Balance Sheet: Assets
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.
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.
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-11-01), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-08-02), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-05-03), 10-K (reporting date: 2025-02-01), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-11-02), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-08-03), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-05-04), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-02-03), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-10-28), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-07-29), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-04-29), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-01-28), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-10-29), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-07-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-04-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-01-29), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-10-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-07-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-05-01), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-01-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-10-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-08-01), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-05-02), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-02-01), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-11-02), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-08-03), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-05-04).
The financial data reflects various asset categories over multiple quarters, showing patterns that highlight overall growth and fluctuations in key asset components.
- Cash and Cash Equivalents
- Cash balances exhibit notable volatility, peaking during certain periods such as late 2020 with a value above $10 billion and dipping significantly afterward. This pattern may suggest strategic liquidity management, possibly reflecting operational cash flow variability or investment activities.
- Accounts Receivable, Net
- The net accounts receivable amount remains relatively stable with minor fluctuations, generally occupying a narrower range between $400 million and $650 million. This stability indicates consistent credit sales patterns and effective receivables management.
- Merchandise Inventories
- Inventories show a significant upward trend, with fluctuations around certain periods. Starting from about $5 billion, inventories increase markedly towards over $9 billion by the end of the reported period. This steady growth may suggest expansion in merchandise volumes or preparations for anticipated demand.
- Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
- These assets maintain a stable trajectory, with moderate increases evident over time, fluctuating in the range of approximately $350 million to $620 million. This indicates a relatively consistent level of prepaid and other current assets pool.
- Federal, State, and Foreign Income Taxes Recoverable
- This category displays sporadic and irregular values, with some quarters showing significant recoverable amounts while others report minimal or no recoverable taxes. Such variability might reflect timing differences in tax payments or credits.
- Current Assets
- The total current assets generally trend upwards, peaking at around $16.6 billion before experiencing fluctuations and stabilization around $13 to $15 billion in later periods. This suggests an overall increase in short-term asset holdings, supporting liquidity and operational needs.
- Net Property at Cost
- Property assets display a steady increase, with values rising from approximately $5 billion to about $7.9 billion over the period. This steady growth suggests ongoing investments in property, plant, and equipment.
- Non-current Deferred Income Taxes, Net
- Deferred income taxes maintain low but gradually rising values, typically below $200 million. The moderate increase could indicate changes in tax liabilities related to long-term asset bases or timing differences.
- Operating Lease Right of Use Assets
- This asset category remains fairly consistent, hovering around the $9 billion to $10 billion mark, with only minor variations. It reflects stable lease commitments and accounting treatment related to leasing standards.
- Goodwill
- Goodwill levels stay relatively flat, generally in the $90 million range, implying no significant acquisition activity affecting goodwill during the periods reported.
- Other Assets
- Other long-term assets show a rising trend, increasing from about $490 million to over $1.6 billion. This upward movement suggests diversification or accumulation of additional asset types over time.
- Long-term Assets
- Total long-term assets grow steadily from approximately $14.4 billion to nearly $20 billion. This substantial increase indicates ongoing capital investments and asset accumulation beyond the short term.
- Total Assets
- Total assets consistently increase from about $22.5 billion to over $35 billion, highlighting overall asset growth. Despite minor periodic fluctuations, the general trend suggests expansion and strengthening of the asset base.
In summary, the analysis reveals a pattern of expanding asset base, marked especially by increases in merchandise inventories, net property, and other long-term assets. Liquidity, as represented by cash and equivalents, exhibits variability, while current assets and receivables remain relatively stable. Steady goodwill values and operating lease assets imply consistent operational strategies without major acquisitions or lease modifications. Overall, the asset growth trajectory points to sustained investment and potential capacity expansion during the observed periods.