¶ … balance sheet would be recognized at historical cost? The balance sheet presents a list of the firms' long- and short-term assets and liabilities. The historical cost convention sees assets measured at their historical price; the price that was paid for them when they were purchased, rather than estimating the current value. Where historical cost is used, the assets are assessed based on their historical value, and then deprecated over their estimated useful life. On Nikes balance sheet, it is the property, plant and equipment, including buildings, equipment and computer hardware and software are recorded at cost, which are listed under the long-term assets.

Which of the items listed using historical cost could potentially be the most undervalued?

The method of accounting for these assets means that at any point in time it is highly likely the book value of the assets on the accosting will different form the current value. The assets which are most likely to be undervalued are those which may appreciate rather than depreciate. For example, there was $273 million in land,...

Goods which may be included here are items such as hardware and software, where it is not only a matter of age, but technological progress which may result in more rapid loss of market value. It is also possible that goodwill may be undervalued, it is for these reasons that note 3 of the Nike accounts indicates the value of these are checked for impairment.
Justify and evaluate if the notes to the financial statements disclose fair market values on these items identified.

The accounts notes do not give the fair market value for these assets. Fair market value is used for other assets, such as derivatives used for hedging, but is not given for the long-term assets. The firm notes that gaining accurate fair market prices/values for assets, such as international real estate would be problematic.

What is the amount of Total Assets on the Balance Sheet? Evaluate if the balance seemed high, low, or just about right to you. Justify your answer.

The total amount of assets on the balance sheet is shown as $21,600 million for 2015, which has increased from $18,594 for 2014. These may appear to be very high levels of assets, as the…