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.
Assets: Selected Items
Current Assets: Selected Items
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2016-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2015-12-31).
Total assets exhibit a consistent downward trajectory over the five-year period, declining from 135.8 billion US$ in 2015 to 94.6 billion US$ in 2019. This overall contraction is primarily driven by a significant reduction in non-current assets, which fell from 127.2 billion US$ to 83.5 billion US$ during the same interval.
- Liquidity and Current Asset Dynamics
- Current assets demonstrate significant volatility, peaking at 17.8 billion US$ in 2016 before reaching a low of 6.4 billion US$ in 2018 and recovering to 11.1 billion US$ in 2019. This volatility is largely attributable to fluctuations in marketable securities and short-term investments, which peaked in 2016 at 11.5 billion US$ before dropping sharply in 2018. Conversely, cash and cash equivalents showed a strong recovery in 2019, reaching 2.5 billion US$, the highest level in the analyzed period.
- Accounts receivable, net, show a steady upward trend, increasing from 2.4 billion US$ in 2015 to 3.1 billion US$ in 2019, suggesting growth in credit sales or changes in collection cycles.
- Intangible Assets and Goodwill
- A substantial portion of the decline in total assets is linked to the erosion of product rights and other intangibles, which decreased from 67.9 billion US$ in 2015 to 37.8 billion US$ in 2019. This represents a systematic reduction in the carrying value of intangible assets over time.
- Goodwill remained relatively stable compared to other intangibles, though it experienced a gradual decline from 46.5 billion US$ in 2015 to 42.2 billion US$ in 2019.
- Long-term Infrastructure and Other Assets
- Property, plant and equipment, net, exhibited a gradual and steady increase, rising from 1.5 billion US$ in 2015 to 1.9 billion US$ in 2019, indicating continuous investment in physical infrastructure.
- Deferred tax assets showed a notable spike in 2018, reaching 1.06 billion US$, before moderating to 576.9 million US$ in 2019.
- The presence of significant non-current assets held for sale in 2015 (10.5 billion US$) and a secondary spike in 2018 (882.2 million US$) suggests periods of strategic divestiture.
AI Ask an analyst for more
Hi, I’m an AI-powered financial analyst at Stock Analysis on Net.
How can I help you?