Intangible Assets and Goodwill
Intangible Assets
The cost and accumulated amortization of intangible assets subject to amortization as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, is as follows:
 20252024
(Thousands)Gross Carrying AmountAccumulated AmortizationNetGross Carrying AmountAccumulated AmortizationNet
Customer relationships$98,141 $(41,435)$56,706 $97,428 $(37,960)$59,468 
Technology46,200 (20,186)26,014 43,588 (16,415)$27,173 
Licenses and other 36,785 (17,231)19,554 36,234 (15,182)$21,052 
Total$181,126 $(78,852)$102,274 $177,250 $(69,557)$107,693 
Amortization expense for 2025, 2024, and 2023 was $11.0 million, $12.1 million, and $12.9 million, respectively. Intangible assets also includes deferred costs relating to the Company's revolving credit and consignments lines of $3.6 million and $1.6 million at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Estimated amortization expense for each of the five succeeding years is as follows:
Amortization
(Thousands)Expense
202610,135 
202710,033 
202810,033 
202910,033 
203010,033 
Goodwill
The balance of goodwill at December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $280.7 million and $263.7 million, respectively.
A summary of changes in goodwill by reportable segment is as follows:
(Thousands)Performance MaterialsElectronic MaterialsPrecision OpticsTotal
Balance at December 31, 2023$26,157 $206,673 $88,043 $320,873 
Acquisition— — — — 
Impairment charge— — (56,067)(56,067)
Currency translation and other— (373)(695)(1,068)
Balance at December 31, 2024$26,157 $206,300 $31,281 $263,738 
Acquisition— 14,893 — 14,893 
Impairment charge— — — — 
Currency translation and other— 237 1,789 2,026 
Balance at December 31, 2025$26,157 $221,430 $33,070 $280,657 
Due to historical results combined with the partial impairment charge recognized in 2024 within the Precision Optics reporting unit, the Company elected to perform a quantitative annual impairment assessment for the Precision Optics reporting unit's goodwill as of October 1, 2025 and a qualitative impairment test for the Performance Materials and Electronic Materials reporting units.
As discussed in Note A, the Company's annual goodwill impairment test indicated the carrying value of the Precision Optics reporting unit exceeded its estimated fair value as of the measurement date of October 1, 2024. As a result, the Company recognized a goodwill impairment charge in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 of $56.1 million which was recorded in "Goodwill Impairment" in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income in the Precision Optics segment. Based on the testing performed for the Precision Optics reporting unit as of October 1, 2025, the Company determined that the estimated fair value exceeded its carrying value; therefore no impairment charge was necessary.
Management believes the future sales growth and EBITDA margins in the long range plan, and the discount rate used in the valuations requires significant use of judgment. If any of our reporting units do not meet our long range plan estimates or our discount rate increase significantly, we could be required to perform an interim goodwill impairment analysis or recognize charges in future periods. Any impairment charges that the Company may take in the future could be material to its consolidated results of operations and financial condition.
The Company's accumulated goodwill impairment losses were $76.7 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024. Accumulated impairment losses were from the closure of the LAC reporting unit which was closed as of December 31, 2020 and the Precision Optics charge taken in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 12, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 19, 2025
2023Feb 15, 2024
2022Feb 16, 2023
2021Feb 17, 2022
2020Feb 18, 2021
2019Feb 13, 2020
2018Feb 14, 2019
2017Feb 15, 2018
2016Feb 17, 2017
2015Feb 25, 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.