What is Minority Interest and How Do I Find It?

There are laws that also entitle minority interest holders to certain audit rights. Buffett first purchased shares of GEICO in 1951, continuing to buy shares until buying the entire company in 1996. Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s conglomerate, acquires portions of different companies and sometimes acquires total control of the company over a long period. Goodwill represents the amount the company pays above the fair value of the equity.

On the date of the acquisition, the book value of equity equals $650,000 (made up of $500,000 equity and $150,000 of retained earnings. In that case, I need to ensure I realize they use IFRS accounting rules, whereas if I analyze PayPal, the US payments company, I need to adhere to GAAP accounting rules. The separate line item allows investors to see all the controlling interests in Berkshire Hathaway, for example. For example, from time to time, you see news stories concerning a minority owner forcing their way onto the board of directors.

Minority interest is important for investors to understand because it can impact a company’s financial statements and performance. Minority interest can also impact a company’s return what is minority interest on equity (ROE) because the non-controlling interest portion of the subsidiary’s equity is included in the parent company’s shareholders’ equity. Minority interest can have implications on financial analysis because it affects the consolidated financial statements of the parent company. Additionally, the minority interest’s share of the subsidiary’s profits or losses can affect the parent company’s earnings per share and other financial ratios. When a company has subsidiaries or joint ventures, it must account for minority interest in its financial statements. The parent company must consolidate the financial statements of the subsidiary or joint venture into its own financial statements.

Return on Equity (ROE) – Meaning, Calculation, Difference With ROCE And ROI, And More

Minority interest refers to the portion of a company or stock not held by the parent company. These subsidiaries have differing impacts on the company’s financial performance. According to the FASB, non-controlling interest can also refer to the percentage of the company not owned when more than 50% is owned. Goodwill is an additional expense incurred to buy a company for more than the fair market value.

Here the company will list the parent and subsidiaries’ equity as separate line items. Continuing to report minority interest on the financial statements is the simplest option, but it can impact financial ratios and may not fully reflect the value of the subsidiary. Minority shareholders may feel that they have little control over the company’s operations and decision-making processes. This can be frustrating, especially if they disagree with the majority shareholders’ decisions. Minority interest refers to shareholders who own less than 50% of the company’s outstanding shares. This means that they have little control over the company’s operations and decision-making processes.

How Is Goodwill Calculated?

For example, suppose that Company A acquires a controlling interest of 75% in Company B. The latter retains the remaining 25% of the company. The actual value of the 80 percent of the equity equals $520,000, which we arrive at by multiplying 80 percent by $650,000, the original purchase price. To value Berkshire, we need to account for the impact of Kraft Heinz’s performance and how much it impacts Berkshire’s value. Berkshire Hathaway, Google, and Constellation Software use acquisitions to grow their companies. Shaun Conrad is a Certified Public Accountant and CPA exam expert with a passion for teaching. After almost a decade of experience in public accounting, he created MyAccountingCourse.com to help people learn accounting & finance, pass the CPA exam, and start their career.

Adam received his master’s in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Understanding Minority Interests

For instance, if two companies enter into a joint venture with one owning 60% of the shares and the other owning 40%, the latter is the minority shareholder. The minority interest is reported as a separate line item in the balance sheet and income statement of the respective companies. Minority shareholders who are unhappy with their level of control in a company have several options. They can sell their shares, they can try to negotiate for more control, or they can take legal action. In some cases, minority shareholders may also be able to influence the company’s decision-making process through their voting rights.

In other words, it represents the overpayment for the value of the purchase. The difference between GAAP and IFRS accounting continues to close, but differences remain. So when investing in a country outside your normal domain, a good practice is to ensure you use the accounting rules of the governing country. Many of these businesses might own different percentages of subsidiaries or separate businesses. If we do not wish to add the minority interest to Enterprise Value, we would only include 80% of ABC’s Total Sales, EBIT, and EBITDA in the calculation of the various valuation ratios. For example, let’s say that Parent Company A owns 100% of Subsidiary B. Subsidiary B has equity of $500,000.

Understanding Non-Controlling Interest

1. This book value, when multiplied by the percentage of stakeholding (by minority stakeholders), would give you the value of the minority interest.
2. In other words, if a company’s majority shares are held by another company or individual, the remaining stake in such a company forms the minority interest.
3. The relevance of minority interest is usually seen in subsidiary companies wherein a parent company owns more than 50% of the subsidiary stake.
4. A minority interest is still considered to be a large stake of ownership, more than just a few shares that a retail investor would hold.
5. When valuing a company, it is important to consider the impact of minority interest.
6. Under this method, the parent company includes its share of the subsidiary’s assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses in its financial statements.

BNSF, the train company, was a 100% ownership acquisition, whereas Kraft Heinz was less than 30%. Each acquisition impacts the financials of Berkshire in different ways and we need to understand those ownership levels. Thus, whether XYZ owns 50.1% or 100% of ABC, the financial statements of XYZ will show 100% of the assets and liabilities of ABC and 100% of the Sales, Revenue, Costs, Profits/Loss, etc. of ABC. Most shareholders are granted a set of rights when they purchase common stock, including the right to a cash dividend if the company has sufficient earnings and declares a dividend. Shareholders may also have the right to vote on major corporate decisions, such as a merger or company sale. A corporation can issue different classes of stock, each with different shareholder rights.

Under this method, the growth or decline of a subsidiary is measured based on past data. The historical data helps analysts compute a uniform rate at which the subsidiary grows or declines. The future trends are calculated using statistical calculations like moving averages, time-series analysis, regression-based analysis, etc. In some cases, a minority may have some rights such as the ability to take part in sales.

Minority Interest alternative: adjust the income statement instead

This method requires that many line items in the financial statements of the parent incorporate the financial results of the acquiree, i.e. reflect a fictitious 100% ownership of the subsidiary. This book value, when multiplied by the percentage of stakeholding (by minority stakeholders), would give you the value of the minority interest. For instance, if a company has a share capital of Rs. 1 crore and 30% of the company is owned by minority shareholders, then the minority interest would be Rs.30 lakhs.

Minority interests usually refer to the portion of a company or stock not held by the parent company, which holds the majority interest. For example, IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) governs accounting outside the US. Before 2008, companies reported minority interest as equity or noncurrent liabilities under GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) rules, per the US.