BREAKING DOWN 'Asset'.
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An asset represents a present economic resource of a company to which it has a right or other type of access that other individuals or firms do not have. A right or other access is legally enforceable, which means that a company can use economic resource at its discretion, and its use can be precluded or limited by an owner. For an asset to be present, a company must possess a right to it as of the date of the financial statements. An economic resource is something that is scarce and has the ability to produce economic benefit by generating cash inflows or decreasing cash outflows.
Assets can be broadly categorized into short-term (or current) assets, fixed assets, financial investments and intangible assets. Assets are recorded on companies' balance sheets based on the concept of historical cost, which represents the original cost of the asset, adjusted for any improvements or aging. Historical cost is also called the book value.
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Current Assets
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Current assets are short-term economic resources that are expected to be converted into cash within one year. Current assets include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, inventory, and various prepaid expenses. While cash is easy to value, accountants periodically reassess the recoverability of inventory and accounts receivable. If there is persuasive evidence that collectability of accounts receivable is impaired or that inventory becomes obsolete, companies may write off these assets.
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Fixed Assets
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Fixed assets are long-term resources, such as plants, equipment and buildings. An adjustment for aging of fixed assets is made based on periodic charges called depreciation, which may or may not reflect the loss of earning power of a fixed asset. Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) allow depreciation under two broad methods: the straight-line method assumes that a fixed asset loses its value in proportion to its useful life, while the accelerated method assumes that the asset loses its value faster in its first years of use.
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Financial Assets
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Financial assets represent investments in the assets and securities of other institutions. Financial assets include stocks, sovereign and corporate bonds, preferred equity, and other hybrid securities. Financial assets are valued depending on how the investment is categorized and the motive behind it.
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Intangible Assets
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Intangible assets are economic resources that have no physical presence. They include patents, trademarks, copyrights and goodwill. Accounting for intangible assets differs depending on the type of asset, and they can be either amortized or tested for impairment each year.
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