manually editing public company data? |
| |
| There are numerous nonoperating and nonrecurring items for which reported operating cash flow should be adjusted before it is used in analysis. The Cash Flow Analysis Statement adjusts for approximately half of these items with entry of company-reported data from the statements of income and balance sheet. However, certain adjustments require additional manual data input. These adjustment items, found on the Statement of Income and Related Input Data sheet, are labeled with an asterisk (*) and the letters (CF Adj). Note that with quarterly financial statements, data necessary for manual input are typically not available. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| Why is my report title shown in red in the Reports box? |
| |
| A report that is listed in red has a Report Warning. A Report Warning occurs when there is a problem with the report data, such as when the Balance Sheet is out of balance. Placing your mouse over the red report title will display the warning. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| Can I create a Report that includes quarterly information? |
| |
| Yes, when creating or editing a Report, select Quarterly for the Frequency on the Report Form page. You can also create Reports using Annual data only. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| What types of Reports are available? |
| |
| There are several types of Reports available including the Cash Flow Analytics Full Report, and several Cash Flow Snapshots. When creating a report, select the type of report that you would like to create in the Report Template on the Report Form page. You can also create a custom Template to use with the New Template function. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I save my Report in Excel? |
| |
| From the Reports page, you can export the Report to Excel by selecting the Excel link by the title of the Report. After selecting, you will be prompted to Save the file or Open the file to view the Screen in Excel. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I organize my Reports in a Folder? |
| |
| From the Reports page, select the Report Folders button. You can organize all of the Reports from this page. In the Organize Reports section, use the drop down box to place each Report into a Folder. Select the Organize Reports button when you are finished. In addition, you can Create a Folder, Delete a Folder, and Rename a Folder on this page. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I change the Format of a Report? |
| |
| From the Reports page, find the existing Report in the Reports box on the left hand side and select Format. On this page you can change a Report title, choose a Folder for the Report, change the Report Data Display, and adjust the PDF and Excel Formatting options. When finished, select the Save Format button to save your changes. To view the new Formats for the Report, find the report in the Reports box and select HTML, Excel, or PDF to view the Report in the desired format. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I delete a Report from my Account? |
| |
| From the Reports page, find the existing Report in the Reports box on the left hand side and select Del. You will be prompted to verify your desired to delete the Report. Select the OK button to delete the Report. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create an Input Sheet? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Reports button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the New Input Sheets button. |
| Step 3: | Enter the information for the Input Sheets for the company that you want to analyze. Select the Create Input Sheets button. This will create an Excel file for the company. |
| Step 4: | Save the file to your hard drive, and then open the file. |
| Step 5: | Enter input information in the spreadsheet for Company Data, Statements of Income, Balance Sheet, Quarterly Statements of Income, Quarterly Balance Sheet, and Forecast Input as appropriate. |
| Step 6: | Save the changes to the file. The file is now ready to upload to a report. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create folders for my reports? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Reports button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the Report Folders button in the middle of the screen or the Folders hyperlink at the bottom of the Reports box. |
| Step 3: | Enter the Folder Name. Select the Create Folder button. |
| Step 4: | Once a Folder is created, you can organize, rename, or delete the Folder on the Report Folder page. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| What does "other increase (decrease) in retained earnings" designate? |
| |
| Other increase (decrease) in retained earnings is the amount needed to account for the change in retained earnings from one period to the next that has not already been accounted for with net income, dividends, and other known equity-related transactions. This account, which is automatically computed, reconciles the change in retained earnings accounted for with income, dividends and other known equity-related transactions with the actual change in retained earnings from one period to the next as reported on the balance sheet. Prior-period restatements and reclassifications can cause this account to show a balance. However, it is also possible that input data for the statement of income, statement of shareholders' equity or the balance sheet were entered in error. When a balance is reported for this account, except in the first year for which data is available for a firm, activity in retained earnings on the company-provided statement of shareholders' equity should be compared with similar activity on the statement of income and related input data to evaluate and resolve its cause. On the cash flow analysis statement the account is used in computing other increase (decrease) in retained earnings, a component of financing transactions. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| What does "CF Adj" on a data item designate? |
| |
| CF Adj is an abbreviation to indicate that the input is a cash flow adjustment item. There are numerous nonoperating and nonrecurring items for which reported operating cash flow should be adjusted before it is used in analysis. The Cash Flow Analysis Statement adjusts for approximately half of these items with entry of company-reported data from the statements of income and balance sheet. However, certain adjustments require additional manual data input. These adjustment items, found on the Statement of Income and Related Data Input spreadsheet, are labeled with an asterisk (*) and the letters (CF Adj). Note that with quarterly financial statements, data necessary for manual input are typically not available. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| What is the basis for the automatically generated initial forecast? |
