BIO-RAD LABORATORIES, INC. (BIO)
SIC breadcrumb: Manufacturing > SIC Major Group 38 > SIC 3826 Laboratory Analytical Instruments
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=12208. Latest filing source: 0000012208-26-000010.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read BIO's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read BIO's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 2,583,200,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-13 |
| Net income | 759,900,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-13 |
| Assets | 10,576,500,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-13 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-13. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000012208.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 2,068,200,000 | 2,160,200,000 | 2,289,400,000 | 2,311,700,000 | 2,802,200,000 | 2,671,200,000 | 2,566,500,000 | 2,583,200,000 | ||
| Net income | 26,000,000 | 122,249,000 | 365,614,000 | 1,758,675,000 | 3,814,229,000 | 4,254,257,000 | -3,627,500,000 | -637,300,000 | -1,844,200,000 | 759,900,000 |
| Operating income | 55,718,000 | 119,250,000 | -103,341,000 | 229,661,000 | 421,326,000 | 500,336,000 | 482,600,000 | 337,800,000 | 269,000,000 | 47,200,000 |
| Gross profit | 1,138,428,000 | 1,187,703,000 | 1,223,151,000 | 1,256,996,000 | 1,437,887,000 | 1,638,096,000 | 1,567,300,000 | 1,426,900,000 | 1,378,900,000 | 1,339,900,000 |
| Diluted EPS | 0.88 | 4.07 | 12.10 | 58.27 | 126.47 | 140.83 | -121.79 | -21.82 | -65.36 | 27.85 |
| Operating cash flow | 216,066,000 | 104,137,000 | 285,494,000 | 457,897,000 | 584,972,000 | 669,464,000 | 194,400,000 | 374,900,000 | 455,200,000 | 532,200,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 141,436,000 | 111,332,000 | 129,825,000 | 98,532,000 | 108,564,000 | 133,746,000 | 112,800,000 | 156,700,000 | 165,600,000 | 157,600,000 |
| Share buybacks | 0.00 | 2,920,000 | 48,912,000 | 28,000,000 | 100,004,000 | 49,998,000 | 215,700,000 | 428,700,000 | 203,600,000 | 295,500,000 |
| Assets | 3,850,504,000 | 4,273,012,000 | 5,611,068,000 | 8,008,859,000 | 12,972,618,000 | 17,799,393,000 | 13,501,666,000 | 12,299,100,000 | 9,364,100,000 | 10,576,500,000 |
| Liabilities | 1,271,344,000 | 1,342,762,000 | 1,590,737,000 | 2,253,802,000 | 3,092,678,000 | 4,114,157,000 | 3,886,414,000 | 3,557,900,000 | 2,794,800,000 | 3,122,900,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 2,579,160,000 | 2,930,250,000 | 4,020,331,000 | 5,756,842,000 | 9,889,687,000 | 13,685,200,000 | 9,615,200,000 | 8,741,200,000 | 6,569,300,000 | 7,453,600,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 456,264,000 | 383,824,000 | 431,526,000 | 660,672,000 | 662,205,000 | 470,783,000 | 434,200,000 | 403,800,000 | 488,100,000 | 529,800,000 |
| Free cash flow | 74,630,000 | -7,195,000 | 155,669,000 | 359,365,000 | 476,408,000 | 535,718,000 | 81,600,000 | 218,200,000 | 289,600,000 | 374,600,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 1.26% | 5.66% | 15.97% | 76.08% | -129.45% | -23.86% | -71.86% | 29.42% | ||
| Operating margin | 2.69% | 5.52% | -4.51% | 9.93% | 17.22% | 12.65% | 10.48% | 1.83% | ||
| Return on equity | 1.01% | 4.17% | 9.09% | 30.55% | 38.57% | 31.09% | -37.73% | -7.29% | -28.07% | 10.20% |
| Return on assets | 0.68% | 2.86% | 6.52% | 21.96% | 29.40% | 23.90% | -26.87% | -5.18% | -19.69% | 7.18% |
| Liabilities / equity | 0.49 | 0.46 | 0.40 | 0.39 | 0.31 | 0.30 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.43 | 0.42 |
| Current ratio | 3.91 | 3.93 | 4.49 | 2.41 | 3.39 | 2.92 | 5.55 | 5.83 | 6.48 | 5.62 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Income statement bridge from reported figures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Revenue: accession 0000012208-26-000010; concept RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax; source concepts us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax | Gross profit: accession 0000012208-26-000010; concept GrossProfit; source concepts us-gaap:GrossProfit | Operating income: accession 0000012208-26-000010; concept OperatingIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss | Net income: accession 0000012208-26-000010; concept NetIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0000012208-26-000010; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0000012208-26-000010; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0000012208-26-000010; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: GrossProfit. Source concepts: us-gaap:GrossProfit.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000012208-26-000010; filed 2026-02-13. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-04-30. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000012208.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q1 | 2022-03-31 | -112.57 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | -31.12 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | -5.52 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 2.32 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-03-31 | 68,962,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 681,110,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-06-30 | -1,162,251,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 632,124,000 | 3.64 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 681,222,000 | 349,708,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 610,820,000 | 383,916,000 | 13.45 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-03-31 | 383,916,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 638,476,000 | -76.26 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-06-30 | -2,165,486,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 649,729,000 | 23.34 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 667,475,000 | -715,802,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 585,400,000 | 64,000,000 | 2.29 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-03-31 | 64,000,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 651,600,000 | 11.67 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-06-30 | 317,800,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 653,000,000 | -12.70 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 693,200,000 | 720,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 592,100,000 | -527,100,000 | -19.55 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0000012208-26-000035; filed 2026-04-30. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0000012208-26-000035; filed 2026-04-30. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0000012208-26-000035; filed 2026-04-30. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0000012208-26-000035.
