Which of the following is NOT an objective or purpose of cost accounting?

Cost accounting is an internal management accounting tool focused on ascertaining, controlling, and reducing costs and providing data for managerial decisionmaking. Its key purposes include cost ascertainment, cost control (using budgets, standards, and variance analysis), decision support (make-or-buy, pricing, shut-down decisions), and performance measurement. Preparation of financial statements — Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Account, and Cash Flow Statement — for reporting to external stakeholders such as shareholders and regulators is the function of Financial Accounting, not Cost Accounting. Cost accounting is internal in nature, while financial accounting follows reporting standards and is external-facing.