Description

Developments in the Management Commentary and MD&A

Narrative reporting is entering a new era-one that moves beyond compliance checklists to focus on cohesive, decision-useful communication. This seminar examines the evolution of corporate narrative reporting through the revised 2025 IFRS Practice Statement 1: Management Commentary and the U.S. GAAP-based MD&A under SEC Regulation S-K, with key comparisons to help practitioners understand how each framework supports investor-focused disclosure.

Using real-world examples and excerpts from the actual annual report of an IFRS reporting company, this seminar highlights how the revised Management Commentary guidance aims to improve the quality, relevance, and connectivity of narrative insights. Participants will explore its emphasis on strategy, risks, sustainability factors (ESG), key performance indicators (KPIs), and the integration of financial and non-financial information.

The session also analyzes the modernization efforts in U.S. MD&A, including principles-based guidance, reduction of boilerplate disclosures, and expanded expectations for entity-specific analysis and trend-based insights. Through a comparative approach, participants learn how both frameworks are converging around common principles: enhanced connectivity, balanced presentation, entity-specific content, and alignment of strategy, performance, risk, and value creation.

This practical seminar provides accounting, finance, and business professionals with the knowledge needed for better understanding the management commentary and MD&A.

This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Instructor: Eric Knight, CPA, DBA

Target Audience

This webinar is suited for finance professionals, preparers, auditors, and analysts seeking to enhance their understanding of narrative reporting under IFRS and U.S. GAAP.

Course Objectives

After attending this presentation, you will be able to... Analyze the IFRS Management Commentary and SEC MD&A in providing narrative context that complements financial statements.Utilize management commentary and MD&A communicate strategy, performance drivers, risks, and future prospects to investors and stakeholders.Analyze the key enhancements in the 2025 IFRS Practice Statement 1 and modernization updates to MD&A, including ESG integration, connectivity, and comparability.Apply principles of entity-specific, balanced, and decision-useful narrative reporting to improve transparency and investor insight.

Subjects

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Purpose of Management Commentary (IFRS): Understanding the foundational objectivesPurpose of MD&A (AAP): SEC-mandated narrative disclosure requirementsHistorical Context: Past and present frameworks and the limitationsRecent Revisions: Key enhancements and ESG integrationPractical Examples: Real-world applications and improvementsConvergence & Guidance: Frameworks, comparisons, and implementation