GLOBAL PAYMENTS INCGPN

GLOBAL PAYMENTS INC Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure

10-KFiled Feb 20, 20262 min read
GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, goodwill and other intangible assets consisted of the following: 
 20252024
 (in thousands)
Goodwill$17,076,624 $17,027,574 
Other intangible assets:
Customer-related intangible assets$5,536,591 $5,175,699 
Acquired technologies1,918,713 1,980,161 
Contract-based intangible assets2,313,160 2,192,335 
Trademarks and trade names479,405 478,155 
10,247,869 9,826,350 
Less accumulated amortization:
Customer-related intangible assets3,361,512 2,893,043 
Acquired technologies1,630,830 1,496,735 
Contract-based intangible assets584,392 407,496 
Trademarks and trade names439,908 414,904 
6,016,642 5,212,178 
$4,231,227 $4,614,172 
The following table sets forth the changes by reportable segment in the carrying amount of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023:

Merchant Solutions
(in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2022$14,066,987 
Goodwill acquired (1)
3,283,285 
Effect of foreign currency translation126,835 
Measurement-period adjustments(237)
Balance at December 31, 202317,476,870 
Goodwill acquired193,252 
Effect of foreign currency translation(223,564)
Goodwill derecognized in connection with the sale of a business (2)
(438,911)
Measurement-period adjustments19,927 
Balance at December 31, 202417,027,574 
Goodwill acquired186,025 
Effect of foreign currency translation372,350 
Goodwill derecognized in connection with the sale of a business (3)
(479,577)
Impairment of goodwill(33,218)
Measurement-period adjustments3,470 
Balance at December 31, 2025$17,076,624 

(1) Reflects goodwill acquired in connection with our EVO acquisition. See “Note 2—Acquisitions” for further discussion.

(2) Reflects goodwill derecognized in connection with the sale of our AdvancedMD business. See “Note 3—Business Dispositions and Discontinued Operations” for further discussion.

(3) Reflects goodwill derecognized in connection with the sale of the Payroll Solutions business. See “Note 3—Business Dispositions and Discontinued Operations” for further discussion.

Accumulated impairment losses for goodwill were $33.2 million as of December 31, 2025 in our Merchant Solutions segment. We did not have any accumulated impairment losses for goodwill as of December 31, 2024.

Customer-related intangible assets, acquired technologies, contract-based intangible assets, and trademarks and trade names acquired during the year ended December 31, 2025 had weighted-average amortization periods of 5.7 years, 5.0 years, 6.3 years, and 5.0 years, respectively. Customer-related intangible assets, acquired technologies, contract-based intangible assets, and trademarks and trade names acquired during the year ended December 31, 2024 had weighted-average amortization periods of 6.7 years, 5.0 years, 6.3 years, and 7.0 years, respectively. Amortization expense of acquired intangibles was $842.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, $842.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 and $799.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
 
The estimated amortization expense of acquired intangibles as of December 31, 2025 for the next five years, calculated using the currency exchange rate at the date of acquisition, if applicable, is as follows (in thousands):

2026$758,259 
2027596,631 
2028518,569 
2029438,070 
2030553,475 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 20, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 14, 2025
2023Feb 14, 2024
2022Feb 17, 2023
2021Feb 18, 2022
2020Feb 19, 2021
2019Feb 21, 2020
2018Feb 21, 2019
2017Feb 23, 2018
2016Jul 28, 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.

Other Available Disclosures

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