Annual report

A business report is the publication of a company in which it stores the shareholders and the interested public to report on the past fiscal year.

The Annual Report is one of the main sources of information for the owner (eg, a stock corporation shareholders ) on strategy, operations and success of the company.

• 4.1 graphics
• 4.2 Competitions

Statutory regulations

The in the German Commercial Code ( HGB) established disclosure requirements for corporations requires the publication of certain accounting documents within a period of twelve months after the end of the financial year (four months in publicly traded corporations). This is usually done as part of a larger annual report.

The prescribed content of the publication is dependent on the size of the company. He needs at least a balance sheet and explanatory notes included. For larger companies are also required:

• A full annual financial statements, including profit and loss statement ( P & L)
• Management Report
• Report of the Supervisory Board
• Proposal and decision on the appropriation of profits
• In audits of the company audit report of the auditor

The German Stock Corporation Act requires public companies in addition to publish a semi-annual interim report before, but not its content and form.

For all from December 2005 fiscal years ending it also requires the publication of financial statements in accordance with the international accounting practices with IFRS. For companies that are listed on U.S. stock exchanges and already publish figures under U.S. GAAP, a transitional period, the publication of a contract is valid until 2007. Accordance with IFRS or U.S. GAAP HGB exempt from disclosure requirements.

Scope of business reports

Frequently Annual Reports of the information required by law also contain optional information that provide more detailed financial information or serve the self-representation of the Company. Mandatory and voluntary part of the report must then be clearly separated.

Many companies that are not subject to disclosure, publish annual reports. In addition to the self-representation of the Company in general These contain only selected numbers to the financial statements, but not a complete balance sheet and income statement.

Obligation to under -standing reporting

Quarterly Report

Public companies that opt ​​for membership in the Prime Standard of Deutsche Börse AG, thus undertake in addition to the publication of quarterly reports. This must include at least a balance sheet, a profit and loss account, a cash flow statement as well as some other information contained on activities and businesses.

Many companies outside the Prime Standard publish quarterly reports, which vary, however, in the extent and significance of very.

The figures published in the quarterly reports are often called quarterly figures.

History of the quarterly report

The quarterly report is to provide evidence already in the early history of industrialization. So Georgius Agricola in 1556 reported that the shareholders were organized in mining in so-called trades. They demanded from the mountain administrator account four times a year: " Just as there are four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter, so there are also quarterly reports on income and expenditure. In the first month of each quarter will be accounted for, first about the money spent in the last quarter of the pit of mountain administrator, then the return that he has achieved at the same time from her. "

Failure of the mountain manager at that time was consistently punished: " Now, when a mountain administrator of the money trades usefully employed for the mine and it has managed loyal, so it all give the praise of prudent and good man; He has, however, caused damage due to ignorance of the conditions, so it is mostly horrified his office. But if he has inflicted by his own negligence and carelessness the trades damage, the authorities forced him to pay damages; if he has finally committed fraud or theft, he shall be punished by a fine or by imprisonment or by death "

Content and graphic design

Graphic

Because annual reports are a key means of self-expression, annual reports are often designed very expensive. Both typography and graphic design and image are often entrusted prestigious advertising agencies. Occasionally, art photographers or artists are commissioned to design or illustration, also high-quality paper is used for reasons of prestige.

Competitions

The League of American Communications Professionals LLC (LACP ) presents awards in 9 categories for annual reports, such as "Best Front Page " ( Best Report Cover ), creative design ( Most Creative ), "Best Financial Information" ( Best Report Financials ), etc. for example, with 1900 annual reports go ad agencies and PR departments in the competition for the 36 prizes ( each of the 9 categories in platinum, gold, silver and bronze ) as well as placements in the overall list (addition of the category points) and the lists of divisions. Striking is the strong performance of the companies from Germany and Austria. See winners in 2004 and 2005.

The German business magazine "manager magazin" leaves annually test 50 200 annual reports from the major German stock indices DAX, MDAX, SDAX, Nasdaq and European STOXX blue-chip index. In addition, all newly listed companies that could be listed in the Prime Standard of the German stock exchange in that year. Are examined by independent university professors in each case specifically on content, design and design language. Only the top five of each index are also reviewed by a five-member panel of market experts on conciseness, credibility and reporting efficiency. The overall winner will receive at a ceremony the sculpture " The caller " of the artist Vadim Sidur.

Costs

The media company Theodor Gruda in Meerbusch recherierte based on annual reports from well-known companies in Germany, the breakdown of expenses as a percentage. Not infrequently, the cost of a business report with more than 100,000 euros.

Distribution costs (as of 2012):

• 28 % pressure
• 23% Photos including rights
• 22 % prepress ( prepress )
• 12 % agency performance
• 7 % Logistics
• 5% paper
• 3% Consulting