A company needs financial objectives

because without adequate profitability and financial strength, a company's ability to muster the resources

$($A$)$ needed to keep pace with rivals, invest in improved technology and needed capital improvements are jeopardized; moreover, subpar earnings and a weak balance sheet raise questions about a company's ultimate survival.

to counterbalance its pursuit of strategic objectives and have a balanced scorecard for judging the caliber of its overall performance.

to help company managers avoid the pitfall of focusing too much time and energy on pleasing customers.

to measure management's progress in developing a winning strategy and the company's progress in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.

to convince shareholders that top management is exerting all reasonable effort to maximize profits and earn the biggest possible return on the money that shareholders have invested in the enterprise.