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.

LyondellBasell Industries N.V., consolidated balance sheet: assets

US$ in millions

	Dec 31, 2018	Dec 31, 2017	Dec 31, 2016	Dec 31, 2015	Dec 31, 2014
Cash and cash equivalents	332)	1,523)	875)	924)	1,031)
Restricted cash	69)	5)	3)	7)	2)
Short-term investments	892)	1,307)	1,147)	1,064)	1,593)
Trade, net	3,355)	3,359)	2,716)	2,363)	3,226)
Related parties	148)	180)	126)	154)	222)
Accounts receivable	3,503)	3,539)	2,842)	2,517)	3,448)
Inventories	4,515)	4,217)	3,809)	4,051)	4,517)
Loans receivable	544)	570)	369)	289)	350)
Renewable identification numbers	65)	117)	123)	301)	198)
Advances to suppliers	57)	35)	37)	54)	66)
Income tax receivable	169)	29)	82)	315)	126)
VAT receivables	218)	184)	95)	113)	76)
Deferred tax assets	—)	—)	—)	—)	67)
Prepaid insurance	25)	25)	28)	33)	42)
Financial derivatives	80)	66)	61)	20)	—)
Other	97)	121)	128)	101)	129)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,255)	1,147)	923)	1,226)	1,054)
Current assets	10,566)	11,738)	9,599)	9,789)	11,645)
Property, plant and equipment, net	12,477)	10,997)	10,137)	8,991)	8,758)
Investment in PO joint ventures	469)	420)	415)	397)	384)
Equity investments	1,611)	1,635)	1,575)	1,608)	1,636)
Other investments and long-term receivables	23)	17)	20)	122)	44)
Investments and long-term receivables	2,103)	2,072)	2,010)	2,127)	2,064)
Goodwill	1,814)	570)	528)	536)	566)
Intangible assets, net	965)	568)	550)	640)	769)
Deferred tax assets	31)	90)	192)	205)	271)
Debt issuance costs	12)	15)	19)	23)	89)
Company-owned life insurance	62)	56)	55)	54)	53)
Derivative contracts	118)	26)	296)	326)	40)
Pension assets	39)	33)	13)	12)	11)
Other	91)	41)	43)	54)	17)
Other assets	353)	261)	618)	674)	481)
Noncurrent assets	17,712)	14,468)	13,843)	12,968)	12,638)
Total assets	28,278)	26,206)	23,442)	22,757)	24,283)

Based on: 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), 10-K (reporting date: 2014-12-31).

Cash and cash equivalents: The balance of cash and cash equivalents shows variability, decreasing from 1031 million USD in 2014 to 875 million USD in 2016 before rising significantly to 1523 million USD in 2017. However, it dropped sharply to 332 million USD in 2018, indicating a potential increase in cash outflows or investments during that year.
Restricted cash: Restricted cash remained minimal until 2017 but increased markedly to 69 million USD in 2018, suggesting the company allocated funds for specific purposes or regulatory requirements in the latest period.
Short-term investments: Short-term investments experienced a downward trend overall, moving from 1593 million USD in 2014 to 892 million USD in 2018, with some fluctuations in between. This may imply a reduction in liquid investment assets or a reallocation of these resources.
Trade, net and Accounts receivable: Trade, net rose from 3226 million USD in 2014 to a peak of 3359 million USD in 2017 and slightly decreased to 3355 million USD in 2018. Similarly, accounts receivable declined from 3448 million USD in 2014 to 2517 million USD in 2015 but gradually increased again toward 3503 million USD by 2018, reflecting ongoing business activity and sales dynamics.
Inventories: Inventory levels decreased from 4517 million USD in 2014 to 3809 million USD in 2016, then increased back to 4515 million USD by 2018. This pattern suggests some optimization or adjustment in inventory management over the years.
Loans receivable: Loans receivable showed growth from 350 million USD in 2014 to a peak of 570 million USD in 2017, followed by a slight decline to 544 million USD in 2018, indicating an increase in lending activities or extended credit terms during the period.
Renewable identification numbers: The balance in renewable identification numbers fluctuated substantially, peaking at 301 million USD in 2015 and declining steadily to 65 million USD in 2018, possibly reflecting changes in environmental credits or regulatory conditions.
Income tax receivable and VAT receivables: Income tax receivable was volatile, reaching a high of 315 million USD in 2015 but declining sharply thereafter. Conversely, VAT receivables increased steadily from 76 million USD in 2014 to 218 million USD in 2018, suggesting changes in tax recovery or operations.
Current assets: Total current assets followed a decreasing trend from 11645 million USD in 2014 to 9599 million USD in 2016 then rebounded to 11738 million USD in 2017 before settling at 10566 million USD in 2018, reflecting fluctuations in liquidity and short-term asset composition.
Property, plant and equipment, net: This asset category showed consistent growth, increasing from 8758 million USD in 2014 to 12477 million USD in 2018, indicating ongoing capital investment and expansion of operational capacity.
Investments and long-term receivables: Investments and long-term receivables remained relatively stable around the 2000 million USD mark, with minimal variation between 2014 and 2018, denoting a consistent long-term investment strategy.
Goodwill and intangible assets: Goodwill remained relatively stable through 2017 but surged significantly in 2018 to 1814 million USD. Intangible assets also increased notably in 2018 after a decline from 2014 to 2016. These shifts may suggest acquisitions or revaluations during that year.
Deferred tax assets: Deferred tax assets, reported separately for current and noncurrent, showed a strong downward trend overall, with current deferred tax assets decreasing from 67 million USD in 2014 and noncurrent from 271 million USD, reaching very low levels by 2018. This could indicate changes in tax positions or asset impairments.
Debt issuance costs and other assets: Debt issuance costs consistently declined over the period, reflecting amortization or repayments. Other assets presented some volatility, peaking in 2015, then decreasing, implying adjustments in miscellaneous asset accounts.
Pension assets: Pension assets showed a gradual increase, more than tripling from 11 million USD in 2014 to 39 million USD in 2018, suggesting improvements in pension fund valuations or contributions.
Derivative contracts and financial derivatives: Derivative contract values fluctuated significantly, peaking in 2015 at 326 million USD and dipping sharply in subsequent years. Financial derivatives displayed a general upward trend, likely indicating increased hedging activity.
Noncurrent assets and total assets: Noncurrent assets steadily increased from 12638 million USD in 2014 to 17712 million USD in 2018, driven primarily by property, plant and equipment, goodwill, and intangible assets growth. Consequently, total assets increased from 24283 million USD to 28278 million USD over the five years, indicating overall asset growth and expansion.

Assets: Selected Items

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LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB)

Balance Sheet: Assets

Assets: Selected Items

Current Assets: Selected Items