.Statement of Financial Position, Assets
Difficulty: Beginner
The statement of financial position provides creditors, investors, and analysts with information on company's resources (assets) and its sources of capital (its equity and liabilities). It normally also provides information about the future earnings capacity of a company's 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.
Caterpillar Inc., Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, Assets
USD $ in millions
| Dec 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Dec 31, 2014 | Dec 31, 2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Cash and short-term investments | ||||||||||
| | Receivables, trade and other | ||||||||||
| | Receivables, finance | ||||||||||
| | Deferred and refundable income taxes | ||||||||||
| | Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ||||||||||
| | Inventories | ||||||||||
| | Current assets | | | | | | |||||
| | Property, plant and equipment, net | ||||||||||
| | Long-term receivables, trade and other | ||||||||||
| | Long-term receivables, finance | ||||||||||
| | Noncurrent deferred and refundable income taxes | ||||||||||
| | Intangible assets | ||||||||||
| | Goodwill | ||||||||||
| | Other assets | ||||||||||
| | Noncurrent assets | | | | | | |||||
| | Total assets | | | | | |
| Item | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Receivables, trade and other | Amount due from customers or clients, within one year of the balance sheet date (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer), for goods or services (including trade receivables) that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business, reduced to the estimated net realizable fair value by an allowance established by the entity of the amount it deems uncertain of collection. | Caterpillar Inc.'s receivables, trade and other declined from 2015 to 2016 but then increased from 2016 to 2017 exceeding 2015 level. |
| Inventories | Carrying amount (lower of cost or market) as of the balance sheet date of inventories less all valuation and other allowances. Excludes noncurrent inventory balances (expected to remain on hand past one year or one operating cycle, if longer). | Caterpillar Inc.'s inventories declined from 2015 to 2016 but then increased from 2016 to 2017 exceeding 2015 level. |
| Current assets | Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are expected to be realized in cash, sold, or consumed within one year (or the normal operating cycle, if longer). Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events. | Caterpillar Inc.'s current assets declined from 2015 to 2016 but then increased from 2016 to 2017 exceeding 2015 level. |
| Property, plant and equipment, net | Tangible assets that are held by an entity for use in the production or supply of goods and services, for rental to others, or for administrative purposes and that are expected to provide economic benefit for more than one year; net of accumulated depreciation. Examples include land, buildings, and production equipment. | Caterpillar Inc.'s property, plant and equipment, net declined from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2017. |
| Noncurrent assets | Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are expected to be realized in cash, sold or consumed after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer. | Caterpillar Inc.'s noncurrent assets declined from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2017. |
| Total assets | Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events. | Caterpillar Inc.'s total assets declined from 2015 to 2016 but then increased from 2016 to 2017 not reaching 2015 level. |
