MICROSOFT CORP

Previous wording

This report includes estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives, and expected operating results that are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this report, including the following sections: “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” (Part II, Item 1A of this Form 10-Q). These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. We describe risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” (Part I, Item 3 of this Form 10-Q), and “Risk Factors”. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Current wording

This report includes estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives, and expected operating results that are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this report, including the following sections: “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” (Part II, Item 1A of this Form 10-Q). These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. We describe risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” (Part I, Item 3 of this Form 10-Q), and “Risk Factors”. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Previous wording

Microsoft is a technology company committed to making digital technology and artificial intelligence (“AI”) available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We create platforms and tools, powered by AI, that deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.

Current wording

Microsoft is a technology company committed to making digital technology and artificial intelligence (“AI”) available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We create platforms and applications, powered by AI, that deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.

Previous wording

Highlights from the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 compared with the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 included:

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Highlights from the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 compared with the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 included:

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Commercial remaining performance obligation increased 99% to $627 billion.

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Commercial remaining performance obligation increased 73% to $677 billion.

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Windows OEM and Devices revenue decreased 2%.

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XBOX content and services revenue decreased 2%.

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We have a long-term strategic partnership with OpenAI which was originally established in 2019. In October 2025 and April 2026, we extended this partnership and continue to build on our shared vision to advance artificial intelligence responsibly and make its benefits broadly accessible. Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI and will continue to receive revenue-sharing payments. We hold rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property, including models and infrastructure, for integration into our products.

Current wording

We have a long-term strategic partnership with OpenAI which was originally established in 2019. We continue to build on our shared vision to advance AI responsibly and make its benefits broadly accessible. Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI and will continue to receive revenue-sharing payments. We hold rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property, including models and infrastructure, for integration into our products.

Previous wording

The investments we are making in cloud and AI infrastructure and devices will continue to increase our operating costs and may decrease our operating margins. We continue to identify and evaluate opportunities to expand our datacenter locations and increase our server capacity to meet the evolving needs of our customers, particularly given the growing demand for AI services. Our datacenters depend on the availability of permitted and buildable land, predictable energy, networking supplies, and servers, including graphics processing units and other components. Our devices are primarily manufactured by third-party contract manufacturers. For the majority of our products, we have the ability to use other manufacturers if a current vendor becomes unavailable or unable to meet our requirements. However, some of our products contain certain components for which there are very few qualified suppliers. Extended disruptions at these suppliers could impact our ability to manufacture devices on time to meet consumer demand.

Current wording

The investments we are making in cloud and datacenter infrastructure and devices will continue to increase our operating costs and may decrease our operating margins. We continue to identify and evaluate opportunities to expand our datacenter locations and increase our server capacity to meet the evolving needs of our customers, particularly given the growing demand for AI services. Our datacenters depend on the availability of permitted and buildable land, predictable energy, networking supplies, and servers, including graphics processing units and other components. Our devices are primarily manufactured by third-party contract manufacturers. For the majority of our products, we have the ability to use other manufacturers if a current vendor becomes unavailable or unable to meet our requirements. However, some of our products contain certain components for which there are very few qualified suppliers. Extended or unforeseen disruptions, or limited availability of components from these suppliers could impact our ability to operate our datacenters and manufacture devices on time to meet consumer demand.

Previous wording

Our international operations provide a significant portion of our total revenue and expenses. Many of these revenue and expenses are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. As a result, changes in foreign exchange rates may significantly affect revenue and expenses. Fluctuations in the U.S. dollar relative to certain foreign currencies increased reported revenue and expenses from our international operations for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2026.

Current wording

Our international operations provide a significant portion of our total revenue and expenses. Many of these revenue and expenses are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. As a result, changes in foreign exchange rates may significantly affect revenue and expenses. Fluctuations in the U.S. dollar relative to certain foreign currencies did not have a material impact on reported revenue and expenses from our international operations in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027.

Previous wording

We report our financial performance based on the following segments: Productivity and Business Processes, Intelligent Cloud, and More Personal Computing. The segment amounts included in MD&A are presented on a basis consistent with our internal management reporting.

Current wording

We report our financial performance based on the following two segments: Agents and Infra, and Devices and Consumer. The segment amounts included in MD&A are presented on a basis consistent with our internal management reporting.

Previous wording

We use metrics in assessing the performance of our business and to make informed decisions regarding the allocation of resources. We disclose metrics to enable investors to evaluate progress against our ambitions, provide transparency into performance trends, and reflect the continued evolution of our products and services. Our commercial and other business metrics are fundamentally connected based on how customers use our products and services. The metrics are disclosed in the MD&A or the Notes to Financial Statements (Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q). Financial metrics are calculated based on financial results prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), and growth comparisons relate to the corresponding period of last fiscal year.

