First American Financial Corp Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure
NOTE 5. Goodwill:
A summary of the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill, by operating segment, for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, is as follows:
|
|
Title |
|
|
Specialty |
|
|
Total |
|
|||
|
|
(in thousands) |
|
|||||||||
|
Balance as of December 31, 2015 |
$ |
917,577 |
|
|
$ |
46,765 |
|
|
$ |
964,342 |
|
|
Acquisitions |
|
53,564 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
53,564 |
|
|
Foreign currency translation |
|
(489 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(489 |
) |
|
Balance as of December 31, 2016 |
|
970,652 |
|
|
|
46,765 |
|
|
|
1,017,417 |
|
|
Acquisitions |
|
91,516 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
91,516 |
|
|
Foreign currency translation |
|
4,370 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
4,370 |
|
|
Other adjustments |
|
(298 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(298 |
) |
|
Balance as of December 31, 2017 |
$ |
1,066,240 |
|
|
$ |
46,765 |
|
|
$ |
1,113,005 |
|
For further discussion about the Company’s acquisitions in 2017 and 2016, see Note 20 Business Combinations.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Feb 16, 2018 | Showing above |
| 2016 | Feb 17, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 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.