the potential variability and limited predictability of the excluded items necessary for reconciliation such as acquisition/divestiture related items, restructuring charges, tax deduction variability, changes in fair value of non-qualified deferred compensation plan, and gains (losses) on the sale of strategic investments. For the same reasons, Synopsys is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information.
Synopsys’ management does not itself, nor does it suggest that investors should, consider such non-GAAP financial measures in isolation from, as superior to, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures are meant to supplement, and be viewed in conjunction with, the corresponding GAAP financial measures. Synopsys’ management believes presentation of non-GAAP financial measures, when shown in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provides useful information to investors allowing them to view financial and business trends relating to our financial condition and results of operations through the eyes of management. Synopsys’ management evaluates and makes decisions about our business operations using both GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP financial measures to help facilitate internal comparisons to Synopsys’ historical operating results and forecasted targets, planning and forecasting in subsequent periods and comparisons to competitors’ operating results.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2024, Synopsys began excluding gains (losses) on sale of strategic investments from non-GAAP financial measures and updated the definitions of acquisition/divestiture related items that Synopsys’ management does not consider reflective of its core business operations.
The following are descriptions of the adjustments made to reconcile non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures:
(i) Amortization of acquired intangible assets. We incur expenses from amortization of acquired intangible assets, which include, among other things, core/developed technology, customer relationships, contract rights, trademarks and trade names, and other intangibles related to acquisitions. We amortize the intangible assets over their estimated useful lives. We do not enter into acquisitions on a predictable cycle. The amount of an acquisition’s purchase price allocated to intangible assets and their estimated useful lives can vary significantly and are unique to each acquisition. We believe that the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the amortization of intangible assets provides investors and others with a consistent basis for comparison across accounting periods. We also exclude this item because such expenses are non-cash in nature and we believe the non-GAAP financial measures excluding this item provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our core operational performance and liquidity, and ability to invest in research and development and fund future acquisitions and capital expenditures.
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