re Ecnalf Question from 7th Sept.and just adding to Bobblar's...

re Ecnalf Question from 7th Sept.and just adding to Bobblar's earlier reply. Slow reply but repeated early attempts at posting message all failed:

When a company purchases another business the difference between the price paid and the market value of the assets purchased is listed in the balance sheet as the value of goodwill. Goodwill is one of a nu mber of types of intangible asset.

eg Price paid for business acquired = $100m
Market value of Land, buildings,
plant & stock etc. = $48m
Goodwill ($100m - $48m) = $52m

Goodwill is required to be amortized over time (just as plant and equipment is depreciated over time)

As you've noted PGC has a large amount of intangibles and a high % of its assets are intangible assets - perhaps indicating that when it was buying up numerous other businesses that it overpaid for them.

I didn't pay sufficient attention to what you've picked up, contributing to me being well in the red with my investment in PGC! Pretty likely we'll see further big write-downs in value of goodwill.