11. Goodwill
Changes in goodwill were as follows (in thousands):
 
December 28,
2019
 
December 29,
2018
Goodwill, beginning of period
$
23,297

 
$
20,617

Adjustments to goodwill from finalization of purchase price allocation
(651
)
 
3,402

Foreign currency translation adjustment
(296
)
 
(722
)
Goodwill, end of period
$
22,350

 
$
23,297


On September 21, 2018, the Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of a private patient monitoring software company for approximately $4.0 million. Based on the Company’s purchase price allocation, approximately $2.8 million of the purchase price has been assigned to goodwill, $0.7 million of which was recorded as an adjustment to the preliminary purchase price allocation to deferred tax assets based on additional analysis completed during the year ended December 28, 2019. The assets and liabilities of the acquired company and its operating results are included in these consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2019Feb 19, 2020Showing above
2018Feb 26, 2019
2017Feb 28, 2018
2016Feb 24, 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.