What do financial audits primarily evaluate?

Financial audits primarily evaluate the accuracy, completeness, and fairness of financial statements, ensuring they adhere to applicable accounting standards. This evaluation involves assessing how well the financial reporting process and internal controls are designed and functioning, which correlates closely with the operating effectiveness of key business processes.

By examining key business processes, auditors can determine whether transactions are recorded accurately and processes are operating as intended to produce reliable financial information. This focus on operational effectiveness helps ensure the integrity of the financial statements and supports stakeholders' decision-making.

Other aspects such as the effectiveness of internal audit functions, the economy of resource usage, and the efficiency of fraud prevention measures, while important in their own right, do not represent the primary aim of a financial audit. Instead, they fall under broader evaluations of organizational controls and management practices rather than the direct assessment of financial reporting.