Note 8: Intangible assets

in € millions

Goodwill

Brands

Customer lists

Other intangibles

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at January 1, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of acquisition

1,340

2,267

1,027

401

5,035

Cost of internally developed intangibles

255

255

Accumulated amortization/impairments

(94)

(146)

(564)

(344)

(1,148)

Carrying value

1,246

2,121

463

312

4,142

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movements in 2015

 

 

 

 

 

Acquisitions through business combinations

3

3

Investments – including internally developed intangibles

37

37

Divestments

(2)

 

(8)

(11)

Amortization

(12)

(70)

(57)

(139)

Impairments

(1)

(1)

Changes in exchange rates

77

3

29

16

125

Total movements

78

(9)

(42)

(13)

14

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of acquisition

1,423

2,260

1,071

409

5,163

Cost of internally developed intangibles

246

246

Accumulated amortization/impairments

(99)

(148)

(650)

(356)

(1,253)

Carrying value at December 31, 2015

1,324

2,112

421

299

4,156

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movements in 2016

 

 

 

 

 

Acquisitions through business combinations

223

4

137

24

388

Investments – including internally developed intangibles

17

17

Divestments

(1)

(5)

(6)

Amortization

(12)

(64)

(48)

(124)

Impairments

(3)

(37)

(4)

(44)

Changes in exchange rates

6

24

(4)

26

Total movements

229

13

35

(20)

257

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of acquisition

1,652

2,290

1,204

399

5,545

Cost of internally developed intangibles

221

221

Accumulated amortization/impairments

(99)

(165)

(748)

(341)

(1,353)

Carrying value at December 31, 2016

1,553

2,125

456

279

4,413

Brands with indefinite useful lives are almost fully related to Dulux, which is the major brand, due to its global presence, high recognition and strategic nature. Other intangibles include licenses, know-how, intellectual property rights, emission rights and development cost. Both at year-end 2016 and 2015, there were no purchase commitments for individual intangible assets. No intangible assets were registered as security for bank loans.

Goodwill and other intangibles per segment

 

Goodwill

Brands with indefinite useful lives

Other intangibles with finite useful lives

Total intangibles

in € millions

2015

2016

2015

2016

2015

2016

2015

2016

Decorative Paints

36

40

1,907

1,928

265

228

2,208

2,196

Performance Coatings

731

954

278

372

1,009

1,326

Specialty Chemicals

557

559

382

332

939

891

Total

1,324

1,553

1,907

1,928

925

932

4,156

4,413

Impairment

In 2016, we recorded incidental impairment charges of €43 million for brands, customer lists and other intangibles to align with the value in use as a result of a revised business outlook for certain activities in Performance Coatings. The discount rates used for the fair value calculations range from 10.3 percent to 13.8 percent.

Impairment testing

Goodwill and other intangibles with indefinite useful lives are tested for impairment per business unit (one level below segment level) in the fourth quarter or whenever an impairment trigger exists. The impairment test is in principle based on cash flow projections of the five-year plan. Elements considered to determine if a diffferent approach would be more appropriate are, among others, high growth/emerging economies, geo expansion opportunities, introduction of new product ranges and opportunities from market consolidation. In 2016, the above exception was applied for Decorative Paints Asia and Decorative Paints Latin America, for which the revenue growth and -margin development projections were extrapolated beyond the five-year explicit forecast period for another five years, applying reduced average growth rates.

The key assumptions used in the projections are:

  • Revenue growth: based on actual experience, analysis of market growth and the expected market share development
  • EBITDA-margin development: based on actual experience and management’s long-term projections
Average revenue growth rates

in % per year

2017–2021

Decorative Paints

3.4%

Performance Coatings

2.6%

Specialty Chemicals

2.1%

For all business units, a terminal value was calculated based on the long-term inflation expectations of 1.2 percent. The estimated pre-tax cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax weighted average cost of capital. The discount rates are determined for each business unit and range from 8.3 percent to 11.4 percent, with a weighted average of 9.3 percent.

A sensitivity test for growth assumptions (a 50 percent reduction of the growth rate), EBITDA-margin development assumptions (a one percentage point decrease) as well as for the weighted average cost of capital (a one percentage point increase) confirms sufficient headroom in all businesses.

No impairment charges were recognized in relation to the annual impairment test, both in 2015 and 2016.

EBITDA

Operating income before depreciation, amortization and incidental.