What is Balance Sheet: Definition & Meaning Explained

Definition of Balance Sheet

A balance sheet is a financial statement that reveals a company’s assets, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity. It can help current and potential investors understand the financial health of a company.

These are some of the key components of a balance sheet:

Current assets : Cash & cash equivalents, marketable securities, accounts receivable, inventories, prepaid expenses, and other liquid assets

Fixed assets : Property, equipment, furniture, machinery, software, and other intangible assets

Current liabilities : Short-term debt, unearned revenue, accounts payable, other accrued expenses & liabilities

Long Term liabilities : Long-term loans, bonds, and others

Shareholders’ equity : Paid-in capital and retained earnings

Commodity

A commodity refers to physical goods and raw materials like aluminium, cotton, copper, sugar, steel, zinc, and others. Commodities are an essential part of the day-to-day life of individuals, companies, and industries.

But they can’t be traded like stocks in India. Instead, a commodity trader will enter into either of these three contracts to secure commodities or benefit from its price fluctuations:

Futures contracts
Options contracts
Cash contracts

These derivative contracts are traded on commodity exchanges in India like:

Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX)
Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX)
National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX)
National Multi Commodity Exchange of India (NMCX)

Annual Net Profit Margin

A Net Profit Margin is the ratio of a company’s net profits to revenues. The formula to calculate Net Profit Margin is:

Net Profit Margin = Net Profit* / Revenue * 100

*Net profit = Revenue - Cost of goods - Operating Cost - Other Expenses - Interest - Taxes

Net Profit Margin is expressed as a percentage, which means that you can compare the financial health of multiple companies.

A company can use its Net Profit Margin to understand whether its strategies and business models are effective.

Equity Delivery

In equity delivery, shares are delivered to an investor’s Demat account after the settlement period. That’s why it is called equity delivery. However, equity delivery is also known as delivery trading and long term investing.

For example, let’s say you place an order for 10 HDFC shares on Tuesday with a view of holding onto them for the long term. The trade will be settled on Thursday shortly after which the shares will be delivered to your Demat account.

Bottom Line in Finance

Bottom line in finance is used to refer to a company’s crucial metrics like earnings, profits, net profits, earnings per share (EPS), and others.

Any move or action that can impact a company’s profit or net profit in a positive or negative direction is also referred to as the bottom line.

“Bottom line” is called such because the crucial metrics of a company are generally found at the bottom of a financial statement.

Balance Sheet