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.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., consolidated balance sheet: liabilities and stockholders’ equity (quarterly data)
US$ in millions
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2026-09-26), 10-Q (reporting date: 2026-06-27), 10-Q (reporting date: 2026-03-28), 10-K (reporting date: 2025-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-09-27), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-06-28), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-29), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-28), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-29), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-07-01), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-04-01), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-10-01), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-07-02), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-04-02), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-10-02), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-07-03), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-04-03).
The total capitalization of the entity has expanded substantially over the observed period, with total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest, and equity increasing from 65.9 billion USD in April 2021 to 114.2 billion USD by September 2026. This growth is driven by a concurrent increase in both total liabilities and total shareholders' equity, indicating a scaled expansion of the balance sheet.
- Liability Structure and Debt Trends
- Total liabilities grew from approximately 30.9 billion USD to 59.3 billion USD. A primary driver of this increase was the expansion of long-term obligations, which rose from 18.6 billion USD in April 2021 to a peak of 40.1 billion USD in March 2026. Current liabilities exhibited periodic volatility, notably peaking at 17.0 billion USD in December 2022, largely due to spikes in short-term obligations and current maturities of long-term debt. This suggests a cyclical approach to debt refinancing or strategic short-term borrowing.
- Operational Liabilities
- Accounts payable and contract liabilities have shown a steady upward trajectory. Accounts payable increased from 2.1 billion USD to approximately 3.1 billion USD, reflecting growth in procurement activities. Contract liabilities rose from 1.4 billion USD to nearly 3.0 billion USD, indicating an increase in deferred revenue and advance payments from customers, which typically signals strong future revenue recognition.
- Equity Growth and Shareholder Returns
- Total equity increased from 35.1 billion USD to 54.8 billion USD. The most significant contributor to equity growth was retained earnings, which more than doubled from 30.4 billion USD in April 2021 to 63.7 billion USD by September 2026, demonstrating consistent profitability. However, this growth was partially offset by an aggressive share repurchase program, as evidenced by treasury stock at cost increasing from negative 8.9 billion USD to negative 26.4 billion USD.
- Financial Leverage and Stability
- While total equity has grown, the increase in long-term debt has been more pronounced in later periods, particularly between December 2024 and March 2026. The accumulation of retained earnings provides a substantial buffer, but the rising long-term obligation profile indicates an increased reliance on debt financing to support growth or share buyback activities. Deferred income taxes showed a general downward trend from 2021 peaks before stabilizing at lower levels in 2025 and 2026.
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