.Analysis of Property, Plant and Equipment
Difficulty: Advanced
Property, Plant and Equipment Accounting Policy
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets or, when applicable, the life of the lease related to leasehold improvements, whichever is shorter.
Building Construction-in-progress
Building construction-in-progress is associated with the construction of an office building in the Netherlands and is included in "Property and equipment, net" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2017 and 2016. Depreciation of the building and its related components will commence once it is ready for Booking Holdings' use.
Website and Internal-use Software Capitalization
Certain direct development costs associated with website and internal-use software are capitalized and include external direct costs of services and payroll costs for employees devoting time to the software projects principally related to website and mobile app development, including support systems, software coding, designing system interfaces and installation and testing of the software. These costs are recorded as property and equipment and are generally amortized over a period of two to five years beginning when the asset is substantially ready for use. Costs incurred for enhancements that are expected to result in additional features or functionalities are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the enhancements. Costs incurred during the preliminary project stage, as well as maintenance and training costs, are expensed as incurred. Additions to capitalized costs during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 were $80.4 million, $54.2 million and $44.2 million, respectively.
Source: Booking Holdings Inc., Annual Report
Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure
Booking Holdings Inc., Statement of Financial Position, Property, Plant and Equipment
USD $ in thousands
| Dec 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Dec 31, 2014 | Dec 31, 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Computer equipment and software | |||||
| | Leasehold improvements | |||||
| | Office equipment, furniture and fixtures | |||||
| | Building construction-in-progress | |||||
| | Property and equipment, gross | |||||
| | Accumulated depreciation | |||||
| | Property and equipment, net |
Source: Based on data from Booking Holdings Inc. Annual Reports
| Item | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Leasehold improvements | Carrying amount at the balance sheet date of long-lived, depreciable asset that is an addition or improvement to assets held under lease arrangement. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s leasehold improvements increased from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2017. |
| Building construction-in-progress | Carrying amount at the balance sheet date of long-lived asset under construction that include construction costs to date on capital projects that have not been completed and assets being constructed that are not ready to be placed into service. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s building construction-in-progress increased from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2017. |
| Property and equipment, gross | Carrying amount at the balance sheet date for long-lived physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. This can include land, physical structures, machinery, vehicles, furniture, computer equipment, construction in progress, and similar items. Amount does not include depreciation. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s property and equipment, gross increased from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2017. |
| Property and equipment, net | Tangible assets that are held by an entity for use in the production or supply of goods and services, for rental to others, or for administrative purposes and that are expected to provide economic benefit for more than one year; net of accumulated depreciation. Examples include land, buildings, and production equipment. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s property and equipment, net increased from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2017. |
Property, Plant and Equipment Ratios (Summary)
Booking Holdings Inc., Property, Plant and Equipment Ratios
| Dec 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Dec 31, 2014 | Dec 31, 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Average age | % | % | % | % | % |
| | Estimated total useful life (years) | |||||
| | Estimated age, time elapsed since purchase (years) | |||||
| | Estimated remaining life (years) |
| Ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Average age | As long as straight-line depreciation is used, this is an accurate estimate of asset age as a percentage of depreciable life. The relative age is a useful measure of whether the company's fixed asset base is old or new. Newer assets are likely to be more efficient. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s average age of depreciable property, plant and equipment deteriorated from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2017. |
| Estimated total useful life | Over longer time periods, this ratio is a useful measure of company's depreciation policy and can be used for comparisons with competitors. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s estimated total useful life of depreciable property, plant and equipment declined from 2015 to 2016 but then increased from 2016 to 2017 exceeding 2015 level. |
| Estimated time elapsed since purchase | The approximate age in years of a company's fixed assets. Useful for comparison purposes. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s estimated time elapsed since purchase of depreciable property, plant and equipment improved from 2015 to 2016 but then deteriorated significantly from 2016 to 2017. |
| Estimated remaining life | Booking Holdings Inc.'s estimated remaining life of depreciable property, plant and equipment declined from 2015 to 2016 but then slightly increased from 2016 to 2017. |
Average Age
| Dec 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Dec 31, 2014 | Dec 31, 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (USD $ in thousands) | ||||||
| | Accumulated depreciation | |||||
| | Property and equipment, gross | |||||
| Ratio | ||||||
| | Average age1 | % | % | % | % | % |
2017 Calculations
1 Average age = 100 × Accumulated depreciation ÷ Property and equipment, gross
= 100 × ÷ = %
| Ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Average age | As long as straight-line depreciation is used, this is an accurate estimate of asset age as a percentage of depreciable life. The relative age is a useful measure of whether the company's fixed asset base is old or new. Newer assets are likely to be more efficient. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s average age of depreciable property, plant and equipment deteriorated from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2017. |
Estimated Total Useful Life
| Dec 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Dec 31, 2014 | Dec 31, 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (USD $ in thousands) | ||||||
| | Property and equipment, gross | |||||
| | Depreciation expense | |||||
| Ratio | ||||||
| | Estimated total useful life (years)1 | |||||
2017 Calculations
1 Estimated total useful life (years) = Property and equipment, gross ÷ Depreciation expense
= ÷ =
| Ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated total useful life | Over longer time periods, this ratio is a useful measure of company's depreciation policy and can be used for comparisons with competitors. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s estimated total useful life of depreciable property, plant and equipment declined from 2015 to 2016 but then increased from 2016 to 2017 exceeding 2015 level. |
Estimated Age, Time Elapsed Since Purchase
| Dec 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Dec 31, 2014 | Dec 31, 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (USD $ in thousands) | ||||||
| | Accumulated depreciation | |||||
| | Depreciation expense | |||||
| Ratio | ||||||
| | Time elapsed since purchase (years)1 | |||||
2017 Calculations
1 Time elapsed since purchase (years) = Accumulated depreciation ÷ Depreciation expense
= ÷ =
| Ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated time elapsed since purchase | The approximate age in years of a company's fixed assets. Useful for comparison purposes. | Booking Holdings Inc.'s estimated time elapsed since purchase of depreciable property, plant and equipment improved from 2015 to 2016 but then deteriorated significantly from 2016 to 2017. |
Estimated Remaining Life
| Dec 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Dec 31, 2014 | Dec 31, 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (USD $ in thousands) | ||||||
| | Property and equipment, net | |||||
| | Depreciation expense | |||||
| Ratio | ||||||
| | Estimated remaining life (years)1 | |||||
2017 Calculations
1 Estimated remaining life (years) = Property and equipment, net ÷ Depreciation expense
= ÷ =
| Ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated remaining life | Booking Holdings Inc.'s estimated remaining life of depreciable property, plant and equipment declined from 2015 to 2016 but then slightly increased from 2016 to 2017. |
