Item 1A. Risk Factors
We operate in a rapidly changing economic and technological environment that presents numerous risks, many of which are driven by factors that we cannot control or predict. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be impacted by a number of factors. In addition to the factors discussed elsewhere in this report, the following risks and uncertainties could materially harm our business, financial condition or results of operations, including causing our actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. The following list of significant risk factors is not all-inclusive or necessarily in order of importance. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial, also may materially adversely affect us in future periods. You should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties before investing in our securities.
Risks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy
Business and economic conditions, including disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, have adversely impacted, and may, either alone or in combination with other risks, in the future adversely impact, our business, results of operations and financial condition, the nature and extent of which are uncertain and unpredictable.
Our operations expose us to risks from business interruptions that may arise from a variety of sources, including public health crises and outbreaks of diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants, supply chain
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disruptions, trade and tariff disputes and global conflicts, that can, singly or in combination with other factors, adversely affect our business and financial results. We experienced a sustained decline in elective surgical procedures globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated effects, including deferrals of elective surgical procedures and staffing shortages at hospitals. Surgical volumes generally recovered over the course of 2022, but may return to lower levels due to future COVID-19 variants and resurgences.
We continue to experience risks and uncertainty in several aspects of our business including relating to global, regional and national supply chain disruption; dynamic economic conditions; foreign exchange rate volatility; inflation; workforce availability changes; healthcare staffing challenges and changes in government spending. We expect several of these factors to continue, and there can be no assurance that we will successfully manage these risks without adverse impacts to our business or financial results.
The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated that the occurrence of one risk can have unpredictable effects on other risks, such as we experienced with supply chain disruptions connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. The occurrence of any one or more risks described in these Risk Factors or otherwise may have unpredictable effects on other risks, our business, operations or financial results which may be comparable to, or more adverse than, those we experienced in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we are also at risk from business and other risks and uncertainties, either alone or in combination with other risk factors.
Our restructuring programs may not be successful or we may not fully realize the expected cost savings and/or operating efficiencies from our restructuring initiatives.
In December 2019, our Board of Directors approved, and we initiated, a global restructuring program (the “2019 Restructuring Plan”) with an objective of reducing costs to allow us to further invest in higher priority growth opportunities, which is ongoing. In December 2021, our management also initiated a global restructuring program (the “2021 Restructuring Plan”) to further reduce costs and to reorganize our global operations in preparation for the spinoff of ZimVie. Restructuring initiatives involve complex plans and actions that may include, or result in, workforce reductions, global plant closures and/or consolidations, product portfolio rationalizations and asset impairments. Additionally, as a result of restructuring initiatives, we may experience a loss of continuity, loss of accumulated knowledge and/or inefficiencies during transitional periods. Restructuring initiatives present significant risks that may impair our ability to achieve anticipated operating enhancements and/or cost reductions, or otherwise harm our business, including higher than anticipated costs in implementing our restructuring programs, as well as management distraction. For more information on our restructuring programs, see Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements. If we fail to achieve some or all of the expected benefits of restructuring, it could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our success largely depends on our ability to attract, retain, develop and motivate our human capital, including our senior management, and on our ability to have meaningful succession plans in place to prepare for foreseen and unforeseen changes.
Our future performance depends, in large part, on the continued skills, experiences, competencies and services of our senior management and other key talent, including our ability to attract, retain, develop and motivate our highly skilled employees, senior management, independent agents and distributors. Competition for talent in our business is significant. Our ability to attract and retain key talent, in particular senior management, is dependent on a number of factors, including prevailing market conditions, our ability to offer competitive compensation packages and our ability to be perceived as a preferred place to work. Effective succession planning is also important to our long-term success; failure to ensure effective transfer of knowledge and orderly transitions involving key employees could hinder our business.
We may not be able to effectively integrate acquired businesses into our operations or achieve expected cost savings or profitability from our acquisitions.
Our acquisitions involve numerous risks, including:
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unforeseen difficulties in integrating personnel and sales forces, operations, manufacturing, logistics, research and development, information technology, compliance, vendor management, communications, purchasing, accounting, marketing, administration and other systems and processes;
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difficulties harmonizing and optimizing quality systems and operations;
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diversion of financial and management resources from existing operations;
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unforeseen difficulties related to entering geographic regions or markets where we do not have prior experience;
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potential loss of key employees;
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unforeseen risks and liabilities associated with businesses acquired, including any unknown vulnerabilities in acquired technology or compromises of acquired data; and/or
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inability to generate sufficient revenue or realize sufficient cost savings to offset acquisition or investment costs.
As a result, if we fail to evaluate and execute acquisitions properly, we might not achieve the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions, and we may incur costs in excess of what we anticipate. These risks would likely be greater in the case of larger acquisitions.
Interruption of manufacturing operations could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We and our third-party manufacturers have manufacturing sites all over the world. In some instances, however, the manufacturing of certain of our product lines is concentrated in one or more plants, some of which plants are geographically concentrated. Damage to one or more facilities from weather or natural disaster-related events, vulnerabilities in technology, cyber-attacks against our information systems or the information systems of our business partners (such as ransomware attacks), or issues in manufacturing arising from failure to follow specific internal protocols and procedures, compliance concerns relating to the Quality System Regulation (“QSR”) and Good Manufacturing Practice requirements, equipment breakdown or malfunction, reductions in operations and/or worker absences, trade impediments or other factors could adversely affect the ability to manufacture our products. In the event of an interruption in manufacturing, we may be unable to move quickly to alternate means of producing affected products or to meet customer demand. We have experienced such interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we may experience such interruptions in the future due to the pandemic or otherwise. In the event of a significant interruption, for example, as a result of a failure to follow regulatory protocols and procedures, we may experience lengthy delays in resuming production of affected products due primarily to the need for regulatory approvals. The global supply chain has been and continues to be negatively impacted by COVID-19 and a variety of other macro factors which has, in part, resulted in challenges to meet end market demand in some instances. We expect similar challenges in 2023. As a result, we may experience loss of market share, which we may be unable to recapture, and harm to our reputation, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Disruptions in the supply of the materials and components used in manufacturing our products or the sterilization of our products by third-party suppliers could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We purchase many of the materials and components used in manufacturing our products from third-party suppliers, and we outsource some key manufacturing activities. Certain of these materials and components and outsourced activities can only be obtained from a single source or a limited number of sources due to quality considerations, expertise, costs or constraints resulting from regulatory requirements. In certain cases, we may not be able to establish additional or replacement suppliers for such materials or components or outsourced activities in a timely or cost effective manner, due to market constraints or as a result of FDA and other worldwide regulations that require validation of materials and components prior to their use in our products and the complex nature of our and many of our suppliers' manufacturing processes and the need for clearance or approval of significant changes by worldwide regulatory bodies prior to implementation. A reduction or interruption in the supply of materials or components used in manufacturing our products, such as due to one or more suppliers experiencing reductions in operations and/or worker absences due to a pandemic or otherwise; an inability to timely develop and validate alternative sources if required; or a significant increase in the price of such materials or components could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, many of our products require sterilization prior to sale, and we utilize a mix of internal resources and contract sterilizers to perform this service. To the extent we or our contract sterilizers are unable to sterilize our products, whether due to capacity, availability of materials for sterilization, regulatory or other constraints, including federal and state regulations on the use of ethylene oxide, or reductions in operations and/or worker absences due to the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise, we may be unable to transition to other contract sterilizers, sterilizer locations or sterilization methods in a timely or cost effective manner or at all, which could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial condition.
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Moreover, we are subject to the SEC’s rule regarding disclosure of the use of certain minerals, known as “conflict minerals” (tantalum, tin and tungsten (or their ores) and gold), which are mined from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries. This rule could adversely affect the sourcing, availability and pricing of materials used in the manufacture of our products, which could adversely affect our manufacturing operations and our profitability. In addition, we are incurring additional costs to comply with this rule, including costs related to determining the source of any relevant minerals, metals and other materials used in our products. We have a complex supply chain, and we may not be able to sufficiently verify the origins of the minerals and metals used in our products through our due diligence procedures. As a result, we may face reputational challenges with our customers and other stakeholders.
We are increasingly dependent on sophisticated information technology and if we fail to effectively maintain or protect our information systems or data, including from data breaches, our business could be adversely affected.
We are increasingly dependent on sophisticated information technology for our products and infrastructure. As a result of technology initiatives, expanding and evolving privacy and cybersecurity laws, changes in our system platforms and integration of new business acquisitions, we have been consolidating and integrating the number of systems we operate and have upgraded and expanded our information systems capabilities. In addition, some of our products and services incorporate software or information technology that collects data regarding patients and patient therapy, and some software and other products we provide to customers connect to our systems for maintenance and other purposes. We also have outsourced elements of our operations to third parties, and, as a result, we manage a number of third-party suppliers who may or could have access to our confidential information, including, but not limited to, intellectual property, proprietary business information and personal information of patients, employees and customers (collectively “Confidential Information”).
Our information systems, and those of third-party suppliers with whom we contract, require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain, protect and enhance existing systems and develop new systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information technology, evolving systems and regulatory standards, changing threats and vulnerabilities, and the increasing need to protect patient and customer information. In addition, given their size and complexity, these systems could be vulnerable to service interruptions or to security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees, third-party vendors and/or business partners, or from cyber-attacks by malicious third parties attempting to gain unauthorized access to our products, systems or Confidential Information.
Like other large multi-national corporations, we have experienced instances of successful phishing attacks on our email systems and expect to be subject to similar attacks in the future. We also are subject to other cyber-attacks, including state-sponsored cyber-attacks, industrial espionage, insider threats, computer denial-of-service attacks, computer viruses, ransomware and other malware, payment fraud or other cyber incidents. In addition, as a result of our adoption of remote work arrangements in many positions, a significant number of our employees who are able to work remotely are doing so, and malicious cyber actors may increase malware campaigns and phishing emails targeting teleworkers, which exposes us to additional cybersecurity risks. Our incident response efforts, business continuity procedures and disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient for all eventualities. If we fail to maintain or protect our information systems and data integrity effectively, we could:
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lose existing customers, vendors and business partners;
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have difficulty attracting new customers;
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have problems in determining product cost estimates and establishing appropriate pricing;
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suffer outages or disruptions in our operations or supply chain;
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have difficulty preventing, detecting, and controlling fraud;
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have disputes with customers, physicians, and other healthcare professionals;
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have regulatory sanctions or penalties imposed;
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incur increased operating expenses;
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be subject to issues with product functionality that may result in a loss of data, risk to patient safety, field actions and/or product recalls;
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incur expenses or lose revenues as a result of a data privacy breach; or
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suffer other adverse consequences.
While we have invested heavily in the protection of our data and information technology, there can be no assurance that our activities related to consolidating the number of systems we operate, upgrading and expanding our information systems capabilities, protecting and enhancing our systems and implementing new systems will be
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successful. We will continue to dedicate significant resources to protect against unauthorized access to our systems and work with government authorities to detect and reduce the risk of future cyber incidents; however, cyber-attacks are becoming more sophisticated, frequent and adaptive. Therefore, despite our efforts, we cannot assure that cyber-attacks or data breaches will not occur or that systems issues will not arise in the future. Any significant breakdown, intrusion, breach, interruption, corruption or destruction of these systems could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation and could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Our success depends on our ability to effectively develop and market our products against those of our competitors.
