Bausch & Lomb Corp

Our common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) under the symbol “BLCO”.

Holders

The approximate number of holders of record of our common shares as of February 16, 2024 was 4.

Performance Graph

The graph below matches the cumulative total return of holders of Bausch + Lomb Corporation's common shares with the cumulative total returns of the: (i) S&P 500 index, (ii) the S&P/TSX Composite index, (iii) a 2022 peer group of companies and (iv) a 2023 peer group of companies. The 2022 peer group consists of a customized peer group of fourteen companies that includes: Agilent Technologies Inc, Alcon Inc., Align Technology Inc, The Cooper Companies Inc, Dentsply Sirona Inc, Dexcom Inc, Edwards Lifesciences Corp, Hologic Inc, Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc, Perrigo Company Plc, Resmed Inc, Teleflex Inc, Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc and Zoetis Inc. In 2023, the Company completed an assessment to review its current peers and added Organon & Co. to its peer group in order to ensure a robust group of peer companies across the health care supplies, health care equipment, and pharmaceuticals industries. The 2023 peer group therefore consists of a customized peer group of fifteen companies that includes: Agilent Technologies Inc, Alcon Inc., Align Technology Inc, The Cooper Companies Inc, Dentsply Sirona Inc, Dexcom Inc, Edwards Lifesciences Corp, Hologic Inc, Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc, Organon & Co., Perrigo Company Plc, Resmed Inc, Teleflex Inc, Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc and Zoetis Inc. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in our common shares, in each index, and in the peer groups (including reinvestment of dividends) was $100 on May 6, 2022 and tracks it through December 31, 2023.

Dividends

Since the B+L IPO, no dividends have been declared or paid. While our Board of Directors will review our dividend policy periodically, we currently do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

Restrictions on Share Ownership by Non-Canadians

There are no limitations under the laws of Canada or in our organizational documents on the right of foreigners to hold or vote securities of our Company, except that the Investment Canada Act (Canada) (the “Investment Canada Act”) may require review and approval by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry(Canada) (the “Minister”) of an acquisition of “control” of our Company by a “non-Canadian”.

Investment Canada Act

An acquisition of control of a Canadian business by a non-Canadian is either reviewable (a “Reviewable Transaction”), in which case it is subject to both a reporting obligation and an approval process, or notifiable, in which case it is subject to only a reporting obligation. In the case of a Reviewable Transaction, the non-Canadian acquirer must submit an application for review with the prescribed information. The Minister is then required to determine whether the Reviewable Transaction is likely to be of net benefit to Canada, taking into account the assessment factors specified in the Investment Canada Act and any written undertakings that may have been provided by the non-Canadian acquirer.

The Investment Canada Act also provides that any investment by a non-Canadian in a Canadian business, even where control has not been acquired, can be reviewed on grounds of whether it may be injurious to national security. Where an investment is determined to be injurious to national security, Cabinet can prohibit closing or, if closed, can order the investor to divest control. Short of a prohibition or divestment order, Cabinet can impose terms or conditions on the investment or can require the investor to provide binding undertakings to address the national security concern.

Competition Act

Part IX of the Competition Act (Canada) (the “Competition Act”) requires that a pre-merger notification filing be submitted to the Commissioner of Competition (the “Commissioner”) in respect of certain classes of merger transactions that exceed certain prescribed thresholds. If a proposed transaction exceeds such thresholds, subject to certain exceptions, the notification filing must be submitted to the Commissioner and the statutory waiting period must expire or be terminated early or waived by the Commissioner before the transaction can be completed.

All mergers, regardless of whether they are subject to Part IX of the Competition Act, are subject to the substantive mergers provisions under Section 92 of the Competition Act. In particular, the Commissioner may challenge a transaction before the Competition Tribunal where the transaction prevents or lessens, or is likely to prevent or lessen, competition substantially in a market. The Commissioner may not make an application to the Competition Tribunal under Section 92 of the Competition Act more than one year after the merger has been substantially completed.

Exchange Controls

Canada has no system of exchange controls. There are no Canadian exchange restrictions on the repatriation of capital or earnings of a Canadian public company to non-resident investors. There are no Canadian exchange restrictions affecting the remittance of dividends, profits, interest, royalties and other payments to non-resident holders of our securities.

