Goodwill is an intangible asset, and therefore hard to measure and difficult to account for. This article argues that the two-stage impairment test for acquired goodwill under SFAS 142 has several limitations. Most important, it measures aggregate rather than acquired goodwill, making it very difficult to separate acquisition-related goodwill from aggregate enterprise goodwill after a business …
It's a story that regularly plays out in many industries. Indeed, any company making big-budget investment decisions faces the same basic dilemma. On the one hand, it must make timely, strategic investments to prevent rivals from gaining ground. On the other, it must avoid tying up too much cash in risky projects, especially during times of market uncertainty. The traditional valuation methods …