(15) Impairment of Intangible and Other Assets
During the 2020 second fiscal quarter, the Company recorded a
non-cash
impairment charge of $2,582,000 in respect of certain assets, primarily customer contract and related customer relationship intangible assets, acquired on September 20, 2017, along with substantially all of the other assets of the asset-light transportation logistics business of Fletes Avella, S.A. de C.V. (“Fletes Avella”). During the 2020 second fiscal quarter negative macroeconomic trends in Mexico during the first half of 2020, including issues in the international oil and gas sector, caused significant disruptions in the Mexican economy. Accordingly, management performed impairment tests of the carrying values of certain assets that primarily relate to intra-Mexico business acquired as a part of the Fletes Avella acquisition. The impairment tests resulted in an impairment charge of $2,582,000, as the negative macroeconomic trends in Mexico caused updated financial projections as of the end of the 2020 second quarter relating to these intangible assets to be substantially below those originally anticipated at the acquisition date. There was no corresponding goodwill impairment charge recorded as the fair value of the Company’s Mexico and cross-border reporting unit continues to significantly exceed its carrying value as of December 31, 2022.
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.