Taxation

Canadian Federal Income Taxation

The following discussion is a summary of the principal Canadian federal income tax considerations generally applicable to a holder of our common shares who, at all relevant times, for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and the Income Tax Regulations (collectively, the “Canadian Tax Act”) deals at arm’s-length with, and is not affiliated with, our Company, beneficially owns its common shares as capital property, does not use or hold and is not deemed to use or hold such common shares in carrying on a business in Canada, does not with respect to common shares enter into a “derivative forward agreement” as defined in the Canadian Tax Act, and who, at all relevant times, for purposes of the application of the Canadian Tax Act and the Canada-U.S. Income Tax Convention (1980, as amended) (the “U.S. Treaty”), is resident in the United States, is not, and is not deemed to be, resident in Canada and is eligible for benefits under the U.S. Treaty (a “U.S. Holder”). Special rules, which are not discussed in the summary, may apply to a non-resident holder that is an insurer that carries on an insurance business in Canada and elsewhere or that is an “authorized foreign bank” as defined in the Canadian Tax Act.

The U.S. Treaty includes limitation on benefits rules that restrict the ability of certain persons who are resident in the United States to claim any or all benefits under the U.S. Treaty. Furthermore, limited liability companies (“LLCs”) that are not taxed as corporations pursuant to the provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended do not generally qualify as resident in the United States for purposes of the U.S. Treaty. Under the U.S. Treaty, a resident of the United States who is a member of such an LLC and is otherwise eligible for benefits under the U.S. Treaty may generally be entitled to claim benefits under the U.S. Treaty in respect of income, profits or gains derived through the LLC. Residents of the United States should consult their own tax advisors with respect to their eligibility for benefits under the U.S. Treaty.

This summary is based upon the current provisions of the U.S. Treaty and the Canadian Tax Act and our understanding of the current administrative policies and assessing practices of the Canada Revenue Agency published in writing prior to the date hereof. This summary takes into account all specific proposals to amend the U.S. Treaty and the Canadian Tax Act publicly announced by or on behalf of the Minister of Finance (Canada) prior to the date hereof. This summary does not otherwise take into account or anticipate changes in law or administrative policies and assessing practices, whether by judicial, regulatory, administrative or legislative decision or action, nor does it take into account provincial, territorial or foreign tax legislation or considerations, which may differ from those discussed herein.

This summary is of a general nature only and is not intended to be, nor should it be construed to be, legal or tax advice generally or to any particular holder. Holders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to their own particular circumstances.

Gains on Disposition of Common Shares

In general, a U.S. Holder will not be subject to tax under the Canadian Tax Act on capital gains, or be entitled to deduct capital losses, arising on the disposition of such holder’s common shares unless the common shares are “taxable Canadian property” to the U.S. Holder and are not “treaty-protected property”.

As long as the common shares are then listed on a “designated stock exchange”, which currently includes the NYSE and TSX, the common shares generally will not constitute taxable Canadian property of a U.S. Holder, unless: (a) at any time during the 60-month period preceding the disposition, one or any combination of (i) the U.S. Holder, (ii) persons not dealing at arm’s length with such U.S. Holder, and (iii) partnerships in which the U.S. Holder or a person described in (ii) holds a membership interest (either directly or indirectly through one or more partnerships), owned 25% or more of the issued shares of any class or series of the capital stock of the Company and (b) more than 50% of the fair market value of the common shares was derived, directly or indirectly, from any combination of: (i) real or immoveable property situated in Canada, (ii) “Canadian resource property” (as such term is defined in the Canadian Tax Act), (iii) “timber resource property” (as such term is defined in the Canadian Tax Act) or (iv) options in respect of, or interests in, or for civil law rights in, any such properties whether or not the property exists, or the common shares are otherwise deemed to be taxable Canadian property.

Common shares will be treaty-protected property where the U.S. Holder is exempt from income tax under the Canadian Tax Act on the disposition of common shares because of the U.S. Treaty. Common shares owned by a U.S. Holder will generally be treaty-protected property where the value of the common shares is not derived principally from real property situated in Canada, as defined in the U.S. Treaty.

Dividends on Common Shares

Dividends paid or credited on the common shares or deemed to be paid or credited on the common shares to a U.S. Holder that is the beneficial owner of such dividends will generally be subject to non-resident withholding tax under the Canadian Tax Act and the U.S. Treaty at the rate of: (a) 5% of the amounts paid or credited if the U.S. Holder is a company that owns (or is deemed to own) at least 10% of our voting stock or (b) 15% of the amounts paid or credited in all other cases. The rate of withholding under the Canadian Tax Act in respect of dividends paid to non-residents of Canada is 25% where no tax treaty applies.

Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans

Information required under this Item will be included in our definitive proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders expected to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K (the “2024 Proxy Statement”), and such required information is incorporated herein by reference.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Company and Affiliated Purchases

There were no purchases of equity securities by the Company during the fourth quarter of the year ended December 31, 2023.