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Assets

Resources the company controls that are expected to produce future economic benefit, carried at historical cost or fair value depending on the type.

Assets split into current-assets, meaning things expected to turn into cash within a year, and non-current-assets, meaning everything longer-lived. The split matters because it drives working-capital and the current-ratio.

Accounting carries most assets at what was paid for them less depreciation-accounting, not at what they are worth today. A factory bought in 1998 can be worth far more or far less than its carrying value, which is one reason price-to-tangible-book is a blunt instrument.

Example: Northwind Tools lists $1,480M of assets: $570M current (cash, receivables, inventory) and $910M non-current (property, goodwill, intangibles and a minority stake in a supplier).

Related: current-assets, non-current-assets, balance-sheet, liabilities, property-plant-and-equipment

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