($ in millions)
For the year ended December 31:
2019
2018
Yr.-to-Yr. Percent/ Margin Change*
Total consolidated expense and other (income)
$26,322
$25,594
2.8%
Non-operating adjustments
Amortization of acquired intangible assets
(764)
(437)
74.8
Acquisition-related charges
(409)
(16)
NM
Non-operating retirement related (costs)/income
(615)
(1,572)
(60.9)
Operating (non-GAAP) expense and other (income)
$24,533
$23,569
4.1%
Total consolidated expense-to-revenue ratio
34.1%
32.2%
2.0 pts.
Operating (non-GAAP) expense-to-revenue ratio
31.8%
29.6%
2.2 pts.

text: Total Expense and Other (Income)
text: * 2019 results were impacted by Red Hat purchase accounting and acquisition-related activity.
text: The following Red Hat-related expenses were included in 2019 total consolidated expense and other (income), with no corresponding expense in the prior-year: Red Hat operational spending, interest expense from debt issuances to fund the acquisition and other acquisition-related activity, including: amortization of acquired intangible assets, retention and legal and advisory fees associated with the transaction.
text: Total expense and other (income) increased 2.8 percent in 2019 versus the prior year primarily driven by higher spending including Red Hat operational spending and investments in software and systems innovation, higher interest expense, non-operating acquisition-related activity associated with the Red Hat transaction and lower IP income, partially offset by lower non-operating retirement-related costs, divesture-related activity (gains on divestitures and lower spending) and the effects of currency. Total operating (non-GAAP) expense and other (income) increased 4.1 percent year to year, driven primarily by the factors above excluding the higher non-operating acquisition related activity and lower non-operating retirement-related costs described above.

Questions:
question: What activity impacted the 2019 results?
answer: 2019 results were impacted by Red Hat purchase accounting and acquisition-related activity.
question: What expenses were included in 2019 total consolidated expenses and other (income)?
answer: Red Hat operational spending, interest expense from debt issuances to fund the acquisition and other acquisition-related activity, including: amortization of acquired intangible assets, retention and legal and advisory fees associated with the transaction.
question: What caused the increase in the total operating expenses?
answer: Total operating (non-GAAP) expense and other (income) increased 4.1 percent year to year, driven primarily by the factors above excluding the higher non-operating acquisition related activity and lower non-operating retirement-related costs described above.
question: What is the average of Total consolidated expense and other (income)?
answer: 25958
derivation: (26,322 + 25,594) / 2
scale: million
question: What is the increase / (decrease) in the Amortization of acquired intangible assets from 2018 to 2019?
answer: -327
derivation: -764 - ( -437)
scale: million
question: What is the increase / (decrease) in the Operating (non-GAAP) expense and other (income) from 2018 to 2019?
answer: 964
derivation: 24,533 - 23,569
scale: million