We operate in a highly competitive environment. Our present or future products could be rendered obsolete or uneconomical by technological advances by one or more of our present or future competitors or by other therapies, including biological therapies. To remain competitive, we must continue to develop and acquire new products and technologies and improve existing products and technologies. Competition is primarily on the basis of technology, innovation, quality, reputation, customer service and pricing. In markets outside of the U.S., other factors influence competition as well, including local distribution systems, complex regulatory environments and differing medical philosophies and product preferences. Our competition may have greater financial, marketing and other resources than us; respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies; undertake more extensive marketing campaigns; operate more effective sales and distribution channels; adopt more aggressive pricing policies; or be more successful in attracting potential customers, employees and strategic partners. Any of these factors, alone or in combination, could cause us to have difficulty maintaining or increasing sales of our products.
If we fail to retain the employees, independent agents and distributors upon whom we rely heavily to market our products, customers may not buy our products and our revenue and profitability may decline.
Our marketing success in the U.S. and abroad depends significantly upon our employees’, agents’ and distributors’ sales and service expertise in the marketplace. Many of these agents have developed professional relationships with existing and potential customers because of the agents’ detailed knowledge of products and instruments. A loss of a significant number of our agents could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
If we do not introduce new products in a timely manner, our products may become obsolete over time, customers may not buy our products and our revenue and profitability may decline.
Demand for our products may change, in certain cases, in ways we may not anticipate because of evolving customer needs, changing demographics, slowing industry growth rates, declines in the musculoskeletal implant market, the introduction of new products and technologies and evolving surgical philosophies and industry standards.
Without the timely introduction of new products and enhancements, our products may become obsolete over time. If that happens, our revenue and operating results would suffer. The success of our new product offerings will depend on several factors, including our ability to properly identify and anticipate customer needs; commercialize new products in a timely manner; manufacture and deliver instruments and products in sufficient volumes on time; differentiate our offerings from competitors’ offerings; achieve positive clinical outcomes for new products; satisfy the increased demands by healthcare payors, providers and patients for shorter hospital stays, faster post-operative recovery and lower-cost procedures; innovate and develop new materials, product designs and surgical techniques; and provide adequate medical education relating to new products.
In addition, new materials, product designs and surgical techniques that we develop may not be accepted quickly, in some or all markets, because of, among other factors, entrenched patterns of clinical practice, the need for regulatory clearance and uncertainty with respect to third-party reimbursement.
Moreover, innovations generally require a substantial investment in research and development before we can determine their commercial viability, and we may not have the financial resources necessary to fund the research, development and production. In addition, even if we are able to successfully develop enhancements or new generations of our products, these enhancements or new generations of products may not produce revenue in excess of the costs of development and they may be quickly rendered obsolete by changing customer preferences or the introduction by our competitors of products embodying new technologies or features.
If third-party payors decline to reimburse our customers for our products or reduce reimbursement levels, the demand for our products may decline and our ability to sell our products profitably may be harmed. In addition,
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we are subject to cost containment measures in the United States and other countries, resulting in pricing pressures, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and cash flows.
We sell our products and services to hospitals, doctors and other healthcare providers, which receive reimbursement for the healthcare services provided to their patients from third-party payors, such as domestic and international government programs, private insurance plans and managed care programs. These third-party payors may deny reimbursement if they determine that a product or service used in a procedure was not in accordance with cost-effective treatment methods, as determined by the third-party payor, or was used for an unapproved indication. Third-party payors may also decline to reimburse for experimental procedures and products. In addition, third-party payors are increasingly attempting to contain healthcare costs by limiting both coverage and the level of reimbursement for medical products and services. If third-party payors deny or decline reimbursement, reduce reimbursement levels or change reimbursement models for our products, demand for our products may decline, or we may experience increased pressure to reduce the prices of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our sales and results of operations.
Many customers for our products have formed group purchasing organizations in an effort to contain costs. Group purchasing organizations negotiate pricing arrangements with medical supply manufacturers and distributors, and these negotiated prices are made available to a group purchasing organization’s affiliated hospitals and other members. If we are not one of the providers selected by a group purchasing organization, affiliated hospitals and other members may be less likely to purchase our products, and, if the group purchasing organization has negotiated a strict compliance contract for another manufacturer’s products, we may be precluded from making sales to members of the group purchasing organization for the duration of the contractual arrangement. Our failure to respond to the cost-containment efforts of group purchasing organizations may cause us to lose market share to our competitors and could have a material adverse effect on our sales and results of operations.
Initiatives to limit the growth of general healthcare expenses and hospital costs are ongoing in the markets in which we do business, and we have experienced downward pressure on product pricing and other effects of healthcare reform in our international markets. These initiatives are sponsored by government agencies, legislative bodies and the private sector and include price regulation and competitive pricing. For example, China has implemented a volume-based procurement (“VBP”) process designed to reduce medical spending, which has in the past resulted in, and could in the future result in, reduced margins on covered devices and products, required renegotiation of distributor arrangements, and incurrence of inventory-related charges. In cases where our product is not selected in VBP, sales of that product are substantially impacted. Pricing pressure has also increased due to continued consolidation among healthcare providers, trends toward managed care, the shift toward governments becoming the primary payors of healthcare expenses, reductions in reimbursement levels and government laws and regulations relating to reimbursement and pricing generally. If key participants in government healthcare systems reduce the reimbursement levels for our products, including through political changes or transitions, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be adversely affected.
Financial, Credit and Liquidity Risks
We incurred substantial additional indebtedness in connection with previous mergers and acquisitions and may not be able to meet all of our debt obligations, and interest rate risk could adversely affect our indebtedness.
We incurred substantial additional indebtedness in connection with previous mergers and acquisitions. At December 31, 2022, our total indebtedness was $5.7 billion. As of December 31, 2022, our debt service principal obligations (excluding interest, leases and equipment notes), during the next 12 months are expected to be $0.5 billion. As a result of the increase in our debt, demands on our cash resources have increased. The increased level of debt could, among other things:
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require us to dedicate a large portion of our cash flow from operations to the servicing and repayment of our debt, thereby reducing funds available for working capital, capital expenditures, research and development expenditures and other general corporate requirements;
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limit our ability to obtain additional financing to fund future working capital, capital expenditures, research and development expenditures and other general corporate requirements;
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limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate;
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restrict our ability to make strategic acquisitions or dispositions or to exploit business opportunities;
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place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt;
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adversely affect our credit rating, with the result that the cost of servicing our indebtedness might increase and our ability to obtain surety bonds could be impaired;
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adversely affect the market price of our common stock; and
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limit our ability to apply proceeds from a future offering or asset sale to purposes other than the servicing and repayment of debt.
In addition, the interest rates applicable to certain of our debt obligations are based on a fluctuating rate of interest determined by reference to the Secure Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) or the rate of interest last quoted by The Wall Street Journal as the “Prime Rate” in the United States. Any increase in interest rates applicable to our debt obligations would increase our cost of borrowing and could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
We may have additional tax liabilities.
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and many foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We are regularly under audit by tax authorities. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of tax audits and any related litigation could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. The results of an audit or litigation could have a material effect on our financial statements in the period or periods for which that determination is made.
Proposed changes in tax laws in countries in which we do business, if enacted, could lead to changes in tax laws that could negatively impact our effective tax rate.
Changes in the tax laws and regulations of the jurisdictions where we do business, including an increase in tax rates or an adverse change in the treatment of an item of income or expense, could result in a material increase in our tax expense and/or tax payments, could increase tax uncertainty and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
For example, changes in the tax laws of foreign jurisdictions are expected to occur as a result of pillar two of the base erosion and profit shifting plan (“Pillar Two”) undertaken by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which would require profits earned in jurisdictions in which we operate to be subject to a minimum 15 percent income tax rate. In December 2022, the European Union Council established effective dates of January 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025 for different aspects of Pillar Two. We are continuing to evaluate the potential impact on future periods of the Pillar Two, pending legislative adoption by additional individual countries, including those within the European Union.
The spinoff of ZimVie Inc. and the divestiture of our retained interest in ZimVie Inc. could result in substantial tax liability.
We obtained Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) rulings and an opinion as to the tax-free nature of the spinoff under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. We subsequently obtained supplemental IRS rulings as to the tax-free nature of our divestiture of retained shares of ZimVie common stock following the spinoff, which divestiture completed in February 2023. The IRS rulings and opinion are based, among other things, on various factual assumptions and representations we made. If any of these assumptions or representations are, or become, inaccurate or incomplete, reliance on the opinion and rulings may be jeopardized. If the spinoff, or the subsequent divestiture of our retained interest in ZimVie, does not qualify for tax-free treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the resulting tax liability to us, to our stockholders and to ZimVie stockholders could be substantial.
If our independent agents and distributors are characterized as employees, we would be subject to additional tax and other liabilities.
We structure our relationships with independent agents and distributors in a manner that we believe results in an independent contractor relationship, not an employee relationship. Although we believe that our independent agents and distributors are properly characterized as independent contractors, tax or other regulatory authorities may in the future challenge our characterization of these relationships. Further, we have been subject to lawsuits challenging
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the characterization of these relationships. Changes in classification from independent contractor to employee can result in a change to various requirements associated with the payment of wages, tax withholding, and the provision of unemployment, health, and other traditional employer-employee related benefits. If regulatory authorities or state, federal or foreign courts were to determine our independent agents or distributors are employees, and not independent contractors, we would be required to withhold income taxes, to withhold and pay social security, Medicare and similar taxes and to pay unemployment and other related payroll taxes. We would also be liable for unpaid past taxes and subject to penalties. As a result, any determination that our independent agents and distributors are our employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Future material impairments in the carrying value of our intangible assets, including goodwill, would negatively affect our operating results.
Goodwill and intangible assets represent a significant portion of our assets. At December 31, 2022, we had $8.6 billion in goodwill and $5.1 billion of intangible assets. The goodwill results from our acquisition activity and represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the fair value of the net assets acquired. We assess at least annually whether events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of our intangible assets may not be recoverable. As discussed further in Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements, in the fourth quarter of 2022, we recorded goodwill impairment charges of $289.8 million as a result of, among other factors, changes in foreign currency exchange rates in our European-based currencies, inflation and a higher interest rate environment; in the first quarter of 2020, we recorded goodwill impairment charges of $470.0 million as a result of the adverse impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and a change in our reportable segments; and in the second quarter of 2022 and 2021, we recorded $3.0 million and $16.3 million, respectively, of in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) intangible asset impairments on certain IPR&D projects. If the operating performance at one or more of our reporting units falls significantly below current levels, including if elective surgical procedures return to lower levels due to a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise, if competing or alternative technologies emerge, if market conditions or future cash flow estimates for one or more of our businesses decline, or as a result of restructuring initiatives pursuant to which we reorganize our reporting units, we could be required to record additional impairment charges. Any write-off of a material portion of our goodwill or unamortized intangible assets would negatively affect our results of operations.
Global Operational Risks
We conduct a significant amount of our sales activity outside of the U.S., which subjects us to additional business risks and may cause our profitability to decline due to increased costs.
We sell our products in more than 100 countries and derived approximately 42 percent of our net sales in 2022 from outside the U.S. We intend to continue to pursue growth opportunities in sales internationally, including in emerging markets, which could expose us to additional risks associated with international sales and operations. Our international operations are, and will continue to be, subject to a number of risks and potential costs, including:
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changes in foreign medical reimbursement policies and programs;
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differences in and changes to foreign regulatory requirements, such as more stringent requirements for regulatory clearance of products;
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differing local product preferences and product requirements;
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fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;
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the effects of inflation, including the effects of different rates of inflation in different countries, on our costs and the costs of our products;
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diminished protection of intellectual property in some countries outside of the U.S.;
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trade protection measures, import or export requirements, new or increased tariffs, trade embargoes and sanctions and other trade barriers, which may prevent us from shipping products to or receiving products from a particular market, restrict our access to certain sources of raw materials and other inputs, increase our operating costs and disrupt our ability to collect payment for our products and services in particular markets;
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foreign exchange controls that might prevent us from repatriating cash earned in countries outside the U.S.;
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complex data privacy and cybersecurity requirements and labor relations laws;
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extraterritorial effects of U.S. laws such as the FCPA;
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effects of foreign anti-corruption laws, such as the UK Bribery Act;
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difficulty in staffing and managing foreign operations;
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labor force instability;
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potentially negative consequences from changes in tax laws; and
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political, social and economic instability and uncertainty, including wars, other conflict and sovereign debt issues.
