D1. Intangible assets

AP Accounting principles

Goodwill

Goodwill arises in connection with business combinations where the consideration transferred exceeds the fair value of the acquired net assets. Goodwill is recognized at cost less accumulated impairment and is an intangible asset with an indefinite useful life. This means that goodwill is not amortized, but rather tested annually for impairment. All goodwill is allocated to the cash-generating units that are expected to benefit from the synergies from the business combination. In connection with the sale of Group companies, the remaining carrying amount of the goodwill attributable to the divested unit is included in the capital gain/loss. Goodwill that arises in acquisitions of associates or joint ventures is included in the carrying amount of the respective associate or joint venture.

Trademarks

Trademarks arise either in connection with company acquisitions or through agreements to purchase trademarks. Trademarks are recognized at cost after any accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment. Trademarks that have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but rather tested annually for impairment along with the impairment testing of goodwill. Trademarks with a limited useful life are amortized on a straight-line basis during their anticipated useful life, which varies between three and ten years.

Licenses, patents and similar rights

Intangible assets also include patents, licenses and other similar rights. Acquired assets of this type are recognized at cost and are amortized on a straight-line basis during their anticipated useful life, which varies between three and 20 years.

Customer relations

Customer relations are measured at fair value at the time of the acquisition. The value of these customer relations is amortized over their useful life, which is considered to be between three and 15 years.

Research and development

Research expenditure is recognized as an expense as incurred. Identifiable expenditure for development of new products and processes is capitalized to the extent it is expected to provide future economic benefits. In cases in which it is difficult to separate the research phase from the development phase in a project, the entire project is treated as research and expensed immediately. Capitalized expenditure is amortized on a straight-line basis from the date when the asset starts to be used during the estimated useful life of the asset. The amortization period is between five and ten years.

Impairment testing

Goodwill is tested annually for impairment. When testing for impairment, the assets are grouped in cash-generating units. Essity has defined four cash-generating units for impairment testing as follows: the Consumer Tissue operating segment, the Professional Hygiene operating segment, the Personal Care operating segment, excluding Medical Solutions, and Medical Solutions. The test compares the carrying amounts of the cash-generating units with the recoverable amounts. The recoverable amount of each cash-generating unit is determined by discounting future cash flows in order to determine their value in use. The calculation of future cash flows is based on the strategic plans adopted by the Executive Management Team for the next three years. The carrying amount for the cash-generating unit includes goodwill, trademarks with indefinite useful lives and assets with definite useful lives, such as non-current assets, trademarks and working capital. Effects of expansion investments are excluded when calculating the value in use. The value of depreciated assets is tested for impairment whenever there are indications that the carrying amount might not be recoverable. In cases in which the carrying amount of an asset or cash-generating unit exceeds its estimated recoverable amount, an impairment loss is recognized on the asset down to the recoverable amount. An impairment loss recognized earlier is reversed, if the reasons for the impairment no longer exist. The carrying amount after the reversal is limited to what it would have been had no past impairment been recognized. Impairment losses on goodwill are never reversed.

Emission allowances and costs for carbon dioxide emissions

Essity participates in the European system for emission allowances.

When emission allowances relating to carbon dioxide emissions are received from an individual EU state, they are recognized as an intangible asset and as deferred income (liability). Allowances are received free of charge and measured and recognized at market value as of the date to which the allocation pertains. During the period, the intangible asset is expensed in pace with carbon dioxide emissions made at the same time as the deferred income is reversed by the corresponding amount in the form of income, thereby resulting in no net effect in profit or loss. If the emission allowances received do not cover emissions made, Essity makes a provision for the deficit valued at the market value on the balance sheet date. Sales of surplus emission allowances are recognized as income on the delivery date.

If the market price of emission allowances on the balance sheet date is less than recognized cost, any surplus emission allowances that are not required to cover emissions made are impaired to the market price applying on the balance sheet date. In conjunction with this, the remaining part of the deferred income is recognized as income by a corresponding amount and therefore no net effect occurs in profit or loss. The emission allowances are used as payment in the settlement with the state regarding liabilities for emissions.

KAA Key assessments and assumptions

In connection with the annual impairment testing of goodwill, the recoverable amount is calculated. The recoverable amount for the cash-generating units is determined by calculating the value in use. Calculation of the value in use is based on the three-year strategic plans adopted by the Executive Management Team, which in turn are based on assumptions and assessments. The most important assessments and assumptions pertain to forecasts for organic growth, the profit margin and the discount rate used. The discount rate used in the present value calculation of the anticipated future cash flows is the current weighted average cost of capital (WACC) established within the Group for the markets in which the cash-generating units conduct operations.

