Advanced Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting Training Course – Casablanca, 28 Dec 2026 – 8 Jan 2027

Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting is a 2-week advanced training course for financial analysts, FP&A teams and finance business partners, and each participant builds an FP&A planning model that turns performance analysis into a driver-based budget and forecast. Planning cycles have shortened and executives now expect analysts to explain the numbers, not just produce them. Jupiter Prime Training shaped the course around the analyst's seat between historic results and next year's targets.

Why Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting Matter Now

Three forces are reshaping financial planning and analysis (FP&A): executives who want forecasts refreshed monthly rather than once a year, business partners who expect analysts to link operational drivers to profit and cash, and spreadsheet and planning platforms that make models faster to build but easier to break. Organisations that analyse and plan well spot margin erosion early and move resources before competitors do; those that plan poorly defend stale budgets and miss turning points. The course rests on reading statements prepared under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), on ratio and DuPont analysis, and on driver-based, statistically tested forecasting.

Who Gains Most from Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting

• Analysts who turn monthly results into performance commentary for business units
• Planning specialists who build and maintain the annual budget and reforecast models
• Finance business partners who translate commercial and operational plans into financial drivers
• Reporting analysts who prepare the variance and KPI packs reviewed by executives
• Controllers in growing units who need a reliable link between ledger history and forward plans

An FP&A function that sends analysts and business partners together gains most, because both sides leave sharing one driver logic and one model structure.

Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting Capabilities

Participants learn to move from what happened, to why it happened, to what the numbers will look like under each plausible future.

• Analyse profitability, efficiency and liquidity through ratio trees and DuPont decomposition — business unit performance reviews
• Build an integrated income statement, balance sheet and cash flow forecast in a spreadsheet — finance director planning
• Design a driver-based budget linking volume, price, headcount and capacity to cost lines — business partner negotiations
• Test forecasts with trend, seasonality and regression methods — credibility of monthly reforecasts
• Apply sensitivity tables, scenarios and Monte Carlo simulation to key assumptions — risk-aware investment and pricing choices
• Communicate model outputs through concise charts and a one-page narrative — executive committee decisions

Key Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting Terms

• FP&A — financial planning and analysis; the finance activity that budgets, forecasts and explains performance against plan.
• DuPont Analysis — a breakdown of return on equity into margin, asset turnover and leverage to show what drives returns.
• Driver-Based Budget — a budget calculated from operational drivers such as volume, price and headcount rather than from last year's figures.
• Three-Statement Model — a spreadsheet in which forecast income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement are linked and balance automatically.
• Sensitivity Analysis — changing one input at a time to see how strongly an output such as profit or cash responds.
• Monte Carlo Simulation — running a model thousands of times with randomly drawn inputs to show the range and likelihood of outcomes.

Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting Day by Day

Day 1: The FP&A Role and Planning Context

• FP&A Operating Model and Planning Calendar — Analyst Role in Decisions
• Business Model Canvas to Financial Drivers — Linking Strategy to Numbers
• IFRS Statement Structure for Analysts — Reading What Feeds Models
• Data Sources and Ledger Extracts — Reliable Inputs for Analysis
• Stakeholder Map for Planning Outputs — Who Uses Which Report

Day 2: Ratio Analysis and Performance Diagnosis

• Profitability, Efficiency and Liquidity Ratios — Diagnosing Business Unit Health
• DuPont Decomposition of Return on Equity — Locating Value Drivers
• Common-Size and Trend Statements — Spotting Margin Erosion Early
• Peer Benchmarking From Published Accounts — Setting Realistic Targets
• Ratio Trees for Retail and Manufacturing Cases — Sector Differences in Drivers

Day 3: Cash Flow and Working Capital Analysis

• Operating Cash Conversion Analysis — Quality of Reported Profit
• Working Capital Days and Cycle Mapping — Cash Tied in Operations
• Free Cash Flow Bridges — Explaining Cash Movement to Executives
• Capital Intensity and Maintenance Spend Ratios — Funding Requirements
• Liquidity Headroom Tests — Covenant and Facility Planning

Day 4: Spreadsheet Model Design Standards

• Model Architecture With Inputs, Calculations and Outputs — Auditability for Reviewers
• Naming, Formatting and Flagging Conventions — Fewer Formula Errors
• Timeline and Period Flags — Monthly and Annual Switching
• Error Checks and Balance Controls — Confidence Before Distribution
• Version Control and Change Logs — Traceable Model Updates

