Do Numbers Lie? The Other Side of Financial Statement Analysis

If you were to enter the banking industry, you might find yourself approving or not approving loans. The following is a good example of a common event you could encounter.

Company X is looking for $100,000 to purchase new equipment. The finance manager for Company X recently presented financial reports. Upon further analysis of the statements, you, the banker, noted some window dressing (a technique used to manipulate financial statements and reports) of the financial statement. In this case, it seems Company X has delayed payments to vendors to make their cash position look higher.

• Do you see this practice as a matter of ethical and/or legal concern?
• Do you think most companies "window dress" their data?
• Please explain your decision to approve or deny Company X's loan.