| |
| The automatically generated initial forecast uses the current year data, and the current year year over year change percentage, to forecast the future year results. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| Why are fewer years of results reported than the number of years I had requested? |
| |
| We use the Balance Sheet and Income Statement to calculate the Cash Flow Statement. Because we use the year over year changes in this process, there will be one fewer year of results than requested. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create a custom display of ratios and performance measures? |
| |
| You can create custom ratios and performance measures by creating a New Template. |
| Step 1: | Select the Reports button on the green navigational bar. |
| Step 2: | Select the New Template button. |
| Step 3: | Input the name and type of the Template and select the Create Template button. |
| Step 4: | On the left, find the data or performance metric that you want to add to your Template. Select the term to add the metric. Continue selecting metrics until you have everything that you need. |
| Step 5: | On the right side of this page, you may change the order of presentation by selecting the up or down arrow on the right of the term. You may delete the metric by selecting the X on the right of the metric. Once you have finished creating your Template, select Done by the Template name. |
| Step 6: | To use your new Template, select the New Report button from the Reports page. On the Report Form page, select the drop down box to choose the Report Template. Your Custom Template will be listed here. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I edit a Custom Template? |
| |
| From the Reports page, find the existing Template in the Custom Templates box on the left hand side and select Edit. Select the Edit Template button to go to the edit screen. On this page, you can add or delete metrics, add section titles, or change the order of the presentation. When finished, select Done by the Template name. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| Why doesn't reported "sustainable operating cash flow" equal company-reported cash provided by operating activities? |
| |
| Sustainable operating cash flow is cash flow from operations after interest charges and income taxes that is derived from renewable sources, supported by profitable operations, and is calculated before capital expenditures and other long-term assets needed to support operations. Sustainable operating cash flow will typically differ from reported operating cash flow due to various nonoperating and/or nonrecurring items. The Cash Flow Analysis Statement adjusts for approximately half of these items with entry of company-reported data from the statements of income and balance sheet. However, certain adjustments require additional manual data input. These adjustment items, found on the Statement of Income and Related Data Input spreadsheet, are labeled with an asterisk (*) and the letters (CF Adj). |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| What is a forecast? |
| |
| A forecast is a projection of the company's future year results. The forecast is based on the company's current year values and year to year changes, OR the projections that you choose to input in the forecast sheet during the report creation process. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| What information do I need to input to create a forecast? |
| |
| The default settings will automatically create forecasts for the company when creating a report. The default time is three years of forecasts (which can be changed in your Preferences). You can edit the forecasts during the creation of a report, once the data is loaded. |
| If you are using the New Input Sheets to manually enter company data, you can select the Forecast Input Sheet and number of years to forecast on the Create Input Sheet page. In the Excel file, input the forecast projections on the Forecast_Input sheet. As an alternative, you can enter, or edit, the forecasts during the creation of a report after the data is loaded into CashFlowAnalytics.com. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| Can I forecast a future balance sheet? |
| |
| Yes, the forecast tool forecasts future balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and performance metrics. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I edit my forecast? |
| |
| From the report page, find the report and select Edit. Select the View Existing Data button to use the prior uploaded data, or Select Data to reload the data from the data warehouse. Once loaded, select the Forecast sheet to edit the forecast. Select the edit button, either for the year, or the specific line item, that you would like to edit. Input your revised forecast figures in fields provided. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I forecast more years? |
| |
| From the Forecast sheet in the Load Data process, select the Add Forecast Data Column. Input the year and select the set of rules to use to create the new column. Once added, you can edit the projections as needed. |
| You can also change your default number of years to forecast by selecting the Account button on the green navigational bar, then selecting Preferences. In the Report Creation Options section, select the Default Number of Forecasting Columns that you would like to use. The default number is 3 years when your account is set up. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How many years in the future can I forecast? |
| |
| There is no limit on the number of years you can forecast into the future, although the meaningfulness of the results lessens the further you forecast into the future. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I use the 'x prev', 'x prev + prev' and 'x 1' in the forecasting formulas? |
| |
| Refer to the following picture for the examples listed below (the values represented by the formulas for 2006, 2007, and 2008 respectively are 12%, 13.2% and 26.4%): |
 |
