Beginner to Pro in Excel: Financial Modeling and Valuation from Udemy

*Updated for March 2024*

Do you want to learn how to use Excel in a real working environment?

Are you about to graduate from a university and look for your first job?

Are you a young professional looking to establish yourself in your new position?

Would you like to become your team's go-to person for financial modeling in Excel?

Join over 200,000+ successful students taking this course.

Your instructor possesses the following extensive experience in financial modeling:

Financial advisory unit of a top-tier consulting firm
Experience in M&A transactions executed in the UK, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Poland
Employed in the in-house Mergers & Acquisitions department of a large multinational corporation
A financial advisor in multiple M&A deals ranging from €2 million to €5 billion
Worked on company valuations, due diligence analysis, impairment tests, bankruptcy proceedings, cash flow analysis, and more.

Learn the subtleties of financial modeling from someone who has walked the same path. Beat the learning curve and stand out from your colleagues with this course today.

A comprehensive guide to financial modeling in Excel:

Become an Excel expert
Build sound financial models in Excel
Gain an in-depth understanding of the mechanics of company valuation
Create professionally formatted files
Demonstrate superior Excel skills at work
Prepare before employment in investment banking, financial advisory, corporate finance, or consulting

What We Offer:

Well-designed and easy-to-understand materials
Detailed explanations with comprehensible case studies based on real situations
Downloadable course materials
Regular course updates
Professional chart examples used by major banks and consulting firms.
Real-life, step-by-step examples

Upon completing this course, you'll be able to do the following:

Work comfortably with Microsoft Excel and many of its advanced features
Become a the top Excel users on your team
Perform regular tasks quicker
Develop a P&L statement from a raw data extraction
Build a cash flow statement
Value a company
Produce a valuation model from scratch
Create a model with multiple scenarios
Design professional and advanced charts
Acquire Excel proficiency by learning advanced functions, pivot tables, visualizations, and Excel features

About the course:

Unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee
No significant previous experience necessary to understand the course and benefit
Unlimited lifetime access to all course materials
Emphasis on learning by doing
Take your Microsoft Excel and financial modeling skills to the next level

Make an investment that is rewarded in career prospects, positive feedback, and personal growth.

This course is suitable for graduates aspiring to become investment bankers as it includes a well-structured DCF model with its theoretical concepts. Moreover, it motivates you to be more confident with daily tasks and gives you the edge over other candidates vying for a full-time position.

People with basic knowledge of Excel who go through the course will dramatically increase their Excel skills.

Take advantage of this opportunity to acquire the skills that will advance your career and get an edge over other candidates. Don't risk your future success.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Master microsoft excel and its advanced features
Become a top excel users on your team
Execute regular tasks quicker
Build p&l statements from a raw data extraction
Acquire financial modeling skills

Learn how to value a company
Build valuation models from scratch
Create models with multiple scenarios
Design professional advanced charts
Become a proficient user with excel functions, pivot tables, visualizations, and advanced features

Master microsoft excel and its advanced features
Become a top excel users on your team
Execute regular tasks quicker
Build p&l statements from a raw data extraction
Acquire financial modeling skills
Learn how to value a company
Build valuation models from scratch
Create models with multiple scenarios
Design professional advanced charts
Become a proficient user with excel functions, pivot tables, visualizations, and advanced features

Syllabus

Beginner to Pro in Excel: Financial Modeling and Valuation - Welcome!

What does the course cover?

Bonus! Welcome gift

Welcome gift number 2

The best way to take this course

Download all course materials and frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Introduction to Excel

Overview of Excel

The Excel ribbon

Basic operations with rows and columns

Data entry in Excel

Introduction to formatting

Rows and columns

Introduction to Excel formulas

Introduction to Excel functions

Cut, copy, & paste

Paste special

Format cells

This opening section will take you through the basics of Excel. An easy-to-understand introduction that will bring you up to speed in no time.

Some of the topics and concepts discussed in this lesson:

·Row and Column references

·Name box

·Formula bar

·The Ribbon

·Format cells

·Basic operations in Excel: Copy, Paste, Paste Special, Cut, Undo, Redo

Assignment 1

Basic Excel - Practice activity

Useful tips and tools for your work in Excel

Excel best practices - Welcome lecture

Initial formatting of Excel sheets for a professional layout

Fast scrolling through Excel sheets

Be even quicker: F5 + Enter

Fixing cell references

Introduction to fixing of cell references

Alt + Enter

Organize your data with text to columns

Learn how to organize your data with text to columns

The wrap text button

Set print area

Custom sort helps you sort multiple columns in Excel tables

Create drop-down lists with data validation

Find and select special types of cells with Select special (F5)

Select Special

Assign dynamic names in a financial model

Assigning dynamic names

Define a named range in Excel

Create a great Index page at the beginning of your models - Hyperlinks

Introduction to custom formatting in Excel

Apply custom formatting in a financial model

Macros are a great timesaver! Here's why!

How to save macros and use them across several workbooks

Excel macros - quiz

Fix the top row of your table with freeze panes

How to search functionalities in Excel

Filter by color - an excellent tool

Working with conditional formatting

Useful tips and tools for your work in Excel - quiz

A neat trick - Multiply by 1

Find and replace - references

FAQ: Why do we replace external references and how does this help us?

