Goodwill and Intangible Assets

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

NOTE 3. Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Purchased goodwill from acquisitions totaled $96 million during the first three months of 2015, none of which is deductible for tax purposes. The amounts in the “Translation and other” column in the following table primarily relate to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The goodwill balances by business segment as of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, follow:

Goodwill

	December 31, 2014		Acquisition		Translation		March 31, 2015
(Millions)	Balance		activity		and other		Balance
Industrial	$	2,037	$	1	$	(66)	$	1,972
Safety and Graphics		1,650		―		(46)		1,604
Electronics and Energy		1,559		―		(35)		1,524
Health Care		1,589		95		(58)		1,626
Consumer		215		―		(7)		208
Total Company	$	7,050	$	96	$	(212)	$	6,934

Acquired Intangible Assets

For the three months ended March 31, 2015, changes in foreign currency exchange rates decreased the gross carrying amount of intangible assets, with this impact partially offset by gross intangible assets (excluding goodwill) acquired through business combinations. The carrying amount and accumulated amortization of acquired finite-lived intangible assets, in addition to the balance of non-amortizable intangible assets, as of March 31, 2015, and December 31, 2014, follow:

		March 31,		December 31,
(Millions)		2015		2014
Customer related intangible assets		$	1,339	$	1,348
Patents			561		581
Other technology-based intangible assets			400		407
Definite-lived tradenames			396		401
Other amortizable intangible assets			224		221
Total gross carrying amount		$	2,920	$	2,958

Accumulated amortization — customer related			(599)		(597)
Accumulated amortization — patents			(457)		(472)
Accumulated amortization — other technology-based			(218)		(215)
Accumulated amortization — definite-lived tradenames			(197)		(195)
Accumulated amortization — other			(168)		(167)
Total accumulated amortization		$	(1,639)	$	(1,646)

	Total finite-lived intangible assets — net	$	1,281	$	1,312

Non-amortizable intangible assets (primarily tradenames)			115		123
	Total intangible assets — net	$	1,396	$	1,435

The table below shows expected amortization expense for acquired amortizable intangible assets recorded as of March 31, 2015:
(Millions)	Remainder
	of													After
	2015		2016		2017		2018		2019		2020		2020
Amortization expense	$	150	$	177	$	155	$	139	$	127	$	117	$	416

The preceding expected amortization expense is an estimate. Actual amounts of amortization expense may differ from estimated amounts due to additional intangible asset acquisitions, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, impairment of intangible assets, accelerated amortization of intangible assets and other events. 3M expenses the costs incurred to renew or extend the term of intangible assets.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

+ References+ Details

Amortization expense for acquired intangible assets for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 follows:

Three months ended

(Millions)

Amortization expense