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This discussion should be read in conjunction with the information contained in both our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2026.
Overview. We are a multinational developer, manufacturer and worldwide distributor of our own life science research and clinical diagnostics products. Our business is organized into two reportable segments: Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics, with the mission to provide scientists with specialized tools needed for biological research and health care specialists with products needed for clinical diagnostics.
We sell more than 12,000 products and services to a diverse client base comprised of scientific research, healthcare, education and government customers worldwide. We do not disclose quantitative information about our different products and services as it is impractical to do so based primarily on the numerous products and services that we sell and the global markets that we serve.
We manufacture and supply our customers with a range of reagents, apparatus and equipment to separate complex chemical and biological materials and to identify, analyze and purify components. As our customers require standardization for their experiments and test results, much of our revenues are recurring in nature.
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Approximately 39% of our 2026 consolidated net sales are derived from the United States and approximately 61% are derived from international locations, with Europe being our largest international region. The international sales are largely denominated in local currencies such as the Euro, Swiss Franc, Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan and British Sterling. As a result, our consolidated net sales expressed in dollars benefit when the U.S. dollar weakens and suffer when the U.S. dollar strengthens. When the U.S. dollar strengthens, we benefit from lower cost of sales from our own international manufacturing sites, and from lower international operating expenses. We regularly discuss our changes in revenue and expense categories in terms of both changing foreign exchange rates and in terms of a currency neutral basis, if notable, to explain the impact currency has on our results.
We rely on the support of many governments for both research and healthcare. Current global economic and geopolitical conditions remain uncertain, and the need for governments to control their spending, along with ongoing challenges among small biotech companies, continues to limit opportunities for growth and negatively impact our business. The market in China, which represents a mid-single digit percentage of our year-to-date 2026 consolidated net sales, remains uncertain as a result of these factors. We expect these conditions to continue through the rest of 2026.
Additionally, the recent escalation of regional conflicts in the Middle East has adversely affected demand and logistics in the EMEA region, particularly within our Clinical Diagnostics segment. These disruptions impacted our results during the first quarter of 2026 and, given the continued uncertainty regarding the duration and scope of the conflict, we expect these conditions to continue to adversely affect the EMEA region for the remainder of 2026.
Results of Operations
The following table shows Cost of goods sold, Gross profit, components of operating expense, (Gains) losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable, and Net income (loss) as a percentage of Net sales:
| Three Months Ended | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, | |||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||
| Net sales | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |
| Cost of goods sold | 47.7 | 47.7 | |||
| Gross profit | 52.3 | 52.3 | |||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 35.9 | 35.7 | |||
| Research and development expense | 10.6 | 12.6 | |||
| (Gains) losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable | 124.7 | (5.4) | |||
| Net income (loss) | (89.0) | 10.9 |
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
An accounting policy is deemed to be critical if it affects our financial statements materially and requires subjective or complex judgments by management. An accounting estimate is deemed to be critical if it requires assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain at the time the estimate is made, if different estimates reasonably could have been used, or if changes in the estimate that are reasonably likely to occur could materially impact the financial statements. Management believes that there have been no significant changes during the three months ended March 31, 2026 to the items that we disclosed as our critical accounting policies and estimates in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
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Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 Compared to
Three Months Ended March 31, 2025
Results of Operations – Sales, Gross Margins and Expenses
Percentage sales growth in currency neutral amounts are calculated by translating prior period sales in each local currency using the current period monthly average foreign exchange rates for that currency and comparing that to current period sales.
Net sales ("sales") for the first quarter of 2026 were $592.1 million compared to $585.4 million in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 1.1%. On a currency neutral basis, first quarter 2026 sales decreased approximately 4.2% compared to the same period in 2025. The decrease in sales was driven by lower sales in both Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics segments.
