INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL
Intangible assets consisted of the following at December 31, 2025 and 2024: 
 20252024
(in millions)Assigned ValueAccumulated
Amortization
Net Book
Value
Assigned ValueAccumulated
Amortization
Net Book
Value
Amortizable Intangible Assets:
Clearing firm, market data and other customer relationships $4,703.0 $(2,557.5)$2,145.5 $4,683.5 $(2,334.4)$2,349.1 
Technology-related intellectual property62.5 (62.5)— 62.5 (62.5)— 
Other73.9 (58.7)15.2 71.1 (48.6)22.5 
Total Amortizable Intangible Assets$4,839.4 $(2,678.7)$2,160.7 $4,817.1 $(2,445.5)$2,371.6 
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets:
Trade names450.0 450.0 
Total Intangible Assets—Other, Net$2,610.7 $2,821.6 
Trading products (1)
$17,175.3 $17,175.3 
 _______________
(1)Trading products represent futures and options products acquired in our business combinations with CBOT Holdings, Inc., NYMEX Holdings, Inc. and The Board of Trade of Kansas City, Missouri, Inc. Clearing and transaction fees are generated through the trading of these products. These trading products, most of which have traded for decades, require authorization from the CFTC. Product authorizations from the CFTC have no term limits.
The originally assigned useful lives for the amortizable intangible assets as of December 31, 2025 are as follows:
Clearing firm, market data and other customer relationships5 - 30 years
Technology-related intellectual property5 - 9 years
Other3 - 24.5 years
Total amortization expense for intangible assets was $223.4 million, $221.7 million and $226.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, the future estimated amortization expense related to amortizable intangible assets is expected to be as follows:  
(in millions) 
2026$222.9 
2027221.6 
2028214.9 
2029214.9 
2030214.9 
Thereafter1,071.5 
Goodwill activity consisted of the following for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:
(in millions)Goodwill
Balance at December 31, 2023$10,495.3 
Foreign currency translation(8.4)
Balance at December 31, 202410,486.9 
Foreign currency translation27.8 
Balance at December 31, 2025$10,514.7 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 26, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 27, 2025
2023Feb 28, 2024
2022Feb 27, 2023
2021Feb 25, 2022
2020Feb 26, 2021
2019Feb 28, 2020
2018Feb 28, 2019
2017Mar 1, 2018
2016Feb 27, 2017
2015Feb 26, 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.