Violations of foreign laws or regulations could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, prohibitions on the conduct of our business and damage to our reputation.
Wars and other conflicts may increase certain of these risks and may adversely affect our business and financial performance, including by limiting our ability to operate in, or export from, certain markets. Losing access to such markets or exports may have a material adverse effect on our business in the affected market and may limit our ability to operate some of our businesses globally.
We anticipate that the effects of emerging, expanding and new conflicts, such as a possible expansion of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict or a conflict involving China and Taiwan, would not be limited to the specific markets involved. For example, the U.S. and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia, certain of its governmental bodies, certain businesses and certain individuals due to the invasion of Ukraine, and additional sanctions may continue to be imposed. Similar sanctions could be expected to emerge from other conflicts. Sanctions, and other civil, political and economic effects of such conflicts may have adverse impacts globally, including supply chain continuity disruption; inflationary pressures and increased costs of raw materials and inputs; manufacturing or shipping delays; increased shipping costs; inability to ship products to or from certain countries potentially resulting in an inability to sell certain products globally; and increased disruptions and delays on our ability to collect payment for our products and services in particular markets. While Russia and Ukraine do not constitute material portions of our business, a significant escalation or expansion of economic disruption or of the conflict’s current scope, or the emergence of new conflicts involving other countries, could adversely affect our results of operations.
We are subject to risks arising from currency exchange rate fluctuations, which can increase our costs, cause our profitability to decline and expose us to counterparty risks.
A substantial portion of our foreign revenues is generated in Europe and Japan. The U.S. Dollar value of our foreign-generated revenues varies with currency exchange rate fluctuations. Significant increases in the value of the U.S. Dollar relative to the Euro, the Japanese Yen, the Swiss Franc or other currencies could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Although we address currency risk management through regular operating and financing activities, and, on a limited basis, through the use of derivative financial instruments, those actions may not prove to be fully effective or may create additional financial obligations for us. Further, if the counterparties to the derivative financial instrument transactions fail to honor their obligations due to financial distress or otherwise, we would be exposed to potential losses or the inability to recover anticipated gains from those transactions.
Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks
We are subject to costly and complex laws and governmental regulations relating to the development, design, product standards, packaging, advertising, promotion, postmarket surveillance,manufacturing, labeling and marketing of our products, non-compliance with which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our global regulatory environment is increasingly stringent, unpredictable and complex. The products we design, develop, manufacture and market are subject to rigorous regulation by the FDA and numerous other supranational, national, federal, regional, state and local governmental authorities. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and clearances to market these products can be costly and time consuming and approvals might not be granted for future products on a timely basis, if at all. Delays in receipt of, or failure to obtain, approvals for future products, or loss of approval for current products, could result in delayed realization of product revenues or in substantial additional costs.
Both before and after a product is commercially released, we have ongoing responsibilities under FDA regulations and other supranational, national, federal, regional, state and local requirements globally. These requirements relate to quality systems, recordkeeping, labeling, promotional requirements, adverse event reporting regulations and other matters, which are subject to continual review and are monitored rigorously through periodic inspections by regulators, which may result in observations (such as on FDA Form 483), and in some cases warning letters, that
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require corrective action, or other forms of enforcement. Furthermore, regulators strictly regulate the promotional claims that we may make about approved or cleared products.
In the EU, for example, the EU MDR became effective in May 2021 and includes significant additional premarket and post-market requirements. Complying with the requirements of this regulation requires us to incur significant expense. Additionally, the availability of recognized European notified body services certified to the new EU MDR requirements is limited, which may delay the marketing approval for some of our products under the EU MDR.
If a regulator were to conclude that we are not in compliance with applicable laws or regulations, that any of our products are ineffective or pose an unreasonable health risk, or that we have marketed or promoted a product for use other than as indicated in labelling approved by the regulator, the regulator could ban such products; detain or seize adulterated or misbranded products; order a recall, repair, replacement, or refund of payment of such products; refuse to grant pending premarket approval applications; refuse to provide certificates for exports; require us to notify healthcare professionals and others that the products present unreasonable risks of substantial harm to the public health; and subject us to fines, injunctions or other penalties. The regulator may also impose operating restrictions, including a ceasing of operations at one or more facilities, enjoining and restraining certain violations of applicable law pertaining to our products, seizing our products, and/or assessing civil or criminal penalties against our officers, employees or us. Regulators could also issue a corporate warning letter or a recidivist warning letter or negotiate the entry of a consent decree of permanent injunction with us, and/or recommend prosecution. Any adverse regulatory action, depending on its magnitude, may restrict us from effectively manufacturing, marketing and selling our products and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In August 2018, we received a warning letter from the FDA related to observed non-conformities with current good manufacturing practice requirements of the QSR at our Warsaw North Campus manufacturing facility. As of February 24, 2023, this warning letter remained pending. Until the violations are corrected, we may become subject to additional regulatory action by the FDA as described above, the FDA may refuse to grant premarket approval applications and/or the FDA may refuse to grant export certificates, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additional information regarding these and other FDA regulatory matters can be found in Note 21 to our consolidated financial statements.
Our products and operations are also often subject to the rules of industrial standards bodies, such as the International Standards Organization. If we fail to adequately address any of these regulations, our business could be harmed.
If we fail to comply with healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations, we could face substantial penalties and our business, operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
The sales, marketing and pricing of products and relationships that medical products companies have with healthcare providers are under increased scrutiny around the world. Our industry is subject to various laws and regulations pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including the False Claims Act, the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark law, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and similar laws and regulations in the U.S. and around the world. In addition, we are subject to various laws concerning anti-corruption and anti-bribery matters (including the FCPA), sales to countries or persons subject to economic sanctions and other matters affecting our international operations. Violations of these laws are punishable by criminal and/or civil sanctions, including, in some instances, fines, imprisonment and, within the U.S., exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Administration health programs. These laws are administered by, among others, the DOJ, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the SEC, the OFAC, the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce and state attorneys general.
If we fail to comply with data privacy and security laws and regulations, we could face substantial penalties and our business, operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
We process personal and personal health data in our business, particularly through our ZBEdgeTM ecosystem, our suite of integrated digital and robotic technologies, incorporating data-powered insights across the continuum of care. In addition, some of our products and services incorporate software or information technology that processes health data regarding patients and patient therapy for treatment, health care, maintenance and other purposes. Further, we obtain and process personal data related to our employees, individual business partners (such as physicians and consultants), and website visitors located around the world. These data and information-focused activities carry additional risk.
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We are subject to supranational, national, state and international data privacy and security laws and regulations that govern the collection, use, disclosure, transfer, storage, location, disposal and protection of health-related and other personal information. In addition to U.S. federal laws and regulations, a number of U.S. states have also enacted data privacy and security laws and regulations that govern the collection, use, disclosure, transfer, storage, disposal, and protection of personal information, such as social security numbers, medical and financial information, biometric data and other personal information. The FDA has issued guidance to which we may be subject concerning data security for medical devices. These laws and regulations may be more restrictive and not preempted by U.S. federal laws. The legislative and regulatory framework for privacy and data protection issues worldwide is rapidly evolving as countries continue to adopt privacy and data security laws that may apply to us, both because our operations are located in those countries and/or because we provide services to customers in those countries. In addition, certain of our affiliates and associates are subject to privacy, security and breach notification regulations established under these and other international, national, state and foreign laws. We, and certain of our affiliates and associates, are also subject to reporting requirements relating to certain data and other breaches.
The interpretation and enforcement of the laws and regulations described above are uncertain and subject to change, and may require substantial costs to monitor and implement compliance with any additional requirements. In addition, new and more stringent multinational, national and state privacy legislation and regulations may be adopted in 2023 and beyond. We cannot predict all the jurisdictions in which new legislation, regulation or enforcement might arise, the scope of such legislation, regulation and enforcement, or the potential impact to our business and operations of any such changes. Failure to comply with U.S. and international data protection laws and regulations, and the disclosure of any data or related breach, could result in government enforcement actions (which could include substantial civil and/or criminal penalties and injunctive relief), private litigation and/or adverse publicity and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Pending and future product liability claims and litigation could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations and impair our reputation.
Our business exposes us to potential product liability risks that are inherent in the design, manufacture and marketing of medical devices. In the ordinary course of business, we are the subject of product liability lawsuits alleging that component failures, manufacturing flaws, design defects or inadequate disclosure of product-related risks or product-related information resulted in an unsafe condition or injury to patients. As discussed further in Note 21 to our consolidated financial statements, we are defending product liability lawsuits relating to the Durom® Acetabular Component (“Durom Cup”), certain products within the M/L Taper and M/L Taper with Kinectiv® Technology hip stems and Versys® Femoral Head implants, and the M2a-MagnumTM hip system. We are also currently defending a number of other product liability lawsuits and claims related to various other products. Any product liability claim brought against us, with or without merit, can be costly to defend. Product liability lawsuits and claims, safety alerts or product recalls, regardless of their ultimate outcome, could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation and on our ability to attract and retain customers.
We are substantially dependent on patent and other proprietary rights, and failing to protect such rights or to be successful in litigation related to our rights or the rights of others may result in our payment of significant monetary damages and/or royalty payments, negatively impact our ability to sell current or future products, or prohibit us from enforcing our patent and other proprietary rights against others.
Claims of intellectual property infringement and litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights are commonplace in our industry and are frequently time consuming and costly. At any given time, we may be involved as either plaintiff or defendant in a number of patent infringement actions, the outcomes of which may not be known for prolonged periods of time. While it is not possible to predict the outcome of patent and other intellectual property litigation, such litigation has in the past resulted in, and could in the future result in, our payment of significant monetary damages and/or royalty payments, negatively impact our ability to sell current or future products, or prohibit us from enforcing our patent and proprietary rights against others, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our success depends in part on our proprietary technology, processes, methodologies and information. We rely on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret and other intellectual property laws and nondisclosure, license, assignment and confidentiality arrangements to establish, maintain and protect our proprietary rights, as well as the intellectual property rights of third parties whose assets we license. However, the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property rights, and the rights of those from whom we license intellectual property, may not be adequate to prevent unauthorized use, misappropriation or theft of our intellectual property. Further, our currently pending or future patent applications may not result in patents being issued to us, patents issued to or licensed by us in the past or in the future may be challenged or circumvented by competitors, and such patents may
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be found invalid, unenforceable or insufficiently broad to protect our technology or to provide us with any competitive advantage. Third parties could obtain patents that may require us to negotiate licenses to conduct our business, and the required licenses may not be available on reasonable terms or at all. We also cannot be certain that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information.
In addition, intellectual property laws differ in various jurisdictions in which we operate and are subject to change at any time, which could further restrict our ability to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights. In particular, a portion of our revenues is derived from jurisdictions where adequately protecting intellectual property rights may prove more challenging or impossible. We may also not be able to detect unauthorized uses or take timely and effective steps to remedy unauthorized conduct. To prevent or respond to unauthorized uses of our intellectual property, we might be required to engage in costly and time-consuming litigation or other proceedings and we may not ultimately prevail. Any failure to establish, maintain or protect our intellectual property or proprietary rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We are involved in legal proceedings that may result in adverse outcomes.
