Abbott Laboratories (ABT) 10-Q2024 Q3 Quarterly report

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The accompanying unaudited, condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and, therefore, do not include all information and footnote disclosures normally included in audited financial statements. However, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include only normal adjustments) necessary to present fairly the results of operations, financial position and cash flows have been made. It is suggested that these statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements included in Abbott’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the parent company and subsidiaries, after elimination of intercompany transactions.

Recent Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Abbott’s revenues are derived primarily from the sale of a broad line of health care products under short-term receivable arrangements. Abbott has four reportable segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices.

Products sold by the Diagnostics segment include various types of diagnostic tests to detect the COVID-19 coronavirus. In the third quarter of 2024 and 2023, COVID-19 testing-related sales totaled $265 million and $305 million, respectively. In the first nine months of 2024 and 2023, Abbott’s COVID-19 testing-related sales totaled $571 million and $1.3 billion, respectively.

Remaining Performance Obligations

As of September 30, 2024, the estimated revenue expected to be recognized in the future related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) was approximately $5.3 billion in the Diagnostics segment and approximately $466 million in the Medical Devices segment. Abbott expects to recognize revenue on approximately 55 percent of these remaining performance obligations over the next 24 months, approximately 17 percent over the subsequent 12 months and the remainder thereafter.

These performance obligations primarily reflect the future sale of reagents/consumables in contracts with minimum purchase obligations, extended warranty or service obligations related to previously sold equipment, and remote monitoring services related to previously implanted devices. Abbott has applied the practical expedient described in FASB Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606-10-50-14 and has not included remaining performance obligations related to contracts with original expected durations of one year or less in the amounts above.

Other Contract Assets and Liabilities

Abbott discloses Trade receivables separately in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at the net amount expected to be collected. Contract assets primarily relate to Abbott’s conditional right to consideration for work completed but not billed at the reporting date. Contract assets at the beginning and the end of the period, as well as the changes in the balance, were not significant.

Contract liabilities primarily relate to payments received from customers in advance of performance under the contract. Abbott’s contract liabilities arise primarily in the Medical Devices reportable segment when payment is received upfront for various multi-period extended service arrangements.

Changes in the contract liabilities during the period are as follows:

Shares of unvested restricted stock that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends are treated as participating securities and are included in the computation of earnings per share under the two-class method. Under the two-class method, net earnings are allocated between common shares and participating securities. Net earnings allocated to common shares for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were $1.640 billion and $1.431 billion, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were $4.156 billion and $4.113 billion, respectively.

Other, net in Net cash from operating activities in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the first nine months of 2024 includes $298 million of pension contributions and the payment of cash taxes of approximately $1.181 billion. The first nine months of 2023 included $302 million of pension contributions and the payment of cash taxes of approximately $1.180 billion.

The following summarizes the activity for the first nine months of 2024 related to the allowance for doubtful accounts as of September 30, 2024:

The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects the current estimate of credit losses expected to be incurred over the life of the accounts receivable. Abbott considers various factors in establishing, monitoring, and adjusting its allowance for doubtful accounts, including the aging of the accounts and aging trends, the historical level of charge-offs, and specific exposures related to particular customers. Abbott also monitors other risk factors and forward-looking information, such as country risk, when determining credit limits for customers and establishing adequate allowances.

The components of long-term investments as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 are as follows:

The increase in Abbott’s long-term investments as of September 30, 2024 versus the balance as of December 31, 2023 primarily relates to additional investments and earnings from equity method investments, partially offset by the impairment of certain securities.

Abbott’s equity securities as of September 30, 2024 include $323 million of investments in mutual funds that are held in a rabbi trust. These investments, which are specifically designated as available for the purpose of paying benefits under a deferred compensation plan, are not available for general corporate purposes and are subject to creditor claims in the event of insolvency.

Abbott also holds certain investments as of September 30, 2024 with a carrying value of $170 million that are accounted for under the equity method of accounting and other equity investments with a carrying value of approximately $70 million that do not have a readily determinable fair value.

