Minority Interest: Definition, Types, and Examples

Mutual funds are a great investment option for those who want to diversify their portfolio and… Asset base management is a crucial aspect of financial planning that involves effectively managing… It is used when one company has a significant hold over the investee, with investor ownership ranging from 20%-50%.

Both majority and minority owners need to understand these dynamics when making financing and transaction choices. This shows how minority interest allows the portion of a subsidiary’s profit or loss attributable to non-controlling shareholders to be accurately reflected. Understanding minority interest helps assess the overall financial position and performance of group companies with partially owned subsidiaries.

  1. By recognizing the different types of minority interest and their implications, individuals can make informed investment decisions and assess the overall financial health of a company.
  2. Companies must consider various options to manage minority interest, such as buyouts, increasing dividends, issuing more shares, or creating joint ventures.
  3. When a controlling interest in a subsidiary is achieved, the consolidated method of accounting for share purchase is used.
  4. However, since the parent company (XYZ) does not own 100% of the subsidiary (ABC), XYZ’s income statement will specify the amount of net income that belongs to the minority shareholders.
  5. If one party has 100% ownership of a company, there is no non-controlling interest if no minority shareholders own a portion of the company’s equity.

In the private equity industry, firms specializing in minority investments obtain a non-controlling stake in a company’s equity in exchange for capital. For the purpose of this exercise, we will assume that the agreement is for a controlling interest of 90% in XYZ. Below is simplified financial information from XYZ’s balance sheet and income statement. Since control is obtained when the ownership percentage goes above 50%, investing 51% will guarantee control and will present less risk to capital compared to an investment of 100%.

However, it is also possible for a parent company to exert a controlling interest without a majority stake. This may be the case with variable interest entities that exert control through a contractual obligation rather than ownership. The minority interest is recorded under the business section on the balance sheet. Moreover, the net income attributable to the minority shareholders is also listed on the consolidated revenue statement.

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So while minority interest arises from the application of the equity method, it is generally not considered part of the parent company’s shareholders’ equity. Rather, minority interest exists as a separate line item on the consolidated balance sheet between liabilities and shareholders’ equity. Minority interest, also known as non-controlling interest, refers to the portion of a subsidiary’s equity that is not owned by the parent company.

What is Minority Interest and How to Calculate It?

Minority interests usually refer to the portion of a company or stock not held by the parent company, which holds the majority interest. With over 5 years of experience in the financial industry and insatiable curiosity, I bring complex financial topics to life in a way anyone can understand. My passion for educating others shines through in my approachable writing style. You can also use other key parameters on the Stock Screener to analyse stocks.

What is a Minority Interest?

In the realm of private equity, firms and investors who hold minority interests might be in a position to negotiate control rights. For instance, venture capitalists might seek to negotiate seats as a director on board in return for an investment in a start-up. One can also see that it’s not necessary to have a controlling interest/be a majority stakeholder to be able to achieve superior returns.

There has been debate around whether minority interest is a liability, equity, or something in between. Currently, accounting standards view it as part of consolidated equity, but shown separately because it belongs to non-controlling shareholders. Minority interest exists when a parent company has controlling ownership of a subsidiary, but does not have 100% ownership. It represents the claims on assets and earnings that belong to the non-controlling shareholders of the subsidiary.

Trust in a company’s management and existing moat works wonders and is practiced by the great Warren Buffett himself. Minority interests can have important implications in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate decision-making. Specifically, they can impact financial reporting, valuations, and deal structuring. Key regulations include FASB Statement 160 and IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements, which provide guidelines around presentation of minority interest on financial statements during consolidation. Although minority shareholders are responsible for some of these losses, the parent company will have to absorb them. This investment characterizes ownership stakes between 20% and 50% ownership.

Minority interest holders have limited control over the company’s operations and decision-making processes. However, their ownership stake can significantly impact the company’s consolidated shareholder’s equity. In this section, we will discuss the various ways to manage minority interest to optimize shareholder’s equity growth.

As a result, the inclusion of https://1investing.in/ in consolidated shareholder’s equity can distort the ROE calculation. For example, if a parent company owns 80% of a subsidiary and the subsidiary has total equity of $1 million, the parent company’s equity investment in the subsidiary would be $800,000 (80% of $1 million). Goodwill is an intangible asset that arises when a company acquires another company for a price that exceeds the fair value of its net assets.

Minority interest

However, if it does not own 100% of the subsidiary then it does not actually have claim to 100% of the financial performance, and whatever percentage it does NOT own must be subtracted as a liability. The best option for treating minority interest in consolidated financial statements depends on the specific circumstances of the acquisition. The proportional consolidation method is rarely used in practice but may be appropriate in certain circumstances. Hence, the main use of the minority interest is in valuation ratios, such as the Enterprise-Value-To-Sales (EV/Sales), Enterprise Multiple (EV/EBITDA), etc. Minority interest is accounted for differently depending on whether the parent company has a controlling interest in the subsidiary company or not. If the parent company has a controlling interest, the subsidiary company’s equity is consolidated into the parent company’s financial statements.

Company XYZ reports a consolidated net income of $435,500, yet the non controlling interest is 20% of net income, hence $87,100. The net income that is finally attributable to the company’s shareholders is $348,400. Also, non-controlling interest is reported as a liability on the consolidated statement of financial position, representing the percentage of ownership by minority shareholders. Under IFRS, however, it can be reported only in the equity section of the balance sheet.

This means that the consolidated shareholder’s equity includes both the parent company’s share in the subsidiary’s equity and the minority interest’s share in the subsidiary’s equity. If the subsidiary has a majority ownership in a subsidiary and the parent company holds a majority stake, the subsidiary will recognise the minority stake within its accounts. As such, there is not a great deal of guidance on treating minority interests. In addition, there is no consensus on how minority interests should be reported. When they appear, they are shown in two different places in a company’s financial statements.