In addition to intellectual property and product liability claims and lawsuits, we are involved in various commercial and securities litigation and claims and other legal proceedings that arise from time to time in the ordinary course of our business. Although we believe there are substantial defenses in these matters, litigation and other claims are subject to inherent uncertainties and management’s view of these matters may change in the future. Given the uncertain nature of legal proceedings generally, we are not able in all cases to estimate the amount or range of loss that could result from an unfavorable outcome. We could in the future incur judgments or enter into settlements of claims that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in any particular period.
Risks Related to Our Organizational Documents and Jurisdiction of Incorporation
Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents could delay or prevent a change of control.
Certain provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, our Restated By-Laws and the Delaware General Corporation Law may have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, defer or prevent a merger, acquisition, tender offer, takeover attempt or other change of control transaction that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by our stockholders.
These provisions provide for, among other things:
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the ability of our board of directors to issue one or more series of preferred stock without further stockholder action;
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advance notice for nominations of directors by stockholders and for stockholders to include matters to be considered at our annual meetings;
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certain limitations on convening special stockholder meetings; and
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the prohibition on engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for three years after the time at which a person became an interested stockholder unless certain conditions are met, as set forth in Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
These anti-takeover provisions could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if the third party’s offer may be considered beneficial by many of our stockholders. As a result, our stockholders may be limited in their ability to obtain a premium for their shares.
Our Restated By-Laws designate certain Delaware courts as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees.
Our Restated By-Laws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, a state court located within the State of Delaware (or, if no state court located in the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) will be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including any beneficial owner) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or other employees arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or our Restated Certificate of Incorporation or our Restated By-Laws, as either may be amended from time to time, or (iv) any action asserting a
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claim against us or any of our directors, officers or other employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our common stock is deemed to have received notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find this choice of forum provision inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not Applicable.
Item 2. Properties
We own or lease approximately 280 different facilities around the world, of which approximately half are in the U.S. Our corporate headquarters is in Warsaw, Indiana. Warsaw, Indiana is also home to our most significant manufacturing, research and development (“R&D”), and other business activities for our Knees, Hips and S.E.T. product divisions. Internationally, our EMEA regional headquarters is in Switzerland and our Asia Pacific regional headquarters is in Singapore.
We have approximately 25 manufacturing locations in the U.S. and internationally. Our most significant locations outside of the U.S. are in Switzerland, Ireland, the U.K., China, and Puerto Rico. We primarily own our manufacturing facilities in the U.S.; internationally, we occupy both owned and leased manufacturing facilities.
We maintain sales and administrative offices and warehouse and distribution facilities in more than 45 countries around the world. These local market facilities are primarily leased due to common businesses practices and to allow us to be more adaptable to changing needs in the market.
We distribute our products both through large, centralized warehouses and through smaller, market specific facilities, depending on the needs of the market. We maintain large, centralized warehouses in the U.S. and the Netherlands to be able to efficiently distribute our products to customers in the U.S. and EMEA.
We believe that all of the facilities and equipment are in good condition, well maintained and able to operate at present levels. We believe the current facilities, including manufacturing, warehousing, R&D and office space, provide sufficient capacity to meet ongoing demands.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Information pertaining to certain legal proceedings in which we are involved can be found in Note 21 to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this report and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not Applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters
Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol “ZBH.” As of February 7, 2023, there were approximately 14,540 holders of record of our common stock. A substantially greater number of holders of our common stock are “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares of record are held by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.
We expect to continue paying cash dividends on a quarterly basis; however, future dividends are subject to approval of the Board of Directors and may be adjusted as business needs or market conditions change.
The information required by this Item concerning equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference to Item 12 of this report.
The graph below shows the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock compared to the S&P 500 Stock Index, the S&P 500 Health Care Equipment Index and the common stock of a selected group of peer issuers (the “Peer Group”). The chart assumes $100 was invested on December 31, 2017 in Zimmer Biomet common stock and each index and that dividends were reinvested. Returns over the indicated period should not be considered indicative of future returns.
The Peer Group is a group of publicly traded companies, including other large healthcare equipment and services companies, life sciences services companies and companies with whom we compete for business and for executive talent, which companies we use as a market reference point for performance comparisons, executive compensation levels, equity usage and incentive plan design and industry trend analysis. The Peer Group is selected by our Compensation and Management Development Committee from time to time, most recently in May 2022, and currently consists of the following issuers: Agilent Technologies, Inc.; Align Technology, Inc.; Baxter International Inc.; Becton Dickinson and Company; Boston Scientific Corporation; DexCom, Inc.; Edwards Lifesciences Corporation; Hologic, Inc.; Intuitive Surgical, Inc.; Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings; Quest Diagnostics Incorporated; Stryker Corporation; Teleflex Incorporated; and The Cooper Companies, Inc. We have selected the Peer Group to replace the S&P 500 Health Care Equipment Index because we believe it better reflects our relative market performance and to provide consistency in evaluating our relative executive compensation practices.
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Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table summarizes repurchases of common stock settled during the three months ended December 31, 2022:
(1) In February 2016, our Board of Directors authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program effective March 1, 2016, with no expiration date.
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Item 6.[Reserved]
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
On March 1, 2022, we completed the spinoff of our spine and dental businesses into ZimVie. The historical results of our spine and dental businesses have been reflected as discontinued operations in our consolidated financial statements in our 2022 results through the date of the spinoff and in the prior year periods. In addition, as of December 31, 2021, the assets and liabilities associated with these businesses are classified as assets and liabilities of discontinued operations in our consolidated balance sheet. See Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information. The following discussion and analysis is presented on a continuing operations basis unless otherwise noted. Certain percentages presented in this discussion and analysis are calculated from the underlying whole-dollar amounts and therefore may not recalculate from the rounded numbers used for disclosure purposes.
The following discussion, analysis and comparisons generally focus on the operating results for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Discussion, analysis and comparisons of the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in (i) “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “2021 Form 10-K”) prior to the spinoff of ZimVie; and (ii) “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of Exhibit 99.1 filed with our Form 8-K on June 22, 2022, which Form 8-K was filed to recast certain items of the 2021 Form 10-K, including Part II, Item 7, to reflect the historical results of our spine and dental businesses as discontinued operations following the ZimVie spinoff.
EXECUTIVE LEVEL OVERVIEW
Impact of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic
Our results continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The vast majority of our net sales are derived from products used in elective surgical procedures that have typically declined during surges of the virus as governments and healthcare systems take actions in an effort to prevent the spread and provide sufficient hospital beds and other resources for COVID-19 patients. Additionally, we believe that staffing shortages at hospitals have contributed to the deferral of elective surgical procedures. In the year ended December 31, 2022, the Omicron variant resulted in fewer elective surgical procedures earlier in the year with recovery in procedures as the surge began to subside later in the first quarter and through the second quarter. In the second half of 2022, procedural volumes continued to improve across most markets relative to the first half of the year. However, in the fourth quarter we did experience more acute deferrals of elective surgical procedures in some markets, such as China, due to surges of the virus.
2022 Financial Highlights
In 2022, our net sales increased by 1.6 percent compared to 2021. Our net sales in 2022 were tempered by a negative 5.0 percent effect from changes in foreign currency exchange rates. We continued to see the return of elective surgical procedures across most markets when compared to the prior year, which was negatively affected by a surge of the COVID-19 virus in early 2021 before vaccines were widely available and later in the year by the Delta variant.
Our net earnings, including discontinued operations, were $231.4 million in 2022 compared to $401.6 million in 2021. In 2022, we recognized a goodwill impairment charge of $289.8 million, which was the primary driver for lower net earnings in 2022 when compared to 2021. Other significant unfavorable items in 2022 when compared to 2021 include an unrealized investment loss of $116.6 million due to a decline in the value of our investment in ZimVie, higher restructuring-related costs as we continued to execute on our 2019 and 2021 Restructuring Plans, and higher spending on travel and other activities which started to return to pre-pandemic levels. These unfavorable factors to net earnings were partially offset by higher net sales, hedge gains recognized from our hedging program, the favorable effects of our restructuring programs, lower litigation-related expenses, and the fact the 2021 period included a $165.1 million charge for the early extinguishment of debt and $65.0 million of charges related to certain agreements we entered into to gain access to or acquire third-party in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) projects.
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2023 Outlook
We expect revenue growth in 2023 to be driven by a combination of market growth, procedure volume recovery from COVID-19 and new product introductions. We believe there will continue to be some deferrals of elective surgical procedures caused by COVID-19 surges and staffing shortages, but to a lesser extent in 2023 than in 2022. In addition, based on foreign currency exchange rates at the end of 2022 we expect foreign currency to negatively affect net sales growth in 2023, but at a lower level than experienced in 2022. We expect that supply chain and inflation pressures will continue into 2023, but with supply chain pressure easing in the second half of the year and with inflation stable to the level experienced at the end of 2022. We estimate our operating expenses in 2023 will be impacted by the expected non-reoccurrence of goodwill impairment charges, lower quality remediation expenses due to the completion of our remediation milestones, and lower restructuring-related expenses related to our 2019 and 2021 Restructuring Plans. We expect our interest expense, net, will increase primarily due to higher interest rates. We also expect our non-operating other (expense) income, net, will decline in 2023 since the 2022 expense was primarily driven by an investment loss in the shares of ZimVie that we held following the spinoff, which shares we disposed of in February 2023.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
We review sales by two geographies, the United States and International, and by the following product categories: Knees; Hips; S.E.T. (Sports Medicine, Extremities, Trauma, Craniomaxillofacial and Thoracic); and Other. This sales analysis differs from our reportable operating segments, which are based upon our senior management organizational structure and how we allocate resources toward achieving operating profit goals. We review sales by these geographies because the underlying market trends in any particular geography tend to be similar across product categories, because we primarily sell the same products in all geographies and many of our competitors publicly report in this manner. Our business is seasonal in nature to some extent, as many of our products are used in elective surgical procedures, which typically decline during the summer months and can increase at the end of the year once annual deductibles have been met on health insurance plans. Additionally, with sales to customers where title to product passes upon shipment, these customers may purchase items in large quantities if incentives are offered or if there are new product offerings in a market, which could cause period-to-period differences in sales. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the typical seasonal patterns did not occur in 2020 or 2021, but started to return in 2022.
Net Sales by Geography
The following table presents net sales by geography and the percentage changes (dollars in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
Net Sales by Product Category
The following table presents net sales by product category and the percentage changes (dollars in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
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The following table presents net sales by product category by geography for our Knees and Hips product categories, which represent our most significant product categories (dollars in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
Knees
Hips
Demand (Volume/Mix) Trends
Changes in volume and mix of product sales had a positive effect of 7.6 percent and 12.3 percent on year-over-year sales during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Volume trends were positive in 2022 as we saw recovery of elective surgical procedures, most notably in international markets, driving volume growth in tandem with new product introductions. In 2022, sales were negatively impacted by limitations due to global supply chain challenges.
Based upon country dynamics, volume changes varied by region in 2022. The volume increases in 2022 were largely a product of how much the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the various regions in 2021. In EMEA and Asia Pacific, deferral of elective surgical procedures were more prevalent than in the Americas in 2021. Additionally, in Asia Pacific in 2021, China sales were negatively impacted from a combination of variables related to the implementation of a nationwide volume-based procurement (“VBP”) process. The China VBP had a negative effect on volume due to inventory reductions by distributors and short-term deferral of procedures as patients waited to have a surgical procedure performed until after VBP pricing was effective in 2022.
