Balance Sheet: Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

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.

Merck & Co. Inc., consolidated balance sheet: liabilities and stockholders’ equity

US$ in millions

	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019
Loans payable and current portion of long-term debt	1,372)	1,946)	2,412)	6,431)	3,610)
Trade accounts payable	3,922)	4,264)	4,609)	4,594)	3,738)
Accrued and other current liabilities	15,766)	14,159)	13,859)	13,053)	12,549)
Income taxes payable	2,649)	1,986)	1,224)	1,575)	736)
Dividends payable	1,985)	1,884)	1,768)	1,674)	1,587)
Current liabilities	25,694)	24,239)	23,872)	27,327)	22,220)
Long-term debt, excluding current portion	33,683)	28,745)	30,690)	25,360)	22,736)
Deferred income taxes	871)	1,795)	3,441)	1,015)	1,470)
Other noncurrent liabilities	8,792)	8,323)	9,434)	12,482)	11,970)
Noncurrent liabilities	43,346)	38,863)	43,565)	38,857)	36,176)
Total liabilities	69,040)	63,102)	67,437)	66,184)	58,396)
Common stock, $0.50 par value	1,788)	1,788)	1,788)	1,788)	1,788)
Other paid-in capital	44,509)	44,379)	44,238)	39,588)	39,660)
Retained earnings	53,895)	61,081)	53,696)	47,362)	46,602)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(5,161)	(4,768)	(4,429)	(6,634)	(6,193)
Treasury stock, at cost	(57,450)	(56,489)	(57,109)	(56,787)	(55,950)
Total Merck & Co., Inc. stockholders’ equity	37,581)	45,991)	38,184)	25,317)	25,907)
Noncontrolling interests	54)	67)	73)	87)	94)
Total equity	37,635)	46,058)	38,257)	25,404)	26,001)
Total liabilities and equity	106,675)	109,160)	105,694)	91,588)	84,397)

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31).

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Balance sheet item	Description	The company
Current liabilities	Total obligations incurred as part of normal operations that are expected to be paid during the following twelve months or within one business cycle, if longer.	Merck & Co. Inc. current liabilities increased from 2021 to 2022 and from 2022 to 2023.
Noncurrent liabilities	Amount of obligation due after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.	Merck & Co. Inc. noncurrent liabilities decreased from 2021 to 2022 but then increased from 2022 to 2023 not reaching 2021 level.
Total liabilities	Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all liabilities that are recognized. Liabilities are probable future sacrifices of economic benefits arising from present obligations of an entity to transfer assets or provide services to other entities in the future.	Merck & Co. Inc. total liabilities decreased from 2021 to 2022 but then increased from 2022 to 2023 exceeding 2021 level.
Total Merck & Co., Inc. stockholders’ equity	Total of all stockholders’ equity (deficit) items, net of receivables from officers, directors, owners, and affiliates of the entity which are attributable to the parent. The amount of the economic entity stockholders’ equity attributable to the parent excludes the amount of stockholders’ equity which is allocable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent (noncontrolling interest, minority interest). This excludes temporary equity and is sometimes called permanent equity.	Merck & Co. Inc. total Merck & Co., Inc. stockholders’ equity increased from 2021 to 2022 but then decreased significantly from 2022 to 2023.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Balance Sheet: Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity