In the UK, Millie Taplin was attending her first nightclub on her 18th birthday when she was handed a drink by a stranger. The stranger handed her a vodka lemonade โTry thisโ
Millie took a sip.
Seconds later, her face went numb, her fingers curled into claws and her entire body stiffened like she was possessed.
She stayed fully conscious, trapped inside herself, writhing in agony and screaming in her head that she couldnโt move her body.
Rushed to hospital, doctors said she was likely dosed with two unknown drugs: one to paralyse her, one to knock her out. Tests couldnโt identify the substance.
Her mother later released footage as a warning: never accept a drink from stranger.
Enoch Godongwana;
โ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ,
๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ผโ
My Viewpoint:
Every extra layer doing the same job just drives up costs without making anything better.
When these middlemen just repeat the work that NSFAS was created to do, money gets wasted instead of going to students.
Finally,
These unnecessary layers should be removed so the funds can go directly where they are actually needed, and all redundancies entrenched in bureaucracy like this should be identified and then voided.
Red flags across financial statements โ ๏ธ โ help you identify potential risks for your business or investments.
โ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง โ
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ถ๐ป < ๐ญ๐ฌ%
Low gross margin can indicate issues with cost control or pricing strategies.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ < ๐ฎ%
Slow revenue growth might suggest a lack of market demand or competitive weaknesses.
๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
This disparity can signal potential earnings manipulation or accounting anomalies.
๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ถ๐ป < ๐ฏ%
A low EBITDA margin highlights poor operational efficiency and profitability.
๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ถ๐ป < ๐ญ%
Minimal net margin suggests the company is barely profitable.
๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐
When direct costs outpace sales growth, it indicates diminishing profitability.
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ < ๐ญ.๐ฑ
This suggests the company may struggle to meet its interest obligations.
โ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ง โ
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ > ๐ฏ๐ฌ%
High goodwill may indicate overpaid acquisitions or intangible assets that might be impaired.
๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ > ๐ฐ
A high ratio points to excessive leverage and potential solvency risks.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐
This could suggest issues with collections or deteriorating credit quality.
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ถ๐๐
Growing inventory levels relative to profits can indicate overstocking or slowing sales.
๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ < ๐ฌ.๐ฑ
Low asset turnover shows inefficient use of assets to generate sales.
๐ค๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ < ๐ฌ.๐ฏ
A low quick ratio indicates poor short-term financial health.
โ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ช ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง โ
๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ-๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ > ๐ฎ๐ฌ%
High stock-based compensation can dilute shareholder value and indicate potential cash flow problems.
๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ > ๐ฐ๐ฌ%
Excessive capital expenditures relative to net income can strain financial resources.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ < ๐ฌ.๐ญ
Low cash flow relative to debt highlights potential solvency issues.
๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ < ๐ฑ%
A low ratio suggests inefficient conversion of sales into cash.
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Financial Statements 101
To buy stocks we need to understand the building blocks of analysis.
The big 3 of financial statements:
- Income statement
- Balance sheet
- Cash flow statement