In accordance with IFRS 3 “Business Combinations” scheduled amortisation is not taken on goodwill. Goodwill was subject to an impairment test.

This item principally included the goodwill from the acquisition of E+S Rückversicherung AG as well as from the acquisition of a 75% interest in Integra Insurance Solutions Limited.

For the purposes of the impairment test, the goodwill was allocated to the cash-generating units (CGUs) that represent the lowest level on which goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes. In the instances of goodwill recognised as at the balance sheet date, the CGUs are the respective business units / legal entities. The recoverable amount is established on the basis of the value in use, which is calculated using the discounted cash flow method. In this context, the detailed planning phase draws on the planning calculations of the CGUs / companies covering the next five years. These planning calculations represent the outcome of a detailed planning process in which all responsible members of management are involved. The subsequent perpetuity phase is guided by the profit margins and revenue growth rates that management believes can be sustainably generated. The capitalisation rate is based on the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) as well as growth rates that are considered realistic. The risk-free basic interest rate is determined, where possible, using corresponding yield curve data from the respective national banks. If this data cannot be obtained or can only be obtained with a disproportionately high effort, reference is made to the yields of the respective 30-year government bonds. The selection of the market risk premium is guided by the current recommendations of the Institute of Public Auditors in Germany (IDW). The beta factor is calculated for Hannover Rück SE on the basis of publicly accessible capital market data.

The following capitalisation rates and growth rates were recognised for the individual cash-generating units:

Sensitivity analyses were performed in which the capitalisation rates as well as material and value-influencing items of the relevant planning calculations (such as premium volumes, investment income or loss ratios) were varied. In this context it was established that in the event of changes in parameters within ranges that could reasonably occur, the values in use were in each case higher than the corresponding book values. Please see also our basic remarks in Section 3.1 “Summary of major accounting policies”.