Financial Instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Financial Instruments

Financial Instruments

Investments in Equity and Debt Securities

Our equity investments are accounted for using three different methods depending on the type of equity investment:

•Investments in companies over which we have significant influence but not a controlling interest are accounted for using the equity method, with our share of earnings or losses reported in other-net, (income) expense.

•For equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values, we measure these investments at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. Any change in recorded value is recorded in other-net, (income) expense.

•Our public equity investments are measured and carried at fair value. Any change in fair value is recognized in other-net, (income) expense.

We adjust our equity investments without readily determinable fair values based upon changes in the equity instruments' values resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer. Downward adjustments resulting from an impairment are recorded based upon impairment considerations, including the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, general market conditions, and industry specific factors. Adjustments recorded for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 were not material.

The net gains (losses) recognized in our consolidated statements of operations for equity securities were $(20.2) million, $(410.7) million, and $176.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. The net gains (losses) recognized for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 on equity securities sold during the respective periods were not material.

As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $930 million of unfunded commitments to invest in venture capital funds, which we anticipate will be paid over a period of up to 10 years.

We record our available-for-sale debt securities at fair value, with changes in fair value reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). We periodically assess our investment in available-for-sale securities for impairment losses and credit losses. The amount of credit losses are determined by comparing the difference between the present value of future cash flows expected to be collected on these securities and the amortized cost. Factors considered in assessing credit losses include the position in the capital structure, vintage and amount of collateral, delinquency rates, current credit support, and geographic concentration. Impairment and credit losses related to available-for-sale securities were not material for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.

The table below summarizes the contractual maturities of our investments in debt securities measured at fair value as of December 31, 2023:

	Maturities by Period
	Total		Less Than 1 Year		1-5 Years		6-10 Years		More Than 10 Years
Fair value of debt securities	$	657.2	$	84.1	$	227.9	$	98.4	$	246.8

A summary of the amount of unrealized gains and losses in accumulated other comprehensive loss and the fair value of available-for-sale securities in an unrealized gain or loss position follows:

	2023		2022
Unrealized gross gains	$	3.4	$	0.6
Unrealized gross losses	37.9		49.2
Fair value of securities in an unrealized gain position	159.2		46.8
Fair value of securities in an unrealized loss position	452.0		568.7

As of December 31, 2023, the available-for-sale securities in an unrealized loss position include primarily fixed-rate debt securities of varying maturities, which are sensitive to changes in the yield curve and other market conditions. Approximately 99 percent of the fixed-rate debt securities in a loss position are investment-grade debt securities. As of December 31, 2023, we do not intend to sell, and it is not more likely than not that we will be required to sell, the securities in a loss position before the market values recover or the underlying cash flows have been received, and there is no indication of a material default on interest or principal payments for our debt securities.

Activity related to our available-for-sale securities was as follows:

	2023		2022		2021
Proceeds from sales	$	145.6	$	132.9	$	174.7
Realized gross gains on sales	0.7		0.4		2.8
Realized gross losses on sales	4.0		9.7		1.7

Realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale investments are computed based upon specific identification of the initial cost adjusted for any other-than-temporary declines in fair value that were recorded in earnings.

Fair Value of Investments

The following table summarizes certain fair value information at December 31, 2023 and 2022 for investment assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis, as well as the carrying amount and amortized cost of certain other investments:

					Fair Value Measurements Using
	Carrying Amount		Cost (1)		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Fair Value
December 31, 2023
Cash equivalents(2)	$	1,088.4	$	1,088.4	$	1,079.3	$	9.1	$	—	$	1,088.4
Short-term investments:
U.S. government and agency securities	$	32.1	$	32.3	$	32.1	$	—	$	—	$	32.1
Corporate debt securities	52.0		52.1		—		52.0		—		52.0
Other securities	25.0		25.0		—		13.6		11.4		25.0
Short-term investments	$	109.1
Noncurrent investments:
U.S. government and agency securities	$	148.1	$	161.0	$	148.1	$	—	$	—	$	148.1
Corporate debt securities	214.3		226.6		—		214.3		—		214.3
Mortgage-backed securities	157.3		167.1		—		157.3		—		157.3
Asset-backed securities	53.5		54.4		—		53.5		—		53.5
Other securities	197.4		100.2		—		23.5		173.9		197.4
Marketable equity securities	711.3		493.2		711.3		—		—		711.3
Equity investments without readily determinable fair values(3)	608.0
Equity method investments(3)	962.3
Noncurrent investments	$	3,052.2
December 31, 2022
Cash equivalents(2)	$	657.4	$	657.4	$	650.4	$	7.0	$	—	$	657.4
Short-term investments:
U.S. government and agency securities	$	30.8	$	31.1	$	30.8	$	—	$	—	$	30.8
Corporate debt securities	53.4		53.5		—		53.4		—		53.4
Asset-backed securities	2.0		2.0		—		2.0		—		2.0
Other securities	58.6		58.6		—		39.1		19.5		58.6
Short-term investments	$	144.8
Noncurrent investments:
U.S. government and agency securities	$	146.4	$	163.2	$	146.4	$	—	$	—	$	146.4
Corporate debt securities	213.9		235.8		—		213.9		—		213.9
Mortgage-backed securities	149.2		161.5		—		149.2		—		149.2
Asset-backed securities	50.6		52.5		—		50.6		—		50.6
Other securities	398.6		34.5		—		311.0		87.6		398.6
Marketable equity securities	683.6		484.7		683.6		—		—		683.6
Equity investments without readily determinable fair values(3)	478.4
Equity method investments(3)	781.1
Noncurrent investments	$	2,901.8

(1) For available-for-sale debt securities, amounts disclosed represent the securities' amortized cost.

(2) We consider all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. The cost of these investments approximates fair value.

(3) Fair value disclosures are not applicable for equity method investments and investments accounted for under the measurement alternative for equity investments.

We determine our Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements based on a market approach using quoted market values, significant other observable inputs for identical or comparable assets or liabilities, or discounted cash flow analyses. Level 3 fair value measurements for other investment securities are determined using unobservable inputs, including the investments' cost adjusted for impairments and price changes from orderly transactions. Fair values are not readily available for certain equity investments measured under the measurement alternative.

Debt

Fair Value of Debt

The following table summarizes certain fair value information at December 31, 2023 and 2022 for our short-term and long-term debt:

			Fair Value Measurements Using
	Carrying Amount		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Fair Value
Short-term commercial paper borrowings
December 31, 2023	$	(6,189.4)	$	—	$	(6,166.4)	$	—	$	(6,166.4)
December 31, 2022	(1,498.0)		—		(1,492.0)		—		(1,492.0)
Long-term debt, including current portion
December 31, 2023	$	(19,035.9)	$	—	$	(17,221.7)	$	—	$	(17,221.7)
December 31, 2022	(14,740.6)		—		(12,329.3)		—		(12,329.3)

Risk Management and Related Financial Instruments

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to credit risk consist principally of trade receivables and interest-bearing investments. Wholesale distributors of life science products account for a substantial portion of our trade receivables; collateral is generally not required. We seek to mitigate the risk associated with this concentration through our ongoing credit-review procedures and insurance. The majority of our cash is held by a few major financial institutions that have been identified as Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) by the Financial Stability Board. G-SIBs are subject to rigorous regulatory testing and oversight and must meet certain capital requirements. We monitor our exposures with these institutions and do not expect any of these institutions to fail to meet their obligations. In accordance with documented corporate risk-management policies, we monitor the amount of credit exposure to any one financial institution or corporate issuer based on credit rating of our counterparty. We are exposed to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance by counterparties to risk-management instruments but do not expect significant counterparties to fail to meet their obligations given their investment grade credit ratings.

We have entered into accounts receivable factoring agreements with financial institutions to sell certain of our non-U.S. accounts receivable. These transactions are accounted for as sales and result in a reduction in accounts receivable because the agreements transfer effective control over, and risk related to, the receivables to the buyers. Our factoring agreements do not allow for recourse in the event of uncollectibility, and we do not retain any interest in the underlying accounts receivable once sold. We derecognized $431.9 million and $422.1 million of accounts receivable as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, under these factoring arrangements. The costs of factoring such accounts receivable were not material for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.

Our derivative activities are initiated within the guidelines of documented corporate risk-management policies and are intended to offset losses and gains on the assets, liabilities, and transactions being hedged. Management reviews the correlation and effectiveness of our derivatives on a quarterly basis.

For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as fair value hedges, the derivative instrument is marked to market, with gains and losses recognized currently in income to offset the respective losses and gains recognized on the underlying exposure. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges, gains and losses are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (see Note 17) and reclassified into earnings in the same period the hedged transaction affects earnings. For derivative and non-derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as net investment hedges, the foreign currency translation gains or losses due to spot rate fluctuations are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (see Note 17). Derivative contracts that are not designated as hedging instruments are recorded at fair value with the gain or loss recognized in earnings during the period of change.