Day 5: Building the Three-Statement Forecast

• Revenue Build From Volume, Price and Mix — Top-Line Assumptions
• Operating Cost Build by Behaviour — Fixed and Variable Planning
• Balance Sheet Schedules for Receivables, Stock and Payables — Working Capital Forecast
• Fixed Asset and Depreciation Schedules — Capital Plan Linkage
• Cash Flow Derivation and Balance Check — Integrity of the Forecast

Day 6: Driver-Based Budgeting

• Operational Driver Selection and Validation — Budget Lines That Explain Themselves
• Headcount and Capacity Planning Models — Staffing Cost Accuracy
• Activity Rates and Unit Cost Standards — Consistent Cost Assumptions
• Top-Down Targets Versus Driver Outputs — Reconciling Ambition With Capacity
• Budget Consolidation Across Business Units — Group-Level Coherence

Day 7: Forecasting Methods

• Moving Averages and Exponential Smoothing — Short-Horizon Projections
• Seasonality Indices and Decomposition — Monthly Phasing Accuracy
• Regression on Leading Indicators — Demand-Linked Forecasts
• Forecast Error Measures MAPE and Bias — Choosing the Better Method
• Rolling Reforecast Mechanics — Keeping the Horizon Current

Day 8: Scenario, Sensitivity and Risk Modelling

• One- and Two-Way Data Tables — Sensitivity of Profit and Cash
• Scenario Manager With Base, Upside and Downside Cases — Contingency Choices
• Tornado Charts for Assumption Ranking — Focusing Management Attention
• Monte Carlo Simulation of Key Inputs — Probability of Hitting Targets
• Break-Even and Headroom Analysis — Safety Margins for Plans

Day 9: Presenting Analysis to Decision Makers

• Executive Summary Structure With the Answer First — Faster Decisions
• Chart Selection for Variance and Trend Messages — Clear Visual Evidence
• Budget Versus Forecast Versus Actual Bridges — Explaining Movement
• Assumption Books and Model Documentation — Handover and Review
• Challenge Sessions With Business Partners — Defending Forecast Logic

Day 10: Practising the FP&A Planning Model

• Ratio-Based Diagnosis of a Case Company — Baseline for Planning
• Driver-Based Budget Build From Operating Assumptions — Next-Year Plan
• Three-Statement Forecast Integration With Balance Checks — Financial Coherence
• Scenario and Monte Carlo Test of the Plan — Risk Range for Executives
• FP&A Planning Model Completion and Presentation — Executive Sign-Off Pack

Applying Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting After the Course

• Rebuild one business unit's budget on operational drivers and compare its output with the current incremental budget line by line.
• Add a tornado chart and three scenarios to the next monthly reforecast and present the assumption ranking to the finance director.

Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting Questions (FAQ)

What is financial analysis, modelling and budgeting and why does it matter now?

Financial analysis, modelling and budgeting is the FP&A discipline of diagnosing performance, building linked forecast models and setting driver-based budgets. It matters now because executives expect frequent reforecasts that explain cause and effect, and spreadsheet errors in fast planning cycles can mislead major decisions.

Which roles gain most from financial analysis, modelling and budgeting training?

Financial analysts, FP&A specialists and finance business partners gain most, along with controllers who prepare executive packs. You benefit most if you build budgets, run monthly reforecasts or present variance analysis to business leaders.

How does financial analysis, modelling and budgeting training differ from a valuation-focused financial modelling course?

It centres on the planning cycle rather than valuation. A valuation modelling course builds towards discounted cash flow and deal values; this one links ratio diagnosis, driver-based budgets, statistical forecasting and scenario testing for ongoing business planning.

What will I bring back from financial analysis, modelling and budgeting training?

You bring back an FP&A planning model: a ratio diagnosis, a driver-based budget, a balanced three-statement forecast and scenario and Monte Carlo tests, with an executive presentation that explains the assumptions behind each number.

Financial Analysis, Modelling and Budgeting: The Way Forward

The FP&A planning model first informs the next budget round, where business partners use its drivers to agree targets and the finance director uses its scenarios to set contingencies. Analysts then roll it forward monthly. After the first reforecast cycle, revisit which drivers actually explained variances and retire those that added complexity without improving forecast accuracy.