An account shown in the current liabilities portion of a company's balance sheet. This account is comprised of any debt incurred by a company that is due within one year. The debt in this account is usually made up of short-term bank loans taken out by a company.
Investopedia Says:
The value of this account is very important when determining a company's financial health. If the account is larger than the company's cash and cash equivalents, this suggests that the company may be in poor financial health and does not have enough cash to pay off its short-term debts. Although short-term debts are due within a year, there may be a portion of the long-term debt included in this account. This portion pertains to payments that must be made on any long-term debt throughout the year.
Related Links:
Learn this easy-to-understand technique of analyzing a company's financial statements and reports. Introduction To Fundamental Analysis
Learn about the components of the statement of financial position and how they relate to each other. Reading The Balance Sheet
Learn what it means to do your homework on a company's performance and reporting practices before investing. Advanced Financial Statement Analysis