Reclassified amounts for cash flow hedges are recorded as Cost of products sold. Net actuarial losses and prior service cost are included as a component of net periodic benefit costs; see Note 13 — Post-Employment Benefits for additional details.

The final allocation of the purchase price of the CSI acquisition resulted in the recording of two non-deductible developed technology intangible assets totaling $305 million; a non-deductible in-process research and development asset of $15 million, which will be accounted for as an indefinite-lived intangible asset until regulatory approval or discontinuation; non-deductible goodwill of $369 million; net deferred tax assets of $46 million and other net assets of $116 million. The goodwill is identifiable to the Medical Devices reportable segment and is attributable to expected synergies from combining operations, as well as intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. Revenues and earnings of CSI included in Abbott's condensed consolidated financial statements since the acquisition date are not material to Abbott's consolidated revenue and earnings.

Indefinite-lived intangible assets, which relate to in-process research and development (IPR&D) acquired in a business combination, were approximately $798 million as of September 30, 2024 and $787 million as of December 31, 2023. IPR&D increased $35 million due to the finalization of purchase accounting related to a business acquisition. This increase was partially offset by $25 million of charges recorded on the Research and development line of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings for the impairment of an indefinite-lived intangible asset related to the Medical Devices reportable segment.

In 2023 and 2022, Abbott management approved plans to restructure or streamline various operations in order to reduce costs in its medical devices, diagnostic, nutritional and established pharmaceutical businesses. The following summarizes the activity related to these restructuring actions and the status of the related accruals as of September 30, 2024:

In the first nine months of 2024, Abbott granted 1,683,097 stock options, 404,597 restricted stock awards and 5,308,735 restricted stock units under its incentive stock program. At September 30, 2024, approximately 61 million shares were reserved for future grants. Information regarding the number of options outstanding and exercisable at September 30, 2024 is as follows:

On June 26, 2024, Abbott modified its existing, yen-denominated 5-year term loan scheduled to mature in November 2024. The amended terms include a net increase in principal debt from ¥59.8 billion to ¥92.0 billion, with a new maturity date in June 2029. The modified, 5-year term loan bears interest at the Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate (TIBOR) plus a fixed spread, and the interest rate is reset quarterly. The net proceeds equated to approximately $201 million.

Abbott has readily available financial resources, including unused lines of credit that support commercial paper borrowing arrangements and provide Abbott with the ability to borrow up to $5 billion on an unsecured basis. On January 29, 2024, Abbott terminated its 2020 Five Year Credit Agreement (2020 Agreement) and entered into a new Five Year Credit Agreement (Revolving Credit Agreement). There were no outstanding borrowings under the 2020 Agreement at the time of its termination. Any borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement will mature and be payable on January 29, 2029 and will bear interest, at Abbott’s option, based on either a base rate or Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), plus an applicable margin based on Abbott’s credit ratings.

On September 27, 2023, Abbott repaid the €1.14 billion outstanding principal amount of its 0.875% Notes upon maturity. The repayment equated to approximately $1.2 billion. In September 2023, Abbott repaid approximately $197 million of debt assumed as part of a recent business acquisition.

Abbott is a party to interest rate hedge contracts with a notional amount totaling approximately $2.2 billion at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 to manage its exposure to changes in the fair value of fixed-rate debt. These contracts are designated as fair value hedges of the variability of the fair value of fixed-rate debt due to changes in the long-term benchmark interest rates. The effect of the hedge is to change a fixed-rate interest obligation to a variable rate for that portion of the debt. Abbott records the contracts at fair value and adjusts the carrying amount of the fixed-rate debt by an offsetting amount.

The following table summarizes the amounts and location of certain derivative and non-derivative financial instruments as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

The following table summarizes the activity for foreign currency forward exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges and certain other derivative financial instruments, as well as the amounts and location of income (expense) and gain (loss) reclassified into income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.

Losses of $89 million and gains of $60 million were recognized in the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, related to foreign currency forward exchange contracts not designated as a hedge. A gain of $46 million and a loss of $4 million were recognized in the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, related to foreign currency forward exchange contracts not designated as a hedge. These amounts are reported in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings on the Net foreign exchange (gain) loss line.

