Broadcom Inc. Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure
| Semiconductor Solutions | Infrastructure Software | Total | ||||||||||||||||||
| (In millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of October 29, 2023 | $ | 26,001 | $ | 17,652 | $ | 43,653 | ||||||||||||||
| Acquisition of VMware | — | 54,206 | 54,206 | |||||||||||||||||
| Acquisition of Seagate's SoC operations | 14 | — | 14 | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of November 3, 2024 | 26,015 | 71,858 | 97,873 | |||||||||||||||||
| Sales of businesses | (2) | (70) | (72) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance as of November 2, 2025 | $ | 26,013 | $ | 71,788 | $ | 97,801 | ||||||||||||||
| Gross Carrying Amount | Accumulated Amortization | Net Book Value | ||||||||||||||||||
| (In millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| As of November 2, 2025: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Purchased technology | $ | 32,781 | $ | (14,401) | $ | 18,380 | ||||||||||||||
| Customer contracts and related relationships | 15,791 | (4,003) | 11,788 | |||||||||||||||||
| Trade names | 1,612 | (399) | 1,213 | |||||||||||||||||
| Other | 186 | (114) | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
| Intangible assets subject to amortization | 50,370 | (18,917) | 31,453 | |||||||||||||||||
| IPR&D | 820 | — | 820 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 51,190 | $ | (18,917) | $ | 32,273 | ||||||||||||||
| As of November 3, 2024: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Purchased technology | $ | 35,467 | $ | (12,551) | $ | 22,916 | ||||||||||||||
| Customer contracts and related relationships | 16,186 | (2,271) | 13,915 | |||||||||||||||||
| Trade names | 1,720 | (369) | 1,351 | |||||||||||||||||
| Other | 166 | (105) | 61 | |||||||||||||||||
| Intangible assets subject to amortization | 53,539 | (15,296) | 38,243 | |||||||||||||||||
| IPR&D | 2,340 | — | 2,340 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 55,879 | $ | (15,296) | $ | 40,583 | ||||||||||||||
| Fiscal Year: | Expected Amortization Expense | |||||||
| (In millions) | ||||||||
| 2026 | $ | 7,880 | ||||||
| 2027 | 6,805 | |||||||
| 2028 | 5,673 | |||||||
| 2029 | 4,547 | |||||||
| 2030 | 3,365 | |||||||
| Thereafter | 3,183 | |||||||
| Total | $ | 31,453 | ||||||
| Amortizable intangible assets: | November 2, 2025 | |||||||
| (In years) | ||||||||
| Purchased technology | 6 | |||||||
| Customer contracts and related relationships | 6 | |||||||
| Trade names | 11 | |||||||
| Other | 11 | |||||||
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dec 18, 2025 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Dec 20, 2024 | |
| 2023 | Dec 14, 2023 | |
| 2022 | Dec 16, 2022 | |
| 2021 | Dec 17, 2021 | |
| 2020 | Dec 18, 2020 | |
| 2019 | Dec 20, 2019 | |
| 2018 | Dec 21, 2018 | |
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.