6. Goodwill and Intangibles

 

In 2019, the Company performed a qualitative impairment analysis of goodwill for its e-MDT operating unit and determined that the discounted cash flows were not in excess of the carrying value. As a result of the analysis, the Company recorded impairment of goodwill of $0.3 million for the year ended December 28, 2019. The input methods for goodwill are analyzed for impairment on a nonrecurring basis using fair value measurements with unobservable inputs, which is Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2021Mar 14, 2022Showing above
2020Mar 5, 2021
2019Mar 11, 2020
2018Mar 14, 2019
2017Mar 23, 2018
2016Mar 23, 2017
2015Mar 4, 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.