The Life Science segment sales for the first quarter of 2026 were $228.5 million, essentially flat compared to the same period in 2025. On a currency neutral basis, sales decreased 4.3% compared to the first quarter in 2025, primarily driven by ongoing challenges in the academic research market, particularly in the Americas. Currency neutral sales decreased in the Americas and EMEA, partially offset by increased sales in Asia Pacific.
The Clinical Diagnostics segment sales for the first quarter of 2026 were $363.6 million, an increase of 1.9% compared to the same period in 2025. On a currency neutral basis, sales decreased 4.1% compared to the first quarter in 2025, primarily in the EMEA region. The currency neutral sales decrease was primarily driven by the recent escalation of regional conflicts in the Middle East.
Consolidated gross margin was 52.3% for both the first quarter of 2026 and 2025. Gross margin for the Life Science segment for the first quarter of 2026 decreased by approximately 0.3 percentage points as compared to the same period in 2025. The decrease in gross margin was primarily driven by higher material costs and logistics costs associated with elevated fuel prices, partially offset by lower restructuring costs. Gross margin for the Clinical Diagnostics segment for the first quarter of 2026 increased by approximately 0.2 percentage points as compared to the same period in 2025. The increase in gross margin was primarily driven by reduced inventory scrap and lower restructuring costs, partially offset by higher logistics costs associated with elevated fuel prices.
Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense for the first quarter of 2026 was $212.4 million or 35.9% of sales, compared to $208.8 million, or 35.7% of sales for the first quarter of 2025. The increase in SG&A expense was primarily due to foreign exchange impact resulting from a weaker U.S. dollar on our international cost base, partially offset by lower restructuring costs.
Research and development ("R&D") expense for the first quarter of 2026 was $62.9 million or 10.6% of sales, compared to $73.5 million or 12.6% of sales in the first quarter of 2025. The decrease in R&D expense was primarily due to lower restructuring costs.
Results of Operations – Non-operating
Interest expense for the first quarter of 2026 and 2025 was $12.3 million and $12.0 million, respectively, which primarily consisted of interest expense related to the $1.2 billion Senior Notes.
Foreign currency exchange gains, net consist primarily of foreign currency transaction gains and losses on intercompany net receivables and payables and the change in fair value of our forward foreign exchange contracts used to manage our foreign currency exchange risk. Foreign currency exchange gains, net were $2.4 million and $2.7 million for the first quarter of 2026 and 2025, respectively. Gains and losses are primarily due to the timing of product shipments and intercompany debt payments, market volatility, and the change in the fair value of our foreign exchange contracts.
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(Gains) losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable was loss of $738.2 million and $31.8 million gain for the first quarter of 2026 and 2025, respectively. The change in the fair market value primarily resulted from the recognition of holding losses of $727.7 million in the first quarter of 2026 compared to holding gains of $29.0 million in the first quarter of 2025 on our investment in Sartorius. In addition, holding losses from the change in fair market value of our loan receivable of $8.4 million in the first quarter of 2026 compared to holding gains of $4.6 million in the first quarter of 2025 contributed to the change.
Other income, net for the first quarter of 2026 was $24.2 million compared to $37.2 million for the first quarter of 2025. The decrease in Other income, net of $13.0 million was primarily attributable to lower interest and investment income in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025.
Our effective income tax rate was 23.6% and 23.3% for the first quarter of 2026 and 2025, respectively. The effective tax rate reported in these periods was primarily affected by the change in fair market value of our equity securities as well as shifts in the geographical mix of earnings.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Bio-Rad operates and conducts business globally, primarily through subsidiary companies established in the markets in which we trade. Goods are manufactured in a small number of locations, and are then shipped to local distribution facilities around the world. Our product mix is diversified, and certain products compete largely on product efficacy, while others compete on price. Gross margins are generally sufficient to exceed normal operating costs, and funding for research and development of new products, as well as routine outflows for capital expenditures, interest and taxes.
As of March 31, 2026, we had available $1.56 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, of which approximately 16% was held in our foreign subsidiaries. The amount of funds held in the United States can fluctuate due to the timing of receipts and payments in the ordinary course of business and due to other reasons, such as acquisitions and borrowings. As part of our ongoing liquidity assessments, we regularly monitor the mix of domestic and foreign cash flows (both inflows and outflows). It is generally our intention to repatriate certain foreign earnings to the extent that such repatriations are not restricted by local laws, and there are no substantial incremental costs.
Additional liquidity is realized through positive cash flows from operating activities, and is readily available via the sale of short-term investments and access to our $200.0 million unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement, available through February 2029, and to a lesser extent international lines of credit. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement are available on a revolving basis and can be used to make acquisitions, for working capital and for other general corporate purposes. We had no outs
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion should be read in conjunction with the information contained in our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes which are an integral part of the statements. Refer to Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations located in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed on February 14, 2025, for the discussion of the comparison of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
Overview. We are a multinational developer, manufacturer and worldwide distributor of our own life science research and clinical diagnostics products. Our business is organized into two reportable segments: Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics, with the mission to provide scientists with specialized tools needed for biological research and health care specialists with products needed for clinical diagnostics.