The carrying values and fair values of certain financial instruments as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 are shown in the following table. The carrying values of all other financial instruments approximate their estimated fair values. The counterparties to financial instruments consist of select major international financial institutions. Abbott does not expect any losses from non-performance by these counterparties.

The following table summarizes the bases used to measure certain assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis in the balance sheet:

The fair value of foreign currency forward exchange contracts is determined using a market approach, which utilizes values for comparable derivative instruments. The fair value of debt was determined based on the face value of the debt adjusted for the fair value of the interest rate swaps, which is based on a discounted cash flow analysis using significant other observable inputs. The fair value of the contingent consideration was determined based on independent appraisals at the time of acquisition, adjusted for the time value of money and other changes in fair value. The decrease in the amount of contingent consideration from December 31, 2023 reflects a payment of $40 million and a $13 million change in the fair value of the remaining contingent consideration.

The maximum amount for certain contingent consideration is not determinable as it is based on a percent of certain sales. Excluding such contingent consideration, the maximum amount that may be due under the other contingent consideration arrangements was estimated at September 30, 2024 to be approximately $115 million, which is dependent upon attaining certain sales thresholds or upon the occurrence of certain events, such as regulatory approvals.

Abbott has been identified as a potentially responsible party for investigation and cleanup costs at a number of locations in the United States and Puerto Rico under federal and state remediation laws and is investigating potential contamination at a number of company-owned locations. Abbott has recorded an estimated cleanup cost for each site for which management believes Abbott has a probable loss exposure. No individual site cleanup exposure is expected to exceed $4 million, and the aggregate cleanup exposure is not expected to exceed $10 million.

Abbott has been named as a defendant in a number of lawsuits alleging that its preterm infant formula and human milk fortifier products that contain cow’s milk cause an intestinal disease known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and inadequately warn about the risk of NEC. These lawsuits claim that certain preterm infants suffered injury or death as a result of contracting NEC. Abbott denies the allegations in these lawsuits. In July 2024, a jury in a Missouri state court awarded a plaintiff $495 million in a trial against Abbott. Abbott stands by its products and the information it provided about them, and it plans to appeal the jury's verdict. Abbott does not believe that it is probable that a material loss will be incurred related to these lawsuits and therefore, no reserves have been recorded for these lawsuits. Given the uncertainty as to the possible outcome in each of these lawsuits, Abbott is unable to reasonably estimate a range of possible loss related to these lawsuits.

Abbott is involved in various claims and legal proceedings, and Abbott estimates the range of possible loss for its legal proceedings and environmental exposures to be from approximately $30 million to $40 million. The recorded accrual balance at September 30, 2024 for these proceedings and exposures was approximately $35 million. This accrual represents management’s best estimate of probable loss, as defined by FASB ASC No. 450, “Contingencies.” Within the next year, legal proceedings may occur that may result in a change in the estimated loss accrued by Abbott. While it is not feasible to predict the outcome of all such proceedings and exposures with certainty, management believes that their ultimate disposition should not have a material adverse effect on Abbott’s financial position, cash flows, or results of operations, except for the cases discussed in the second paragraph of this note, the resolution of which could be material to Abbott's financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

Retirement plans consist of defined benefit, defined contribution, and medical and dental plans. Net periodic benefit costs, other than service costs, are recognized in the Other (income) expense, net line of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings. Net costs recognized for the three and nine months ended September 30 for Abbott’s major defined benefit plans and post-employment medical and dental benefit plans are as follows:

Abbott funds its domestic defined benefit plans according to Internal Revenue Service funding limitations. International pension plans are funded according to similar regulations. In the first nine months of 2024 and 2023, $298 million and $302 million, respectively, were contributed to defined benefit plans. In the first nine months of 2024 and 2023, $28 million was contributed, in each year, to the post-employment medical and dental plans.

