Asset Value

Question: One company holds shares of another and has the ability to apply significant influence so that the equity

method of accounting is appropriate. What reporting is made of an investment when the equity method is used?

What asset value is reported on the owner’s balance sheet and when is income recognized under this approach?

Answer: When applying the equity method, the investor does not wait until dividends are received to recognize

profit from its investment. Because of the close relationship, the investor reports income as it is earned by the

investee. If, for example, a company reports net income of $100,000, an investor holding a 40 percent ownership

immediately records an increase in its own income of $40,000 ($100,000 × 40 percent). In recording this income,

the investor also increases its investment account by $40,000 to reflect the growth in the size of the investee company.

Income is recognized by the investor immediately as it is earned by the investee. Thus, it cannot be reported again

when a subsequent dividend is collected. That would double-count the impact. Income must be recognized either

when earned by the investee or when later distributed to the investor, but not at both times. The equity method uses

the earlier date rather than the latter. Eventual payment of a dividend shrinks the size of the investee company.

Thus, the investor decreases the investment account when a dividend is received if the equity method is applied.

No additional income is recorded.

Companies are also allowed to report such investments as if they were trading securities. However, few have opted

to make this election. If chosen, the investment is reported at fair value despite the degree of ownership with gains

and losses in the change of fair value reported in net income.