Current wording

We use metrics in assessing the performance of our business and to make informed decisions regarding the allocation of resources. We disclose metrics to enable investors to evaluate progress against our ambitions, provide transparency into performance trends, and reflect the continued evolution of our products and services. Financial metrics are calculated based on financial results prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), and growth comparisons relate to the corresponding period of last fiscal year.

Previous wording

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, we made updates to our metrics to align with how we manage and monitor certain businesses. As part of these updates, Microsoft 365 Consumer subscribers was removed as a metric.

Current wording

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, we made updates to our metrics in connection with the segment changes described above. These changes align our metrics with how we manage and monitor certain businesses. The changes include updating the Azure, Microsoft 365 commercial cloud, and the Search and advertising revenue growth metrics for the movement of certain components, as well as the creation of the Industry solutions cloud revenue growth metric, which combines revenue from Dynamics 365 together with revenue from LinkedIn Talent Solutions, LinkedIn Sales Solutions, and Healthcare and Life Sciences cloud. Other changes include updating the Microsoft 365 commercial seat growth metric to include paid GitHub seats.

Previous wording

Metrics related to our Productivity and Business Processes and Intelligent Cloud segments assess the health of our core businesses within these segments. The metrics primarily reflect growth across our cloud services.

Current wording

Metrics related to our Agents and Infra segment assess the performance of our core businesses within this segment. The metrics primarily reflect growth across our commercial and cloud services.

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Metrics related to our More Personal Computing segment assess the performance of our key consumer businesses.

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Metrics related to our Devices and Consumer segment assess the performance of our key consumer businesses.

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Current year net income and diluted EPS were positively impacted by net gains from investments in OpenAI, which resulted in an increase in net income and diluted EPS of $4.5 billion and $0.60, respectively. Prior year net income and diluted EPS were negatively impacted by net losses from investments in OpenAI, which resulted in a decrease in net income and diluted EPS of $2.0 billion and $0.28, respectively.

Current wording

Current year net income and diluted EPS were positively impacted by net gains from investments in OpenAI, which resulted in an increase in net income and diluted EPS of $207 million and $0.03, respectively. Prior year net income and diluted EPS were negatively impacted by net losses from investments in OpenAI, which resulted in a decrease in net income and diluted EPS of $3.1 billion and $0.41, respectively.

Previous wording

Server products and cloud services revenue increased $7.8 billion or 32% driven by Azure and other cloud services. Azure and other cloud services revenue grew 40% driven by demand for services across the platform with continued growth across all workloads. Server products revenue increased slightly, primarily driven by higher purchases of licenses running in multi-cloud environments, offset in part by renewals with lower in-period revenue recognition from the mix of contracts and continued customer shift to cloud.

Current wording

Azure revenue increased $10.8 billion or 48% driven by demand for services across the platform with continued growth across all workloads.

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Cost of revenue increased $12.7 billion or 45% driven by investments in AI infrastructure to support growing customer demand.

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Cost of revenue increased $6.2 billion or 35% driven by investments in datacenter infrastructure to support growing customer demand across Azure and Microsoft 365 cloud.

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Search advertising revenue increased $304 million or 9%. Search advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 12% driven by higher search volume and revenue per search, as well as continued benefit from third-party partnerships.

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Search and advertising revenue increased $612 million or 10%. Search and advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 12% driven by higher rate and volume across LinkedIn, Edge, and Bing.

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Gaming revenue decreased $1.1 billion or 6% driven by declines in Xbox hardware and Xbox content and services. Xbox hardware revenue decreased 31% driven by lower volume of consoles sold. Xbox content and services revenue decreased 3% on a prior year comparable that benefited from strong first-party content performance, offset in part by growth in Xbox Game Pass.

Current wording

XBOX revenue decreased $129 million or 2% driven by declines in XBOX content and services and XBOX hardware. XBOX content and services revenue decreased 2% driven by declines in third-party content and XBOX Game Pass, offset in part by growth in first-party content. XBOX hardware revenue declined 14% driven by lower volume of consoles sold.

Previous wording

Research and development expenses include payroll, employee benefits, stock-based compensation expense, and other headcount-related expenses associated with product development. Research and development expenses also include technology development costs, including AI training and other infrastructure costs, third-party development and programming costs, and the amortization of purchased software code and services content.