Pricing Trends
Global selling prices had negative effects of 1.0 percent and 2.1 percent on year-over-year sales during 2022 and 2021, respectively. In the majority of countries in which we operate, we continue to experience pricing pressure from governmental healthcare cost containment efforts and from local hospitals and health systems. However, we have had some success in reducing the negative effects of pricing in 2022 due to internal initiatives and being able to pass some inflationary impacts on to customers.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rates
In 2022 and 2021, changes in foreign currency exchange rates had a negative effect of 5.0 percent and a positive effect of 1.2 percent, respectively, on year-over-year sales.
Geography
The 4.1 percent and 9.9 percent net sales growth in the U.S. in 2022 and 2021, respectively, when compared to the prior year in each case was primarily driven by recovery in surgical procedures as COVID-19 cases subsided, especially in the Knees and Hips categories. Internationally, net sales declined by 1.5 percent in 2022 when compared to 2021 and increased 13.5 percent in 2021 when compared to 2020. The decline in 2022 was driven by the negative impacts on International sales of 11.2 percent due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Absent the effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, most of our markets internationally experienced demand (volume and mix) growth from recovery in surgical procedures. In 2021, our International markets experienced net sales growth from recovery in elective surgical procedures.
Product Categories
In 2022, our Knees and Hips net sales increased by 4.9 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively, when compared to 2021 due to the recovery in elective surgical procedures and new product introductions. The increase was despite the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates having a negative effect of 5.0 percent and 5.9 percent on
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Knees and Hips net sales, respectively. S.E.T. net sales decreased by 1.8 percent in 2022 when compared to 2021 due to the negative effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, lower trauma product net sales partially due to VBP implementation and unfavorable changes in reimbursement for certain restorative therapy products. Other product category net sales decreased by 4.3 percent in 2022 when compared to 2021 due to the negative effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and lower unit sales of our ROSA robots as some customers shifted to operating lease arrangements for our robots instead of purchasing them. In 2021, all our product categories experienced net sales growth when compared to 2020 due to the recovery of elective surgical procedures.
Expenses as a Percent of Net Sales
Year Ended December 31,
Intangible asset amortization 7.6 7.8 8.4 (0.2) (0.6)
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment 4.2 0.2 8.2 4.0 (8.0)
Restructuring and other cost reduction initiatives 2.8 1.8 1.7 1.0 0.1
Acquisition, integration, divestiture and related 0.2 - 0.2 0.2 (0.2)
Cost of Products Sold and Intangible Asset Amortization
We calculate gross profit as net sales minus cost of products sold and intangible asset amortization. Our gross margin percentage is gross profit divided by net sales. The following table sets forth the factors that contributed to the gross margin changes in each of 2022 and 2021 compared to the prior year:
Year Ended December 31,
Prior year gross margin 63.5 % 61.9 %
Lower average selling prices (0.3 ) (0.6 )
Manufacturing costs (0.9 ) 0.5
Impact of volume, product mix and other 0.6 (0.5 )
Inventory charges (0.1 ) 2.1
Impact from changes in foreign currency exchange rates 0.3 (0.5 )
Intangible asset amortization 0.2 0.6
Current year gross margin 63.3 % 63.5 %
The decline in gross margin percentage in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily due to inflationary cost pressures, lower average selling prices and inventory charges related to products we plan to discontinue. These unfavorable items were partially offset by hedge gains recognized in 2022 as part of our hedging program compared to hedge losses in 2021, operating leverage from volume increases, a mix shift to higher margin product sales, as well as the fact that the 2021 period experienced lower than normal production at certain facilities which resulted in fixed overhead costs being expensed immediately.
Intangible asset amortization expense was similar in both amount and as a percentage of net sales in 2022 when compared to 2021.
Operating Expenses
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Research & development (“R&D”) expenses decreased in both amount and as a percentage of net sales in 2022 compared to 2021, primarily due to the fact that in 2021 we entered into certain agreements to gain access to or acquire third-party IPR&D projects that resulted in charges of $65.0 million. We did not enter into any significant, similar agreements in 2022. That favorability was partially offset by higher personnel-related costs and higher spending on our initial compliance with the EU MDR in 2022.
Selling, general & administrative (“SG&A”) expenses decreased in both amount and as a percentage of net sales in 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to litigation-related expenses declining by $135.1 million and savings from our restructuring plans. These favorable items were partially offset by higher bad debt charges partially related to the Russia/Ukraine conflict and higher expenses for travel and other activities as we started to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2022.
As a result of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, economic sanctions and export controls were imposed by much of the world on Russian financial institutions and businesses. Our operations in Russia consist primarily of local commercial activities, including sales and customer support. We do not have direct operations in Ukraine. Our net sales in Russia and Ukraine in 2022 were less than 1 percent of our consolidated net sales. Therefore, the ongoing conflict and economic sanctions are not expected to have a significant effect on our results of operations or financial position. The bad debt charges for expected credit losses in Russia resulted in a significant portion of our accounts receivable from customers in this country being impaired. In addition to accounts receivable, we also have inventory and instruments that could require impairment if our business in Russia deteriorates more than our current expectations; however, any such amounts are not expected to be material. See Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” for additional risks related to this conflict.
In 2022, we recognized a goodwill impairment charge of $289.8 million related to our EMEA reporting unit. In 2022 and 2021, we recognized intangible asset impairment charges of $3.0 million and $16.3 million, respectively, related to IPR&D projects that we discontinued. For more information regarding these charges, see Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements.
In December of 2021 and 2019, we initiated restructuring programs. The 2021 Restructuring Plan is intended to further reduce costs and to reorganize our global operations in preparation for the spinoff of ZimVie. The 2019 Restructuring Plan has an objective of reducing costs to allow us to invest in higher priority growth opportunities. We also have other cost reduction and optimization initiatives that have the goal of reducing costs across the organization. We recognized expenses of $191.6 million and $125.7 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively, primarily related to employee termination benefits, sales agent contract terminations, and consulting and project management expenses associated with these programs. The expenses were higher in 2022 primarily due to additional expenses related to the 2021 Restructuring Plan that had just been initiated at the end of 2021. For more information regarding these expenses, see Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements.
We incurred quality remediation expenses of $33.8 million and $52.8 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively. We incurred these quality remediation expenses to complete our remediation milestones that address inspectional observations on Form 483 and a warning letter issued by the FDA at our Warsaw North Campus facility, among other matters. The decline in expenses in 2022 when compared to 2021 was due to the natural regression as various remediation milestones were completed. We do not expect to incur any significant quality remediation expenses related to these inspectional observations in 2023.
Acquisition, integration, divestiture and related expenses related to acquisitions made in 2022 and 2020 as well as costs related to our separation with ZimVie.
Other (Expense) Income, net, Interest Expense, net, Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt and Income Taxes
In 2022, we incurred a loss of $128.0 million in our other (expense) income, net compared to a gain of $12.2 million in 2021. The expense in 2022 was primarily due to a $116.6 million loss on our investment in ZimVie.
Interest expense, net, decreased in 2022 when compared to 2021 primarily from using debt that we issued in the fourth quarter of 2021, along with cash on hand, to repurchase portions of outstanding notes with higher interest rates. Additionally, interest expense, net was lower due to additional debt paydown.
In 2021, we recognized a $165.1 million loss on the early extinguishment of debt. See Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information on this loss.
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Our effective tax rate (“ETR”) on earnings from continuing operations before income taxes was 27.9 percent and 10.7 percent for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. In 2022, the ETR was primarily driven by the $289.8 million goodwill impairment charge and the $116.6 million loss on our investment in ZimVie, which have no corresponding tax benefits, partially offset by favorable tax audit settlements and finalization of Switzerland's Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing (“TRAF”) step-up. In 2021, the ETR was primarily driven by the foreign rate differential as our foreign locations have lower tax rates and favorable return-to-provision changes in estimate offset by unfavorable tax rate changes.
Absent discrete tax events, we expect our future ETR will be lower than the U.S. corporate income tax rate of 21.0 percent due to our mix of earnings between U.S. and foreign locations, which have lower corporate income tax rates. Our ETR in future periods could also potentially be impacted by: changes in our mix of pre-tax earnings; changes in tax rates, tax laws or their interpretation, including the European Union adoption of Pillar 2 proposals; the outcome of various federal, state and foreign audits; and the expiration of certain statutes of limitations. Currently, we cannot reasonably estimate the impact of these items on our financial results.
See Note 17 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information on our income taxes.
Segment Operating Profit
Operating Profit as a
Net Sales Operating Profit Percentage of Net Sales
Year Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
Americas
In the Americas, operating profit and operating profit as a percentage of net sales increased in 2022 when compared to 2021 due to higher net sales driven by continued recovery of elective surgical procedures, lower excess and obsolete inventory charges and savings from our restructuring programs. These favorable items were partially offset by higher R&D costs.
EMEA
In EMEA, operating profit and operating profit as a percentage of net sales increased in 2022 when compared to 2021. Our net sales declined in EMEA due to the negative effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. However, our operating profit increased slightly due to our hedging program as we recognized hedge gains, which minimized the negative effects from net sales, and we realized savings from our restructuring programs. These favorable items were partially offset by higher bad debt, travel and medical training and education expenses.
Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, operating profit and operating profit as a percentage of net sales increased in 2022 when compared to 2021. Our net sales declined in Asia Pacific due to the negative effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and by the China government implementing a nationwide volume-based procurement process that became effective in 2022. However, our operating profit increased slightly due to our hedging program as we recognized hedge gains, which minimized these negative effects from net sales, and we realized savings from our restructuring programs.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
As of December 31, 2022, we had $375.7 million in cash and cash equivalents. In addition, we had $1.0 billion available to borrow under a 364-day revolving credit agreement that matures on August 18, 2023, and $1.1 billion available under a five-year revolving facility that matures on August 19, 2027. The terms of the 364-day revolving credit agreement and the five-year revolving facility are described further in Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements.
We believe that cash flows from operations, our cash and cash equivalents on hand, and available borrowings under our revolving credit facilities will be sufficient to meet our ongoing liquidity requirements for at least the next
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twelve months. However, due to the continued uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible our needs may change. Further, there can be no assurance that, if needed, we will be able to secure additional financing on terms favorable to us, if at all.
Sources of Liquidity
Cash flows provided by operating activities from continuing operations were $1,356.2 million in 2022 compared to $1,404.3 million in 2021. The decrease in cash flows from operating activities in 2022 when compared to 2021 was primarily the result of higher tax payments and increased payments under our restructuring programs. These unfavorable items were partially offset by lower interest payments and lower investments in inventory, as well as the fact that the 2021 period included payments related to certain IPR&D agreements.
Cash flows used in investing activities from continuing operations were $522.0 million in 2022 compared to $443.3 million in 2021. Instrument and property, plant and equipment additions reflected ongoing investments in our product portfolio, optimization of our manufacturing and logistics network and investments in enterprise resource planning software. The 2022 period also reflects investments for an acquisition as well as other investments for acquiring intellectual property related to products that have been commercialized. These cash outflows were partially offset by favorable settlements of our net investment hedges as they matured.
Cash flows used in financing activities from continuing operations were $775.7 million in 2022 compared to $1,306.0 million in 2021. At the ZimVie spinoff date, we received $540.6 million as partial consideration for the contribution of assets in connection with the separation. We used these proceeds, together with borrowings on our five-year revolving facility and cash on hand to redeem the full $750.0 million senior notes that were due April 1, 2022. We also repaid $242.9 million outstanding on our Japanese term loans and $525.8 million outstanding on our 1.414% Euro senior notes at their maturity date of December 13, 2022. In order to help fund the payment on these Euro senior notes, we borrowed $375.0 million under our five-year revolving facility and $83.0 million under a short-term term loan in connection with our plans to dispose of our ZimVie shares. In addition, in 2022 we expended $126.4 million to repurchase shares of our common stock.
