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.
Johnson & Johnson, consolidated balance sheet: liabilities and stockholders’ equity (quarterly data)
US$ in millions
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-29), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-29), 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: 2023-10-01), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-07-02), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-04-02), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-10-02), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-07-03), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-04-03), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-10-03), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-07-04), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-04-04), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-27), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-28), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-29).
The financial data reveals several notable trends in liabilities and equity over the observed periods. Current liabilities demonstrate fluctuations with an overall upward trend, peaking notably at the end of 2022 before declining and then rising again towards the first quarter of 2025. Accounts payable have varied within a range but show no strong directional trend, while accrued liabilities and accrued rebates, returns, and promotions have generally increased, indicating rising short-term obligations related to employee costs and promotional activities.
Accrued compensation and employee-related obligations exhibit cyclical behavior with periods of increase followed by decreases, yet a tendency toward higher values over time, which may reflect growing personnel costs or changes in benefits liabilities. Accrued taxes on income have seen sharp increases in some periods, especially around early 2023, suggesting fluctuations in taxable income or tax provisions.
Long-term debt, excluding the current portion, generally declined from early 2020 through 2023, followed by a rise in late 2023 and continuing in 2024 and 2025 quarters, indicating refinancing activity or new debt issuance. Deferred taxes on income declined significantly after mid-2021, suggesting changes in temporary differences or tax strategy. Employee-related obligations showed a gradual decrease into the early 2023 period, with slight increases thereafter.
Long-term taxes payable decreased markedly over the period, reaching very low levels in 2024 and 2025, which may reflect settlements or reclassifications. Other liabilities first increased substantially near the end of 2022 and early 2023 then fluctuated without a clear trend thereafter.
Total liabilities peaked towards the end of 2022 before experiencing a decline in 2023 and then rising again in 2024 and 2025, consistent with observed movements in both current and long-term liabilities components.
On the equity side, total shareholders’ equity experienced growth from early 2020 through 2021 with some volatility, a notable decline in early 2023, and recovery thereafter. Retained earnings and additional paid-in capital have generally increased steadily but showed a marked jump in early 2023, which may result from retained earnings accumulation or capital transactions. Treasury stock values reflect increased repurchases or adjustments especially in late 2022 and early 2023, reaching significantly higher negative values, indicating greater treasury stock holdings.
Accumulated other comprehensive loss shows varying degrees of negative balances with some improvement in 2023, but it remains a sizable negative component of equity, suggesting ongoing unrealized losses in certain comprehensive income items.
Overall, total liabilities and shareholders’ equity have increased over the five-year horizon, with clear evidence of increased leverage at certain times, fluctuations in tax-related liabilities, and active treasury stock management. The capital structure dynamics indicate management’s balancing of debt and equity financing, with emphasis on maintaining liquidity and meeting both short- and long-term obligations.