We may enter into foreign currency forward or option contracts to reduce the effect of fluctuating currency exchange rates (primarily the euro, Chinese yuan, and Japanese yen). Foreign currency derivatives used for hedging are put in place using the same or like currencies and duration as the underlying exposures. Forward and option contracts are principally used to manage exposures arising from subsidiary trade and loan payables and receivables denominated in foreign currencies. These contracts are recorded at fair value with the gain or loss recognized in other–net, (income) expense. Forward contracts generally have maturities not exceeding 12 months. At December 31, 2023, we had outstanding foreign currency forward commitments as follows, all of which have settlement dates within 180 days:

December 31, 2023
Purchase		Sell
Currency	Amount (in millions)	Currency	Amount (in millions)
U.S. dollars	4,779.4	Euro	4,352.2
Euro	3,940.4	U.S. dollars	4,250.9
British pounds	237.7	U.S. dollars	299.2
U.S. dollars	165.3	Chinese yuan	1,172.7

Foreign currency exchange risk is also managed through the use of foreign currency debt, cross-currency interest rate swaps, and foreign currency forward contracts. Our foreign currency-denominated notes had carrying amounts of $7.14 billion and $6.83 billion as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, of which $5.67 billion and $5.45 billion have been designated as, and are effective as, economic hedges of net investments in certain of our foreign operations as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. At December 31, 2023, we had outstanding cross currency swaps with notional amounts of $728.6 million swapping U.S. dollars to euro and $1.00 billion swapping Swiss francs to U.S. dollars which have settlement dates ranging through 2028. Our cross-currency interest rate swaps, for which a majority convert a portion of our U.S. dollar-denominated fixed-rate debt to foreign-denominated fixed rate debt, have also been designated as, and are effective as, economic hedges of net investments. At December 31, 2023, we had outstanding foreign currency forward contracts to sell 3.20 billion euro and to sell 1.80 billion Chinese yuan, with settlement dates ranging through 2024, which have been designated as, and are effective as, economic hedges of net investments.

In the normal course of business, our operations are exposed to fluctuations in interest rates which can vary the costs of financing, investing, and operating. We seek to address a portion of these risks through a controlled program of risk management that includes the use of derivative financial instruments. The objective of controlling these risks is to limit the impact of fluctuations in interest rates on earnings. Our primary interest-rate risk exposure results from changes in short-term U.S. dollar interest rates. In an effort to manage interest-rate exposures, we strive to achieve an acceptable balance between fixed- and floating-rate debt and investment positions and may enter into interest rate swaps or collars to help maintain that balance.

Interest rate swaps or collars that convert our fixed-rate debt to a floating rate are designated as fair value hedges of the underlying instruments. Interest rate swaps or collars that convert floating-rate debt to a fixed rate are designated as cash flow hedges. Interest expense on the debt is adjusted to include the payments made or received under the swap agreements. Cash proceeds from or payments to counterparties resulting from the termination of interest rate swaps are classified as operating activities in our consolidated statements of cash flows. At December 31, 2023, all of our total long-term debt is at a fixed rate. We have converted approximately 12 percent of our long-term fixed-rate notes to floating rates through the use of interest rate swaps.

We also may enter into forward-starting interest rate swaps and treasury locks, which we designate as cash flow hedges, as part of any anticipated future debt issuances in order to reduce the risk of cash flow volatility from future changes in interest rates. The change in fair value of these instruments is recorded as part of other comprehensive income (loss) (see Note 17) and, upon completion of a debt issuance and termination of the instrument, is amortized to interest expense over the life of the underlying debt. As of December 31, 2023, the total notional amounts of forward-starting interest rate and treasury lock contracts in designated cash flow hedging instruments were $1.10 billion, which have settlement dates ranging through 2025.

The Effect of Risk Management Instruments on the Consolidated Statements of Operations

The following effects of risk-management instruments were recognized in other–net, (income) expense:

	2023		2022		2021
Fair value hedges:
Effect from hedged fixed-rate debt	$	31.5	$	(209.8)	$	(78.5)
Effect from interest rate contracts	(31.5)		209.8		78.5
Cash flow hedges:
Effective portion of losses on interest rate contracts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	13.5		16.5		16.6
Cross-currency interest rate swaps	(108.6)		8.6		41.8
Net losses on foreign currency exchange contracts not designated as hedging instruments	26.4		191.3		204.6
Total	$	(68.7)	$	216.4	$	263.0

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, the amortization of losses related to the portion of our risk management hedging instruments, fair value hedges, and cash flow hedges that was excluded from the assessment of effectiveness was not material.