| To create a forecasting formula you use a value entered in an edit box in conjunction with a selection from the formula dropdown menu. The possible selections are: |
| x prev: | Read as 'times previous year' and implies taking the value in the edit box and multiplying it by the previous year's value. The default setting for the forecasting functionality is to have the value '1' in the edit box and the dropdown selection equal to 'x prev'. This combination implies make the current year's value equal to the previous year's value. In the example above, the Forecast 2008 formula means take 2 times the 2007 value. |
| x prev + prev: | Read as 'times previous year plus previous year' and implies growing the previous year's value by the percentage in the edit box. This formula could also be read as '(1 + edit box value) x prev' which looks more like a traditional percentage change formula. In the example above, the Forecast 2007 formula means grow the 2006 value by 10%. |
| x 1: | Read as 'times 1' and implies make the current year's value equal to the value entered in the edit box. This formula ignores the previous year's value. In the example above, the Forecast 2006 formula means make the 2006 value equal to 12%. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| What is the difference between a screen and a comparison? |
| |
| A screen allows you to select a variety of search criteria to filter out companies satisfying those criteria. You can limit a multitude of metrics by minimum, maximum, growth, and volatility. A Comparison returns a standard set of metrics on a selected group of companies. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create a Screen for companies? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Reports button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the New Screen button. |
| Step 3: | Choose the Company Restrictors that you would like to use. |
| Step 4: | Build the screening function using our standard and proprietary metrics that you want to use to screen the companies. You can also select special pricing rules, and utilize our technical analysis tools. Once you have selected all of the desired screening components, select the Perform Screen button. |
| Step 5: | View the results. From here you can sort the results by a metric, view the results in Excel, or save the Screen. |
| Step 6: | To find a saved screen, go to the Reports page and find the screen in the Saved Screens box on the right hand side. Your output selections include HTML or Excel to view the Screen in the desired format. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create a Comparison on companies? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Reports button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the New Comparison button. |
| Step 3: | Choose the Exchange, Index, SIC, GIC, and/or the specific ticker symbols that you would like to compare. |
| Step 4: | Once you have selected the companies and variables, select the Perform Comparison button. |
| Step 5: | View the results. From here you can sort the results by a metric, view the results in Excel, or save the Comparison. |
| Step 6: | To find a saved Comparison, go to the Reports page and find the Comparison in the Saved Screens box on the right hand side. Your output selections include HTML or Excel to view the Comparison in the desired format. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create folders for my screens and comparisons? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Reports button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the Screen Folders button in the middle of the screen or the Folders hyperlink at the bottom of the Saved Screens box. |
| Step 3: | Enter the Folder Name. Select the Create Folder button. |
| Step 4: | Once a Folder is created, you can organize, rename, or delete the Folder on the Screen Folder page. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I edit my Screen? |
| |
| From the Reports page, find the existing Screen in the Saved Screens box and select Edit. Input your revised screening formula, special pricing rules, or technical analysis selections that you would like to edit. When finished editing, select Save Changes and View Results to run the screen again. |
| While viewing a Screen, you can edit the Screen by selecting the Edit Screen button at the top by the title of the Screen. Input your revised Company Restrictors or Cash Flow Analytics Specific Metrics figures that you would like to edit. When finished editing, select Save Changes and View Results to run the screen again. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I edit my Comparison? |
| |
| From the Reports page, find the existing Comparison in the Saved Screens box and select Edit. Input your revised Company Restrictors that you would like to edit. When finished editing, select the Save Changes and View Results button to run Comparison again. |
| While viewing a Comparison, you can edit the Comparison by selecting the Edit Comparison button at the top by the title of the Comparison. Input your revised Company Restrictors that you would like to edit. When finished editing, select Save Changes and View Results to run the Comparison again. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I save my Screen or Comparison in Excel? |
| |
| While viewing a Screen or Comparison, you can export the results to Excel by selecting the View in Excel hyperlink above the results. At this point, you can Save the file or Open the file to view the results in Excel. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| Can I screen or compare using quarterly information? |
| |
| Yes, when creating or editing a Screen or Comparison, select Use Quarterly Data in the Company Restrictors section. You can also screen or compare using Annual or Four Quarters Ending Data. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| What does each of the Cash Flow Analytics Specific Metrics represent? |
| |
| You can click the title of any metric to find the definition or explanation. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I find the SIC or GICS that I want to use? |
| |
| On the Screen page, select the heading for the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) or Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). This will open a new page with all of the classifications listed. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I change the name of my Screen or Comparison? |
| |
