AMERICAN SUPERCONDUCTOR CORP /DE/ Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure
5. Goodwill
The guidance under ASC 805-30, Business Combinations, provides for the recognition of goodwill on the acquisition date measured as the excess of the aggregate consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date amounts of net assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The Company's goodwill balance relates to the Comtrafo acquisition in fiscal 2025, the NWL acquisition in fiscal 2024, the Neeltran acquisition in fiscal 2021, the NEPSI acquisition in fiscal 2020, and Infinia Technology Corporation acquisition in fiscal 2017 and is reported in the Grid business segment.
Goodwill represents the difference between the purchase price and the fair value of the identifiable tangible and intangible net assets when accounted for using the purchase method of accounting. Goodwill is not amortized but reviewed for impairment. Goodwill is reviewed annually on February 28th and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill might not be recoverable. Goodwill increased by $125.3 million during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, related to the Comtrafo acquisition. Changes in the Company's goodwill are as follows (in thousands):
| Goodwill | ||||
| March 31, 2025 | $ | 48,164 | ||
| Balance acquired – Comtrafo | 122,620 | |||
| Measurement period adjustment | 2,674 | |||
| FX impact | 1,918 | |||
| March 31, 2026 | $ | 175,376 | ||
The Company performed its annual assessment of goodwill on February 28, 2026 and determined that there was no impairment to goodwill.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | May 27, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2023 | May 31, 2023 | |
| 2022 | Jun 1, 2022 | |
| 2021 | Jun 2, 2021 | |
| 2020 | Jun 2, 2020 | |
| 2019 | Jun 5, 2019 | |
| 2017 | May 25, 2017 | |
| 2016 | May 31, 2016 | |
About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures
Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.
Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.