NEWELL BRANDS INC.NWL
NEWELL BRANDS INC. Fair Value Disclosure
Fair Value Disclosures
Accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. define fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that is determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. The authoritative guidance discusses valuation techniques, such as the market approach (comparable market prices), the income approach (present value of future income or cash flow), and the cost approach (cost to replace the service capacity of an asset or replacement cost). These valuation techniques are based upon observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs reflect market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s market assumptions. As the basis for evaluating such inputs, a three-tier value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:
Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
Level 2: Observable inputs other than quoted prices that are directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability, including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for similar or identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions.
Recurring Fair Value Measurements
The Company’s financial assets and liabilities adjusted to fair value at least annually are its money market fund investments included in cash and cash equivalents, its mutual fund investments included in other assets, and its derivative instruments, which are primarily included in prepaid expenses and other current assets, other assets, other accrued liabilities and other noncurrent liabilities.
The following tables present the Company’s non-pension financial assets and liabilities, which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in millions):
| December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Total | Level 1 | Level 2 | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Derivatives: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assets | $ | — | $ | 15 | $ | 15 | $ | — | $ | 98 | $ | 98 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liabilities | — | (294) | (294) | — | (76) | (76) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Investment securities, including mutual funds | 81 | — | 81 | 3 | — | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For publicly-traded investment securities, including mutual funds, fair value is determined on the basis of quoted market prices and, accordingly, such investments are classified as Level 1. Other investment securities are primarily comprised
of money market accounts that are classified as Level 2. The Company determines the fair value of its derivative instruments using standard pricing models and market-based assumptions for all significant inputs, such as yield curves and quoted spot and forward exchange rates. Accordingly, the Company’s derivative instruments are classified as Level 2. The Company did not have non-pension financial assets and liabilities classified as Level 3 at December 31, 2025 and 2024.
The Company adjusts its pension asset values to fair value on an annual basis (See Footnote 10).
Financial Instruments
The Company’s financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, derivative instruments, notes payable and short and long-term debt. The carrying values for current financial assets and liabilities, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and short-term debt approximate fair value due to the short maturity of such instruments. The fair values of the Company’s debt and derivative instruments are disclosed in Footnote 8 and Footnote 9, respectively.
Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements
The Company’s non-financial assets which are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis include property, plant and equipment, goodwill, intangible assets and certain other assets.
The Company’s goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles are fair valued using discounted cash flows. Quantitative goodwill impairment testing requires significant use of judgment and assumptions including the identification of reporting units; the assignment of assets and liabilities to reporting units; and the estimation of future cash flows(including net sales, gross profit and operating expenses), terminal values, discount rates and total enterprise value. Quantitative testing of indefinite-lived intangibles under established guidelines for impairment also requires significant use of judgment and assumptions (such as estimation of future cash flows, royalty rates, terminal values, contributory cross charges, where applicable, and discount rates). Accordingly, these fair value measurements fall in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. These assets and certain liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis as part of the Company’s annual impairment testing and as circumstances require.
At December 1, 2025 and 2024, the Company had indefinite-lived intangible assets classified as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy, of $295 million and $216 million, respectively, which are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis. At December 31, 2025 and 2024, intangible assets of certain reporting units are recorded at fair value based upon the Company’s impairment testing. The most significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) used to estimate the fair values of the Company’s reporting unit goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are discount rates, which range from 8.5% to 11.0% for reporting unit goodwill and 8.5% to 13.0% for indefinite-lived intangible assets. During the fourth quarter of 2025, two tradenames within the H&CS segment were measured at fair values of $188 million and $89 million and one tradename within the L&D segment was measured at fair value of $18 million. During the fourth quarter of 2024, one tradename in the H&CS segment was measured at fair value of $216 million. See Footnotes 1 and 6 for further information.
The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that carrying amounts may not be recoverable through future undiscounted cash flows. If the Company concludes that impairment exists, the carrying amount is reduced to fair value.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 13, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 14, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 21, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 15, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 14, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 19, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Mar 2, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 4, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Mar 1, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Mar 1, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 29, 2016 | |
About Fair Value Disclosures
Fair value disclosures classify all assets and liabilities measured at fair value into a three-level hierarchy: Level 1 (quoted market prices), Level 2 (observable inputs like yield curves), and Level 3 (unobservable inputs requiring management estimates). The proportion of Level 3 assets directly reflects how much of the balance sheet depends on internal models rather than market evidence.
Key signals: a growing Level 3 balance relative to total fair-value assets increases valuation uncertainty and earnings volatility risk. Watch for transfers between levels — assets moving from Level 2 to Level 3 often signal deteriorating market liquidity. Unrealized gains and losses on Level 3 positions flow through earnings or other comprehensive income, so large swings deserve scrutiny. For financial institutions, examine the sensitivity disclosures that show how Level 3 valuations change under alternative assumptions. Compare the fair value of debt against its carrying amount to gauge hidden leverage.