Compass Group PLC – Annual report – 30 September 2023
Industry: support services
9 Goodwill
Significant accounting policy
Goodwill arising on consolidation represents the excess of the cost of acquisition over the fair value of the Group’s share of the identifiable assets and liabilities of the acquired subsidiary at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment and is carried at cost less any accumulated impairment losses.
Goodwill is allocated to the cash-generating units (CGUs) or groups of CGUs that are expected to benefit from the acquisition which is usually the geographical location of the operations of the Group. Goodwill is subsequently monitored and tested for impairment at the level at which it is allocated. Gains and losses on the disposal of businesses take account of the carrying amount of goodwill relating to the business sold, allocated where necessary on the basis of relative fair value, unless another method is determined to be more appropriate.
The recoverable amount of a CGU is determined based on value-in-use calculations. If the recoverable amount of a CGU is less than its carrying amount, an impairment loss is recognised in the consolidated income statement which is allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill allocated to the CGU and then to the other assets of the CGU pro rata on the basis of the carrying amount of each asset in the CGU. An impairment loss recognised in respect of goodwill is not subsequently reversed.
Major source of estimation uncertainty
The value in use of the UK CGU is estimated for the purposes of impairment testing based on assumptions, including the most recent three-year strategic plan approved by management, long-term growth rates and discount rates. A reasonably possible change in the assumptions used to derive this estimate could have a material effect on the carrying amount of goodwill in the UK CGU in the next 12 months. The key assumptions used in the value-in-use calculations, together with sensitivity analysis, are set out below.
Climate change
The potential impact of climate change and the Group’s net zero commitments on forecast cash flows beyond the Group’s three-year planning period has been considered during impairment testing by including in the sensitivity analysis assumptions consistent with the quantitative scenario analysis performed for the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (see pages 51 and 52).
1. Includes £1.3bn which arose in 2000 on the Granada transaction.
Impairment testing
The key assumptions used in the value-in-use calculations are operating cash flow forecasts from the most recent three-year strategic plan approved by management adjusted to remove the expected benefits of future restructuring activities and improvements to assets, 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.
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 the country. Cash flow forecasts for a period of up to five years are used by exception to reflect the medium-term prospects of the business if the initial level of headroom in the impairment test for a country is low, with cash flows beyond five years extrapolated using estimated growth rates that 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. The beta and gearing ratio assumptions used in the calculation of the Group’s WACC represent market participant measures based on the averages of a number of companies with similar assets.
1. Rest of Europe includes Türkiye which has residual growth rate and pre-tax discount rate assumptions of 16.4% (2022: 14.4%) and 31.3% (2022: 27.5%), respectively. Excluding Türkiye, the residual growth rate and pre-tax discount rate assumptions for Rest of Europe range from 1.2% to 2.5% (2022: 0.8% to 2.7%) and 10.7% to 14.6% (2022: 8.2% to 11.7%), respectively.
During the first half of the year, a charge of £5m was recognised to fully impair the goodwill held in respect of the Group’s business in China.
Consistent with prior years, the goodwill impairment testing was performed as at 31 July. Whilst the forecast performance of the Group’s CGUs has improved, the level of headroom in each CGU has been impacted by an increase in discount rates which reflect the higher market interest rates this year. Subsequent to 31 July, management has considered whether there have been any indicators that the goodwill may be impaired. 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. 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 £186m (2022: £535m). 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 0.9% (2022: 2.1%), projected operating profit decreased by 9% (2022: 23%) or the long-term growth rate decreased to 1.0% (2022: decline of 0.1%). 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 