Current wording

Research and development expenses include payroll, stock-based compensation expense, employee benefits, and other headcount-related expenses associated with product development. Research and development expenses also include technology development costs, including AI training and other infrastructure costs, third-party development and programming costs, and the depreciation and amortization of assets used to conduct research and development.

Previous wording

Research and development expenses increased $717 million or 9% driven by continued investments in compute capacity, AI talent, and data to support product development across the portfolio, with headcount declining year-over-year.

Current wording

Research and development expenses increased $901 million or 11% driven by continued investments in compute capacity and talent.

Previous wording

Sales and marketing expenses include payroll, employee benefits, stock-based compensation expense, and other headcount-related expenses associated with sales and marketing personnel, and the costs of advertising, promotions, trade shows, seminars, and other programs.

Current wording

Sales and marketing expenses include payroll, stock-based compensation expense, employee benefits, and other headcount-related expenses associated with sales and marketing personnel, and the costs of advertising, promotions, trade shows, seminars, and other programs.

Previous wording

General and administrative expenses include payroll, employee benefits, stock-based compensation expense, employee severance expense incurred as part of a corporate program, and other headcount-related expenses associated with finance, legal, facilities, certain human resources and other administrative personnel, certain taxes, and legal and other administrative fees.

Current wording

General and administrative expenses include payroll, employee benefits, stock-based compensation expense, and other headcount-related expenses associated with finance, legal, facilities, certain human resources and other administrative personnel, certain taxes, and legal and other administrative fees.

Previous wording

Other income (expense), net included $19 million of net losses and $5.9 billion of net gains for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2026, respectively, and $768 million and $2.7 billion of net losses for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2025, respectively, from investments in OpenAI, primarily net recognized gains (losses) on our equity method investment reflected in Other, net. The net gains recorded for the nine months ended March 31, 2026 primarily relate to the dilution gain from the OpenAI Recapitalization.

Current wording

Other income (expense), net included $272 million of net gains and $4.1 billion of net losses for the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively, from investments in OpenAI.

Previous wording

Interest and dividends income increased primarily due to higher portfolio balances and higher yields on debt securities. Interest expense increased primarily due to higher finance lease interest expense, offset in part by higher capitalization of debt interest expense. Net recognized gains on investments increased primarily due to higher gains on equity securities and lower impairments in the current period. Net gains on derivatives increased primarily due to gains on equity derivatives in the current period as compared to losses in the prior period. Other, net primarily reflects net recognized gains (losses) on equity method investments, including OpenAI.

Current wording

Interest and dividends income decreased primarily due to lower portfolio balances. Interest expense increased primarily due to higher finance lease interest expense, offset in part by maturities of long-term debt. Net recognized losses on investments decreased primarily due to gains on equity securities in the current period as compared to losses in the prior period. Net losses on derivatives increased primarily due to lower gains on equity derivatives in the current period as compared to the prior period. Other, net primarily reflects net recognized gains (losses) on equity method investments, including OpenAI.

Previous wording

Our effective tax rate was 19% and 18% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively, and 20% and 18% for the nine months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. The increase in our effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to the prior year was primarily due to changes in the mix of our earnings and tax expenses between the U.S. and foreign countries. The increase in our effective tax rate for the nine months ended March 31, 2026 compared to the prior year was primarily due to changes in the mix of our earnings and tax expenses between the U.S. and foreign countries and deferred tax expense attributable to the dilution gain from the OpenAI Recapitalization.

Current wording

Our effective tax rate was 20% and 19% for the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. The increase in our effective tax rate for the current quarter compared to the prior year was primarily due to decreased tax benefits from stock-based compensation and changes in the mix of our earnings and tax expenses between the U.S. and foreign countries.

Previous wording

Our effective tax rate was lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2026, primarily due to earnings taxed at lower rates in foreign jurisdictions resulting from producing and distributing our products and services through our foreign regional operations center in Ireland.

Current wording

Our effective tax rate was lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate for the three months ended September 30, 2026, primarily due to earnings taxed at lower rates in foreign jurisdictions resulting from producing and distributing our products and services through our foreign regional operations center in Ireland.

Previous wording

We remain under audit by the IRS for tax years 2014 to 2017. With respect to the audit for tax years 2004 to 2013, on September 26, 2023, we received Notices of Proposed Adjustment (“NOPAs”) from the IRS. The primary issues in the NOPAs relate to intercompany transfer pricing. In the NOPAs, the IRS is seeking an additional tax payment of $28.9 billion plus penalties and interest. As of March 31, 2026, we believe our allowances for income tax contingencies are adequate. We disagree with the proposed adjustments and will vigorously contest the NOPAs through the IRS’s administrative appeals office and, if necessary, judicial proceedings. We do not expect a final resolution of these issues in the next 12 months. Based on the information currently available, we do not anticipate a significant increase or decrease to our income tax contingencies for these issues within the next 12 months.