We sell more than 12,000 products and services to a diverse client base comprised of scientific research, healthcare, education and government customers worldwide. We do not disclose quantitative information about our different products and services as it is impractical to do so based primarily on the numerous products and services that we sell and the global markets that we serve.
We manufacture and supply our customers with a range of reagents, apparatus and equipment to separate complex chemical and biological materials and to identify, analyze and purify components. As our customers require standardization for their experiments and test results, much of our revenues are recurring in nature.
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We rely on the support of many governments for both research and healthcare. The current global economic outlook is still uncertain as the need to control social spending by many governments limits opportunities for growth. Approximately 40% of our 2025 consolidated net sales are derived from the United States and approximately 60% are derived from international locations, with Europe being our largest international region. The international sales are largely denominated in local currencies such as the Euro, Swiss Franc, Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan and British Sterling. As a result, our consolidated net sales expressed in dollars benefit when the U.S. dollar weakens and suffer when the dollar strengthens. When the dollar strengthens, we benefit from lower cost of sales from our own international manufacturing sites, and from lower international operating expenses. We regularly discuss our changes in revenue and expense categories in terms of both changing foreign exchange rates and in terms of a currency neutral basis, if notable, to explain the impact currency has on our results.
Current global economic and geopolitical conditions remain uncertain, and we rely on the support of many governments for both research and healthcare. Reduced government spending, along with ongoing challenges in the biopharma market and among small biotech companies, continues to negatively impact our business. Additionally, the market in China, which represents a mid-single digit percentage of our 2025 consolidated net sales, remains uncertain as a result of these factors. We expect these conditions to continue in 2026.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The accompanying discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingencies as of the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate our estimates on an on-going basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. However, future events may cause us to change our assumptions and estimates, which may require adjustment. Actual results could differ from these estimates. We have determined that for the periods reported in this Annual Report on Form 10-K the following accounting policies and estimates are critical in understanding our financial condition and results of operations.
Accounting for Income Taxes
We operate in multiple jurisdictions and our profits are taxed pursuant to the tax laws of these jurisdictions. Our effective income tax rate may be affected by the changes in or interpretations of tax laws and tax agreements in any given jurisdiction, utilization of net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, changes in geographical mix of income and expense, and changes in our assessment of matters such as the ability to realize deferred tax assets. As a result of these considerations, we must estimate income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process involves estimating current tax exposure together with assessing temporary differences resulting from the different treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in the consolidated balance sheets.
We assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income, considering all available evidence such as historical levels of income, expectations and risks associated with estimates of future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax strategies. When we determine that it is not more likely than not that we will realize all or part of our deferred tax assets, an adjustment is charged to earnings in the period when such determination is made. Likewise, if we later determine that it is more likely than not that all or a part of our deferred tax assets would be realized, the previously provided valuation allowance would be reversed.
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We make certain estimates and judgments about the application of tax laws, the expected resolution of uncertain tax positions and other matters surrounding the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax benefits. In the event that uncertain tax positions are resolved for amounts different than our estimates, or the related statutes of limitations expire without the assessment of additional income taxes, we will be required to adjust the amounts of the related assets and liabilities in the period in which such events occur. Such adjustments may have a material impact on our income tax provision and our results of operations.
Impairment of Goodwill
We conduct a goodwill impairment analysis annually in the fourth quarter or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist or if a decision is made to sell or exit a business. We test goodwill at the reporting unit level. Significant judgments are involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred.
We first may assess qualitative factors to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test included in U.S. GAAP. To the extent our assessment identifies adverse conditions, or if we elect to bypass the qualitative assessment, goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level using a quantitative impairment test. We generally estimate the fair value of the reporting units in goodwill impairment assessments using an income approach, which includes an analysis of the future cash flows expected to be generated and the risk associated with achieving such cash flows. This approach requires significant management judgment including the discount rate that is applied to the discretely forecasted future cash flows to calculate the present value of those cash flows and the estimate of future cash flows attributable to the reporting unit. Actual results may differ from management’s estimates. There were no impairments of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue from operations through the sale of products, services, license of intellectual property and rental of instruments.
We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally accounted for as distinct performance obligations. The transaction consideration is allocated between separate performance obligations of an arrangement based on the stand-alone selling price (“SSP”) for each distinct product or service.
We recognize revenue from product sales at the point in time when we have satisfied our performance obligation by transferring control of the product to the customer. We use judgment to evaluate whether and when control has transferred and consider the right to payment, legal title, physical possession, risks and rewards of ownership, and customer acceptance if it is not a formality, as indicators to determine the transfer of control to the customer.
