If you're interested in investing, you've probably read quite a few articles that say "do your homework" before buying a stock. Reading and understanding a balance sheet is part of that homework.

A company's financial statements—balance sheet, income, and cash flow statements—are a key source of data for analyzing the investment value of its stock. Stock investors, both the do-it-yourselfers ...

Charlene Rhinehart is a CPA , CFE, chair of an Illinois CPA Society committee, and has a degree in accounting and finance from DePaul University. As the name implies, a balance sheet should reveal ...

Cash on a balance sheet includes currency, bank accounts and undeposited checks. It is necessary to keep some cash available in case of unforeseen expenses. Cash is reported in the "current assets" ...

Costco Wholesale Corporation’s COST balance sheet strength provides a cushion against a tough retail environment. The company ...

A financial statement that lists the assets, liabilities and equity of a company at a specific point in time and is used to calculate the net worth of a business. A basic tenet of double-entry ...

Companies rely on assets to help them generate revenue and become profitable. Some assets are long-term, while others are current. What are current assets? These are a company’s assets used in normal ...

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. One of the tools that can be used to assess the performance of your business or organization is a balance sheet. A balance sheet, which ...

A balance sheet is a versatile document that offers a snapshot of a company's or individual's finances at a given point in time. Businesses can use balance sheets to develop plans for the future and ...

Although many industries share similar assets on their balance sheets, a manufacturer's balance sheet contains additional assets specific to the business its in and the products it sells.

Brian Beers is a digital editor, writer, Emmy-nominated producer, and content expert with 15+ years of experience writing about corporate finance & accounting, fundamental analysis, and investing.

If you're interested in investing, you've probably read quite a few articles that say "do your homework" before buying a stock. Reading and understanding a balance sheet is part of that homework.