Goodwill and Intangible Assets. Assets and liabilities of acquired businesses are recorded under the acquisition method of accounting at their estimated fair values at the dates of acquisition. Goodwill represents costs in excess of fair values assigned to the underlying identifiable net assets of acquired businesses. Goodwill is carried at cost and reviewed for impairment annually in the fourth quarter of each year or when facts and circumstances indicate goodwill may be impaired. Goodwill is allocated to the reporting units at the time of each acquisition based on the relative fair values of the reporting units. In assessing goodwill for impairment, the Company may first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. Further quantitative assessment may then be required. The quantitative assessment involves a number of assumptions and judgments, including the calculation of fair value for the Company’s identified reporting units. The Company determines the estimated fair value of each reporting unit based on an average of the estimated fair values using an income and a market approach. The income approach utilizes significant assumptions, including revenue and Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP item defined by the Company as net customer sales, less cost of products sold excluding depreciation and amortization, less selling and administrative expenses) margin growth rates, discount rates and terminal year exit multiples. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, any impairment loss is measured by comparing the carrying value of the reporting unit to its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill.
Finite-lived intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Finite-lived intangibles are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives described below (in years).
| | | | | |
| Customer relationships | 10 - 18 |
| Trade names | 8 - 27 |
| Technology | 6 - 8 |
| Long-term supply contracts | 15 |
| Patents | 8 |
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.