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Biztalk-Corporate Advisory Series #3 What is a Financial Due Diligence?

    Corporate Advisory Services in Malaysia

    Financial Due Diligence (FDD)

    So what exactly is Financial Due Diligence (FDD)? Due diligence is an investigation, review, and analysis carried out to confirm the information or facts which will support the decision whether or not to proceed with or to complete a deal.

    FDD, by its name, means due diligence that focuses on the business and its financial performance, financial risks and liabilities.

    Any findings from a FDD report may potentially be the deal breaker for a transaction.

    Financial Due Diligence vs Audit

    Some people may ask, the target company’s accounts have been audited every year. So why still need to perform FDD? Can’t they just rely on the audited financial statements?

    Yes they can, but to a certain extend only because the financial statement does not tell everything they want to know or they may not even know. In fact, audit and financial due diligence are 2 different activities. Audit, in general, is to determine whether the financial statements are prepared and presented correctly, in accordance with the accounting standards. FDD is performed to assess the financial position and if needed, dig further to obtain the reasons behind certain areas that require more details for consideration.  

    When to conduct Financial Due Diligence

    FDD will normally be performed when the buyer has agreed to enter into a deal (taking over a company, buying a business, investing into shares of a company). The completion of the agreement will be pending on the satisfactory of the buyer on the results of the financial due diligence (this can be one of the conditions in the agreement). That is why FDD is sometimes considered as a deal breaker.

    Results of Financial Due Diligence (FDD)

    Sometimes, it is not all doom if the FDD result turns out to be less satisfactory. Subject to both parties’ eagerness to complete the deal, they can still negotiate and revise terms based on the findings of the FDD, such as revising the acquisition amount.    

    Engage the Professionals

    In view of the importance of the FDD, it is highly advised to engage professionals with the relevant experience. Whether it is an M&A, investment decision, etc, the amount of capital can be huge and they are hard-earned money. A buyer/investor would not want to complete a deal only to realise what he got was not as what had been expected.

    Read about our post on: What do you need to consider in a merger & acquisition here.

    How can Bizboard help?

    Bizboard as a team of professional accountants has the required knowledge and expertise to assist you in your corporate or business advisory needs.

    Bizboard work and liaise with various professionals such as legal advisors, financial institutions, government authorities, and other related professionals to provide the best possible solution/opinion for your business needs.

    Our highly qualified team has worked throughout various engagements of different industries and has extensive knowledge and experience to assist the company in various corporate advisory matters.

    For more information, kindly contact us.

    Talk to us to know more.

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