Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill
Goodwill includes the following activity during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:
December 31,
20252024
(dollars in thousands)
Balance at beginning of period$3,150,112 $2,815,524 
Goodwill recognized in connection with acquisitions— 334,588 
Balance at end of period$3,150,112 $3,150,112 
The components of goodwill are as follows:
December 31,
20252024
(dollars in thousands)
Goodwill – Refinitiv Transaction$2,694,797 $2,694,797 
Goodwill – Acquisitions and other455,315 455,315 
Total$3,150,112 $3,150,112 
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets with an indefinite useful life consisted of the following:
December 31,
20252024
(dollars in thousands)
Licenses – Refinitiv Transaction$168,800 $168,800 
Tradename – Refinitiv Transaction154,300 154,300 
Total$323,100 $323,100 
Intangible assets that are subject to amortization consisted of the following:
Amortization PeriodDecember 31, 2025December 31, 2024
CostAccumulated
Amortization
Net Carrying
Amount
CostAccumulated
Amortization
Net Carrying
Amount
(dollars in thousands)
Customer relationships – Refinitiv Transaction12 years$928,200 $(560,788)$367,412 $928,200 $(483,438)$444,762 
Customer relationships – Acquisitions
13-15 years
537,531 (82,816)454,715 537,531 (44,955)492,576 
Content and data – Refinitiv Transaction7 years154,400 (154,400)— 154,400 (137,857)16,543 
Tradename – Acquisitions4 years4,492 (1,704)2,788 4,492 (581)3,911 
Total $1,624,623 $(799,708)$824,915 $1,624,623 $(666,831)$957,792 
Amortization expense for definite-lived intangible assets during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $132.9 million, $124.4 million and $108.3 million, respectively.
The estimated annual future amortization for definite-lived intangible assets as of December 31, 2025 through December 31, 2030 is as follows:
Amount
(dollars in thousands)
2026$116,334 
2027$116,293 
2028$115,795 
2029$115,211 
2030$95,874 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 5, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 7, 2025
2023Feb 9, 2024
2022Feb 24, 2023
2021Feb 24, 2022
2020Feb 25, 2021
2019Feb 21, 2020

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.