Find and replace - formatting

Removing (automatic) green arrows

Beauty saving - The professional way of saving files

Formula auditing with F2

Assignment 2

Excel tips & tools - Practice activity

Keyboard shortcuts in Excel

Keyboard shortcuts save LOTS of time in Excel

Learning how to use keyboard shortcuts is an essential part of your Microsoft Excel training. The slides in this lesson will enable you to pick up a number of useful keyboard combinations that will dramatically increase the efficiency of your work

Excel's key functions and functionalities made easy

Excel's key functions - Welcome lecture

A helpful consideration

The IF function tests whether a certain condition is true or false. It works in the following way:

1.Excel tests whether the logical test, which is the first argument of the function, is satisfied

2.If the logical test is satisfied, Excel delivers value A (the second argument of the function)

3.If the logical test is not satisfied, Excel delivers value B (the third argument of the function)

Key Excel functions: SUM, SUMIF and SUMIFS

= and + are interchangeable when you start typing a formula

Key Excel functions: COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTIF, COUNTIFS

Key Excel functions: AVERAGE and AVERAGEIF

Work with text efficiently: LEFT, RIGHT, MID, UPPER, LOWER, PROPER, CONCATENATE

Working with text (continued)

Find the minimum or maximum value in a range of cells in Excel

Include ROUND in your financial models

Key Excel functions: VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP

How to enlarge the formula bar

INDEX, MATCH and their combination - the perfect substitute for VLOOKUP

A great Excel technique: INDEX, MATCH, MATCH

XLOOKUP: a solid substitute for VLOOKUP and INDEX&MATCH

Using Excel's IFERROR function to trap spreadsheet errors

RANK is a valuable tool when using Excel for financial and business analysis

CHOOSE - Learn how to render your models flexible

Use Goal Seek to find the result that you are looking for

Use Goal Seek in order to find the result that you are looking for

Include sensitivity analysis in your models through Data Tables

Excel's dynamic and interactive tables: Pivot tables

Update! SUMIFS - Exercise

An exercise focusing on the practical application of “Sumifs” - a very interesting Excel function that allows you to create dynamic tables in an efficient way.

Exercise - Excel's SUMIFS function - solved & explained

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Well-structured DCF model including its theoretical concepts

Emphasis on learning by doing

Enhances Excel proficiency including advanced functions, pivot tables, visualizations, and advanced features

Offers unlimited lifetime access to all course materials

Provides downloadable course materials

No significant previous experience necessary to understand the course and benefit

Reviews summary

Good explanations, alignment issues

According to students, this course provides good explanations but has some alignment issues between pages.

Clear and detailed explanations provided by the instructor.

"The instructor provided very good explanations during the training."

Misalignment between pages for 1H18, 2H18, and FY 2018.

"There is an issue with 1H18, 2H18 and FY 2018 not aligning on different pages."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Beginner to Pro in Excel: Financial Modeling and Valuation with these activities:

Excel Resource Library: Tips, Functions, and Best Practices

Show steps

Enhance your Excel knowledge by compiling a collection of valuable tips, functions, and best practices in a single, easily accessible document.

Browse courses on Excel Functions

Show steps

Research and gather useful Excel tips, functions, and best practices from reputable sources.
Organize the information into a structured and logical format.
Include clear explanations and examples to illustrate the usage and benefits of each resource.

Refresh your basic math skills

Show steps

Ensure that you have a firm grasp of basic mathematical operations before taking this course.

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Review basic arithmetic operations (+, -, x, /).
Practice solving simple equations.
Take a practice quiz or test to assess your understanding.

Read 'Excel for Dummies'

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Provide yourself with a good foundational understanding of basic Excel functionality.

View Excel 2010 For Dummies eBook Set on Amazon

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Read the book thoroughly.
Complete the practice exercises in the book.
Take a practice quiz or test to assess your understanding.

Eight other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all 11 activities

Complete the Microsoft Excel tutorial series

Show steps

Learn the basics of Excel from Microsoft's official tutorials.

Show steps

Go to the Microsoft Excel tutorial website.
Complete the beginner and intermediate tutorials.
Take a practice quiz or test to assess your understanding.

Excel Tutorial: Customizing Charts and Graphs

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Expand your Excel skills by creating a tutorial that demonstrates how to customize charts and graphs to effectively communicate data.

Browse courses on Data Visualization

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Choose a dataset and create a basic chart or graph in Excel.
Explore the customization options for axes, labels, legends, and colors.
Add annotations and formatting to enhance the visual appeal and clarity of the chart or graph.
Record your steps and explanations to create a comprehensive tutorial.

Complete Excel practice exercises

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Sharpen your Excel skills by completing practice exercises.

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Find practice exercises online or in Excel workbooks.
Complete the exercises regularly.
Review your answers and identify areas for improvement.

Join a study group or discussion forum

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Connect with other students and discuss course material.

Show steps

Find a study group or discussion forum for this course.
Participate in discussions and ask questions.
Help other students with their understanding.

