What is the Balance Sheet? Structure, Components & Analysis

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What is a Balance Sheet?

The balance sheet (also called the statement of financial position) is a financial statement that shows a company’s assets, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity at a specific point in time. It provides a snapshot of what a company owns, owes, and the net worth belonging to shareholders.

The Accounting Equation

The balance sheet always balances:

$$\text{Assets} = \text{Liabilities} + \text{Shareholders’ Equity}$$

Everything a company owns (assets) is financed by either debt (liabilities) or owner investment (equity).

Balance Sheet Structure

Section	What It Shows
Assets	What the company owns
Liabilities	What the company owes
Shareholders’ Equity	Net worth belonging to owners

Assets

Current Assets

Convertible to cash within one year:

Item	Description
Cash & Equivalents	Money in bank, money market
Short-term Investments	Marketable securities
Accounts Receivable	Money owed by customers
Inventory	Goods for sale
Prepaid Expenses	Payments made in advance

Non-Current Assets

Long-term assets:

Item	Description
Property, Plant & Equipment	Buildings, machinery, land
Intangible Assets	Patents, trademarks, software
Goodwill	Premium paid in acquisitions
Long-term Investments	Securities held long-term
Deferred Tax Assets	Future tax benefits

Liabilities

Current Liabilities

Due within one year:

Item	Description
Accounts Payable	Money owed to suppliers
Short-term Debt	Loans due this year
Accrued Expenses	Wages, taxes, interest owed
Deferred Revenue	Prepayments from customers
Current Portion of LTD	Long-term debt due this year

Non-Current Liabilities

Due after one year:

Item	Description
Long-term Debt	Bonds, loans
Deferred Tax Liabilities	Future tax obligations
Pension Obligations	Retirement commitments
Lease Liabilities	Long-term lease obligations

Shareholders’ Equity

Item	Description
Common Stock	Par value of issued shares
Additional Paid-In Capital	Premium above par value
Retained Earnings	Accumulated profits not paid as dividends
Treasury Stock	Repurchased shares (subtracted)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Unrealized gains/losses

Sample Balance Sheet

Assets	Amount
Cash	$50M
Accounts Receivable	$80M
Inventory	$70M
Current Assets	$200M
PP&E (net)	$150M
Intangibles	$50M
Total Assets	$400M

Liabilities	Amount
Accounts Payable	$60M
Short-term Debt	$40M
Current Liabilities	$100M
Long-term Debt	$100M
Total Liabilities	$200M

Equity	Amount
Common Stock	$50M
Retained Earnings	$150M
Total Equity	$200M

| Total Liabilities + Equity | $400M |

Key Balance Sheet Ratios

Ratio	Formula	Purpose
Current Ratio	Current Assets ÷ Current Liabilities	Liquidity
Quick Ratio	(Current Assets - Inventory) ÷ Current Liabilities	Conservative liquidity
Debt-to-Equity	Total Debt ÷ Equity	Leverage
Book Value Per Share	Equity ÷ Shares Outstanding	Per-share value

Reading a Balance Sheet

Strengths to Look For

Growing cash position
Manageable debt levels
Increasing retained earnings
Low goodwill relative to assets

Warning Signs

Declining cash
Rising debt faster than assets
Large goodwill (acquisition risk)
Negative equity

Balance Sheet vs. Income Statement

Balance Sheet	Income Statement
Point in time (snapshot)	Period of time (flow)
What company owns/owes	Performance over period
Assets, liabilities, equity	Revenue, expenses, profit

Three Financial Statements

Statement	Shows
Income Statement	Profitability
Balance Sheet	Financial position
Cash Flow Statement	Cash movement

The three statements are interconnected:

Net income flows to retained earnings (balance sheet)
Net income starts the cash flow statement
Working capital changes connect balance sheet to cash flow

This glossary entry is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.