Financial Statement
- Purpose: To provide information about a company's financial performance and position.
- Period covered: Specific time period (e.g., quarterly, annually).
- Content:
- Balance sheet: Assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time.
- Income statement: Revenues, expenses, and net income over a period.
- Cash flow statement: Cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities.
- Audience: Primary users are investors, creditors, and analysts.
- Legal requirement: Public companies are required by law to release financial statements.
- Focus: Historical financial performance and position.
Corporate Report
- Purpose: To provide a broader view of a company's operations, strategies, and plans.
- Period covered: Typically covers a longer period (e.g., fiscal year).
- Content: Includes financial statements, as well as:
- Management's discussion and analysis (MD&A): Provides insights into the company's performance and outlook.
- Business overview: Describes the company's industry, products/services, and market position.
- Sustainability report: Discusses environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.
- Audience: Wider range of stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, and the general public.
- Legal requirement: Not legally required, but often voluntarily released by companies.
- Focus: Historical and future-oriented information, covering both financial and non-financial aspects.