FRA, Rdng 17, Example 4: Equity Method with Goodwill

Can someone please explain the allocation to assets of the excess of purchase price over book. Lots of text, but fairly simple question. on Jan. 1, 2011 Parker buys 30% stake of Price for $500,000 cash. Parker has influence. As of Jan. 1, we have the following info for Prince:

Book Value: Current Assets = 100,000 Plant & Equipment = 1.9 mil Assets = 100K + 1.9 mil = 200 mil Liabilities = 800K Net Assets = 1.2 mil

Fair Value: Current Assets = 100,000 Plant & Equipment = 2.2 mil Assets = 100K + 2.2 mil = 2.3 mil Liabilities = 800K Net Assets = 1.5 mil

Difference (btwn fair and book) CA = 0 Plant & Equipment = 300K Assets = 0 Liabilities = 0 Net Assets = 300K The Plant & Equipment are depreciated straigh-line, with 10 years remaining lfe. Pricnce reports 2011 Net Income of 100K and pays Dividends of 50K

Q1) Calculate the goodwill included in the purchase price. Answer = 50K Purchase Price = 500K Acquired equity in BV of Prince’s net assets = 360K Excess purchase cost over book = 140K Attributabel to Plant & Equipment = (90K) Goodwill = 50K I understand that bc there’s influence, we’re using the Equity Method. I also get that BV was only 1.2 mil, and so a 30% stake should (theoretically) only cost 0.3(1.2 mil) = $360K, but we paid $500K, meaning we paid an excess of $140K. I get everything up to this point. What I’m having trouble grasping is the (90K). I get the calculation 0.3(300K), but what I have trouble with is the concept of the allocation. The book says “The excess purchase price allocated to the assets and liabilities is accounted for in a manner that is consistent with the accounting treatment for the specific asset or liability to which it is assigned…These allocated amounts are not reflected on the financial statements of the associate, and the associate’s IS will not reflect the necessary periodic adjustments. Therefore, the investor [Parker] must directly record these adjustment effects by reducing the carry amount of the investment on its BS and by reducing the associate’s profit recognized on its IS.” Can someone clarify this? My gut interpretation: Current assets are going to be used up this period so we don’t allocate anything to them. Plant and Equipment give you use over multiple periods and so we must allocate that difference (FV-BV = 300K) accordingly…but what actually happens to that 90K. Where does it go? And on whose statements? Any clarification would be helpful.

The $90,000 goes on Parker’s balance sheet, as part of Parker’s Investment in Price account.

The allocation is pretty easy to visualize. Imagine that Price has only two assets – cash and a building – and they have only one liability: a mortgage on the building. Price bought the building 5 years ago for $1.9 million, and today it’s worth $2.2 million. Parker bought 30% of it, so they own 0.3($2.2 million) = $660,000 worth of a building. They also own $30,000 worth of cash. Finally, they own a mortgage amounting to $240,000. Net, they own $660,000 + $30,000 − $240,000 = $450,000 worth of stuff.

But they paid $500,000 for it. $50,000 too much. Parker can do one of two things here:

  • They can admit that they’re idiots and write off that $50,000 as the loss that it is.
  • They can say, “Um . . . uh . . . um . . . it’s goodwill. Yeah! That’s the ticket! It’s goodwill! It’s an asset. We can put it on the balance sheet.” And wipe their brow.

So, not wanting to appear to be idiots, they record this journal entry:

Dr Cr

Investment in Price $450,000

Goodwill 50,000

Cash $500,000

There you have it.

Okay, so since it’s (90K) then the carry value just gets reduced by 90K?

This does not compute. 660K + 300K - 240K = 720K.

A little confused still. But I think the first part helped somewhat.

I’m not sure what you mean by this.

The value on Parker’s balance sheet will start at $450,000: no reduction.

Parker will then depreciate that extra $90,000 over the remaining life of the PP&E.

You’re darned right it doesn’t: typo.

I corrected it.

Does fixing the typo help a bit more?