Intangible assets are defined as identifiable non-monetary assets that cannot be seen, touched or physically measured. Clearwire's intangible assets for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2013 was €3,288.1 Mil.
Clearwire Intangible Assets Historical Data
The historical data trend for Clearwire's Intangible Assets can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Intangible assets are defined as identifiable non-monetary assets that cannot be seen, touched or physically measured. Examples of intangible assets include trade secrets, copyrights, patents, trademarks. If a company acquires assets at the prices above the book value, it may carry goodwill on its balance sheet. Goodwill reflects the difference between the price the company paid and the book value of the assets.
Clearwire (FRA:CBV) Intangible Assets Explanation
If a company (company A) received a patent through their own work, though it has value, it does not show up on its balance sheet as an intangible asset. However, if company A sells this patent to company B, it will show up on company B's balance sheet as an intangible asset.
The same applies to brand names, trade secrets etc. For instance, Coca-Cola's brand is extremely valuable, but the brand does not appear on its balance sheet, because the brand was never acquired.
Some intangibles are amortized. Amortization is the depreciation of intangible assets.
Many intangibles are not amortized. They may still be written down when the company decides the asset is impaired.
Whenever you see an increase in goodwill over a number of years, you can assume it's because the company is out buying other businesses above book value. GOOD if buying businesses with durable competitive advantage.
If goodwill stays the same, the company when acquiring other companies is either paying less than book value or not acquiring. Businesses with moats never sell for less than book value.
Intangibles acquired are on balance sheet at fair value.
Internally developed brand names (Coke, Wrigleys, Band-Aid) however are not reflected on the balance sheet.
One of the reasons competitive advantage power can remain hidden for so long.
Be Aware
Companies may change the way intangible assets are amortized, and this will affect their reported earnings.
Clearwire Intangible Assets Related Terms
Thank you for viewing the detailed overview of Clearwire's Intangible Assets provided by GuruFocus.com. Please click on the following links to see related term pages.
Clearwire Corp builds wireless networks intended primarily to provide Internet access to consumers and businesses. The firm was formed in 2008 via the merger of 'Old' Clearwire, a firm founded in 2003 to build wireless networks and certain assets from Sprint Nextel. These assets included wireless spectrum and network equipment that Sprint had intended for use in building wireless networks based on WiMAX, a fairly new wireless standard designed to offer data, rather than phone, services. At the time of Clearwire's creation, it received approx $3.2 billion investment from a group of investors that includes cable companies Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks and technology firms Google and Intel. These funds will be used to finance network expansion. Sprint owns more than half of Clearwire via its interest in a subsidiary that holds all of Clearwire's assets. Intel is the firm's second largest shareholder, with a 13% stake. Clearwire's networks currently cover territories with a combined population of about 20 million people. Most of these networks were built by the original Clearwire using a pre-standards version of WiMAX technology. All current construction is entirely WiMAX based and Clearwire plans to upgrade older networks to WiMAX over the next two years. The firm owns wireless spectrum capable of covering most of the U.S. population and networks currently under construction will allow it to serve about 75 million people. Clearwire is in the initial stages of building networks covering an addition 45 million people. Wireless services are provided using a wireless modem or PC card, which customers can either buy or lease from the company. Clearwire's Internet access service offers download speeds of up to 2 megabits per second (Mbps) in markets with older technology and 4 Mbps in areas served with WiMAX. The firm markets its service directly to customers and will also resell services through Sprint and its cable investors. Clearwire competes with phone and cable companies for Internet access customers. It also competes with wireless carriers that offer data services over their existing networks. Both AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the two largest carriers in the U.S., have announced plans to deploy networks based on LTE, an alternative next-generation wireless standard that is still in development.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
Portfolio Contest
FRA:CBV has been successfully added to your 