* The Company is subject to risks related to the separation of Solventum, the Company's former Health Care business, into an independent public company.
On April 1, 2024, the Company completed the planned spin-off of its health care business, which is known as Solventum Corporation, as an independent company. There can be no assurance that the anticipated benefits of the transaction will be realized, or that the costs or dis-synergies of the transaction (including costs of related restructuring transactions) will not exceed the anticipated amounts, in each case in the amounts or within the timeframes that were anticipated. The separation may also impose challenges on the Company and its business, including potential impacts on the Company’s relationships with its customers, employees, regulators, and other counterparties; and the risk that any consents or approvals required will not be obtained or will be obtained subject to material modifications to the terms of the underlying arrangement.
In connection with the separation, the Company and Solventum entered into various agreements that provide for the performance of certain services or provision of goods by each company for the benefit of the other, including a separation and distribution agreement, a transition services agreement, a tax matters agreement, an employee matters agreement, a transition distribution services agreement, a transition contract manufacturing agreement, a stockholder’s and registration rights agreement, an intellectual property cross license agreement, a master supply agreement, and a reverse master supply agreement. Performance under these agreement or other related conditions outside of the Company’s control could materially affect our operations and future financial results.
Following the separation, the Company is a smaller, less diversified company than it was prior to the separation, which could make the Company more vulnerable to factors impacting its performance, such as changing market conditions and market volatility. In addition, the Company may be unable to find suitable alternatives for goods and services that Solventum temporarily provides to the Company pursuant to the agreements noted above, or such alternative goods and services may be more expensive than provided by Solventum to the Company.
The Company retained an equity interest in Solventum in connection with the spin-off. The Company cannot predict the trading price of shares of Solventum’s common stock and the market value of the Solventum shares is subject to market volatility and other factors outside of the Company’s control. The Company intends to divest its ownership interest in Solventum within five years from the spin-off, but there can be no assurance regarding the timing of, or timeframe over which, such divestiture or divestitures may occur, or the amount of proceeds received by the Company in connection with any such divestitures.
In addition, while it is intended that the transaction be tax-free to the Company’s stockholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there is no assurance that the transactions will qualify for this treatment. If the spin-off is ultimately determined to be taxable, the Company, Solventum, or the Company’s stockholders could incur income tax liabilities that could be significant. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and the price of our common stock.