Taxes on earnings reflect the estimated annual effective rates and include charges for interest and penalties. In the first nine months of 2024 and 2023, taxes on earnings include approximately $44 million and $11 million, respectively, in excess tax benefits associated with share-based compensation. In the first nine months of 2024 and 2023, taxes on earnings also include approximately $35 million and $59 million, respectively, of tax expense as the result of the resolution of various tax positions related to prior years.

Tax authorities in various jurisdictions regularly review Abbott’s income tax filings. Abbott believes that it is reasonably possible that the recorded amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits may decrease approximately $75 million to $1.33 billion, including cash adjustments, within the next twelve months as a result of concluding various domestic and international tax matters.

In September 2023, Abbott received a Statutory Notice of Deficiency (SNOD) from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the 2019 Federal tax year in the amount of $417 million. The primary adjustments proposed in the SNOD relate to the reallocation of income between Abbott’s U.S. entities and its foreign affiliates. Abbott believes that the income reallocation adjustments proposed in the SNOD are without merit, in part because certain adjustments contradict methods that were agreed to with the IRS in prior audit periods. The SNOD also contains other proposed adjustments that Abbott believes are erroneous and unsupported. Abbott filed a petition with the U.S. Tax Court contesting the SNOD in December 2023.

In June 2024, Abbott received a SNOD from the IRS for the 2017 and 2018 Federal tax years in the amount of $192 million. The matters proposed in the 2017/2018 SNOD are substantially similar to the income allocation adjustments included in the 2019 SNOD. Abbott filed a petition in September 2024 with the U.S. Tax Court contesting the 2017/2018 SNOD in a manner consistent with its petition for the 2019 SNOD.

In October 2024, Abbott received a SNOD from the IRS for the 2020 Federal tax year assessing an additional $443 million of income tax. The primary adjustments proposed in the SNOD are substantially similar to the income allocation adjustments included in the 2017/2018 and 2019 SNODs. Abbott believes that the income reallocation adjustments proposed in the SNOD are without merit. The SNOD also contains other proposed adjustments and omissions that Abbott believes are erroneous and unsupported. In addition to the tax assessment for the 2020 tax year, the 2020 SNOD also contested a deduction for which an estimated $440 million cash tax benefit would be available in a different taxable year as allowed under applicable U.S. tax law. Abbott intends to file a petition with the U.S. Tax Court contesting the SNOD.

Abbott intends to vigorously defend its filing positions through ongoing discussions with the IRS, the IRS independent appeals process and/or through litigation as necessary. Abbott reserves for uncertain tax positions related to unresolved matters with the IRS and other taxing authorities. Abbott continues to believe that its reserves for uncertain tax positions are appropriate.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) has proposed a two-pillared plan for a revised international tax system. Pillar 1 proposes to reallocate taxing rights among the jurisdictions in which in-scope multinational corporations operate. Abbott is continuing to analyze the Pillar 1 proposal. Pillar 2 proposes to assess a 15 percent minimum tax on the earnings of in-scope multinational corporations on a country-by-country basis. Numerous countries have enacted legislation to adopt the Pillar 2 model rules. A subset of the rules became effective January 1, 2024, and the remaining rules become effective January 1, 2025 or later. Abbott continues to analyze the Pillar 2 model rules. The full implementation of the model rules may have a material impact on Abbott’s condensed consolidated financial statements in the future.

Abbott’s principal business is the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of a broad line of health care products. Abbott’s products are generally sold directly to retailers, wholesalers, hospitals, health care facilities, laboratories, physicians’ offices and government agencies throughout the world.

Abbott’s reportable segments are as follows:

Abbott’s underlying accounting records are maintained on a legal entity basis for government and public reporting requirements. Segment disclosures are on a performance basis consistent with internal management reporting. Intersegment transfers of inventory are recorded at standard cost and are not a measure of segment operating earnings. The cost of some corporate functions and the cost of certain employee benefits are charged to segments at predetermined rates that approximate cost. Remaining costs, if any, are not allocated to segments. In addition, intangible asset amortization is not allocated to operating segments, and intangible assets and goodwill are not included in the measure of each segment’s assets.

The following segment information has been prepared in accordance with the internal accounting policies of Abbott, as described above, and is not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applied to the consolidated financial statements.