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Goodwill Assets
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6 Months Ended | ||
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Jun. 30, 2011
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| Goodwill Assets | |||
| Goodwill Assets |
NiSource tests its goodwill for impairment annually as of June 30 each year unless indicators, events, or circumstances would require an immediate review. Goodwill is tested for impairment at a level of reporting referred to as a reporting unit, which generally is an operating segment or a component of an operating segment as defined by GAAP. In accordance with GAAP, certain components of an operating segment with similar economic characteristics are aggregated and deemed a single reporting unit. Goodwill is generally allocated to the reporting units based upon the amounts allocated at the time of their respective acquisition. The goodwill impairment test is a two-step process which requires NiSource to make estimates regarding the fair value of the reporting unit. The first step of the goodwill impairment test compares the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired, thus the second step of the impairment test is not required. However, if the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step of the goodwill impairment test is performed to measure the amount of impairment loss (if any), which compares the implied fair value of reporting unit goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. If the carrying amount of reporting unit goodwill exceeds the implied fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. NiSource has three reporting units that carry or are allocated goodwill. NiSource's goodwill assets at June 30, 2011 were $3.7 billion pertaining primarily to the acquisition of Columbia on November 1, 2000. Of this amount, approximately $2.0 billion is allocated to Columbia Transmission Operations and $1.7 billion is allocated to Columbia Distribution Operations. In addition, Northern Indiana Gas Distribution Operations' goodwill assets at June 30, 2011 related to the purchase of Northern Indiana Fuel and Light in March 1993 and Kokomo Gas in February 1992 were $18.8 million. In estimating the fair value of the Columbia Transmission Operations and Columbia Distribution Operations reporting units for the June 30, 2011 test, NiSource used a weighted average of the income and market approaches. The income approach utilized a discounted cash flow model. This model is based on management's short-term and long-term forecast of operating performance for each reporting unit. The two main assumptions used in the models are the growth rates, which are based on the cash flows from operations for each of the reporting units, and the weighted average cost of capital, or discount rate. The starting point for each reporting unit's cash flow from operations is the detailed five year plan, which takes into consideration a variety of factors such as the current economic environment, industry trends, and specific operating goals set by management. The discount rates are based on trends in overall market as well as industry specific variables and include components such as the risk-free rate, cost of debt, and company volatility at June 30, 2011. Under the market approach, NiSource utilized three market-based models to estimate the fair value of the reporting units: (i) the comparable company multiples method, which estimated fair value of each reporting unit by analyzing EBITDA multiples of a peer group of publicly traded companies and applying that multiple to the reporting unit's EBITDA, (ii) the comparable transactions method, which valued the reporting unit based on observed EBITDA multiples from completed transactions of peer companies and applying that multiple to the reporting unit's EBITDA, and (iii) the market capitalization method, which used the NiSource share price and allocated NiSource's total market capitalization among both the goodwill and non-goodwill reporting units based on the relative EBITDA, revenues, and operating income of each reporting unit. Each of the three market approaches were calculated with the assistance of a third party valuation firm, using multiples and assumptions inherent in today's market. The degree of judgment involved and reliability of inputs into each model were considered in weighting the various approaches. The resulting estimate of fair value of the reporting units, using the weighted average of the income and market approaches, exceeded their carrying values, indicating that no impairment exists under step 1 of the annual impairment test. Certain key assumptions used in determining the fair values of the reporting units included planned operating results, discount rates and the long-term outlook for growth. NiSource used discount rates of 6.00% for both Columbia Transmission Operations and Columbia Distribution Operations, resulting in excess fair values of approximately $1,092 million and $412 million, respectively. The results of the impairment test indicated that each of the reporting units passed step 1 of the impairment test. Goodwill at Northern Indiana Gas Distribution Operations related to the acquisition of Northern Indiana Fuel and Light and Kokomo Gas of $18.8 million was also tested for impairment as of June 30, 2011. The income approach was used to determine the fair value of the Northern Indiana Gas Distribution reporting unit. Key assumptions in the income approach were a discount rate of 6.00% and a growth rate based on the cash flow from operations. These cash flows factor in the regulatory environment and planned growth initiatives. The step 1 goodwill impairment test resulted in the fair value of the Northern Indiana Gas reporting unit to be above the carrying value by $319 million. |