As a new intern for the local branch office of a national brokerage firm, you are excited to get an assignment that allows you to use your accounting expertise. Your supervisor provides you the spreadsheet below, which contains data for the most recent quarter for three companies that the firm has been recommending to it clients as "buys." Each of the companies' returns on assets has outperformed their industry cohorts in the past, but given recent challenges in their markets, there is concern that the companies may experience operating challenges and lower earnings. (All numbers in millions, except return on assets.)
Instructions:
(a) The fair value for each of these companies is lower than the corresponding book value. What implications does this have for each company's future prospects?
(b) To date, none of these companies has recorded goodwill impairments. Your supervisor suspects that they will need to record impairments in the near future, but he is unsure about the goodwill impairment rules. Is it likely that these companies will recognize impairments? Explain.