Fair Value Measurements
We elected the fair value option under ASC 825, Financial Instruments for accounting of the Loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH to simplify the accounting. The Loan includes certain value appreciation rights that are due upon repayment of the Loan. The fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right is estimated under the income approach using a discounted cash flow, and option pricing model, respectively. The significant assumptions used to estimate fair value of the Loan include an estimate of the discount rate and cash flows of the Loan and the significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the value appreciation right include volatility, the risk-free interest rate, expected life (in years) and expected dividend. The inputs are subject to estimation uncertainty and actual amounts realized may materially differ. An increase in the expected volatility may result in a significantly higher fair value, whereas a decrease in expected life may result in a significantly lower fair value. All subsequent changes in fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right, including accrued interest are recognized in (Gains) losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable in our consolidated statements of income (loss).
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Results of Operations - Sales, Gross Margins and Expenses
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2025 to the Year Ended December 31, 2024
The following table shows Cost of goods sold, Gross margin, components of operating expense, and Net income (loss) as a percentage of Net sales:
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |
| Cost of goods sold | 48.1 | 46.3 | |||
| Gross margin | 51.9 | 53.7 | |||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 32.7 | 31.7 | |||
| Research and development expense | 10.7 | 11.5 | |||
| Impairment of purchased intangibles and related items, net | 6.7 | — | |||
| Net income (loss) | 29.4 | (71.9) |
Net sales
Percentage sales growth in currency neutral amounts are calculated by translating prior period sales in each local currency using the current period monthly average foreign exchange rates for that currency and comparing that to current period sales.
Net sales ("sales") for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $2.58 billion, compared to $2.57 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of 0.7%. On a currency neutral basis, for the year ended December 31, 2025 sales were essentially flat compared to the same period in 2024.
The Life Science segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $1.02 billion, a decrease of 0.7% compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. On a currency neutral basis, sales decreased 1.3% compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, driven by the constrained academic research and biotech funding environment. Currency neutral sales decreased in the Americas, partially offset by increased sales in EMEA and Asia Pacific.
The Clinical Diagnostics segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $1.56 billion, an increase of 1.6% compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. On a currency neutral basis, sales increased 0.8% compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. The currency neutral sales increase was primarily driven by quality control and blood typing products, partially offset by lower reimbursement rates for diabetes testing in China. Currency neutral sales increased in the Americas and EMEA, partially offset by decreased sales in Asia Pacific.
Gross margin
Consolidated gross margin was 51.9% for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to 53.7% for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Gross margin for the Life Science segment for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased by approximately 2.5 percentage points from the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in gross margin was primarily driven by one-time inventory write-offs after extensive evaluations of our product portfolios as a result of recent acquisitions, higher material costs and reduced fixed manufacturing absorption.
Gross margin for the Clinical Diagnostics segment for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased by approximately 1.4 percentage points from the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in gross margin was primarily driven by higher material costs and reduced fixed manufacturing absorption.
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Selling, general and administrative expense
Consolidated selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense increased to $844.3 million or 32.7% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $814.0 million or 31.7% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in SG&A expense was primarily due to higher restructuring costs.
Research and development expense
Consolidated research and development ("R&D") expense decreased to $275.6 million or 10.7% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $295.9 million or 11.5% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in R&D was primarily due to $29.5 million of in-process research and development ("IPR&D") expense recognized in 2024 for an acquisition that did not recur in 2025, partially offset by higher restructuring costs in 2025.
Impairment of purchased intangibles and related items, net
In December 2025, we impaired the IPR&D asset associated with our 2021 acquisition of Dropworks, Inc. (“Dropworks”) amounting to $81.7 million, as completion of the technology had been delayed and the Company has revised its revenue forecast associated with Dropworks. The impairment of the IPR&D asset was included in the Life Science segment’s results of operations.
In December 2025, we discontinued development of the IPR&D asset associated with our 2022 acquisition of Curiosity Diagnostics, Sp. Z. o. o. ("Curiosity") and recorded an impairment charge of $127.7 million. We concluded that the discontinuation represented a substantial liquidation of the business of the foreign subsidiary for accounting purposes, which resulted in the recognition of $36.6 million of previously unrealized foreign currency translation gains associated with that entity. The net impairment of $91.1 million, was included in the Clinical Diagnostics segment's results of operations.
Results of Operations – Non-operating
Interest expense
Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $49.0 million and $48.9 million, respectively, which primarily consisted of interest expense related to the $1.2 billion Senior Notes.
Foreign currency exchange (gains) losses
Foreign currency exchange (gains) losses, net consist primarily of foreign currency transaction gains and losses on intercompany net receivables and payables and the change in fair value of our forward foreign exchange contracts used to manage our foreign currency exchange risk. Foreign currency exchange net gains were $6.6 million and $3.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. Gains and losses are primarily due to the timing of product shipments and intercompany debt payments, market volatility, and the change in the fair value of our foreign exchange contracts.
