What are the roles played by shareholders directors and auditors in terms of interacting with published financial statements of the company?

Shareholders are the owners. They are very interested in seeing if their investment is producing good returns. Their role will be to analyse, and protect their interests.

Directors are appointed by the shareholders to run the company. They are answerable to the shareholders for company performance. Their jobs and future depend on giving shareholders what they want, normally increased wealth, but ethical considerations are increasingly important. Their role is caretaking and maximizing! They will know what the financial statements say before they are published.

Auditors generally have an impassionate relationship with the financial statements. They probably produced them anyway, and would have taken an objective view when doing so. Naturally they would be happy to see their client (the company) succeed, and they would be concerned if they see a decline in profitabilty or sustainability of the company. However, auditors have no responsibility to share in managing the company. This is the sole prerogative of the directors together with their appointed managers. Their interaction with the statements may be one of 'pride of accomplishment'! and may be to hope to be appointed again (or not!) next year!