In 2021, we issued senior notes and received $1,599.8 million in proceeds, which, along with cash on hand, were used to extinguish $1,993.2 million aggregate outstanding principal amount of our senior notes pursuant to cash tender offers for certain outstanding series of our senior notes, at a total reacquisition price of $2,154.8 million. Additionally, we used cash on hand to redeem $500.0 million of other senior notes that matured in 2021. We also had deferred business combination payments of $145.0 million that were paid in 2021 under the terms of the purchase agreements.
We place our cash and cash equivalents in highly-rated financial institutions and limit the amount of credit exposure to any one entity. We invest only in high-quality financial instruments in accordance with our internal investment policy.
As of December 31, 2022, $328.2 million of our cash and cash equivalents were held in jurisdictions outside of the U.S. Of this amount, $43.2 million is denominated in U.S. Dollars and, therefore, bears no foreign currency translation risk. The balance of these assets is denominated in currencies of the various countries where we operate. We generally intend to limit distributions from foreign subsidiaries to earnings previously taxed in the U.S., primarily as a result of the transition tax or tax on Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”), as we would not be subject to further U.S. federal tax. In addition to the previously taxed earnings, we have intercompany notes available to repatriate.
Material Cash Requirements from Known Contractual and Other Obligations
At December 31, 2022, we had outstanding debt of $5,696.5 million, of which $544.3 million was classified as current debt. Of our current debt, we settled the full amount of our $83.0 million of our short-term term loan in February 2023 using $33.9 million in cash and the transfer of all the ZimVie shares that we owned, $86.3 million of senior notes mature on March 19, 2023 and the remaining $375.0 million is outstanding under our five-year revolving facility which we expect to repay during 2023. We believe we can satisfy these debt obligations with cash generated from our operations.
For additional information on our debt, including types of debt, maturity dates, interest rates, debt covenants and available revolving credit facilities, see Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements.
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In February, May, August and December 2022, our Board of Directors declared cash dividends of $0.24 per share. We expect to continue paying cash dividends on a quarterly basis; however, future dividends are subject to approval of the Board of Directors and may be adjusted as business needs or market conditions change.
In February 2016, our Board of Directors authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program effective March 1, 2016, with no expiration date. We had not repurchased any shares under this program until the fourth quarter of 2022, when we entered into transactions to repurchase $150.0 million in shares of our common stock. Our third-party broker executed the full $150.0 million of repurchases as of December 31, 2022 for which paid them $126.4 million by December 31, 2022, with the remaining balance we owed settled at the beginning of January 2023. As of December 31, 2022, $850.0 million remained authorized under this program.
As discussed in Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements, we have a 2021 Restructuring Plan and a 2019 Restructuring Plan. The 2021 Restructuring Plan is expected to result in total pre-tax restructuring charges of approximately $220 million, of which approximately $130 million was incurred through December 31, 2022. We expect to reduce gross annual pre-tax operating expenses by approximately $190 million relative to the 2021 baseline expenses by the end of 2024 as program benefits under the 2021 Restructuring Plan are realized. The 2019 Restructuring Plan is expected to result in total pre-tax restructuring charges of approximately $350 million to $400 million, of which approximately $280 million was incurred through December 31, 2022. In our original estimates, we expected to reduce gross annual pre-tax operating expenses by approximately $180 million to $280 million relative to the 2019 baseline expenses by the end of 2023 as program benefits under the 2019 Restructuring Plan are realized. Our latest estimates indicate that we will be near the low end of that range.
As discussed in Note 17 to our consolidated financial statements, the IRS has issued proposed adjustments for years 2010 through 2012, and for years 2013 through 2015, reallocating profits between certain of U.S. and foreign subsidiaries. We have disputed these proposed adjustments and intend to continue to vigorously defend our positions. Although the ultimate timing for resolution of the disputed tax issues is uncertain, future payments may be significant to our operating cash flows.
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, we have a $187.8 million liability remaining from a one-time tax on the mandatory deemed repatriation of post-1986 untaxed foreign earnings and profits (“toll charge”) for the deemed repatriation of unremitted foreign earnings. This amount was recorded in non-current income tax liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022.
As discussed in Note 21 to our consolidated financial statements, we are involved in various litigation matters. We estimate the total liabilities for all litigation matters was $349.2 million as of December 31, 2022. We expect to pay these liabilities over the next few years.
In the normal course of business, we enter into purchase commitments, primarily related to raw materials. However, we do not believe these purchase commitments are material to the overall standing of our business or our liquidity.
We have entered into various agreements that may result in future payments dependent upon various events such as the achievement of certain product R&D milestones, sales milestones, or, at our discretion, maintenance of exclusive rights to distribute a product. These estimated payments related to these agreements could range from $0 to $415 million.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
The preparation of our financial statements is affected by the selection and application of accounting policies and methods, and also requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Critical accounting estimates are those that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations. We believe that the accounting estimates and assumptions described below involve significant subjectivity and judgment, and changes to such estimates or assumptions could have a material impact on our financial condition or operating results.
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Excess Inventory and Instruments - We must determine as of each balance sheet date how much, if any, of our inventory may ultimately prove to be unsaleable or unsaleable at our carrying cost. Similarly, we must also determine if instruments on hand will be put to productive use or remain undeployed as a result of excess supply. Accordingly, inventory and instruments are written down to their net realizable value. To determine the appropriate net realizable value, we evaluate current stock levels in relation to historical and expected patterns of demand for all of our products and instrument systems and components. The basis for the determination is generally the same for all inventory and instrument items and categories except for work‐in‐process inventory, which is recorded at cost. Obsolete or discontinued items are generally destroyed and completely written off. Management evaluates the need for changes to the net realizable values of inventory and instruments based on market conditions, competitive offerings and other factors on a regular basis.
Income Taxes - Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities and reserves for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management’s best assessment of estimated future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgments and estimates are required in determining the consolidated income tax expense.
We estimate income tax expense and income tax liabilities and assets by taxable jurisdiction. Realization of deferred tax assets in each taxable jurisdiction is dependent on our ability to generate future taxable income sufficient to realize the benefits. We evaluate deferred tax assets on an ongoing basis and provide valuation allowances unless we determine it is “more likely than not” that the deferred tax benefit will be realized.
The calculation of our tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across our global operations. We are subject to regulatory review or audit in virtually all of those jurisdictions and those reviews and audits may require extended periods of time to resolve. We record our income tax provisions based on our knowledge of all relevant facts and circumstances, including existing tax laws, our experience with previous settlement agreements, the status of current examinations and our understanding of how the tax authorities view certain relevant industry and commercial matters.
We recognize tax liabilities in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) guidance on income taxes and we adjust these liabilities when our judgment changes as a result of the evaluation of new information not previously available. Due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is materially different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities. These differences will be reflected as increases or decreases to income tax expense in the period in which they are determined.
Commitments and Contingencies - We are involved in various ongoing proceedings, legal actions and claims arising in the normal course of doing business, including litigation related to product, labor and intellectual property. We establish liabilities for loss contingencies when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Accruals for product liability and other claims are established with the assistance of internal and external legal counsel based on current information and historical settlement information for claims, related legal fees and for claims incurred but not reported.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets - We evaluate the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite life intangible assets annually, or whenever events or circumstances indicate that the fair value is below its carrying amount. We evaluate the carrying value of finite life intangible assets whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Significant assumptions are required to estimate the fair value of goodwill and intangible assets, most notably estimated future cash flows generated by these assets and risk-adjusted discount rates. As such, these fair value measurements use significant unobservable inputs. Changes to these assumptions could require us to record impairment charges on these assets.
In our annual impairment test in the fourth quarter of 2022, we determined our EMEA reporting unit's carrying value was in excess of its estimated fair value. Fair value was determined using income and market approaches. Fair value under the income approach was determined by discounting to present value the estimated future cash flows of the reporting unit. Fair value under the market approach utilized the guideline public company methodology, which uses valuation indicators determined from other businesses that are similar to our EMEA reporting unit. As a result of its carrying value being in excess of its estimated fair value, we recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $289.8 million. No goodwill balance remains for the EMEA reporting unit.
See Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements for further discussion and the factors that contributed to this impairment charge.
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We have three other reporting units with goodwill assigned to them. For two of these reporting units, their estimated fair values exceeded their carrying values by more than 35 percent. We estimated the fair value of these reporting units using the income and market approaches. We performed a qualitative test on the other reporting unit and concluded it was more likely than not the fair value of this reporting unit exceeded its carrying value.
Future impairment in our reporting units could occur if the estimates used in the income and market approaches change. If our estimates of profitability in the reporting unit decline, the fair value estimate under the income approach will decline. Additionally, changes in the broader economic environment could cause changes to our estimated discount rates and comparable company valuation indicators, which may impact our estimated fair values. Further, changes in foreign currency exchange rates could increase the cost of procuring inventory and services from foreign suppliers, which could reduce reporting unit profitability.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
See Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements for information on how recent accounting pronouncements have affected or may affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
MARKET RISK
We are exposed to certain market risks as part of our ongoing business operations, including risks from changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices that could affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We manage our exposure to these and other market risks through regular operating and financing activities and through the use of derivative financial instruments. We use derivative financial instruments solely as risk management tools and not for speculative investment purposes.
FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE RISK
We operate on a global basis and are exposed to the risk that our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. To reduce the potential effects of foreign currency exchange rate movements on net earnings, we enter into derivative financial instruments in the form of foreign currency exchange forward contracts with major financial institutions. See Note 15 to our consolidated financial statements for further details on our foreign currency exchange risk exposure and management.
We maintain written policies and procedures governing our risk management activities. Our policy requires that critical terms of hedging instruments be the same as hedged forecasted transactions. On this basis, with respect to cash flow hedges, changes in cash flows attributable to hedged transactions are generally expected to be offset by changes in the fair value of hedge instruments. As part of our risk management program, we also perform sensitivity analyses to assess potential changes in revenue, operating results, cash flows and financial position relating to hypothetical movements in currency exchange rates. A sensitivity analysis of changes in the fair value of foreign currency exchange forward contracts outstanding at December 31, 2022 indicated that, if the U.S. Dollar uniformly strengthened or weakened in value by 10 percent relative to all currencies, with no change in the interest differentials, the fair value of those contracts would affect earnings in a range of a decrease of approximately $93 million to an increase of approximately $88 million before income taxes in periods through June 2025.
Any change in the fair value of foreign currency exchange forward contracts as a result of a fluctuation in a currency exchange rate is expected to be largely offset by a change in the value of the hedged transaction. Consequently, foreign currency exchange contracts would not subject us to material risk due to exchange rate movements because gains and losses on these contracts offset gains and losses on the assets, liabilities and transactions being hedged.
We had net assets, excluding goodwill and intangible assets, in legal entities with non-U.S. Dollar functional currencies of $1,771.5 million at December 31, 2022.
We enter into foreign currency forward exchange contracts with terms of one to three months to manage currency exposures for monetary assets and liabilities denominated in a currency other than an entity’s functional currency. As a result, foreign currency remeasurement gains/losses recognized in earnings are generally offset with gains/losses on the foreign currency forward exchange contracts in the same reporting period.
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For details about these and other financial instruments, including fair value methodologies, see Note 15 to our consolidated financial statements.
COMMODITY PRICE RISK
We purchase raw material commodities such as cobalt chrome, titanium, tantalum, polymer and sterile packaging. We enter into supply contracts generally with terms of 12 to 24 months, where available, on these commodities to alleviate the effect of market fluctuation in prices. As part of our risk management program, we perform sensitivity analyses related to potential commodity price changes.
