Principles of Financial Accounting
ACCT-UB 9001
NYU London: Spring 2024
Instruction Mode: In-person
Instructor Information
Diego Salzman
Office Hours: by appointment
diego.salzman@nyu.edu
Course Details
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Mondays and Wednesdays -- 10.30am - 11.45am
All times are GMT or BST.
Location: Room 102
Prerequisites
One semester of coursework at NYU.
Course Description
This course is designed to teach students the accounting skills public companies use
to measure and communicate their financial results. The focus is on learning to
interpret a financial story from any organisation and build your own technical toolkit to
evaluate the current condition of a business.
The aim is to develop students’ ability to read and interpret financial statements and
associated financial data, based upon an understanding of the theoretical
underpinnings of the construction of core financial statements. The course also also
enables students to deploy a range of models and frameworks for using accounting
information in investment and managerial decision-making, Emphasis is placed on
analysing and interpreting financial accounting statements in order to assess not only
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the health of the business, but also delve into issues like its business strategy and
value drivers .
Course Objectives
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Develop students’ ability to read and interpret financial statements and
associated financial data.
Understand financial information, the source and use of funds and their
measurement.
Use financial tools to evaluate investment opportunity and risk.
To analyze company performance by critical appraisal of financial information
within the firm and between competitors.
Assessment Components
If you are an NYU London study-away student, you are expected to attend in person. If you
are accessing the class remotely, you must attend synchronously.
Assignments /
Activities
Description of
Assignment
Class participation
Homework
Hand in 4 homework for 5
points each
% of
Final
Grade
Due
10%
End of
the term
20%
Beginning
of each
lecture
Midterm Project
20%
Presentation
20%
End of
the term
Final Exam
30%
End of
the term
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Assessment Expectations
Please note that Stern Business courses adhere to the Stern Grading Grading Guidelines.
NYU Stern strives to create courses that challenge students intellectually and that meet the
Stern standards of academic excellence. To ensure fairness and clarity of grading, the Stern
faculty have adopted a grading guideline for core courses with enrollments of more than 25
students in which approximately 35% of students will receive an “A” or “A-“ grade. In core
classes of fewer than 25 students, the instructor is at liberty to give whatever grades they think
the students deserve, while maintaining rigorous academic standards.
[For finance courses, please refer further to this memorandum from Stern's Department of
Finance.]
Course Materials
Required Text(s) & Materials
[LLH ] Financial Accounting, either 11th edition
By Robert Libby and Patricia Libby and Frank Hodge
ISBN10: 1259964949
ISBN13: 9781259964947
or
[HMP] Financial Accounting either 6th or 7th edition
By Michelle Hanlon, Robert Magee, Glenn Pfeiffer,
ISBN-13: 978-1-61853-311-1
Optional Text(s) & Materials
[PH] Business Analysis and Valuation 5th (IFRS) edition
by Erik Peek, Paul Healy, et al.
ISBN-10 : 1473758424
ISBN-13 : 978-1473758421
[A] Financial Accounting for Decision Makers 9th Edition
by Peter Atrill
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ISBN-10 : 1292251255
ISBN-13 : 978-1292251257
[MA] Accounting and Finance: An Introduction 10th edition
by Eddie McLaney and Peter Atrill
ISBN-10 : 1292312262
ISBN-13 : 978-1292312262
Resources
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Access your course materials: Brightspace
NYU London and Living in London Info: LDN
Databases, journal articles, and more: Bobst Library
Assistance with strengthening your writing: NYU Writing Center
(nyu.mywconline.com)
Obtain 24/7 technology assistance: IT Help Desk
Course Schedule
Topics & Assignments
Week/Date
Session 1
Topic
Reading
Assignment Due
Overview; Introduction A ch1
to Accrual Accounting LLH Ch 1
Session 2
Financial Statements
and Business
Decisions
LLH Ch1
Session 3
Constructing Financial
Statements
HMP Ch 2,
Problem set
4
Week/Date
Session 4
Topic
Reading
Adjusting Accounts for HMP Ch 3, LLH Ch 4
Financial Statements
Assignment Due
Problem set
Session 5
Investing and
Financing Decisions
and the Accounting
System
LLH Ch2
Session 6
Revenue Recognition;
Allowance Accounting
HMP Ch 6, LLH Ch 6
Session 7
Reporting and
Analyzing Revenues,
Receivables, and
Operating Income
HMP Ch 6, LLH Ch 6
Session 8
Reporting and
Analyzing Inventory
HMP Ch 7, LLG Ch 7
Session 9
Reporting and
Analyzing Long-Term
Operating Assets
HMP Ch 8, LLH Ch 8
Session 10
Reporting and
Analyzing Liabilities
HMP Ch 9, LLH Ch 9
Problem set
Session 11
Measuring and
reporting financial
position
A Ch 2, LLH Ch 4
Case I
Session 12
Measuring and
reporting financial
performance
A Ch 3, LLH Ch 13
Session 13
Operating Decisions
and the Accounting
System
LLH Ch3
Session 14
Communicating and
Interpreting
Accounting
Information
LLH Ch 5
Problem set
Problem set
Case 2
5
Week/Date
Topic
Reading
Session 15
