Goodwill

The difference or premium which a purchaser pays, or which a seller asks, for a business or company compared to the ‘book value’ of its assets, typically representing intangibles such as brand value, intellectual property, talent, market relationships, etc., and which tend to reflect the overall value and appeal with which the purchaser regards the target acquisition. Over – estimating goodwill value, sometimes to an extraordinarily stupid degree, is a surprisingly common downfall of many big corporate takeover deals, when arrogance and blindness to market trends of the acquiring CEO and takeover team can lead to a reckless waste of shareholder funds and ruthless cost – cutting, post-acquisition, when performance, synergies and return on investment fail to reach required levels.