Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Accounting standards define fair value based on an exit price model, establish a framework for measuring fair value where the Company’s assets and liabilities are required to be carried at fair value and provide for certain disclosures related to the valuation methods used within a valuation hierarchy as established within the accounting standards. This hierarchy prioritizes the inputs into three broad levels as follows. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets in markets that are not active, or other observable characteristics for the asset or liability, including interest rates, yield curves and credit risks, or inputs that are derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable market data through correlation. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs based on the Company’s assumptions. A financial asset or liability’s classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.

A summary of financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis were as follows ($ in millions):


	Year Ended December 31		Quoted Prices in Active Market (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
2020:
Assets:
Available-for-sale debt securities	$	27	$	—	$	27	$	—
Investment in equity securities	176		6		—		—

Liabilities:
Cross-currency swap derivative contracts	622		—		622		—
Deferred compensation plans	111		—		111		—
2019:
Assets:
Available-for-sale debt securities	$	34	$	—	$	34	$	—
Investment in equity securities	111		—		—		—
Cross-currency swap derivative contracts	26		—		26		—
Liabilities:
Cross-currency swap derivative contracts	112		—		112		—
Deferred compensation plans	70		—		70		—

Available-for-sale debt securities, which are included in other long-term assets in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, are measured at fair value using quoted prices reported by investment brokers and dealers based on the underlying terms of the security and comparison to similar securities traded on an active market. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, available-for-sale debt securities primarily include U.S. Treasury Notes and corporate debt securities, which are valued based on the terms of the instruments in comparison with similar terms on the active market.

The Company’s investments in equity securities consist of investments in publicly traded equity securities and investments in non-marketable equity securities. The publicly traded securities are classified as Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy as they are measured based on quotes in active markets. For the non-marketable equity securities, the Company estimates the fair value of the investments in equity securities based on the measurement alternative and adjusts for impairments and observable price changes with a same or similar security from the same issuer within net earnings (the Fair Value Alternative). The Company’s investments in these equity securities are not classified in the fair value hierarchy due to the use of these measurement methods. Additionally, the Company is a limited partner in a partnership that invests in early-stage companies. While the partnership records these investments at fair value, the Company’s investment in the partnership is accounted for under the equity method of accounting and is not subject to fair value measurement disclosures. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded net realized and unrealized gains of $18 million related to changes in the fair value of these investments which is reflected in other income (expense), net in the Consolidated Statement of Earnings. No significant realized or unrealized gains or losses were recorded in either 2019 or 2018 with respect to these investments.

The cross-currency swap derivative contracts are used to partially hedge the Company’s net investments in foreign operations against adverse movements in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the Danish kroner, Japanese yen, euro and Swiss franc. The Company also uses cross-currency swap derivative contracts to hedge the exchange rate exposure from long-term debt issuances in a foreign currency other than the functional currency of the borrower. The cross-currency swap derivative contracts are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as they are measured using the income approach with the relevant

interest rates and current foreign currency exchange rates and forward curves as inputs. Refer to Note 12 for additional information.

The Company has established nonqualified contribution and deferred compensation programs that permit the Company to make tax-deferred contributions to officers and certain other employees, and also permit directors, officers and certain other employees to voluntarily defer taxation on a portion of their compensation. All amounts contributed or deferred under such plans are unfunded, unsecured obligations of the Company and are presented as a component of the Company’s compensation and benefits accrual included in other long-term liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets (refer to Note 10). Non-director participants may choose among alternative earning rates for the amounts they defer, which are primarily based on investment options within the Company’s 401(k) program. Changes in the deferred compensation liability under these programs are recognized based on changes in the fair value of the participants’ accounts, which are based on the applicable earnings rates. Amounts voluntarily deferred by directors and amounts unilaterally contributed to participant accounts by the Company are deemed invested in the Company’s common stock and future distributions of such contributions (as well as future distributions of any voluntary deferrals allocated at any time to the Danaher common stock investment option) will be made solely in shares of Company common stock, and therefore are not reflected in the above amounts.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts and fair values of the Company’s financial instruments as of December 31 were as follows ($ in millions):


	2020				2019
	Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Carrying Amount		Fair Value
Assets:
Available-for-sale debt securities	$	27	$	27	$	34	$	34
Investment in equity securities	176		176		111		111
Cross-currency swap derivative contracts	—		—		26		26
Liabilities:
Cross-currency swap derivative contracts	622		622		112		112
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	11		11		212		212
Long-term debt	21,193		23,004		21,517		21,897

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019 available-for-sale debt securities and cross-currency swap derivative contracts were categorized as Level 2 and short and long-term borrowings were categorized as Level 1.

The fair value of long-term borrowings was based on quoted market prices. The difference between the fair value and the carrying amounts of long-term borrowings (other than the Company’s Liquid Yield Option Notes due 2021 (the “LYONs”)) is attributable to changes in market interest rates and/or the Company’s credit ratings subsequent to the incurrence of the borrowing. In the case of the LYONs, differences in the fair value from the carrying value are attributable to changes in the price of the Company’s common stock due to the LYONs’ conversion features. The fair values of borrowings with original maturities of one year or less, as well as cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable, net and trade accounts payable approximate their carrying amounts due to the short-term maturities of these instruments.

Refer to Note 13 for information related to the fair value of the Company sponsored defined benefit pension plan assets.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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