What is the purpose of financial statement analysis?

The purpose of financial statement analysis centers around evaluating a company's financial performance. This involves assessing various components of financial statements, such as the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement, to understand how well a company is operating and managing its financial resources. Analyzing these statements provides insights into profitability, liquidity, solvency, and overall operational efficiency, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions.

While estimating future business trends can be a part of financial analysis, it isn't the primary focus. Completing tax filings is an administrative function that, while related to finance, does not involve the strategic evaluation of a company's financial health. Similarly, while increasing a company's asset base might be a goal of financial management, it is not the inherent purpose of conducting a financial statement analysis. Thus, focusing on financial performance evaluation is the fundamental aspect that drives the need for analyzing financial statements.