Reference no: EM13903810

Acquisitions and disclosures: ?nancial disclosures

The giant Anglo-Dutch food and consumer products company, made major acquisitions and disposals of businesses in 2000 and 2001. Key cash flow statement information for both years is given below (amounts in A million).

	2001	2000
Cash flow from operating activities	7,497	6,738
Interest payments (net of financial income)	(1,805)	(760)
Taxation	(2,205)	(1,734)
Capital expenditures and financial  investment	(1,358)	(1,061)
Acquisitions and disposals	3,477	(27,373)
Dividends paid on ordinary share  capital	(1,420)	(1,365)
Cash flow before financing and treasury operations	4,186	(25,555)
Financing and treasury operations	(3,992)	25,366
Increase (decrease) in cash in year	194	(189)

's biggest acquisition was in October 2000. It paid A23.6 billion in cash for  Bestfoods, a US food products company. In 2001 it raised almost A2 billion from the sale of Bestfoods' bakery businesses (and other businesses acquired in 2000 and held for resale) and A1.65 billion from the dis- posal of group companies. Details of the Bestfoods acquisition in 2000 and the disposal of group companies in 2001 are set out in Exhibit 14.16. They are taken from the notes to 's 2000 and 2001 accounts.

Exhibit 14.16: acquisitions and disposals in 2000/01: selective disclosures

Acquisition of Bestfoods in 2000		Provisional		Provisional
	Balance sheets of acquired	adjustments to align accounting	Provisional	fair values at date of
In A million	businesses	policies	revaluations	acquisition
Intangible assets	1,504	(1,126)	(378)	-
Fixed assets	2,184	(361)	-	1,823
Acquired businesses held for resale	946	-	811	1,757
Other current assets	1,816	(71)	-	1,745
Creditors Provisions for liabilities and charges: Pensions and similar obligations	(1,782)   (674)	(183)   237	-   -	(1,965)   (437)
Deferred taxation	450	(326)	-	124
Other provisions	(938)	-	-	(938)
Minority interest	55                             (34)                       -                     21
Net assets acquired	3,561                         (1,864)                    433                 2,130
Goodwill arising in subsidiaries	23,321
Goodwill arising in joint ventures	632
Consideration	26,083
Of which:
Cash paid			23,623
Cash and current investments of  Bestfoods Translation adjustment between accounting rate and actual exchange rate at settlement date			3,028 (568)

uses the purchase method to account for acquisitions. Prior to 1998, it wrote off against reserves goodwill arising on acquisitions. Since 1998, the company capitalises goodwill and amortises it over 20 years.

Required

(a) What was the carrying amount in the books of Bestfoods - of the net assets  acquired  in 2000?

(b) What was the main reason for the negative accounting policy adjustment of a1.1 billion to Bestfoods' intangible assets?

(c) paid a23.6 billion in cash for Bestfoods but the price of the business was a26.1 billion. How did it finance the  difference?

(d) revalued 'acquired businesses held for resale' at the time of Bestfoods' acquisition. What would have been the effect on its accounts - in 2000 and in 2001 when it sold them - if it had not done so?

(e) Show in summary form the effect on 's 2001 accounts of the businesses it sold that year. Account for 'net assets sold' as one item. Use a journal entry or the balance sheet equation.