Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2025

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

NOTE G – GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Goodwill

Ashland tests goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually as of July 1 or whenever events and circumstances indicate an impairment may have occurred.

No indicators of impairment were identified during the three and six months ended March 31, 2025.

The following is a progression of goodwill by reportable segment for the six months ended March 31, 2025:


	Life			Personal			Specialty
(In millions)	Sciences			Care(a)			Additives(a)			Intermediates(a)		Total
Balance at September 30, 2024	$	822		$	125		$	434		$	—	$	1,381
Currency translation		(15	)		(1	)		(8	)		—		(24	)
Avoca business - divestiture(b)		—			(1	)		—			—		(1	)
Balance at March 31, 2025	$	807		$	123		$	426		$	—	$	1,356

(a)

As of March 31, 2025 and September 30, 2024, there were accumulated impairments of $356 million, $174 million and $90 million related to the Personal Care, Specialty Additives and Intermediates reportable segments, respectively.

(b)

Ashland allocated $1 million to the Avoca disposal group during the six months ended March 31, 2025. See Note B of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Other intangible assets

Other intangible assets principally consist of trademarks and trade names, intellectual property and customer and supplier relationships. Intangible assets classified as finite are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. The cost of trademarks and trade names is amortized principally over 3 to 20 years, intellectual property over 3 to 20 years, and customer and supplier relationships over 10 to 24 years.

Ashland annually reviews, as of July 1, indefinite-lived intangible assets for possible impairment or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that carrying amounts may not be recoverable.

No indicators of impairment were identified during the three and six months ended March 31, 2025, other than the other intangible assets within the Avoca business. See Note B of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Other intangible assets were comprised of the following as of:


	March 31, 2025							September 30, 2024
	Gross					Net		Gross					Net
	carrying		Accumulated			carrying		carrying		Accumulated			carrying
(In millions)	amount		amortization			amount		amount		amortization			amount
Definite-lived intangibles
Trademarks and trade names(a)	$	72	$	(37	)	$	35	$	87	$	(42	)	$	45
Intellectual property(b)		666		(609	)		57		715		(613	)		102
Customer and supplier relationships(c)		590		(380	)		210		759		(433	)		326
Total definite-lived intangibles		1,328		(1,026	)		302		1,561		(1,088	)		473

Indefinite-lived intangibles
Trademarks and trade names		278		—			278		278		—			278
Total intangible assets	$	1,606	$	(1,026	)	$	580	$	1,839	$	(1,088	)	$	751

(a)

Ashland allocated $7 million to the Avoca business during the six months ended March 31, 2025. See Note B of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details.

(b)

Ashland allocated $29 million to the Avoca business during the six months ended March 31, 2025. See Note B of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details.

(c)

Ashland allocated $98 million to the Avoca business during the six months ended March 31, 2025. See Note B of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details.

Amortization expense recognized on intangible assets was $15 million and $20 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and $32 million and $40 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and is included within the intangibles amortization expense caption of the Statements of Condensed Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Loss). Estimated amortization expense for future periods is $61 million in 2025 (includes six months actual and six months estimated), $57 million in 2026, $35 million in 2027, $33 million in 2028 and $26 million in 2029. Actual amounts may change from such estimated amounts due to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, additional intangible asset acquisitions and divestitures, potential impairment, accelerated amortization, or other events.