INTEREST RATE RISK
In the normal course of business, we are exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates that could affect our results of operations and financial condition. We manage our exposure to interest rate risks through our regular operations and financing activities.
We invest our cash and cash equivalents primarily in highly-rated corporate commercial paper and bank deposits. The primary investment objective is to ensure capital preservation. Currently, we do not use derivative financial instruments in our investment portfolio.
The majority of our debt is fixed-rate debt and therefore is not exposed to changes in interest rates. Based upon our overall interest rate exposure as of December 31, 2022, a change of 10 percent in interest rates, assuming the principal amount outstanding remains constant, would not have a material effect on interest expense, net. This analysis does not consider the effect of the change in the level of overall economic activity that could exist in such an environment.
CREDIT RISK
Financial instruments, which potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk, are primarily cash and cash equivalents, derivative instruments and accounts receivable.
We place our cash and cash equivalents and enter into derivative transactions with highly-rated financial institutions and limit the amount of credit exposure to any one entity. We believe we do not have any significant credit risk on our cash and cash equivalents or derivative instruments.
Our concentrations of credit risks with respect to trade accounts receivable is limited due to the large number of customers and their dispersion across a number of geographic areas and by frequent monitoring of the creditworthiness of the customers to whom credit is granted in the normal course of business. Substantially all of our trade receivables are concentrated in the public and private hospital and healthcare industry in the U.S. and internationally or with distributors or dealers who operate in international markets and, accordingly, are exposed to their respective business, economic and country specific variables. Our ability to collect accounts receivable in some countries depends in part upon the financial stability of these hospital and healthcare sectors and the respective countries’ national economic and healthcare systems. Most notably, in Europe healthcare is typically sponsored by the government. Since we sell products to public hospitals in those countries, we are indirectly exposed to government budget constraints and price reduction initiatives. To the extent the respective governments’ ability to fund their public hospital programs deteriorates, we may have to record significant bad debt expenses in the future.
While we are exposed to risks from the broader healthcare industry in Europe and around the world, there is no significant net exposure due to any individual customer. Exposure to credit risk is controlled through credit approvals, credit limits and monitoring procedures, and we believe that reserves for losses are adequate.
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements
Financial Statements: Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 238) 41
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 46
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 49
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the related consolidated statements of earnings, of comprehensive income (loss), of stockholders’ equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, including the related notes and schedule of valuation and qualifying accounts for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022 appearing under Item 15(a)(2) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
Basis for Opinions
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable
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assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Goodwill Impairment Assessment - EMEA and Americas CMFT Reporting Units
As described in Notes 2 and 11 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s consolidated goodwill balance was $8,580.2 million as of December 31, 2022, and the goodwill associated with the EMEA and Americas CMFT reporting units represents a portion of the consolidated goodwill balance. Management performs an impairment test in the fourth quarter of each year or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not below its carrying amount. Potential impairment of a reporting unit is identified by comparing the reporting unit’s estimated fair value to its carrying amount. The annual goodwill impairment test resulted in an impairment charge of $289.8 million related to the EMEA reporting unit, which represented all of the remaining goodwill. Management estimated the fair value of the EMEA and Americas CMFT reporting units based on income and market approaches. Fair value under the income approach was determined by discounting to present value the estimated future cash flows of the reporting unit. Fair value under the market approach utilized the guideline public company methodology, which uses valuation indicators from publicly-traded companies that are similar to the EMEA and Americas CMFT reporting units. Significant assumptions are incorporated into the discounted cash flow analysis such as forecasted net sales, revenue growth rates, forecasted operating expenses and risk-adjusted discount rates.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the goodwill impairment assessment of the EMEA and Americas CMFT reporting units is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management when estimating the fair value of the reporting units; (ii) a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures and evaluating management’s significant assumptions related to forecasted net sales, forecasted operating expenses and risk-adjusted discount rate for the EMEA reporting unit and revenue growth rates, forecasted operating expenses and risk-adjusted discount rate for the Americas CMFT reporting unit; and (iii) the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to management’s goodwill impairment assessment, including controls over the valuation of the Company’s reporting units. These procedures also included, among others (i) testing management’s process for developing the estimated fair value of the EMEA and Americas CMFT reporting units; (ii) evaluating the appropriateness of the discounted cash flow analysis; (iii) testing the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used in the discounted cash flow analysis; and (iv) evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumptions used by management in the discounted cash flow analysis related to forecasted net sales, forecasted operating expenses and risk-adjusted discount rate for the EMEA reporting unit and revenue growth rates, forecasted operating expenses and risk-adjusted discount rate for the Americas CMFT reporting unit. Evaluating management’s assumptions related to forecasted net sales, revenue growth rates and forecasted operating expenses involved evaluating whether the assumptions used by management were reasonable considering (i) the current and past performance of the EMEA and Americas CMFT reporting units, where applicable; (ii) the consistency with external data from market and industry sources; and (iii) whether these assumptions were consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in evaluating the
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appropriateness of the Company’s discounted cash flow analysis and the reasonableness of the risk-adjusted discount rate assumptions.
Tax Liabilities for Certain Unrecognized Tax Benefits
As described in Notes 2 and 17 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has recorded tax liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits with a consolidated balance of $521.0 million as of December 31, 2022. The calculation of certain of the Company’s estimated tax liabilities, representing a majority of the consolidated balance, involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across the Company’s global operations. The Company’s income tax filings are regularly under audit in multiple federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Income tax audits may require an extended period of time to reach resolution and may result in significant income tax adjustments when interpretation of tax laws or allocation of company profits is disputed.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to tax liabilities for certain unrecognized tax benefits is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management when determining the tax liabilities for certain unrecognized tax benefits due to a high degree of estimation uncertainty related to management’s application of complex tax laws and regulations, the result of income tax audits, and potential for significant adjustments as a result of such audits; (ii) a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures to evaluate the timely identification and accurate measurement of tax liabilities for certain unrecognized tax benefits and evaluating audit evidence available to support the estimates; and (iii) the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the identification and accurate measurement of tax liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits, including controls addressing the completeness of the tax liabilities. These procedures also included, among others (i) evaluating the accuracy of the measurement of tax liabilities for certain unrecognized tax benefits by testing certain information used in the calculation of tax liabilities for certain unrecognized tax benefits by jurisdiction, on a sample basis; (ii) assessing the completeness of the Company’s identification of tax liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits and possible outcomes for certain unrecognized tax benefits; and (iii) evaluating the status and results of income tax audits related to certain unrecognized tax benefits with the relevant tax authorities. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in evaluating management’s application of complex tax laws and regulations in various jurisdictions and assessing the reasonableness of certain of the Company’s tax positions.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 24, 2023
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2000.
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ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
(in millions, except per share amounts)
For the Years Ended December 31,
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment 292.8 16.3 503.0
Restructuring and other cost reduction initiatives 191.6 125.7 107.2
Acquisition, integration, divestiture and related 11.4 3.1 11.4
Loss on early extinguishment of debt - (165.1 ) -
Net Earnings (Loss) from Continuing Operations 291.2 445.5 (9.2 )
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest 1.0 0.5 1.5
Loss from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax (58.8 ) (43.4 ) (128.2 )
Net Earnings (Loss) of Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. $ 231.4 $ 401.6 $ (138.9 )
Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share
Earnings (Loss) from Continuing Operations $ 1.38 $ 2.14 $ (0.05 )
Loss from Discontinued Operations (0.28 ) (0.21 ) (0.62 )
Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share $ 1.10 $ 1.93 $ (0.67 )
Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share
Earnings (Loss) from Continuing Operations $ 1.38 $ 2.12 $ (0.05 )
Loss from Discontinued Operations (0.28 ) (0.21 ) (0.62 )
Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share $ 1.10 $ 1.91 $ (0.67 )
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(in millions)
For the Years Ended December 31,
Net Earnings (Loss) of Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. $ 231.4 $ 401.6 $ (138.9 )
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss):
Unrealized cash flow hedge gains/(losses), net of tax 83.5 86.4 (33.5 )
Reclassification adjustments on hedges, net of tax (46.0 ) 1.3 (38.5 )
Total Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income (8.8 ) 66.2 (55.9 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in millions, except share amounts)
As of December 31,
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 375.7 $ 378.1
Accounts receivable, less allowance for credit losses 1,381.5 1,259.6
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 324.5 271.0
Current assets of discontinued operations - 501.6
Noncurrent assets of discontinued operations - 1,276.8
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt 544.3 1,605.1
Current liabilities of discontinued operations - 177.2
Noncurrent liabilities of discontinued operations - 168.4
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 21)
Stockholders' Equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (179.3 ) (231.6 )
Total Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. stockholders' equity 12,020.3 12,660.7
Noncontrolling interest 6.7 5.7
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 21,066.0 $ 23,456.4
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(in millions)
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. Stockholders
Accumulated
Other Total
Number Amount Capital Earnings (Loss) Income Number Amount Interest Equity
Other comprehensive loss - - - - (55.9 ) - - - (55.9 )
Cash dividends declared ($0.96 per share) - - - (198.9 ) - - - - (198.9 )
Adoption of new accounting standard - - - (3.1 ) - - - - (3.1 )
Acquisition of noncontrollinginterest - - - - - - - (1.0 ) (1.0 )
Other comprehensive income - - - - 66.2 - - - 66.2
Cash dividends declared ($0.96 per share) - - - (200.4 ) - - - - (200.4 )
Other comprehensive loss - - - - (8.8 ) - - - (8.8 )
Cash dividends declared ($0.96 per share) - - - (201.3 ) - - - - (201.3 )
Reclassifications of net investment hedges - - - - 25.9 - - - 25.9
Spinoff of ZimVie Inc. - - - (763.4 ) 35.2 - - - (728.2 )
Share repurchases - - - - - (1.0 ) (150.0 ) - (150.0 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in millions)
For the Years Ended December 31,
Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations $ 291.2 $ 445.5 $ (9.2 )
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment 292.8 16.3 503.0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt - 165.1 -
Loss on investment in ZimVie 116.6 - -
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision (64.4 ) (102.1 ) 39.4
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 103.0 86.5 (96.3 )
Other assets and liabilities (1.2 ) (47.6 ) 61.1
Additions to other property, plant and equipment (187.9 ) (143.6 ) (111.9 )
Net investment hedge settlements 89.4 1.9 53.5
Business combination investments, net of acquired cash (99.8 ) - (227.1 )
Investments in other assets (65.4 ) (28.0 ) (19.8 )
Proceeds from multicurrency revolving facility 595.0 - -
Payments on multicurrency revolving facility (220.0 ) - -
Proceeds from term loan 83.0 - -
Payments on term loans (242.9 ) - -
Proceeds from employee stock compensation plans 78.1 122.5 129.8
Distribution from ZimVie, Inc. 540.6 - -
Net cash flows from unremitted collections from factoring programs - - (53.0 )
Business combination contingent consideration payments - (8.9 ) (15.0 )
Debt issuance costs (1.6 ) (13.2 ) (22.3 )
Deferred business combination payments - (145.0 ) -
Repurchase of common stock (126.4 ) - -
Other financing activities (4.5 ) (6.3 ) (8.3 )
Cash flows provided by (used in) discontinued operations:
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities (71.5 ) 94.9 128.9
Net cash used in investing activities (7.2 ) (60.3 ) (49.5 )
Net cash used in financing activities (68.1 ) - (1.6 )
Net cash (used in) provided by discontinued operations (146.8 ) 34.6 77.8
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents (14.5 ) (13.2 ) 15.3
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (102.8 ) (323.6 ) 184.2
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1.