Profit margin assumptions are based on current market prices and costs with an addition for real price reductions and cost inflation as well as assumed productivity development. The growth assumption follows the Group’s target of annual organic growth of above 3%. The growth assumptions are in line with historic outcome and expected global market growth.

The expected sustained future cash flow for periods that are beyond the planning horizon of the strategic plan are extrapolated from the final year of the strategic plan using assumed sustained growth of 2% (2; 2).

Goodwill

SEKm

2017

2016

2015

Accumulated costs

31,956

19,428

15,452

Accumulated impairment

–259

–175

–40

Total

31,697

19,253

15,412

 

 

 

 

Value, January 1

19,253

15,412

15,660

Company acquisitions

13,290

3,375

Company divestments

Reclassifications

Impairment

–84

–135

–30

Translation differences

–762

601

–218

BS Value, December 31

31,697

19,253

15,412

Intangible assets excluding goodwill

 

Trademarks

 

Licenses, patents and similar rights

 

Capitalized development costs

 

Total Other intangible assets

SEKm

2017

2016

2015

 

2017

2016

2015

 

2017

2016

2015

 

2017

2016

2015

1)

Amortization of Trademarks and Customer relations is included in Sales, general and administration while for Licenses and patents is included in Cost of goods sold.

Accumulated costs

13,840

6,782

6,647

 

11,404

4,472

3,831

 

352

12

35

 

25,596

11,266

10,513

Accumulated amortization

–358

–318

–244

 

–3,412

–2,890

–2,424

 

–43

–12

–31

 

–3,813

–3,220

–2,699

Accumulated impairment

–365

–452

–532

 

–65

–5

–3

 

–3

 

–430

–457

–538

Total

13,117

6,012

5,871

 

7,927

1,577

1,404

 

309

1

 

21,353

7,589

7,276

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Value, January 1

6,012

5,871

6,373

 

1,577

1,404

1,448

 

1

4

 

7,589

7,276

7,825

Investments

 

749

155

221

 

71

 

820

155

221

Sales and disposals

 

–21

–1

–2

 

 

–21

–1

–2

Company acquisitions

7,095

33

 

6,112

180

 

265

 

13,472

213

Reclassifications

28

76

 

285

128

–2

 

 

313

128

74

Amortization1)

–68

–59

–27

 

–754

–321

–248

 

–31

 

–853

–380

–275

Impairment

–464

 

–48

–2

 

–3

 

–48

–2

–467

Translation differences

50

167

–87

 

27

34

–13

 

4

–1

 

81

200

–100

Value, December 31

13,117

6,012

5,871

 

7,927

1,577

1,404

 

309

1

 

21,353

7,589

7,276

TD1:1 Emission allowances, net value

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

71

76

75

BS Value, December 31 including emission allowances

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21,424

7,665

7,351

Impairment testing

Annual testing for impairment of goodwill and trademarks with indefinite useful lives is carried out in the fourth quarter. The testing showed that no impairment was needed for 2017, 2016 or 2015. The recoverable amount of the trademarks was determined through a present value calculation, in which expected future cash flows were discounted using a WACC before tax of between 5.4% and 18.7%, depending on the market, to determine the value in use. The WACC before tax used in the impairment testing of goodwill is presented in the table below. Sensitivity analyses show that reasonable changes to key parameters do not give rise to any impairment requirement.

In addition to annual impairment testing of the cash-generating units, outlined above under the section Impairment testing, goodwill, trademarks with indefinite useful lives and individual assets are also tested to determine whether any impairment is needed. During the period, goodwill was impaired by SEK –84m in connection with the closure of a minor Personal Care operation.

Distribution by operating segment

 

Goodwill

 

Trademarks

 

WACC, before tax %

SEKm

2017

2016

2015

 

2017

2016

2015

 

2017

2016

2015

Personal Care

16,039

3,036

2,757

 

8,230

1,109

1,069

 

9.5

11.3

10.3

Consumer Tissue

9,276

9,335

9,416

 

4,878

4,891

4,792

 

9.2

8.3

8.6

Professional Hygiene

6,382

6,882

3,239

 

9

12

10

 

8.2

8.3

7.9

Total

31,697

19,253

15,412

 

13,117

6,012

5,871

 

 

 

 

TD1:1 Emission allowances

SEKm

2017

2016

2015

Accumulated costs

71

88

86

Accumulated revaluation of surplus

0

–12

–11

Total

71

76

75

 

 

 

 

Value, January 1

76

75

70

Emission allowances received

47

58

53

Purchases

17

4

Settlement with the government

–71

–64

–50

Revaluation of surplus

0

–1

–5

Translation differences

2

8

3

Value, December 31

71

76

75