The term is used in two senses. In issuer reporting, assets are the left side of the balance sheet: cash, accounts receivable, inventory, fixed assets, and intangible assets. The sum of assets shows the company's scale and serves as the denominator for return on assets.
For a private investor, assets make up the portfolio composition: bonds, stocks, bank deposits, currency, and real estate. Assets are divided into classes, each with its own risk-return ratio. Allocation between classes affects overall results more significantly than selecting a specific security within a class.
Liquid assets are singled out separately—those that can be quickly converted to cash without substantial loss in value. On the Uzbek market, liquidity varies notably: deposits with early withdrawal options and government bonds convert to sum faster than second-tier stocks with infrequent trading.