Advanced Excel Functions: Mastering VLOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH

Show steps

Advance your Excel proficiency by exploring tutorials that explain and demonstrate the powerful capabilities of VLOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH for data manipulation.

Browse courses on VLookup

Show steps

Identify scenarios where VLOOKUP, INDEX, or MATCH can enhance your Excel workflow.
Follow comprehensive tutorials to learn the syntax, arguments, and applications of these functions.
Practice using these functions in real-life datasets to solidify your understanding.

Financial Modeling Exercise: DCF Valuation

Show steps

Solidify your understanding of financial modeling by applying the DCF method to value a company in a practical exercise.

Show steps

Gather financial data for the target company.
Build a DCF model in Excel using the provided instructions.
Analyze the results and determine the intrinsic value of the company.

Create a financial model in Excel

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Demonstrate your understanding of Excel by creating a basic financial model.

Show steps

Choose a simple financial model template or create your own.
Enter the necessary data and formulas.
Format the model and create charts and graphs.
Test the model and make any necessary adjustments.

Volunteer as a tutor or mentor

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Solidify your understanding of Excel by teaching it to others.

Show steps

Find a tutoring or mentoring opportunity.
Prepare lesson plans and materials.
Tutor or mentor other students.

Career center

Learners who complete Beginner to Pro in Excel: Financial Modeling and Valuation will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Financial Analyst

As a Financial Analyst, you will be responsible for analyzing financial data and providing insights to help companies make informed decisions. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial modeling, valuation, and data analysis. Specifically, the course's modules on financial statement analysis, discounted cash flow modeling, and sensitivity analysis will be particularly relevant to your work as a Financial Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Investment Banker

Investment Bankers help companies raise capital and advise them on mergers and acquisitions. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial modeling, valuation, and presentation skills. In particular, the course's modules on LBO modeling, M&A analysis, and pitch book creation will be of great value to you as an Investment Banker.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Banker

Private Equity Analyst

Private Equity Analysts evaluate and invest in private companies. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial modeling, valuation, and due diligence. The course's modules on private equity fund structures, portfolio company analysis, and exit strategies will be particularly relevant to your work as a Private Equity Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Private Equity Analyst

Consultant

Consultants help businesses solve problems and improve their performance. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial analysis, problem solving, and communication. The course's modules on business analysis, case studies, and presentation skills will be particularly valuable to you as a Consultant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Consultant

Data Analyst

Data Analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to help businesses make informed decisions. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including data analysis, visualization, and communication. The course's modules on data cleaning, data visualization, and data mining will be particularly relevant to your work as a Data Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Financial Planner

Financial Planners help individuals and families manage their finances. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial planning, investment advice, and retirement planning. The course's modules on personal finance, investment strategies, and retirement planning will be particularly valuable to you as a Financial Planner.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Planner

Auditor

Auditors examine financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial analysis, accounting principles, and auditing procedures. The course's modules on financial statement analysis, internal controls, and audit procedures will be particularly relevant to your work as an Auditor.

See salaries and explore the career path for Auditor

Actuary

Actuaries analyze risk and uncertainty to help businesses and individuals make informed decisions. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial modeling, statistics, and data analysis. The course's modules on risk assessment, insurance pricing, and pension planning will be particularly valuable to you as an Actuary.

See salaries and explore the career path for Actuary

Real Estate Analyst

Real Estate Analysts evaluate and invest in real estate properties. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial modeling, valuation, and market analysis. The course's modules on real estate finance, property valuation, and market analysis will be particularly relevant to your work as a Real Estate Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Real Estate Analyst

Budget Analyst

Budget Analysts help organizations develop and manage their budgets. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial analysis, budgeting, and forecasting. The course's modules on financial planning, budget preparation, and variance analysis will be particularly valuable to you as a Budget Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Budget Analyst

Credit Analyst

Credit Analysts assess the creditworthiness of borrowers. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial analysis, credit risk assessment, and underwriting. The course's modules on financial statement analysis, credit scoring, and loan underwriting will be particularly relevant to your work as a Credit Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Credit Analyst

Risk Analyst

Risk Analysts identify and assess risks to help businesses make informed decisions. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial analysis, risk management, and data analysis. The course's modules on risk identification, risk assessment, and risk mitigation will be particularly valuable to you as a Risk Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Analyst

Operations Analyst

Operations Analysts help businesses improve their efficiency and effectiveness. This course may be useful in helping you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial analysis, process improvement, and data analysis. The course's modules on business analysis, process mapping, and data mining may be particularly relevant to your work as an Operations Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Analyst

Business Analyst

Business Analysts help businesses understand their operations and identify opportunities for improvement. This course may be useful in helping you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including financial analysis, business process analysis, and data analysis. The course's modules on business analysis, process mapping, and data mining may be particularly relevant to your work as a Business Analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Statistician

Statisticians collect, analyze, and interpret data to help businesses and organizations make informed decisions. This course may be useful in helping you develop the skills you need to succeed in this role, including data analysis, statistical modeling, and data visualization. The course's modules on data cleaning, data visualization, and data mining may be particularly relevant to your work as a Statistician.

See salaries and explore the career path for Statistician