Fifth Third Bank 2011 Annual Report Download - page 87

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Fifth Third Bancorp 85
risks and merits. Changes to the estimate of accrued taxes occur
periodically due to changes in tax rates, interpretations of tax laws,
the status of examinations being conducted by taxing authorities
and changes to statutory, judicial and regulatory guidance that
impact the relative risks of tax positions. These changes, when they
occur, can affect deferred taxes and accrued taxes as well as the
current period’s income tax expense and can be significant to the
operating results of the Bancorp. For additional information on
income taxes, see Note 20.
Earnings Per Share
Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income
available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number
of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Earnings
per diluted share is computed by dividing adjusted net income
available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number
of shares of common stock and common stock equivalents
outstanding during the period. Dilutive common stock equivalents
represent the assumed conversion of dilutive convertible preferred
stock and the exercise of dilutive stock-based awards and warrants.
The Bancorp calculates earnings per share pursuant to the two-
class method. The two-class method is an earnings allocation
formula that determines earnings per share separately for common
stock and participating securities according to dividends declared
and participation rights in undistributed earnings. For purposes of
calculating earnings per share under the two-class method, restricted
shares that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends are considered
participating securities until vested. While the dividends declared per
share on such restricted shares are the same as dividends declared
per common share outstanding, the dividends recognized on such
restricted shares may be less because dividends paid on restricted
shares that are expected to be forfeited are reclassified to
compensation expense during the period when forfeiture is
expected.
Goodwill
Business combinations entered into by the Bancorp typically include
the acquisition of goodwill. U.S. GAAP requires goodwill to be
tested for impairment at the Bancorp’s reporting unit level on an
annual basis, which for the Bancorp is September 30, and more
frequently if events or circumstances indicate that there may be
impairment. The Bancorp has determined that its segments qualify
as reporting units under U.S. GAAP. Impairment exists when a
reporting unit’s carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair
value, which is determined through a two-step impairment test. The
first step (Step 1) compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its
carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the
reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step (Step 2) of the
goodwill impairment test is performed to measure the impairment
loss amount, if any.
The fair value of a reporting unit is the price that would be
received to sell the unit as a whole in an orderly transaction between
market participants at the measurement date. Since none of the
Bancorp’s reporting units are publicly traded, individual reporting
unit fair value determinations cannot be directly correlated to the
Bancorp’s stock price. To determine the fair value of a reporting
unit, the Bancorp employs an income-based approach, utilizing the
reporting unit’s forecasted cash flows (including a terminal value
approach to estimate cash flows beyond the final year of the
forecast) and the reporting unit’s estimated cost of equity as the
discount rate. Additionally, the Bancorp determines its market
capitalization based on the average of the closing price of the
Bancorp’s stock during the month including the measurement date,
incorporating an additional control premium, and compares this
market-based fair value measurement to the aggregate fair value of
the Bancorp’s reporting units in order to corroborate the results of
the income approach.
When required to perform Step 2, the Bancorp compares the
implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying
amount of that goodwill. If the carrying amount exceeds the implied
fair value, an impairment loss equal to that excess amount is
recognized. An impairment loss recognized cannot exceed the
carrying amount of that goodwill and cannot be reversed even if the
fair value of the reporting unit recovers.
During Step 2, the Bancorp determines the implied fair value of
goodwill for a reporting unit by assigning the fair value of the
reporting unit to all of the assets and liabilities of that unit (including
any unrecognized intangible assets) as if the reporting unit had been
acquired in a business combination. The excess of the fair value of
the reporting unit over the amounts assigned to its assets and
liabilities is the implied fair value of goodwill. This assignment
process is only performed for purposes of testing goodwill for
impairment. The Bancorp does not adjust the carrying values of
recognized assets or liabilities (other than goodwill, if appropriate),
nor recognize previously unrecognized intangible assets in the
Consolidated Financial Statements as a result of this assignment
process. Refer to Note 9 for further information regarding the
Bancorp’s goodwill.
Fair Value Measurements
The Bancorp measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair
value in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which defines fair value as the
price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a
liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the
measurement date. Valuation techniques the Bancorp uses to
measure fair value include the market approach, income approach
and cost approach. The market approach uses prices or relevant
information generated by market transactions involving identical or
comparable assets or liabilities. The income approach involves
discounting future amounts to a single present amount and is based
on current market expectations about those future amounts. The
cost approach is based on the amount that currently would be
required to replace the service capacity of the asset.
U.S. GAAP establishes a fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes
the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into
three broad levels. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority
to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities
(Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3).
An instrument’s categorization within the fair value hierarchy is
based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the
instrument’s fair value measurement. The three levels within the fair
value hierarchy are described as follows:
Level 1 - Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for
identical assets or liabilities that the Bancorp has the ability
to access at the measurement date.
Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices included within
Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either
directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include: quoted prices
for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted
prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets
that are not active; inputs other than quoted prices that are
observable for the asset or liability; and inputs that are
derived principally from or corroborated by observable
market data by correlation or other means.
Level 3 - Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability for
which there is little, if any, market activity at the
measurement date. Unobservable inputs reflect the
Bancorp’s own assumptions about what market
participants would use to price the asset or liability. The
inputs are developed based on the best information
available in the circumstances, which might include the
Bancorp’s own financial data such as internally developed