VALHI INC /DE/ Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure
Goodwill and other intangible assets; amortization expense. Goodwill represents the excess of cost over fair value of individual net assets acquired in business combinations. Goodwill is not subject to periodic amortization. We amortize other intangible assets by the straight-line method over their estimated lives and state them net of accumulated amortization. We evaluate goodwill for impairment, annually or when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. We evaluate other intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. See Note 8.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mar 10, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2023 | Mar 7, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 9, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 10, 2022 | |
| 2019 | Mar 12, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 11, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Mar 15, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Mar 13, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Mar 11, 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.