Change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable
(Gains) losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable was a gain of $900.4 million and a loss of $2.66 billion for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The change in the fair market value primarily resulted from the recognition of holding gains of $872.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to holding losses of $2.68 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 on our investment in Sartorius.
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Other income, net
Other income, net includes investment and dividend income, interest income on our cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term marketable securities. Other income, net was $90.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, essentially flat compared to the year ended December 31, 2024.
Effective tax rate
Our effective tax rates were 23.7% and 21.3% for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 were driven by the change in fair market value of our equity securities as well as shifts in the geographical mix of earnings.
Our income tax returns are routinely audited by U.S. federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by many of these tax authorities. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions.
We record liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions. We do not believe the resolution of our uncertain tax positions will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, although an adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Bio-Rad operates and conducts business globally, primarily through subsidiary companies established in the markets in which we trade. Goods are manufactured in a small number of locations, and are then shipped to local distribution facilities around the world. Our product mix is diversified, and certain products compete largely on product efficacy, while others compete on price. Gross margins are generally sufficient to exceed normal operating costs, and funding for research and development of new products, as well as routine outflows for capital expenditures, interest and taxes.
As of December 31, 2025, we had available $1.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, of which approximately 18% was held in our foreign subsidiaries. The amount of funds held in the United States can fluctuate due to the timing of receipts and payments in the ordinary course of business and due to other reasons, such as acquisitions and borrowings. As part of our ongoing liquidity assessments, we regularly monitor the mix of domestic and foreign cash flows (both inflows and outflows). It is generally our intention to repatriate certain foreign earnings to the extent that such repatriations are not restricted by local laws, and there are no substantial incremental costs.
Additional liquidity is realized through positive cash flows from operating activities, and is readily available via the sale of short-term investments and access to our $200.0 million unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement, available through February 2029, and to a lesser extent international lines of credit. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement are available on a revolving basis and can be used to make acquisitions, for working capital and for other general corporate purposes. We had no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2025, however, $6.0 million was utilized for domestic standby letters of credit that reduced our borrowing availability.
In March 2022, we received $1.2 billion in cash proceeds from the issuance of Senior Notes. The $400 million and $800 million Senior Notes mature in March 2027 and March 2032, respectively, and interest on the Senior Notes is 3.3% and 3.7% per annum, respectively. Interest is payable semiannually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year.
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Management believes that our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, together with cash flow from operations and the unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement, will be adequate to meet our current objectives for operations, research and development, capital additions for manufacturing and distribution, plant and equipment, information technology systems and acquisitions of reasonable proportion to our existing total available capital for the next twelve months and beyond.
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities was $532.2 million and $455.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The increase in operating cash flows was primarily due to improved working capital.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $189.7 million and $160.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The increase was due to net cash outflows for the acquisition of Stilla Technologies, partially offset by lower net outflows related to marketable securities and investments, reflecting the timing of our purchases, maturities, and sales.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities was $283.2 million and $218.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The increase in net cash used in financing activities was primarily attributable to payments for share repurchases, partially offset by payment of contingent consideration in 2024. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we repurchased 1,205,381 shares of Class A common stock for $295.5 million and during the year ended December 31, 2024, we repurchased 690,857 shares of Class A common stock for $203.6 million. We designated these repurchased shares as treasury stock. As of December 31, 2025, $284.6 million of stock remained available for repurchases under the Company's 2023 Share Repurchase Program.
Contractual Obligations
The following summarizes certain of our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2025 and the effect such obligations are expected to have on our cash flows in future periods (in millions):
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| Payments Due by Period | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less Than | 1-3 | 3-5 | More than | ||||||||||||||||
| Contractual Obligations | Total | One Year | Years | Years | 5 Years | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt, including current portion (1) | $ | 1,210.0 | $ | 1.3 | $ | 401.0 | $ | 1.2 | $ | 806.5 | |||||||||
| Interest payments (1) | $ | 213.7 | $ | 43.9 | $ | 64.1 | $ | 61.4 | $ | 44.3 | |||||||||
| Operating lease obligations (2) | $ | 217.0 | $ | 42.5 | $ | 63.3 | $ | 40.0 | $ | 71.2 | |||||||||
| Purchase obligations (3) | $ | 105.8 | $ | 90.2 | $ | 15.6 | $ | — | $ | — | |||||||||
| Long-term liabilities (4) | $ | 123.7 | $ | 8.5 | $ | 50.4 | $ | 12.8 | $ | 52.0 | |||||||||
| (1) These amounts represent expected cash payments, primarily from Senior Notes, which are included in our December 31, 2025 consolidated balance sheet. See Note 7 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our debt. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (2) Operating lease obligations are described in Note 18 of the consolidated financial statements. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (3) Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding to Bio-Rad and that specify all significant terms. Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable without penalty. Recognition of purchase obligations occurs when products or services are delivered to Bio-Rad generally within Accounts payable or Other current liabilities. See Note 14 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about these purchase obligations. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (4) These amounts primarily represent recognized long-term obligations for other post-employment benefits, fair value of the contingent consideration and long-term deferred revenue. Excluded from this table are tax liabilities for uncertain tax positions and contingencies in the amount of $83.9 million. We are not able to reasonably estimate the timing of future cash flows of these tax liabilities, therefore, our income tax obligations are excluded from the table above. See Note 8 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our income taxes. See Note 14 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about these long-term liabilities. |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted
See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for recent accounting pronouncements adopted and to be adopted.
