Solventum Corp

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There have been no material changes to the risk factors as disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

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Risks Related to Solventum’s Business

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General Economic Risks

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Solventum’s results may be impacted by the effects of, and changes in, worldwide economic, political, regulatory, international trade and geopolitical conditions, natural disasters, war and other events beyond its control.

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Solventum develops, manufactures, distributes and sells its products globally, and, accordingly, Solventum’s operations and the execution of its business strategies and plans are subject to global competition and economic and geopolitical risks that are beyond its control, such as, among other things, disruptions in financial markets, economic downturns, military conflicts, public health emergencies such as COVID-19, political changes and trends such as protectionism, economic nationalism resulting in government actions impacting international trade agreements, imposing trade restrictions such as tariffs, and retaliatory countermeasures, changes in regulatory regimes that could restrict Solventum’s ability to manufacture and sell its products (including healthcare regulatory regimes), diminished or insufficient protection of intellectual property and government deficit reduction and other austerity measures in locations or industries in which Solventum operates. Further escalation of specific trade tensions, including those between the United States and China, or more broadly of global trade conflict, could adversely impact Solventum’s business and operations around the world. Solventum’s business is also impacted by social, political and labor conditions in locations in which Solventum or its suppliers or customers operate; adverse changes in the availability and cost of capital; monetary policy; interest rates; inflation; recession; commodity prices; currency volatility or exchange control; ability to expatriate earnings; and other laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which Solventum or its suppliers or customers operate. Both domestic and international markets experienced significant inflationary pressures in 2023, and inflation rates in the United States, as well as in other countries in which Solventum operates, may continue at elevated levels for the near term. Interest rate increases or other government actions taken to reduce inflation could also result in recessionary pressures in many parts of the world. Furthermore, currency exchange rates have been especially volatile in the recent past, and these currency fluctuations have affected, and may continue to affect, the reported value of Solventum’s assets and liabilities, as well as Solventum’s cash flows.

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The global economy has been impacted by the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East and other geopolitical events. The United States and other governments have imposed export controls on certain products and financial and economic sanctions on certain industry sectors and parties in Russia. 3M suspended operations of its subsidiaries, including those of the Health Care Business, in Russia in March 2022 and, in September 2022, committed to a plan to exit the related net assets in Russia, including those of the Health Care Business, through a sale of 3M’s Russian subsidiaries that was consummated in June 2023. Solventum also has other operations that source certain raw materials from suppliers in Russia and has experienced related supply disruption due to the conflict. These geopolitical tensions could result in, among other things, cyberattacks, further supply chain disruptions impacting downstream customers, higher energy costs, lower consumer demand, and changes to foreign exchange rates and financial markets, any of which may adversely affect Solventum’s business and supply chain.

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In addition, natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, windstorms, earthquakes, wildfires and floods and other extreme weather events (including those caused by climate change) and actions taken by the United States and other governments in response to such events could cause significant economic disruption and political and social instability in the United States and areas outside of the United States in which Solventum operates. These events could result in decreased demand for Solventum’s products, adversely affect its manufacturing and distribution capabilities, cause physical damage to its facilities as well as those of its suppliers, customers and other business partners, negatively impact the health and well-being of individuals and communities in which Solventum or its suppliers or customers operate or increase the costs for or cause interruptions in the availability of natural resources, sources and supply of energy.

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Unexpected events, such as those related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis, may increase Solventum’s cost of doing business and disrupt Solventum’s operations.

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Due to Solventum’s global operations, Solventum’s business is and will be impacted by unexpected events, including war, acts of terrorism, public health crises (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), civil unrest, natural disasters, and severe weather in the locations in which Solventum or its suppliers or customers operate, and these events have adversely affected, and could in the future adversely affect, Solventum’s operations and financial performance.