Business
We design, manufacture and market orthopedic reconstructive products; sports medicine, biologics, extremities and trauma products; craniomaxillofacial and thoracic products; surgical products; and a suite of integrated digital and robotic technologies that leverage data, data analytics and artificial intelligence. We collaborate with healthcare professionals around the globe to advance the pace of innovation. Our products and solutions help treat patients suffering from disorders of, or injuries to, bones, joints or supporting soft tissues. Together with healthcare professionals, we help millions of people live better lives.
The words “Zimmer Biomet,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company” and similar words refer to Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries. “Zimmer Biomet Holdings” refers to the parent company only.
Risks and Uncertainties - Our results have been and may continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The vast majority of our net sales are derived from products used in elective surgical procedures which continue to be deferred to some extent due to precautions in certain markets and staffing shortages. The consequences of COVID-19 and its related effects continue to be extremely fluid and there are many market dynamics that are difficult to predict. Although the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operating results continue to subside, the pandemic could still have an unfavorable effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows in the near term.
Spinoff - On March 1, 2022, we completed the previously announced separation of our spine and dental businesses into a new public company through the distribution by Zimmer Biomet Holdings of 80.3% of the outstanding shares of common stock of ZimVie Inc. (“ZimVie”) to Zimmer Biomet Holding’s stockholders. The historical results of our spine and dental businesses that were contributed to ZimVie in the spinoff have been reflected as discontinued operations in our consolidated financial statements as the spinoff represents a strategic shift in our business that has a major effect on operations and financial results. As of December 31, 2021, the assets and liabilities associated with these businesses are classified as assets and liabilities of discontinued operations in the consolidated balance sheet. The disclosures presented in our notes to the consolidated financial statements are presented on a continuing operations basis.
2.
Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation - The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Zimmer Biomet Holdings and its subsidiaries in which it holds a controlling financial interest. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated.
Use of Estimates - The consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We have made our best estimates, as appropriate under GAAP, in the recognition of our assets and liabilities. These estimates have considered the impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Such estimates included, but were not limited to, variable consideration to our customers, our allowance for doubtful accounts for expected credit losses, the net realizable value of our inventory, the fair value of our goodwill and the recoverability of other long-lived assets. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.
Foreign Currency Translation - The financial statements of our foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. Dollars using period-end exchange rates for assets and liabilities and average exchange rates for operating results. Unrealized translation gains and losses are included in accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity. When a transaction is denominated in a currency other than the subsidiary’s functional currency, we remeasure the transaction into the functional currency and recognize any transactional gains or losses in earnings.
Shipping and Handling - Amounts billed to customers for shipping and handling of products are reflected in net sales and are not significant. Expenses incurred related to shipping and handling of products are reflected in selling,
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general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses and were $254.4 million, $255.4 million and $235.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Research and Development - We expense all research and development (“R&D”) costs as incurred except when there is an alternative future use for the R&D. R&D costs include salaries, prototypes, depreciation of equipment used in R&D, consultant fees, service fees paid to collaborative partners, and arrangements to gain access to or acquire third-party in-process R&D projects with no alternative future use. Where contingent milestone payments are due to third parties under R&D arrangements, we expense the milestone payment obligations when it is probable that the milestone results will be achieved.
Litigation - We record an undiscounted liability for contingent losses, including future legal costs, settlements and judgments, when we consider it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.
Quality remediation - We use the financial statement line item “Quality remediation” to recognize expenses related to addressing inspectional observations on Form 483 and a warning letter issued by the FDA following its inspections of our Warsaw North Campus facility, among other matters. See Note 21 for additional information about the Form 483 and warning letter. The majority of these expenses were related to consultants who helped us to update previous documents and redesign certain processes.
Restructuring and other cost reduction initiatives - A restructuring is defined as a program that is planned and controlled by management, and materially changes either the scope of a business undertaken by an entity, or the manner in which that business is conducted. Restructuring charges include (i) employee termination benefits, (ii) contract termination costs and (iii) other related costs associated with exit or disposal activities.
In December 2021, our management approved a new global restructuring program intended to further reduce costs and to reorganize our global operations in preparation for the spinoff of ZimVie. In December 2019, our Board of Directors approved, and we initiated, a new global restructuring program with an objective of reducing costs to allow us to further invest in higher priority growth opportunities. Restructuring charges for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 were primarily attributable to these programs.
Acquisition, integration, divestiture and related – We use the financial statement line item, “Acquisition, integration, divestiture and related” to recognize expenses resulting from the consummation of business mergers and acquisitions and the related integration of those businesses, and expenses related to the divestiture of our businesses. Acquisition, integration, divestiture and related gains and expenses are primarily composed of:
•
Consulting and professional fees related to third-party integration performed in a variety of areas, such as finance, tax, compliance, logistics and human resources, and legal fees related to the consummation of mergers and acquisitions.
•
Employee termination benefits related to terminating employees with overlapping responsibilities in various areas of our business.
•
Dedicated project personnel expenses which include the salary, benefits, travel expenses and other costs directly associated with employees who are 100 percent dedicated to our integration of acquired businesses and employees who have been notified of termination, but are continuing to work on transferring their responsibilities.
•
Contract termination expenses related to terminated contracts, primarily with sales agents and distribution agreements.
•
Changes to our contingent consideration liabilities related to our mergers and acquisitions.
•
Other various expenses to relocate facilities, integrate information technology, losses incurred on assets resulting from the applicable acquisition, and other various expenses.
•
Income and expenses related to providing ZimVie certain services after the separation date.
Cash and Cash Equivalents - We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet for cash and cash equivalents are valued at cost, which approximates their fair value.
Accounts Receivable - Accounts receivable consists of trade and other miscellaneous receivables. We grant credit to customers in the normal course of business and maintain an allowance for expected credit losses. We determine the
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allowance for credit losses by geographic market and take into consideration historical credit experience, creditworthiness of the customer and other pertinent information. We make concerted efforts to collect all accounts receivable, but sometimes we have to write-off the account against the allowance when we determine the account is uncollectible. The allowance for credit losses was $78.4 million and $60.1 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
We also have receivables purchase arrangements with unrelated third parties to transfer portions of our trade accounts receivable balance. We terminated our purchase arrangements in the U.S. and Japan during the year ended December 31, 2020. We continue to have arrangements in Europe where we sell to a third party and have no continuing involvement or significant risk with the factored accounts receivable. Funds received from the transfers are recorded as an increase to cash and a reduction to accounts receivable outstanding in our consolidated balance sheets. We report the cash flows attributable to the sale of receivables to third parties in cash flows from operating activities in our consolidated statements of cash flows. Net expenses resulting from the sales of receivables are recognized in SG&A expense and are immaterial. Net expenses include any resulting gains or losses from the sales of receivables, credit insurance and factoring fees. Under the previous arrangement in the U.S. and Japan, any initial collections of cash and remittances to the third parties were recognized in our consolidated statements of cash flows in financing activities which resulted in an outflow of $53.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Inventories - Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value, with cost determined on a first-in first-out basis.
Property, Plant and Equipment - Property, plant and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based on estimated useful lives of ten to forty years for buildings and improvements and three to eight years for machinery and equipment. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. We review property, plant and equipment for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. An impairment loss would be recognized when estimated future undiscounted cash flows relating to the asset are less than its carrying amount. An impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its fair value.
Software Costs - We capitalize certain computer software and software development costs incurred in connection with developing or obtaining computer software for internal use when both the preliminary project stage is completed and it is probable that the software will be used as intended. Capitalized software costs generally include external direct costs of materials and services utilized in developing or obtaining computer software and compensation and related benefits for employees who are directly associated with the software project. Capitalized software costs are included in property, plant and equipment on our balance sheet and amortized on a straight-line or weighted average estimated user basis when the software is ready for its intended use over the estimated useful lives of the software, which approximate three to fifteen years.
For cloud computing arrangements that are considered a service contract, our capitalization of implementation costs is aligned with the internal use software requirements. However, on our consolidated balance sheet these implementation costs are recognized in other noncurrent assets. On our consolidated statement of cash flows, these implementations costs are recognized in operating cash flows. The implementation costs are recognized on a straight-line basis over the expected term of the related service contract.
Instruments - Instruments are hand-held devices used by surgeons during total joint replacement and other surgical procedures. Instruments are recognized as long-lived assets and are included in property, plant and equipment. Undeployed instruments are carried at cost or net realizable value. Instruments that have been deployed to be used in surgeries are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based on average estimated useful lives, determined principally in reference to associated product life cycles, primarily five years. We review instruments for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an instrument may not be recoverable. Depreciation of instruments is recognized as SG&A expense.
Goodwill - Goodwill is not amortized but is subject to annual impairment tests. Goodwill has been assigned to reporting units. Potential impairment of a reporting unit is identified by either comparing a reporting unit’s estimated fair value to its carrying amount or doing a qualitative assessment of a reporting unit’s fair value from the last quantitative assessment to determine if there is potential impairment. We may do a qualitative assessment when the results of the previous quantitative test indicated the reporting unit’s estimated fair value was significantly in excess of the carrying value of its net assets and we do not believe there have been significant changes in the
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reporting unit’s operations that would significantly decrease its estimated fair value. If a quantitative assessment is performed, the fair value of the reporting unit and the fair value of goodwill are determined based upon a discounted cash flow analysis and/or use of a market approach by looking at market values of comparable companies. Significant assumptions are incorporated into our discounted cash flow analyses such as forecasted net sales, revenue growth rates, forecasted operating expenses and risk-adjusted discount rates. We perform this test in the fourth quarter of the year or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not below its carrying amount. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded in the amount that the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value. See Note 11 for more information regarding goodwill.
Intangible Assets - Intangible assets are initially measured at their fair value. We have determined the fair value of our intangible assets either by the fair value of the consideration exchanged for the intangible asset or the estimated after-tax discounted cash flows expected to be generated from the intangible asset. Intangible assets with a finite life, including technology, certain trademarks and trade names, customer-related intangibles, intellectual property rights and patents and licenses are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful life or contractual life, which may range from less than one year to twenty years. Intangible assets with a finite life are tested for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
Intangible assets with an indefinite life, including certain trademarks and trade names and in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) projects, are not amortized. Indefinite life intangible assets are assessed annually to determine whether events and circumstances continue to support an indefinite life. Intangible assets with an indefinite life are tested for impairment annually or whenever events or circumstances indicate that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not below its carrying amount. An impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset. The amount of the impairment loss to be recorded would be determined based upon the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value. The fair values of indefinite lived intangible assets are determined based upon a discounted cash flow analysis using the relief from royalty method or a qualitative assessment may be performed for any changes to the asset’s fair value from the last quantitative assessment. The relief from royalty method estimates the cost savings associated with owning, rather than licensing, assets. Significant assumptions are incorporated into these discounted cash flow analyses such as estimated growth rates, royalty rates and risk-adjusted discount rates. We may do a qualitative assessment when the results of the previous quantitative test indicated that the asset’s fair value was significantly in excess of its carrying value.
In determining the useful lives of intangible assets, we consider the expected use of the assets and the effects of obsolescence, demand, competition, anticipated technological advances, changes in surgical techniques, market influences and other economic factors. For technology-based intangible assets, we consider the expected life cycles of products, absent unforeseen technological advances, which incorporate the corresponding technology. Trademarks and trade names that do not have a wasting characteristic (i.e., there are no legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors which limit the useful life) are assigned an indefinite life. Trademarks and trade names that are related to products expected to be phased out are assigned lives consistent with the period in which the products bearing each brand are expected to be sold. For customer relationship intangible assets, we assign useful lives based upon historical levels of customer attrition. Intellectual property rights are assigned useful lives that approximate the contractual life of any related patent or the period for which we maintain exclusivity over the intellectual property.
Income Taxes - We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period the new tax rate is enacted.
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