The Effect of Risk-Management Instruments on Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The effective portion of risk-management instruments that was recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) is as follows:

	2023		2022		2021
Net investment hedges:
Foreign currency-denominated notes	$	(219.9)	$	324.9	$	435.0
Cross-currency interest rate swaps	(27.4)		52.0		213.7
Foreign currency forward contracts	(107.1)		(15.4)		—
Cash flow hedges:
Forward-starting interest rate swaps	85.6		391.5		97.6
Cross-currency interest rate swaps	15.2		29.8		42.3

During the next 12 months, we expect to reclassify $13.0 million of pretax net losses on cash flow hedges from accumulated other comprehensive loss to other–net, (income) expense. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, the amounts excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) were not material.

Fair Value of Risk-Management Instruments

The following table summarizes certain fair value information at December 31, 2023 and 2022 for risk-management assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

			Fair Value Measurements Using
	Carrying Amount		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Fair Value
December 31, 2023
Risk-management instruments
Interest rate contracts designated as fair value hedges:
Other current liabilities	$	(2.4)	$	—	$	(2.4)	$	—	$	(2.4)
Other noncurrent liabilities	(100.3)		—		(100.3)		—		(100.3)
Interest rate contracts designated as cash flow hedges:
Other noncurrent assets	291.2		—		291.2		—		291.2
Cross-currency interest rate contracts designated as net investment hedges:
Other current liabilities	(28.4)		—		(28.4)		—		(28.4)
Other noncurrent liabilities	(3.5)		—		(3.5)		—		(3.5)
Cross-currency interest rate contracts designated as cash flow hedges:
Other receivables	113.8		—		113.8		—		113.8
Other noncurrent assets	63.1		—		63.1		—		63.1
Foreign exchange contracts designated as hedging instruments:
Other current liabilities	(115.8)		—		(115.8)		—		(115.8)
Foreign exchange contracts not designated as hedging instruments:
Other receivables	129.6		—		129.6		—		129.6
Other current liabilities	(55.9)		—		(55.9)		—		(55.9)
Contingent consideration liabilities:
Other current liabilities	(39.5)		—		—		(39.5)		(39.5)
Other noncurrent liabilities	(64.4)		—		—		(64.4)		(64.4)

			Fair Value Measurements Using
	Carrying Amount		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Fair Value
December 31, 2022
Risk-management instruments
Interest rate contracts designated as fair value hedges:
Other noncurrent liabilities	$	(134.3)	$	—	$	(134.3)	$	—	$	(134.3)
Interest rate contracts designated as cash flow hedges:
Other receivables	162.9		—		162.9		—		162.9
Other noncurrent assets	246.0		—		246.0		—		246.0
Cross-currency interest rate contracts designated as net investment hedges:
Other receivables	67.6		—		67.6		—		67.6
Cross-currency interest rate contracts designated as cash flow hedges:
Other noncurrent assets	53.1		—		53.1		—		53.1
Foreign exchanges contracts designated as hedging instruments:
Other current liabilities	(38.3)		—		(38.3)		—		(38.3)
Foreign exchange contracts not designated as hedging instruments:
Other receivables	26.6		—		26.6		—		26.6
Other current liabilities	(21.5)		—		(21.5)		—		(21.5)
Contingent consideration liabilities:
Other current liabilities	(39.5)		—		—		(39.5)		(39.5)
Other noncurrent liabilities	(70.6)		—		—		(70.6)		(70.6)

Risk-management instruments above are disclosed on a gross basis. There are various rights of setoff associated with certain of the risk-management instruments above that are subject to enforceable master netting arrangements or similar agreements. Although various rights of setoff and master netting arrangements or similar agreements may exist with the individual counterparties to the risk-management instruments above, individually, these financial rights are not material.

Contingent consideration liabilities relate to our liabilities arising in connection with the CVRs issued as a result of acquisitions of businesses. The fair values of the CVR liabilities were estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis and Level 3 inputs, including projections representative of a market participant's view of the expected cash payments associated with the agreed upon regulatory milestones based on probabilities of technical success, timing of the potential milestone events for the compounds, and estimated discount rates.