Note 11. GOODWILL

Changes in goodwill during 2020 and 2019 consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

Wholesale

Segment

 

 

Retail

Segment

 

 

Consolidated

 

Balance at December 31, 2018

 

$

69,687

 

 

$

19,077

 

 

$

88,764

 

Reassignment

 

 

4,451

 

 

 

(4,451

)

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2019 and 2020

 

$

74,138

 

 

$

14,626

 

 

$

88,764

 

 

As a result of converting our remaining company-operated sites to dealer-operated sites in the third quarter of 2019 and the resulting reduction in future cash flows in the Retail segment and the expected increase in future cash flows that will be received by the Wholesale segment subsequent to the date of conversion, $4.5 million of the goodwill originally assigned to the Retail segment was reassigned to the Wholesale segment. See Note 24 for additional information on the conversion of our company operated sites to dealer operated sites.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2020Mar 2, 2021Showing above
2019Feb 26, 2020
2018Feb 26, 2019
2017Feb 27, 2018
2016Feb 28, 2017
2015Feb 19, 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.