Balance Sheet: Assets
The balance sheet provides creditors, investors, and analysts with information on company resources (assets) and its sources of capital (its equity and liabilities). It normally also provides information about the future earnings capacity of a company assets as well as an indication of cash flows that may come from receivables and inventories.
Assets are resources controlled by the company as a result of past events and from which future economic benefits are expected to flow to the entity.
Amazon.com Inc., consolidated balance sheet: assets
US$ in millions
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31).
The financial data reveals several notable trends in the assets of the company over the five-year period ending December 31, 2024.
- Cash and Cash Equivalents
- Cash reserves exhibit a generally increasing trend, starting at $42,122 million in 2020, dipping slightly in 2021, then rising sharply to $73,387 million in 2023 and $78,779 million in 2024. This suggests enhanced liquidity management or strong cash generation in recent years.
- Marketable Securities
- Marketable securities show volatility, increasing from $42,274 million in 2020 to a peak of $59,829 million in 2021, followed by a sharp decline to $13,393 million in 2023, with a minor recovery to $22,423 million in 2024. This could indicate reallocation of investment portfolios or liquidation of marketable investment holdings during 2022 and 2023.
- Inventories
- Inventory levels rise steadily from $23,795 million in 2020 to $34,405 million in 2022, then fluctuate slightly, decreasing to $33,318 million in 2023 before a modest increase to $34,214 million in 2024. The trend suggests inventory buildup aligned with business expansion, with minor adjustments thereafter.
- Receivables
- Customer receivables increase consistently from $14,800 million in 2020 to $34,300 million by 2024, indicating a growing volume of sales on credit. Vendor receivables also rise substantially, more than doubling from $4,800 million to $11,600 million, and other receivables peak in 2022 before declining. Aggregated accounts receivable and other receivables trends confirm expanding credit sales and possibly longer payment terms.
- Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
- These assets grow from $4,561 million in 2020 to $6,151 million in 2024, showing moderate growth consistent with increasing operational scale and potentially changes in expense prepayments.
- Current Assets
- Total current assets demonstrate a positive trend overall, increasing from $132,733 million to $190,867 million. This indicates stronger short-term financial strength and asset liquidity.
- Property and Equipment, Net
- There is a significant and steady increase in property and equipment, from $113,114 million to $252,665 million, reflecting substantial capital investments and asset base expansion over the period.
- Operating Leases
- The value of operating leases rises continuously from $37,553 million to $76,141 million, nearly doubling, which may reflect increased long-term lease commitments and expanded operational footprint.
- Goodwill
- Goodwill grows from $15,017 million to $23,074 million, rising most sharply between 2021 and 2023, indicative of acquisitions or business combinations during this timeframe.
- Other Assets
- Other assets see a substantial increase from $22,778 million to $82,147 million, showing significant accumulation in this asset category, which may include intangible assets or deferred items.
- Long-term Assets
- Long-term assets increase markedly from $188,462 million to $434,027 million, outpacing growth in current assets. This signals increased investment in fixed and intangible assets, supporting long-term growth strategies.
- Total Assets
- Total assets expand significantly from $321,195 million to $624,894 million, nearly doubling over the five years. This growth reflects both an expanding balance sheet and possibly aggressive investment and acquisition activity.
Overall, the data indicates robust asset growth, driven by higher cash balances, intensified capital expenditure on property and equipment, rising lease commitments, and increased goodwill from acquisitions. The expansion in receivables and inventories parallels the asset growth, implying scaling operations. Volatility in marketable securities may suggest dynamic asset management policies. These trends collectively imply a period of aggressive expansion and investment focused on scaling operations and securing long-term growth.