Compass Group PLC – Annual report – 30 September 2022
Industry: support services
8 GOODWILL (extract)
1. Includes £1.3bn which arose in 2000 on the Granada transaction.
Approach to impairment testing
The Group tests goodwill annually for impairment, or more frequently if there are indications that goodwill might be impaired. Consistent with the monitoring and management of the business, the cash-generating units (CGU) relate to the total business for each country in which the Group operates. The recoverable amount of a CGU is determined from value-in-use calculations.
Key assumptions
The key assumptions for the value-in-use calculations are operating cash flow forecasts from the most recent three-year strategic plan approved by management, externally-derived long-term growth rates and pre-tax discount rates.
The strategic plan is based on expectations of future outcomes taking into account past experience, adjusted for anticipated revenue growth, from both new business and like-for-like growth, and taking into consideration macroeconomic and geopolitical factors, including the impact of inflation and climate change.
Cash flows beyond the three-year period covered by the plan are extrapolated using estimated growth rates based on local expected economic conditions and do not exceed the long-term average growth rate for that country.
The pre-tax discount rates are based on the Group’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) adjusted for specific risks relating to the country in which the CGU operates. This year, consistent with IAS 36 Impairment of Assets, the company-specific beta and gearing ratio assumptions used in the calculation of the Group’s WACC have been replaced with market participant measures based on the averages of a number of companies with similar assets. The comparative discount rates would have been lower had this change been made in the prior year. The change in the calculation of the discount rates has not resulted in a change in the conclusion that the Group’s goodwill balances are not impaired and is not, therefore, considered to be a change in an accounting estimate as defined by IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors.
1. Rest of Europe includes Turkey which has residual growth rate and pre-tax discount rate assumptions of 14.4% (2021: 9.4%) and 27.5% (2021: 24.1%), respectively. Excluding Turkey, the residual growth rate and pre-tax discount rate assumptions for Rest of Europe range from 0.8% to 2.7% (2021: 0.9% to 4.0%) and 8.2% to 11.7% (2021: 9.3% to 14.0%), respectively.
Results
No impairments were identified as a result of the goodwill impairment testing. Consistent with prior years, the goodwill impairment testing was performed as at 31 July. Subsequent to this date, management has considered whether there have been any indicators that the goodwill may be impaired. The potential impact of the recent market volatility in the UK and increases in discount rates and inflation have been considered. There was no impact on the reported amounts of goodwill as a result of this review.
Sensitivity analysis
The Group has performed a sensitivity analysis based on changes in key assumptions considered to be reasonably possible by management, including assumptions relating to the potential impact of climate change considering the results of the scenario analysis performed consistent with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) (see pages 46 and 47). There was no impact on the reported amounts of goodwill as a result of this review.
The UK CGU is sensitive to reasonably possible changes in key assumptions. Most of the UK goodwill arose in 2000 on the Granada transaction. The estimated recoverable amount of the Group’s operations in the UK exceeds its carrying value by £535m (2021: £102m). The associated impact of changes in key assumptions on the impairment assessment is presented in the table below. The sensitivity analysis presented is prepared on the basis that a change in each key assumption would not have a consequential impact on other assumptions used in the impairment review.
In order for the recoverable amount to be equal to the carrying value, the pre-tax discount rate would have to be increased by 2.1% (2021: 0.5%), projected operating profit decreased by 23% (2021: 5%) or the long-term growth rate decreased to a decline of 0.1% (2021: growth of 1.1%). The directors consider that changes in key assumptions of this magnitude are reasonably possible in the current environment.
Other than as disclosed above, the directors do not consider that any reasonably possible changes in the key assumptions would cause the value in use of the net operating assets of the individually significant CGUs disclosed above to fall below their carrying values.
Accounts examples 