Assets, liabilities, and equity are all components of which financial statement?

• A. Income statement
• B. Statement of cash flows
• C. Balance Sheet
• D. Profit and loss statement

Answer: (C)

The balance sheet shows a company’s financial position at a specific date by listing what it owns (assets), what it owes (liabilities), and the owners’ claim (equity). This arrangement reflects the accounting equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity, so the three categories sit together on one statement and the numbers balance.

In contrast, the income statement (also called the profit and loss statement) reports performance over a period—revenues and expenses—to show net income, which affects equity but doesn’t present assets and liabilities. The statement of cash flows tracks cash movements over a period, categorized into operating, investing, and financing activities. These focus on cash activity rather than a snapshot of financial position, which is why they don’t list assets, liabilities, and equity together.