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.
Verizon Communications Inc., consolidated balance sheet: liabilities and stockholders’ equity (quarterly data)
US$ in millions
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
The financial data exhibits various trends and movements in liabilities, equity, and related balances over the observed periods.
- Short-term Debt and Current Liabilities
- Debt maturing within one year shows fluctuations with peaks notably at the quarters ending March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2024, reaching values above $22 billion. The trend suggests variability in short-term borrowing or debt refinancing activities. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities generally oscillate but remain within a relatively broad range around $19 billion to $26 billion, with spikes in the fourth quarters of 2021 and 2023, indicating seasonal or operational expenditure variations. Current operating lease liabilities steadily increase over the period, moving from approximately $3.3 billion up to nearly $4.7 billion, reflecting rising lease commitments. Other current liabilities similarly trend upward with mild fluctuations, increasing from about $9.1 billion to over $14 billion, which may indicate growth in payables or accrued expenses. Overall, total current liabilities demonstrate a generally rising pattern, with marked increases in 2022 and peaking near $65 billion by mid-2025, suggesting growing near-term obligations.
- Long-term Debt and Non-current Liabilities
- Long-term debt, excluding amounts maturing within one year, shows a declining trend from approximately $150 billion in early 2021 to about $126 billion by late 2025, indicating debt repayment or restructuring. Employee benefit obligations, after a peak near $18.7 billion in late 2020, gradually decrease to around $11 billion by 2025, suggesting possible funding or settlement of such obligations. Deferred income taxes steadily increase throughout the period, ascending from about $33.7 billion to in excess of $48 billion, reflecting growing tax liabilities or deferred tax balances associated with asset timing differences. Non-current operating lease liabilities exhibit a gradual decline, from roughly $18 billion initially, moving to just under $19 billion by the end, with a notable increase in the mid-2021 period above $23 billion, possibly due to lease remeasurements or new leases. Other liabilities fluctuate, rising sharply around 2022 and then showing a downward trend towards 2025, reaching about $17 billion. Long-term liabilities overall remain relatively stable around the $220 billion to $235 billion range, suggesting balanced management of long-term obligations.
- Total Liabilities
- Total liabilities generally trend upward from approximately $233 billion in early 2020, peaking around $287 billion in 2022, before gradually stabilizing in the $278 billion to $284 billion range by 2025. This pattern indicates growth in liabilities during the earlier periods, followed by stabilization or reduction efforts more recently.
- Equity and Shareholders’ Funds
- Common stock remains constant at $429 million, indicating no new issuances. Additional paid-in capital shows minor fluctuations with no significant trend, maintaining around $13.3 billion. Retained earnings experience consistent growth from $54.6 billion in early 2020 to over $95 billion by late 2025, reflecting accumulated net income retention. Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) remains negative throughout, with volatility, reaching a low of about -$2.1 billion in late 2022 before slightly improving but still negative towards 2025. Treasury stock balances decrease notably during 2020-2021 from about -$6.7 billion to around -$3.2 billion by 2025, indicating share repurchasing activity followed by stock retirement or reissuance. Deferred compensation and related balances fluctuate with no clear directional movement. Equity attributable to the company increases steadily from about $60 billion to over $105 billion, denoting overall growth in shareholder value. Total equity follows a similar upward trajectory, increasing from approximately $62 billion to $106 billion.
- Overall Financial Position
- Total liabilities and equity increase over the periods, moving from about $295 billion to nearly $388 billion, illustrating overall balance sheet growth. There appears to be a general strategy of balancing debt reduction in the long term with increasing short-term liabilities, possibly for liquidity management or operational financing. Equity growth is robust, driven primarily by retained earnings, contributing to the strengthening of the company’s capital base despite fluctuations in debt and liabilities.