Current wording

We remain under audit by the IRS for tax years 2014 to 2017. With respect to the audit for tax years 2004 to 2013, on September 26, 2023, we received Notices of Proposed Adjustment (“NOPAs”) from the IRS. The primary issues in the NOPAs relate to intercompany transfer pricing. In the NOPAs, the IRS is seeking an additional tax payment of $28.9 billion plus penalties and interest. As of September 30, 2026, we believe our allowances for income tax contingencies are adequate. We disagree with the proposed adjustments and will vigorously contest the NOPAs through the IRS’s administrative appeals office and, if necessary, judicial proceedings.

Previous wording

Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $78.3 billion and $94.6 billion as of March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025, respectively. Equity and other investments were $33.7 billion and $15.4 billion as of March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025, respectively. Our short-term investments are primarily intended to facilitate liquidity and capital preservation. They consist predominantly of highly liquid investment-grade fixed-income securities, diversified among industries and individual issuers. The investments are predominantly U.S. dollar-denominated securities, but also include foreign currency-denominated securities to diversify risk. Our fixed-income investments are exposed to interest rate risk and credit risk. The credit risk and average maturity of our fixed-income portfolio are managed to achieve economic returns that correlate to certain fixed-income indices. The settlement risk related to these investments is insignificant given that the short-term investments held are primarily highly liquid investment-grade fixed-income securities.

Current wording

Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $64.5 billion and $76.8 billion as of September 30, 2026 and June 30, 2026, respectively. Equity and other investments were $37.8 billion and $36.3 billion as of September 30, 2026 and June 30, 2026, respectively. Our short-term investments are primarily intended to facilitate liquidity and capital preservation. They consist predominantly of highly liquid investment-grade fixed-income securities, diversified among industries and individual issuers. The investments are predominantly U.S. dollar-denominated securities, but also include foreign currency-denominated securities to diversify risk. Our fixed-income investments are exposed to interest rate risk and credit risk. The credit risk and average maturity of our fixed-income portfolio are managed to achieve economic returns that correlate to certain fixed-income indices. The settlement risk related to these investments is insignificant given that the short-term investments held are primarily highly liquid investment-grade fixed-income securities.

Previous wording

Cash from operations increased $34.0 billion to $127.5 billion for the nine months ended March 31, 2026, primarily due to an increase in cash received from customers and a decrease in cash used to pay income taxes, offset in part by an increase in cash paid to suppliers. Cash used in financing decreased $88 million to $40.8 billion for the nine months ended March 31, 2026, primarily due to a $6.0 billion decrease in cash used for repayments of debt, offset in part by a $3.8 billion increase in common stock repurchases and a $1.8 billion increase in dividends paid. Cash used in investing increased $42.6 billion to $84.7 billion for the nine months ended March 31, 2026, primarily due to a $32.7 billion increase in additions to property and equipment, a $9.1 billion increase in other investing primarily to facilitate the purchase of components, and a $3.8 billion decrease in cash from net investment purchases, sales, and maturities.

Current wording

Cash from operations increased $12.9 billion to $58.0 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2026, primarily due to an increase in cash received from customers and a decrease in cash used to pay income taxes, offset in part by an increase in cash paid to suppliers. Cash used in financing increased $4.8 billion to $16.6 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2026, primarily due to a $4.9 billion increase in cash used for repayments of debt. Cash used in investing increased $7.4 billion to $42.0 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2026, primarily due to a $20.0 billion increase in additions to property and equipment and a $6.7 billion increase in cash used in other investing primarily to facilitate the purchase of components, offset in part by a $19.1 billion increase in cash from net investment purchases, sales, and maturities.

Previous wording

For the nine months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, we repurchased 27 million shares and 23 million shares of our common stock for $13.3 billion and $9.8 billion, respectively, through our share repurchase program. All repurchases were made using cash resources. As of March 31, 2026, $44.0 billion remained of our $60 billion share repurchase program. Refer to Note 14 – Stockholders’ Equity of the Notes to Financial Statements (Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q).

Current wording

For the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, we repurchased 6 million shares and 8 million shares of our common stock for $2.9 billion and $4.0 billion, respectively, through our share repurchase program. All repurchases were made using cash resources. As of September 30, 2026, $37.7 billion remained of our $60 billion share repurchase program. Refer to Note 14 – Stockholders’ Equity of the Notes to Financial Statements (Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q).

