FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus include “forward-looking” statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, objectives of management for future operations and current expectations or forecasts of future results, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements may include statements related to our growth and growth strategies, developments in the markets for our products, therapies and services, financial results, product development launches and effectiveness, research and development strategy, regulatory approvals, competitive strengths, the potential or anticipated direct or indirect impact of COVID-19 (“COVID-19” or the “pandemic”) on our business, results of operations and/or financial condition, restructuring and cost-saving initiatives, intellectual property rights, litigation and tax matters, governmental proceedings and investigations, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, market acceptance of our products, therapies and services, accounting estimates, financing activities, ongoing contractual obligations, working capital adequacy, value of our investments, our effective tax rate, our expected returns to shareholders, and sales efforts. In some cases, such statements may be identified by the use of terminology such as “anticipate,” ��believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “looking ahead,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “project,” “should,” “will,” and similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our ability to drive long-term shareholder value, development and future launches of products and continued or future acceptance of products, therapies and services in our segments; expected timing for completion of research studies relating to our products; market positioning and performance of our products, including stabilization of certain product markets; divestitures and the potential benefits thereof; the costs and benefits of integrating previous acquisitions; anticipated timing for United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration and non-U.S. regulatory approval of new products; increased presence in new markets, including markets outside the U.S.; changes in the market and our market share; acquisitions and investment initiatives, including the timing of regulatory approvals as well as integration of acquired companies into our operations; the resolution of tax matters; the effectiveness of our development activities in reducing patient care costs and hospital stay lengths; our approach towards cost containment; our expectations regarding healthcare costs, including potential changes to reimbursement policies and pricing pressures; our expectations regarding changes to patient standards of care; our ability to identify and maintain successful business partnerships; the elimination of certain positions or costs related to restructuring initiatives; outcomes in our litigation matters and governmental proceedings and investigations; general economic conditions; the adequacy of available working capital and our working capital needs; our payment of dividends and redemption of shares; the continued strength of our balance sheet and liquidity; our accounts receivable exposure; and the potential impact of our compliance with governmental regulations and accounting guidance. One must carefully consider forward-looking statements and understand that such statements may be affected by inaccurate assumptions and may involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, including, among others, risks related to competition in the medical device industry, the global COVID-19 pandemic, including new COVID-19 variants that may emerge as well as impacts of the pandemic on healthcare staffing levels, reduction or interruption in our supply, laws and governmental regulations, quality problems, liquidity shortfalls, decreasing prices and pricing pressure, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, changes in applicable tax rates, changes in tax laws and regulations as well as positions taken by taxing authorities, adverse regulatory action, delays in regulatory approvals, litigation results, self-insurance, commercial insurance, healthcare policy changes, international operations, cybersecurity incidents, failure to complete or achieve the intended benefits of acquisitions or divestitures or disruption of our current plans and operations, as well as those discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Government Regulation and Other Considerations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 29, 2022. Consequently, no forward-looking statement may be guaranteed and actual results may vary materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We intend to take advantage of the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
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