In this section, I analyze how some of the most cash-rich companies in the world invest their surplus cash.
I start by giving a look at the most famous cash-rich companies, such as Apple, Alphabet (Google) and Amazon, which have dozens of billions in surplus cash. However, I also spent some time analyzing a set of smaller cash-rich companies, in order to understand whether there is a difference in surplus cash investing strategies between the largest companies in the world and less known, smaller companies.
In general, these companies seem to have the goal of investing surplus cash in low risk assets, which obviously have potential small returns. Nonetheless, some companies take on more risk than others.
Indeed, some companies (especially the smaller ones) invest only in deposits, money market funds and short-term treasury bills, while others, searching for higher yields, end up also investing in bonds with longer maturities and issued by entities other than reputable national treasuries, such municipalities and highly-rated corporations.
But that is it! Usually, the farest companies go in terms of risk-taking is buying up high-rated debt securities. Most companies do not tend to invest their surplus cash in junk bonds, equities, commodities, private equity funds, hedge funds or cryptocurrencies. (In the examples below, there are some investments in equities, but it seems to me that they are strategic investments in specific companies that probably have some relation to the investors' businesses, and not exactly generic investments in equities with a goal of increasing the risk and potential return of the portfolio).
Indeed, that is what makes sense from the specialization and capital allocation point of views:
- Managing riskier investments is demanding, as it requires knowledge, experience and time. If, for instance, a hospitals' management company decides to start investing its surplus cash in commodities, it will need a specilized team to do it. Basically, the company would need to start an investment fund, which is a type of specialization very different from the company's core specialization.
- When an investor allocates capital to, for instance, a toilet paper manufacturing company, he/she expects to get capital exposure to this business. If the company decides to make investments in cryptocurrencies or emerging markets' equities, the investor will also get (unwanted) capital exposure to these assets.
On the one hand, it is usually expected for companies to make risky endeavors only within their businesses. On the other hand, if a company considers that it has more cash than it needs to invest in opportunies within its businesses, perhaps it should evaluate some sort of cash distribution (dividends or share buy backs).
Nonetheless, some companies do invest in riskier asset classes. One famous example is Tesla's (failed) investment in bitcoin (Tesla Investments in Bitcoin). In fact, although atypical, a company's investment manager can invest in any kind of assets, as long as he/she is abiding to the company's investment policies (Investing Surplus Cash).
(All amounts are in millions)
APPLE
Apple is the company with the largest pile of surplus cash in the world. According to its 2022's 10-K, it had 169,1 Bln Usd in cash and investments (corresponding to 48% of total assets and 8% of market capitalization).
Apple invests more than 70% of its surplus cash in corporate debt-securities, municipal securities, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities. In addition, the large majority of its' marketable debt securities have maturities higher than one year. Even if all these instruments have high credit ratings, they will always bear more risk than money market funds and treasury bills.
Cash and Investments
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Debt Securities
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ALPHABET (GOOGLE)
According to its 2022's 10-K, Alphabet had 113,8 Bln Usd in cash and investments (corresponding to 32% of total assets and 10% of market capitalization).
Alphabet seems to have an investment approach a bit more conservative than Apple, as it has a higher exposure to government bonds. However, it still has relevant exposures to corporate debt securities, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities.
Just like Apple's, the large majority of Alphabet's debt securities have maturities higher than one year.
Cash and Investments
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Debt Securities
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MICROSOFT
According to its 2022's 10-K, Alphabet had 111,6 Bln Usd in cash and investments (corresponding to 31% of total assets and 6% of market capitalization).
Microsoft shows to have an investment approach more conservative than Apple's and Alphabet's, as it cash was 70% allocated into government debt securities. In addition, the average maturity of Microsoft's debt securities portfolio is lower.
Cash and Investments
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Debt Securities
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AMAZON
According to its 2022's 10-K, Alphabet had 70,4 Bln Usd in cash and investments (corresponding to 15% of total assets and 8% of market capitalization).