| From the Reports page, find the existing Screen or Comparison in the Saved Screens box and click the Features hyperlink. Input the new name for the Screen or Comparison and select the Set Features button to finish. You can also set up email notification for screen results (not available for comparisons), change the screen or comparison folder, and add notes on this page. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| Can I get the Screen results emailed to me? |
| |
| Yes, from the Reports page, find the existing Screen in the Saved Screens box and select Features. Select the frequency that you would like to receive the Screen results and select the Set Features button to finish. The Screen results will be emailed to your main email address at the desired times. Note, this option is not available for Comparisons. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I organize my Screens and Comparisons in a Folder? |
| |
| From the Reports page, select the Screen Folders button in the center of the screen or the Folders hyperlink at the bottom of the Saved Screens box. You can organize all of the Screens and Comparisons from this page. In the Organize Screens section, use the drop down box to place each Screen or Comparison into a Folder. Select the Organize Screens button when you are finished. In addition, you can Create a Folder, Delete a Folder, and Rename a Folder on this page. |
| You can also use the Features function of a specific Screen or Comparison to place that Screen into a Folder. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create an Alert? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Alerts button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Click the Custom Alerts hyperlink at the top of the page. |
| Step 3: | Choose the Company Restrictors that you would like to use. |
| Step 4: | Build the screening function using our standard and proprietary metrics that you want to use to limit the companies. Once you have selected all of the desired components, select the Add New Alert button. |
| Step 5: | The new Alert will appear in the Alert Description area. An email will be sent when a company that matches the Alert parameters releases new financial information. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create an Alert for just MSFT and YHOO? |
| |
| From the Manage Alerts page, in the Company Restrictors box, input MSFT and YHOO in the Specific Ticker Symbols area. Select the Add New Alert button at the bottom of the page to create the Alert. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create an Alert for any company with a Market Capitalization of less than $250 million that increases Sustainable Free Cash Flow by 50%? |
| |
| From the Manage Alerts page, go to the Cash Flow Analytics Specific Metrics box. On the Market capitalization of common equity row, select 250 mil in the Maximum column. Next, on the Sustainable free cash flow row, select 'Up at least (1yr)' and enter '0.50' in the Growth column. Select the Add New Alert button at the bottom of the page to create the Alert. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I edit my Alerts? |
| |
| From the Manage Alerts page, find the existing Alert in the Manage Company Alerts box and select Edit. Input your revised Company Restrictors or Cash Flow Analytics Specific Metrics figures that you would like to edit. When finished editing, select the Confirm Changes button to save the revised Alert. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I delete an Alert? |
| |
| From the Manage Alerts page, find the existing Alert in the Manage Company Alerts box and select Del. A confirmation box will pop up. Select OK to delete the highlighted Alert. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| Can I create an Alert based on annual or four quarters ending data? |
| |
| No. The Alert function is based on quarterly data only, but will alert when new annual or quarterly data becomes available. This is equivalent to viewing screening or comparison results after choosing "Quarterly" as the data frequency. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| What does each of the Cash Flow Analytics Specific Metrics represent? |
| |
| You can click the title of any metric to find the definition or explanation. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I find the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) or Global Industrial Classification (GIC) that I want to use? |
| |
| On the Manage Alerts page, select the heading for the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) or Global Industrial Classification (GIC). This will open a new page with all of the classifications listed. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create my preferences? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Account button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the Preferences button. |
| Step 3: | Select your preferences for Report Term Definitions, Report Display Options, and Report Creation Options. When finished, select the Update Preferences button. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I change my password and contact information? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Account button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the New Email, New Phone, or Change Password button. |
| Step 3: | Enter the information and Select the Submit button. |
| Step 4: | To view your information, go to the Account page. The saved email addresses and phone numbers are listed in the Cover Pages box on the right hand side. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I create a personalized Cover Page for my reports? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Account button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the New Cover Page button. |
| Step 3: | Input your information. When finished, select the Submit Cover button. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| How do I find out the status of my bill? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Account button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Select the Billing Info box on the right hand side. Your billing information will be shown here. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
| I need additional information. How do I contact someone at CashFlowAnalytics.com? |
| |
| Step 1: | Select the Contacts button on the green navigational bar at the top of the web page. |
| Step 2: | Find the specific email that you need to use, OR Fill out the E-Mail Us form on the bottom of the page. Our address and phone number are also listed on this page. |
| |
| Back to Top |
| |
|
