
By and large, the data making up this subtype is based on accounting information.
Public companies must report their performance at predetermined frequency (typi-
cally quarterly and annual), thereby providing shareholders and other investors with a
current snapshot of the firm’s financial health.
There are four key groups of information that are common across all firms:
1. Balance sheets
2. Cash flow statements
3. Income statements
4. Financial ratios.
A key objective of this guide is to provide a single coherent structure for the repre-
sentation of financial data. This principle is challenged when it comes to corporate
performance data, as there is ...