DECEMBER 2002

Reviewing The Balance Sheet

Diebold 1998 Annual Report

by Diane Graese

The table below presents the changes in comparative balance sheet data for 1998 and 1997. Significant year-to-year fluctuations are highlighted and discussed in the workshop.

NAIC thanks Diebold for their permission to duplicate certain financial statements as part of this presentation.

The following excerpt from The NAIC Investors Manual For The Individual Investor provides an overview of the Balance Sheet and its role in company stock studies.

Investors are primarily concerned with the Income Statement when studying a company. There is, however, important information in the Balance Sheet. Before getting involved in a thorough study, you may wish to check for clues as to the quality of a corporation's earnings.

A Balance Sheet is an accounting term indicating the statement of a company's financial condition at the end of a period. There are always two sides to a balance sheet. On one side are the dollar value of the assets. On the other are the liabilities and shareholder's equity. The total amounts on the two sides are always equal.

Diebold's balance sheet for 1998 (and values for comparisons to 1997 results) is provided below:

Return to Balance Sheet Discussion

Diane Graese was formerly an officer of the Computer Group Advisory Board and a director for the BetterInvesting Las Vegas Chapter. She is an active member of i-club-list and the BetterIinvesting Community at Compuserve. Diane is well known for her seminars on cash flow and interpreting financial statements. Contact Diane at dmg1031@aol.com.