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For example, the global pandemic associated with COVID-19, including related governmental responses to the pandemic, has significantly increased economic and demand uncertainty and has impacted and will continue to impact Solventum’s operations, including its supply chain and its manufacturing and distribution capabilities. Some of Solventum’s products are particularly sensitive to reductions in elective medical procedures, which have previously been suspended or reduced in markets where Solventum’s products are marketed and sold in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and could in the future be suspended or reduced in the future due to a resurgence of COVID-19 or other epidemic. To the extent individuals and customers are required to continue to de-prioritize, delay or cancel elective procedures, Solventum’s business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted the continued service and availability of skilled personnel necessary to run Solventum’s operations, including through increased absenteeism in connection with the rise of COVID-19 variants and objections to governmental vaccine mandates or heightened safety protocols. Although Solventum may seek to mitigate these staffing challenges through overtime and enlisting contingent labor, staffing shortages could strain Solventum’s operations and increase its expenses. To the extent Solventum’s management or other personnel are impacted in significant numbers by COVID-19 and are not available to perform their professional duties, Solventum could experience disruptions in its manufacturing operations or disruptions in other activities and other functions. A future resurgence of COVID-19 or other public health crisis may also affect the ability of suppliers and vendors to provide products and services to Solventum. Some of these factors may increase demand for certain Solventum products, while others may decrease demand from certain end markets or make it more difficult for Solventum to serve customers. Solventum may also experience customer requests for potential payment deferrals or other contract modifications, supply chain under-liquidation, delays of deliveries and the achievement of other billing milestones, delays or cancellations of new projects and related down payments, and other factors related, directly and indirectly, to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic’s or other public health crises’ effects on its customers that adversely impact Solventum’s businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted and the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health crisis may further impact the broader economies of affected countries, including negatively impacting economic growth, the proper functioning of financial and capital markets, foreign currency exchange rates, and interest rates.

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Solventum is not able to predict the impact of unexpected events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and unexpected events may have a material adverse effect on its business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations.

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General Business Risks

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Solventum’s future results may be affected by its operational execution.

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Solventum’s financial results depend on the successful execution of its business operating plans. Solventum intends to monitor the dynamics of the economy, the healthcare industry and the markets in which it competes and assess opportunities for improved operational effectiveness, productivity and efficiency and to better align expenses with revenues, while preserving its ability to make investments in research and development projects, capital and its people. There can be no assurance that Solventum will realize the benefits of such activities, or that such activities will not result in unexpected consequences, such as a reduced ability to generate sales or provide the experience that Solventum’s customers, suppliers, vendors, and channel partners expect from it. Further, such improvements may be realized later than expected, and the ongoing costs of implementing these plans might be greater than expected. These measures could yield unintended consequences, such as distraction of Solventum’s management and employees, business disruption, inability to attract or retain key personnel and reduced employee productivity, any of which could negatively affect Solventum’s business, sales, financial condition and results of operations. If these measures are not successful or sustainable, Solventum might undertake additional realignment and cost reduction efforts, which could result in future charges.

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In addition, the ability to adapt Solventum’s business model and other changes, including responding to evolving customer needs and service expectations, are important. If Solventum is unable to demonstrate these abilities, it could negatively impact Solventum’s ability to win new business, drive revenue and enhance its brand. Operational challenges, including those related to customer service, pace of change and productivity improvements, could result in a material adverse effect on Solventum’s business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

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Our brands are critical to our success, and damage to our reputation or our brands could adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.

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Our ability to compete successfully depends on the strength of our brands. Developing and maintaining the reputation of our brands is a critical component of our relationship with consumers, customers, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and other third-party partners, including healthcare professionals, influencers and other individuals with whom we have relationships. We believe consumers, customers and third-party partners value the reputation and status of our brands. As a result, we devote significant time and resources to programs designed to grow, protect and preserve our brands. However, these efforts may not be successful, and failure to maintain the value of our brands could impact our brand loyalty with consumers, customers and third-party partners and otherwise adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.

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Our reputation and our brands could in the future be damaged by negative publicity, whether or not valid. Negative publicity could relate to our company, our brands, our products, our supply chain, our ingredients, our packaging, our ESG practices, our employees or any other aspect of our business. Our reputation or our brands could also be adversely affected by negative publicity related to our industry, our competitors, our competitors’ products, our customers or our third-party partners, including healthcare professionals, and other individuals with whom we have relationships, even if the publicity is not directly related to our company or our brands and even if the publicity is not accurate. In addition, widespread use of digital and social media platforms around the world has greatly increased the accessibility of information and the speed with which it is disseminated, which has made, and likely will continue to make, maintaining our reputation and our brands more challenging. Damage to our reputation or our brands could cause consumers, customers and third-party partners to lose trust in our products, require us to expend substantial resources to remedy the damage or otherwise adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.

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Acquisitions, strategic alliances, divestitures, and other strategic events resulting from portfolio management actions and other evolving business strategies, and possible organizational restructuring could affect future results.