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000012208-25-000007.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion should be read in conjunction with the information contained in our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes which are an integral part of the statements. Refer to Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations located in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed on February 16, 2024, for the discussion of the comparison of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
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Overview. We are a multinational developer, manufacturer and worldwide distributor of our own life science research and clinical diagnostics products. Our business is organized into two reportable segments: Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics, with the mission to provide scientists with specialized tools needed for biological research and health care specialists with products needed for clinical diagnostics.
We sell more than 12,000 products and services to a diverse client base comprised of scientific research, healthcare, education and government customers worldwide. We do not disclose quantitative information about our different products and services as it is impractical to do so based primarily on the numerous products and services that we sell and the global markets that we serve.
We manufacture and supply our customers with a range of reagents, apparatus and equipment to separate complex chemical and biological materials and to identify, analyze and purify components. As our customers require standardization for their experiments and test results, much of our revenues are recurring in nature.
We rely on the support of many governments for both research and healthcare. The current global economic outlook is still uncertain as the need to control social spending by many governments limits opportunities for growth. Approximately 41% of our 2024 consolidated net sales are derived from the United States and approximately 59% are derived from international locations, with Europe being our largest international region. The international sales are largely denominated in local currencies such as the Euro, Swiss Franc, Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan and British Sterling. As a result, our consolidated net sales expressed in dollars benefit when the U.S. dollar weakens and suffer when the dollar strengthens. When the dollar strengthens, we benefit from lower cost of sales from our own international manufacturing sites, and from lower international operating expenses. We regularly discuss our changes in revenue and expense categories in terms of both changing foreign exchange rates and in terms of a currency neutral basis, if notable, to explain the impact currency has on our results.
We are impacted by ongoing global economic and geopolitical conditions and our business continued to be negatively impacted by the ongoing challenges impacting the biopharma market and small biotech companies. We expect that these conditions will continue to impact our business in 2025.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The accompanying discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingencies as of the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate our estimates on an on-going basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. However, future events may cause us to change our assumptions and estimates, which may require adjustment. Actual results could differ from these estimates. We have determined that for the periods reported in this Annual Report on Form 10-K the following accounting policies and estimates are critical in understanding our financial condition and results of operations.
Accounting for Income Taxes
We operate in multiple jurisdictions and our profits are taxed pursuant to the tax laws of these jurisdictions. Our effective income tax rate may be affected by the changes in or interpretations of tax laws and tax agreements in any given jurisdiction, utilization of net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, changes in geographical mix of income and expense, and changes in our assessment of matters such as the ability to realize deferred tax assets. As a result of these considerations, we must estimate income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process involves estimating current tax exposure together with assessing temporary differences resulting from the different treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in the consolidated balance sheet.
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We assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income, considering all available evidence such as historical levels of income, expectations and risks associated with estimates of future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax strategies. When we determine that it is not more likely than not that we will realize all or part of our deferred tax assets, an adjustment is charged to earnings in the period when such determination is made. Likewise, if we later determine that it is more likely than not that all or a part of our deferred tax assets would be realized, the previously provided valuation allowance would be reversed.
We make certain estimates and judgments about the application of tax laws, the expected resolution of uncertain tax positions and other matters surrounding the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax benefits. In the event that uncertain tax positions are resolved for amounts different than our estimates, or the related statutes of limitations expire without the assessment of additional income taxes, we will be required to adjust the amounts of the related assets and liabilities in the period in which such events occur. Such adjustments may have a material impact on our income tax provision and our results of operations.
Impairment of Goodwill
We conduct a goodwill impairment analysis annually in the fourth quarter or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist or if a decision is made to sell or exit a business. We test goodwill at the reporting unit level. Significant judgments are involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred.
We first may assess qualitative factors to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test included in U.S. GAAP. To the extent our assessment identifies adverse conditions, or if we elect to bypass the qualitative assessment, goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level using a quantitative impairment test. We generally estimate the fair value of the reporting units in goodwill impairment assessments using an income approach, which includes an analysis of the future cash flows expected to be generated and the risk associated with achieving such cash flows. This approach requires significant management judgment including the discount rate that is applied to the discretely forecasted future cash flows to calculate the present value of those cash flows and the estimate of future cash flows attributable to the reporting unit. Actual results may differ from management’s estimates. There were no impairments for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue from operations through the sale of products, services, license of intellectual property and rental of instruments.
