financial statements definition

Usually financial statements refer to the balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flows, statement of retained earnings, and statement of stockholders' equity.

The balance sheet reports information as of a date (a point in time). The income statement, statement of cash flows, statement of retained earnings, and the statement of stockholders' equity report information for a period of time (or time interval) such as a year, quarter, or month.

To learn more about financial statements, see our Financial Statements Outline.