CDW Corp Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure
| Corporate | Small Business | Public | Other(1) | Consolidated | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balances as of December 31, 2023(2) | $ | 2,153.1 | $ | 230.2 | $ | 1,695.1 | $ | 335.0 | $ | 4,413.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Acquisition activity(3) | 217.7 | — | 0.4 | — | 218.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation | — | — | — | (11.1) | (11.1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balances as of December 31, 2024(2) | 2,370.8 | 230.2 | 1,695.5 | 323.9 | 4,620.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Acquisition activity(4) | 2.7 | — | 16.6 | — | 19.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation | — | — | — | 22.6 | 22.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balances as of December 31, 2025(2) | $ | 2,373.5 | $ | 230.2 | $ | 1,712.1 | $ | 346.5 | $ | 4,662.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2025 | Useful Lives (Years) | Gross Carrying Amount | Accumulated Amortization | Net Carrying Amount | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Customer relationships | 3 - 14 | $ | 3,496.2 | $ | (2,517.5) | $ | 978.7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Trade name | 1 - 20 | 448.5 | (409.7) | 38.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Internally developed software | 3 - 5 | 436.0 | (293.0) | 143.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | 1 - 10 | 35.0 | (9.1) | 25.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 4,415.7 | $ | (3,229.3) | $ | 1,186.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2024 | Useful Lives (Years) | Gross Carrying Amount | Accumulated Amortization | Net Carrying Amount | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Customer relationships | 3 - 14 | $ | 3,478.1 | $ | (2,361.6) | $ | 1,116.5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Trade name | 1 - 20 | 449.6 | (387.6) | 62.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Internally developed software | 3 - 5 | 391.6 | (246.9) | 144.7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | 1 - 10 | 35.6 | (2.2) | 33.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 4,354.9 | $ | (2,998.3) | $ | 1,356.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years ending December 31, | Estimated Future Amortization Expense | |||||||
| 2026 | $ | 249.0 | ||||||
| 2027 | 208.4 | |||||||
| 2028 | 158.5 | |||||||
| 2029 | 126.7 | |||||||
| 2030 | 124.1 | |||||||
| Thereafter | 319.7 | |||||||
| Total future amortization expense | $ | 1,186.4 | ||||||
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 20, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 21, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 26, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 24, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 28, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 26, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 28, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 27, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Mar 1, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Mar 1, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 25, 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.