Midterm Review
Session 16
Midterm
Session 17
Narratives and
Numbers
Session 18
Measuring and
reporting cash flows
A Ch 6, LLH Ch 12
Session 19
Analysing and
interpreting financial
statements (1)
A Ch 8, LLH Ch 13
Session 20
Analysing and
interpreting financial
statements (2)
A Ch 9, LLH Ch 13
Session 21
Assignment Due
Class notes
Problem set
Case 3
A Framework for
PH Ch 1
Business Analysis and
Valuation using
Financial Statements
Session 22
Strategy Analysis
PH Ch 2
Case 4
Session 23
Inter-corporate
Investments
Class Notes
Case 5
Session 24
Financial Shenanigans Class Notes
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Week/Date
Topic
Session 25
Forensic Analytics
Session 26
Presentations 1
Session 27
Presentations 2
Session 28
Review
Reading
Assignment Due
Final
Assessment
[date tbc]
Course Policies
Classroom Etiquette
To optimize the experience in a blended learning environment, please consider the following:
● Please try not eat during class and minimize any other distracting noises (e.g. rustling
of papers and leaving the classroom before the break, unless absolutely necessary).
● If you are not using your cell phone to follow the lesson, cell phones should be turned
off or in silent mode during class time.
● Make sure to let your classmates finish speaking before you do. .
● Students should be always respectful and courteous to all participants in class.
Final exams
Final exams must be taken at their designated times. Should there be a conflict between your
final exams, please bring this to the attention of the London Academics team
(nyul.academics@nyu.edu). Final exams may not be taken early, and students should not plan
to leave the site before the end of the finals period.
Academic Honesty, Plagiarism and Late Work
Students at Global Academic Centers must follow the University and school
policies. You can find details on these topics and more on this section of our NYUL
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website (https://www.nyu.edu/london/academics/academic-policies.html) and on the
Policies and Procedures section of the NYU website for students studying away at
global sites (https://www.nyu.edu/academics/studying-abroad/upperclassmen-semesteracademic-year-study-away/academic-resources/policies-and-procedures.html).
Attendance
Key information on NYU London’s absence policy, how to report absences, and what kinds
of absences can be excused can be found on our website
(http://www.nyu.edu/london/academics/attendance-policy.html)
To ensure the integrity of the academic experience, class attendance is required and
expected promptly when class begins. These rules apply to class excursions and
activities as well.
Members of any religious group may, without penalty, excuse themselves from classes when
required in compliance with their religious obligations, but must follow NYU London’s absence
reporting procedure. Please note that an absence is only excused for the holiday but not for
any days of travel that may come before and/or after the holiday. See also University Calendar
Policy on Religious Holidays
Moses Accommodations Statement
Academic accommodations are available for students with documented and registered
disabilities. Please contact the Moses Center for Student Accessibility (+1 212-998-4980 or
mosescsd@nyu.edu) for further information. Students who are requesting academic
accommodations are advised to reach out to the Moses Center as early as possible in the
semester for assistance.
Inclusivity Policies and Priorities
NYU’s Office of Global Programs and NYU’s global sites are committed to equity, diversity,
and inclusion. In order to nurture a more inclusive global university, NYU affirms the value of
sharing differing perspectives and encourages open dialogue through a variety of
pedagogical approaches. Our goal is to make all students feel included and welcome in all
aspects of academic life, including our syllabi, classrooms, and educational activities/spaces.
Pronouns and Name Pronunciation (Albert and Zoom)
You can edit your pronoun and name pronunciation information on your Albert account, making
it visible for faculty and staff. Information on how to do this can be found on the Pronouns and
Name Pronunciation web page, and for more information on how to make these changes in
Zoom, please see the Personalizing Zoom Display Names website.
Bias Response
The New York University Bias Response Line provides a mechanism through which members
of our community can share or report experiences and concerns of bias, discrimination, or
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harassing behavior that may occur within our community. For more information, including how
to report an incident, visit the Bias Response Line website.
Your Lecturer
Professor Diego Salzman, PhD MSc, CPA. specialises in the areas of behavioural finance,
corporate finance, derivatives, and alternative investments. He has received numerous
awards for outstanding teaching including the student experience outstanding teaching award.
Professor Salzman is a global lecturer in Europe, Asia, North and South America and
presented his work to academics and practitioners in more than a hundred speaking
engagements. He is recognised internationally as a top global thought leader in matters
relating to alternative investments and digital finance.
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