Balance Sheet: Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Quarterly Data
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.
Liabilities represents obligations of a company arising from past events, the settlement of which is expected to result in an outflow of economic benefits from the entity.
Tesla Inc., consolidated balance sheet: liabilities and stockholders’ equity (quarterly data)
US$ in millions
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2026-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2026-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2026-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2025-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31).
The balance sheet exhibits a significant expansion in scale from March 2021 through September 2026, with total liabilities and equity growing from 52.97 billion USD to 157.52 billion USD. This growth is characterized by a substantial increase in equity and a strategic shift in the liability structure, transitioning from a reliance on long-term debt to a reliance on operational liabilities and retained earnings.
- Liability Trends and Composition
- Total liabilities increased from 28.51 billion USD to 67.63 billion USD over the analyzed period. Current liabilities grew more aggressively than long-term liabilities, rising from 14.88 billion USD to 40.49 billion USD. This growth was primarily driven by accounts payable and accrued liabilities, which nearly tripled, suggesting an increase in operational scale and utilization of trade credit. Long-term liabilities followed a U-shaped trajectory; they decreased from 13.63 billion USD in early 2021 to a low of 9.03 billion USD by mid-2022, before climbing steadily to 27.14 billion USD by September 2026.
- Debt Management and Financing
- A distinct pivot in debt strategy is observed. Debt and finance leases, net of current portion, declined sharply from 9.05 billion USD in March 2021 to 872 million USD by June 2023, indicating a period of aggressive deleveraging. However, from late 2023 onward, long-term debt began to accumulate again, reaching 8.14 billion USD by September 2026. Conversely, the current portion of debt and finance leases showed a gradual downward trend, decreasing from 2.56 billion USD to 1.39 billion USD, reducing immediate debt obligations.
- Equity Growth and Capital Accumulation
- Total equity experienced robust growth, rising from 23.86 billion USD to 89.84 billion USD. The most significant driver of this increase was the reversal of the accumulated deficit. Retained earnings transitioned from a deficit of 4.75 billion USD in March 2021 to a substantial surplus of 41.38 billion USD by September 2026. Additionally, additional paid-in capital increased steadily from 27.62 billion USD to 47.42 billion USD, reflecting successful capital raises over the period.
- Solvency and Capital Structure Analysis
- The overall capital structure shifted toward a more equity-heavy composition. In March 2021, the ratio of total liabilities to total equity was approximately 1.19. By September 2026, this ratio decreased to approximately 0.75. This trend indicates a strengthening of the solvency position and a reduced reliance on external borrowing relative to the company's own capital base.
- Deferred Revenue and Other Obligations
- Deferred revenue, including both current and non-current portions, showed a consistent upward trend, growing from a combined 2.89 billion USD in March 2021 to 8.79 billion USD in September 2026. This increase suggests a growth in advance payments from customers or subscription-based revenue streams. Other long-term liabilities also increased steadily from 3.28 billion USD to 14.87 billion USD, contributing to the overall growth of the long-term liability base.
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