complete a financial statement analysis of Walt Disney stock?

This section should include a detailed analysis of the companys historical financial performance, and a forecast of future performance. Financial results are commonly manipulated to portray firms in the most favorable light. It is the responsibility of the analyst to understand the underlying financial reality. Accordingly, a careful reading of the footnotes of a companys financial disclosures is an essential part of any examination of earnings quality. Non-recurring events, the use of off-balance sheet financing, income and reserve recognition, and depreciation policies are all examples of items that can distort a firms financial results. Financial modeling of future financial results helps to measure the effects of the changes in certain inputs on the various financial statements. Analysts should be especially careful, however, about extrapolating past trends into the future. This is especially important in the case of cyclical firms. Projecting forward from the top or bottom of a business cycle is a common mistake. Finally, it can be informative to employ industry-specific financial ratios as part of the financial analysis. Examples include proven reserves/share for oil companies, revenue/subscriber for cable or wireless companies, and revenue/available room for the hotel industry.