Amazon has an investment approach that can be more conservative than the three abovementioned companies. Indeed, it allocated 40% of its cash into money market funds, and kept 15% in "Cash", which is probably simple deposits. In addition, 67% of its debt securities have maturities lower than one year. Note that, in its 10-K, Amazon stated that they generally invest their excess cash "in AAA-rated money market funds and investment grade short- to intermediate-term fixed income securities".
Nonethless, Amazon does have a relevant allocation to corporate debt securities. They are probably low-maturity, high-rated securities, but they do bear more risk than treasury bills.
Cash and Investments
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Debt Securities
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PFIZER
According to its 2022's 10-K, Pfizer had 23,9 Bln Usd in cash and investments (corresponding to 12% of total assets and 8% of market capitalization).
Pfizer seems to have a conservative in what regards cash investing, as it allocted 73% to government debt secutiries, most of which having short-term maturities.
Pfizer does have a relevant exposure to equities. However, the majority seems to be investments in specific companies within Pfizer's business or related-businesses (and not generic investments to gain exposure to the equity market). Indeed, Pfizer has the following statement in its 10-K: "We hold equity securities with readily determinable fair values in life science companies as a result of certain business development transactions."
Cash and Investments
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NESTLÉ
According to its 2022's Annual Report, Nestlé had 16,1 Bln Chf in cash and investments (corresponding to 7% of total assets and 3% of market capitalization).
Nestlé allocated 31% of its cash into commercial paper (which provides some level of risk and potential return), but also 25% in cash at bank and in hand.
Nestlé also allocated 10% into Equity and equity funds. Nestlé does not provide information on the nature of these equity investments, but, since they include funds, I assume that most of it are indeed generic investments to gain exposure to the equity markets and not invstments in specific companies with businesses related to Nestlé's.
It is worth noting that Nestlé does not provide information on how it allocates 20% of its cash, as such amount is described as "Other financial assets".
Cash and Investments
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ASTRAZENECA
According to its 2022's Annual Report, Astrazeneca had 7,3 Bln Usd in cash and investments (corresponding to 8% of total assets and 4% of market capitalization).
Astrazeneca shows to have a very conservative approach, as it allocated 65% of its cash into short-term deposits, and kept 19% in cash at bank and in hand.
It is worth noting that it also allocated 14% into equities. Altough its Annual Report does not provide full dislosure on these investments, it does state that a part is allocated into biotech companies.
Cash and Investments
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SHELL
According to its 2022's Annual Report, Shell had 43,6 Bln Usd in cash and investments (corresponding to 10% of total assets and 23% of market capitalization).
Shell has a very conservative approach to cash investing, keeping 92% of it in "Cash and Cash Equivalents", which includes short-term bank deposits, money market funds and reverse repos. Shell has the following statement in its Annual Report: "In 2022, cash continued to be invested with an emphasis on capital preservation."
Cash and Investments
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SELECTION OF OTHER, SMALLER, COMPANIES
I found nine smaller listed companies that have cash rich positions, from the US, Europe and Canada: Roku (ROKU), Logitech International (LOGI), Visteon Corporation (VC), Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM), Proto Labs (PRLB), Bilfinger (GBF), Kambi (KAMBI), Nano One Materials (NANO), EnWave Corporation (ENW).
Only two of these companies invest in marketable securities. All other seven companies keep all their surplus cash in "Cash and Cash Equivalents", which usually includes deposits, money market funds and highly-rated and highly-liquid securities with maturities up until three months.
Small companies appear to have a lower-risk, more conservative and simpler approach when investing their surplus cash. I guess that has to do with scale. It is easier for companies like Apple or Alphabet, which have over 100 Bln Usd in cash and have market capitalizations in the trillions of Usd, to spend a few hundreds of thousands of Usd per year to maintain a team of financial analysts that will focus solely on analyzing current and potential investments.
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