Previous wording

For the nine months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, our Board of Directors declared dividends totaling $20.3 billion and $18.5 billion, respectively. We intend to continue returning capital to shareholders in the form of dividends, subject to declaration by our Board of Directors. Refer to Note 14 – Stockholders’ Equity of the Notes to Financial Statements (Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q).

Current wording

For the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, our Board of Directors declared dividends totaling $7.3 billion and $6.8 billion, respectively. We intend to continue returning capital to shareholders in the form of dividends, subject to declaration by our Board of Directors. Refer to Note 14 – Stockholders’ Equity of the Notes to Financial Statements (Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q).

Previous wording

We will continue to invest in sales, marketing, product support infrastructure, and existing and advanced areas of technology, as well as acquisitions that align with our business strategy. Additions to property and equipment will continue, including new facilities, datacenters, and computer systems for research and development, sales and marketing, support, and administrative staff. We will continue to invest in capital expenditures to support growth in our cloud offerings and our investments in AI infrastructure and training. We have operating and finance leases for datacenters, corporate offices, research and development facilities, and certain equipment. We have not engaged in any related party transactions or arrangements with unconsolidated entities or other persons that are reasonably likely to materially affect liquidity or the availability of capital resources.

Current wording

We will continue to invest in sales, marketing, product support infrastructure, and existing and advanced areas of technology, as well as acquisitions that align with our business strategy. Additions to property and equipment will continue, including new facilities, datacenters, and computer systems for research and development, sales and marketing, support, and administrative staff. We will continue to invest in capital expenditures to support growth in our cloud offerings and our investments in AI training and other infrastructure. We have operating and finance leases for datacenters and related infrastructure, servers and network equipment, corporate offices, and research and development facilities. We have not engaged in any related party transactions or arrangements with unconsolidated entities or other persons that are reasonably likely to materially affect liquidity or the availability of capital resources.

Previous wording

Our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with GAAP. Preparing consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses. Critical accounting estimates are those estimates that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and could have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We have critical accounting estimates in the areas of revenue recognition, impairment of investment securities, goodwill, research and development costs, legal and other contingencies, and income taxes.

Current wording

Our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with GAAP. Preparing consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses. Critical accounting estimates are those estimates that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and could have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We have critical accounting estimates in the areas of revenue recognition, measurement and impairment of investment securities, goodwill, research and development costs, legal and other contingencies, and income taxes.

Previous wording

Equity investments without readily determinable fair values are written down to fair value if a qualitative assessment indicates that the investment is impaired and the fair value of the investment is less than carrying value. We perform a qualitative assessment on a periodic basis. We are required to estimate the fair value of the investment to determine the amount of the impairment loss. Once an investment is determined to be impaired, an impairment charge is recorded in other income (expense), net.

Current wording

For equity investments accounted for under the measurement alternative, we evaluate whether observable changes in price have occurred in orderly transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. This determination requires judgment in evaluating whether transactions are orderly and whether the securities are comparable, including consideration of the rights and preferences of the securities, investor composition, and other relevant facts and circumstances. Equity investments without readily determinable fair values are written down to fair value if a qualitative assessment indicates that the investment is impaired and the fair value of the investment is less than carrying value. We perform a qualitative assessment on a periodic basis. We are required to estimate the fair value of the investment to determine the amount of the impairment loss. Once an investment is determined to be impaired, an impairment charge is recorded in other income (expense), net.

Previous wording

Application of the goodwill impairment test requires judgment, including the identification of reporting units, assignment of assets and liabilities to reporting units, assignment of goodwill to reporting units, and determination of the fair value of each reporting unit. The fair value of each reporting unit is estimated primarily through the use of a discounted cash flow methodology. This analysis requires significant judgments, including estimation of future cash flows, which is dependent on internal forecasts, estimation of the long-term rate of growth for our business, estimation of the useful life over which cash flows will occur, and determination of our weighted average cost of capital.

Current wording

Application of the goodwill impairment test requires judgment, including the identification of reporting units, assignment of assets and liabilities to reporting units, assignment of goodwill to reporting units, and determination of the fair value of each reporting unit. The fair value of each reporting unit is estimated primarily through the use of a discounted cash flow methodology. This analysis requires significant judgments, including estimation of future cash flows, which is dependent on internal forecasts, estimation of the long-term rate of growth for our business, the period over which cash flows are expected to be generated, and determination of our weighted average cost of capital.