Intangible Assets
Goodwill
The following table shows changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:
 Total
 
(in thousands)
Balance as of January 1, 2024$1,229,745 
Acquisition of businesses4,962 
Balance as of December 31, 20241,234,707 
Acquisition of businesses244,485 
Balance as of December 31, 2025$1,479,192 
Identifiable Intangible Assets
The following table provides the gross carrying amounts, accumulated amortization, and net carrying amounts for the Company’s identifiable intangible assets:
 December 31,
 20252024
 Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Carrying
Amount
Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Carrying
Amount
 (in thousands)
Indefinite-lived intangible assets:      
Trademarks$104,900 $— $104,900 $104,900 $— $104,900 
Finite-lived intangible assets: 
Trademarks5,000 (5,000)— 5,000 (5,000)— 
Customer relationships382,951 (248,391)134,560 320,161 (222,522)97,639 
Non-compete agreements10,056 (6,960)3,096 7,749 (5,563)2,186 
Total identifiable intangible assets$502,907 $(260,351)$242,556 $437,810 $(233,085)$204,725 
The Company’s trademarks have renewal terms and the costs to renew these intangible assets are expensed as incurred. The Company’s finite-lived and indefinite-lived trademarks will be renewed in 2028 and 2029, respectively.
The Company’s finite-lived intangible assets amortize over their estimated useful lives. Amortization expense was $25.9 million, $22.2 million, and $30.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Estimated amortization expense of the Company’s finite-lived intangible assets for each of the five succeeding years is as follows:
20262027202820292030
(in thousands)
Amortization expense$26,068 $23,579 $20,874 $18,618 $16,886 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 26, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 3, 2025

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.