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Solventum intends to monitor its business portfolio and organizational structure and may make acquisitions, divestitures and changes to its organizational structure or enter into strategic alliances or joint ventures. These activities may result in substantial investment of Solventum’s resources. The success of any such activities will depend upon a number of factors, including Solventum’s ability to:

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•identify suitable acquisition targets or assets, conduct due diligence, negotiate transactions on favorable terms, and ultimately complete such transactions;

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•compete for acquisition targets and assets, which may lead to substantial increases in purchase price or terms that are less attractive to Solventum;

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•finance any future acquisition, investment, alliance or other transaction on terms acceptable to Solventum, if at all (which may involve the use of Solventum’s shares for payment of the purchase price);

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•comply with applicable laws and regulations, including foreign laws and regulations;

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•obtain any legally required rulings by antitrust or other regulatory bodies;

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•successfully and timely integrate and operate acquired businesses;

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•protect intellectual property and prevail in litigation relating to newly acquired technologies;

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•predict or realize expected growth opportunities, cost savings, synergies, and market acceptance of acquired companies’ products; and

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•successfully identify and retain key target employees and customers.

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In addition, acquisitions may expose Solventum to significant risks and uncertainties, including failure to identify significant non-compliant behaviors or practices by, or liabilities relating to, the acquisition target (or its agents) prior to acquisition; successor liability imposed by regulators for actions by the acquisition target (or its agents) prior to acquisition; and diversion of management’s attention from existing operations to the acquisition and integration process. Such transactions will be subject, in certain circumstances, to the consent of 3M under the tax matters agreement that Solventum entered into with 3M, as discussed in “—Risks Related to the Separation and Distribution.” There can be no assurance that any future transactions of this type will be pursued or, if pursued, will be successful.

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Solventum’s business dealings may involve third-party partners in various markets, and the actions or inactions of these third parties could adversely affect its business.

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Solventum’s business dealings may involve third-party partners such as distributors, dealers, wholesalers, packagers, resellers, agents, and others. Such dealings expose Solventum to known and unknown risks, including risks related to economic, political, and regulatory environments, performance and quality control, difficulty in establishing additional or replacement suppliers in a timely or cost-effective manner in the event of termination, conflicts of interest, and legal and regulatory violations committed by these third parties, which may not be subject to Solventum’s control. These third parties may suffer or cause Solventum to suffer commercial, financial, or reputational harm or violate local laws or regulations, each of which may be outside of Solventum’s control and could jeopardize its ability to continue doing business in these markets or cause its relationships to deteriorate. A reduction or interruption in the supply of materials or components used in manufacturing Solventum’s products, due to factors such as one or more suppliers experiencing reductions in operations and/or worker absences due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other health epidemics, an inability to timely develop and validate alternative sources if required, or a significant increase in the price of such materials or components, could adversely affect Solventum’s business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or reputation.

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Solventum may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to Solventum, or at all.

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Solventum could need access to the capital markets to supplement its existing funds and cash generated from operations to satisfy its needs for working capital, to meet capital expenditure and debt service requirements, and for other business initiatives. Solventum’s ability to issue additional debt or enter into other financing arrangements on acceptable terms could be adversely affected by its debt levels, unfavorable changes in economic conditions or uncertainties that affect the capital markets. In the event of adverse capital and credit market conditions, Solventum may be unable to obtain capital market financing on favorable terms, or at all.

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Change in Solventum’s credit ratings could increase cost of funding.

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Solventum’s credit ratings are important to its cost of capital. The major rating agencies will routinely evaluate Solventum’s credit profile and assign debt ratings to Solventum. This evaluation is based on a number of factors, which include financial strength, business and financial risk, as well as transparency with rating agencies and timeliness of financial reporting. As of March 31, 2024, Solventum has a credit rating of Baa3 from Moody’s Investors Service and a credit rating of BBB- from both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings. All three agencies have a Stable Outlook for Solventum. Changes in Solventum’s credit ratings could adversely affect its ability to obtain capital market financing and the cost of such financing. Moreover, a reduction in Solventum’s credit rating to below investment-grade could cause certain customers to reduce or cease to do business with Solventum, which would adversely impact its financial performance.

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Foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates may affect Solventum’s ability to realize projected growth rates in its sales and earnings.

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Because Solventum’s financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars and a material percentage of its revenues are derived from outside the United States, Solventum’s results of operations and its ability to realize projected growth rates in sales and earnings could be adversely affected if the value of the U.S. dollar strengthens significantly against foreign currencies.

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Solventum cannot predict with any certainty changes in foreign currency exchange rates or its ability to mitigate these risks. Solventum may experience additional volatility because of increasing inflationary pressures and other macroeconomic factors, including in emerging market countries. Solventum may be unable to hedge the effects of foreign exchange rate changes in a cost-effective manner.

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Changes in interest rates could adversely affect Solventum.

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Solventum is exposed to changes in interest rates, including through variable rate debt and due to the fact that increases in interest rates may adversely affect the financial condition of Solventum’s counterparties in a manner that may affect their ability to transact with Solventum or their demand for Solventum’s products and services. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect Solventum’s business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.