Current Portion Of Long-Term Debt
A portion of the balance sheet that represents the total amount of long-term debt that must be paid within the next year. The balance sheet has a liability section, which is broken down into long-term and current debt. When a debt payment is set to be made in longer than a year's time, it is recorded in the long-term debt section, and when that payment becomes due within a year, it moves to the 'current portion of long-term debt' section.
Investopedia Commentary
The purpose and importance of this section of the balance sheet is that it gives investors an idea of how much money will be spent this year to resolve the current portion of the long-term debt. This can be compared to the current cash and cash equivalents to measure whether the company is actually able to make the payment. A company with a large current portion and a small cash position has a higher risk of default and should be a warning sign to investors.
Related Links
Debt Reckoning
Advanced Financial Statement Analysis
Introduction to Fundamental Analysis
See also: Acid-Test Ratio, Cash and Cash Equivalents - CCE, Current Liabilities, Current Ratio, Liability, Long-Term Debt, Other Current Liabilities
Also spelled: CPLTD