IQVIA HOLDINGS INC.IQV

IQVIA HOLDINGS INC. Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure

10-KFiled Feb 17, 20262 min read
Goodwill and Other Identifiable Intangible Assets
As of December 31, 2025, the Company has $4,962 million of other identifiable intangible assets. Amortization expense associated with other identifiable definite-lived intangible assets was as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)
202520242023
Amortization expense$984 $965 $974 

Estimated amortization expense for existing other identifiable intangible assets is expected to be approximately $976 million, $850 million, $706 million, $562 million and $411 million for the years ending December 31, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030, respectively. Estimated amortization expense can be affected by various factors such as future acquisitions, divestitures, abandonments or impairments.

The following is a summary of other identifiable intangible assets:
December 31, 2025December 31, 2024
(in millions)Gross AmountAccumulated AmortizationNet AmountGross AmountAccumulated AmortizationNet Amount
Definite-lived identifiable intangible assets:
Client relationships and backlog$6,653 $(3,566)$3,087 $5,690 $(2,966)$2,724 
Software and related assets4,466 (2,782)1,684 3,914 (2,358)1,556 
Trademarks, trade names and other570 (406)164 539 (350)189 
Databases1,892 (1,873)19 1,773 (1,751)22 
Non-compete agreements11 (3)8 14 (6)8 
$13,592 $(8,630)$4,962 $11,930 $(7,431)$4,499 
The following is a summary of goodwill by reportable segment for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:

(in millions)		Technology & Analytics SolutionsResearch & Development SolutionsContract Sales & Medical SolutionsConsolidated
Balance as of December 31, 2023$11,976 $2,439 $152 $14,567 
Business combinations346 186 — 532 
Impact of foreign currency fluctuations and other(365)(17)(7)(389)
Balance as of December 31, 202411,957 2,608 145 14,710 
Business combinations865 394 20 1,279 
Impact of foreign currency fluctuations and other602 23 2 627 
Balance as of December 31, 2025$13,424 $3,025 $167 $16,616 

There were no goodwill impairment losses for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.
Effective January 1, 2026, the Company's reportable segments consist of Commercial Solutions and Research & Development Solutions. See Note 20 for further details. This change in management reporting necessitates the reallocation of goodwill between the two reportable segments and the performance of a goodwill impairment test, which the Company will perform in 2026.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 17, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 13, 2025
2023Feb 15, 2024
2022Feb 15, 2023
2021Feb 16, 2022
2020Feb 12, 2021
2019Feb 18, 2020
2018Feb 19, 2019
2017Feb 16, 2018
2016Feb 16, 2017
2015Feb 11, 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

Income TaxesRevenueEarnings Per ShareFair ValuePP&ELeasesSegmentsDebtCommitmentsNew StandardsPay vs Performance