Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill consists of the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of identifiable net assets of businesses acquired. Goodwill is not amortized but is evaluated for impairment at least annually, on October 1st of each year, or whenever events or circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred.
The Company accounts for goodwill under Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) No. 350, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other,” which provides an entity the option to first perform a qualitative assessment of whether a reporting unit’s fair value is more likely than not less than its carrying value, including goodwill. In performing its qualitative assessment, an entity considers the extent to which adverse events or circumstances identified, such as changes in economic conditions, industry and market conditions or entity specific events, could affect the comparison of the reporting unit’s fair value with its carrying amount. If an entity concludes that the fair value of a reporting unit is more likely than not less than its carrying amount, the entity is required to perform the currently prescribed two-step goodwill impairment test to identify potential goodwill impairment and, accordingly, measure the amount, if any, of goodwill impairment loss to be recognized for that reporting unit. The Company utilized this option when performing its annual impairment assessment in 2018, 2017 and 2016, and concluded that its single reporting unit’s fair value was more likely than not greater than its carrying value, including goodwill.
The Company has one reporting unit at December 31, 2018 and 2017. No goodwill impairment charges were recorded during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.
Identifiable finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives ranging from 3 to 20 years. The method of amortization is based on the pattern over which the economic benefits, generally expected undiscounted cash flows, of the intangible asset are consumed. Intangible assets for which no pattern can be reliably determined are amortized using the straight-line method. Intangible assets consist primarily of the contractual right to future management, advisory and performance fees from customer contracts or relationships.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Mar 7, 2019 | Showing above |
| 2017 | Mar 9, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Mar 9, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Mar 10, 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.