Statement of Comprehensive Income

[spartansaver]

Outside of Banks and Insurance, is there ever a useful time to look at the Statement of Comprehensive Income? I almost always skip it, and just wondering if anyone has found any use to it.

[ValueArb]

I'm responding not because I have any specific answer, but because this is a great question. TBH I'm not really sure what it is or when companies have to file it, as most of the microcaps I look at don't seem to break out a comprehensive income statement. Here is the basic definition 

 

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/comprehensiveincome.asp

 

Based on that description I'd say the details on unrealized losses/gains in investments/pensions/debt etc sound useful. 

[dwy000]

It used to be more useful when unrealized gains and losses didn't flow thru income statement but got reported on balance sheet at fair market value (so stmt of comprehensive income bridged the gap).  Now that the unrealized gains/losses do go thru income statement it really has less value.

 

If I recall, Buffett had a good discussion of its use years ago but I can't recall if it was one of the Berkshire letters or something else.  

Edited March 20 by dwy000