投行面試中，如何回答財務報表問題？
這類題型是現下面試最為常見的一種，旨在考察面試者對三表(income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement)的理解掌握程度。最常問到的一個問題是: “how does $10 of depreciation affect the three financial statements”，另外還有一些變種，下文會詳細說明。
要回答這類問題，需要將三表依次作分析。這裡建議大家首先從income statement開始，記住如果revenue或costs有任何變化都要算上tax的影響(一般你會被告知tax rate為40%)，得到net income，然後開始分析cash flow statement。由於cash flow statement的首行為net income，這樣一來就能比較好的銜接。說完cash flow，得到net change in cash，就可以開始分析balance sheet了。不要忘記balance sheet的基本等式：Assets = Liabilities + Shareholders’ Equity。
當出現這類題型時，不要過於緊張。你所需要做的是冷靜沉著，然後按部就班的將三表一一解析出來。
例題一：If a company incurs $10 (pretax) of depreciation expense, how does that affect the three financial statements?
這是此類題型最常見的.問題。當然，不一定是$10。就如同上面所說的一樣，要回答這個題目，我們需要一個一個的解決三表，下面的答案可供大家參考。
- Income statement: Depreciation is anexpense so operating income (EBIT) declines by $10. Assuming a tax rate of 40%,net income declines by $6.
- Cash flow statement: Net income decreased $6 and depreciation increased $10 so cash flow from operations increased $4.
- Balance sheet: Cumulative depreciation increases $10 so Net PP&E decreases $10.
分析完之後，你很可能會得到一個follow up的問題，例如: “If depreciation is non-cash, explain how this transaction caused cash to increase $4?”
對此的回答是: “Because of the depreciation expense, the company had to pay the government $4 less in taxes so it increased its cash position by $4 from what it would have been without the depreciation expense.”
例題二：A company makes a $100 cash purchase of equipment on Dec 31. How does this impact the three statements this year and next year?
回答這一題時有幾點要注意。首先，題目特意提到Dec. 31是為了告訴你，今年並不用考慮折舊;其次，與例題一相似，三表都要逐一分析，不過既然問到了兩年的情況，那就也應該逐年來說;最後，本題中說的是“cash purchase”，而有的題目會改為“purchase by issuing debt”，這樣一來對三表的影響都會改變，大家需要留意。
下面是對應的回答範例，供大家參考：
第一年
- Income statement: A purchase of equipment is considered a capital expenditure which does not impact earnings. Further, since we are assuming no depreciation, there is no impact to net income, thus no impact to the income statement.
- Cash flow statement: No change to net income so no change to cash flow from operations. However we’ve got a $100 increase in capex so there is a $100 use of cash in cash flow from investing activities. No change in cash flow from financing (since this is a cash purchase) so the net effect is a use of cash of $100.
- Balance sheet: Cash (asset) down $100 and PP&E (asset) up $100 so no net change to the left side of the balance sheet and no change to the right side.
第二年
(假設5年straightline depreciation，40% tax rate)
- Income statement: $20 of depreciation,which results in a $12 reduction to net income.
- Cash flow statement: Net income down $12 and depreciation up $20. No change to cash flow from investing or financing activities. Net effect is cash up $8.
- Balance sheet: Cash (asset) up $8 and PP&E (asset) down $20 so left side of balance sheet doen $12. Retained earnings (shareholders’ equity) down $12. We are balanced.
例題三：如果例題二改為“purchase by issuing debt”，並且在第三年的1月1日發現機器壞了，變得毫無價值，而銀行又要求還款，這種情況三表又會怎樣?
在解答前要注意幾點：
1)按理，第一年無depreciation，第二年有20%，所以第三年1月1日，該機器應為$80;
2)現在機器壞了，毫無價值，需要將其value改0;
3)銀行要求還款。
弄清楚這三點後，就可以開始作答了。範例如下所示：
- Income statement: The $80 writedown causes net income to decline $48. There is no further depreciation expense and no interest expense.
- Cash flow statement: Net income down $48 but the writedown is non-cash so add $80. Cash flow from financing decreases $100 when we pay back the loan. Net cash is down $68.
- Balance sheet: Cash (asset) down $68, PP&E (asset) down $80, Debt (liability) down $100 and Retained Earnings(shareholders’ equity) down $48. Left side of the balance sheet is down $148 and right side is down $148.