We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally accounted for as distinct performance obligations. The transaction consideration is allocated between separate performance obligations of an arrangement based on the stand-alone selling price (“SSP”) for each distinct product or service.
We recognize revenue from product sales at the point in time when we have satisfied our performance obligation by transferring control of the product to the customer. We use judgment to evaluate whether and when control has transferred and consider the right to payment, legal title, physical possession, risks and rewards of ownership, and customer acceptance if it is not a formality, as indicators to determine the transfer of control to the customer.
Fair Value Measurements
We elected the fair value option under ASC 825, Financial Instruments for accounting of the Loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH to simplify the accounting. The Loan includes certain value appreciation rights that are due upon repayment of the Loan. The fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right is estimated under the income approach using a discounted cash flow, and option pricing model, respectively. The significant assumptions used to estimate fair value of the Loan include an estimate of the discount rate and cash flows of the Loan and the
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significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the value appreciation right include volatility, the risk-free interest rate, expected life (in years) and expected dividend. The inputs are subject to estimation uncertainty and actual amounts realized may materially differ. An increase in the expected volatility may result in a significantly higher fair value, whereas a decrease in expected life may result in a significantly lower fair value. All subsequent changes in fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right, including accrued interest are recognized in Losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable in our consolidated statements of income (loss).
Results of Operations - Sales, Gross Margins and Expenses
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2024 to the Year Ended December 31, 2023
The following table shows Cost of goods sold, Gross profit, components of operating expense, and Net loss as a percentage of Net sales:
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |
| Cost of goods sold | 46.3 | 46.6 | |||
| Gross profit | 53.7 | 53.4 | |||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 31.7 | 31.5 | |||
| Research and development expense | 11.5 | 9.3 | |||
| Net loss | (71.9) | (23.9) |
Net sales
Percentage sales growth in currency neutral amounts are calculated by translating prior period sales in each local currency using the current period monthly average foreign exchange rates for that currency and comparing that to current period sales.
Net sales (sales) for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $2.57 billion, compared to $2.67 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of 3.9%. On a currency neutral basis, for the year ended December 31, 2024 sales decreased by approximately 3.6% compared to the same period in 2023. The decrease in sales was driven by lower sales in our Life Science segment.
The Life Science segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $1.03 billion, a decrease of 12.8% compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. On a currency neutral basis, sales decreased 12.6% compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was driven by ongoing weakness in the biotech and biopharma end-markets. Currency neutral sales decreased across all regions.
The Clinical Diagnostics segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $1.54 billion, an increase of 3.3% compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. On a currency neutral basis, sales increased 3.7% compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The currency neutral sales increase was primarily driven by an increased demand for our quality control and blood typing products. Currency neutral sales increased across all regions.
Gross margin
Consolidated gross margin was 53.7% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 53.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Gross margin for the Life Science segment and Clinical Diagnostics segment for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by approximately 0.3 percentage points and 0.5 percentage points, respectively, from the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in gross margin was primarily driven by favorable product mix and cost control measures, partially offset by higher restructuring and material costs.
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Selling, general and administrative expense
Consolidated selling, general and administrative expense (SG&A) decreased to $814.0 million or 31.7% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $841.7 million or 31.5% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease to SG&A expense was primarily due to lower restructuring costs and a reduction in discretionary spending.
Research and development expense
Consolidated research and development (R&D) expense increased to $295.9 million or 11.5% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $247.4 million or 9.3% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in R&D expense in the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to a one-time acquired in-process research and development expense of $29.5 million in 2024 and an increase in the fair value of contingent consideration of $12.5 million impacting R&D expense in 2024 compared to a decrease in the fair value of contingent consideration of $14.0 million impacting R&D expense in 2023.
Results of Operations – Non-operating
Interest expense
Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $48.9 million and $49.4 million, respectively, which primarily consisted of interest expense related to the $1.2 billion Senior Notes.
Foreign currency exchange (gains) losses
Foreign currency exchange (gains) losses, net consist primarily of foreign currency transaction gains and losses on intercompany net receivables and payables and the change in fair value of our forward foreign exchange contracts used to manage our foreign currency exchange risk. Foreign currency exchange net gains were $3.9 million and $7.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. Gains and losses are primarily due to the estimating process inherent in the timing of product shipments and intercompany debt payments, market volatility, and the change in the fair value of our foreign exchange contracts.
Change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable
Losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable was $2.66 billion and $1.25 billion for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The change in the fair market value primarily resulted from the recognition of higher holding losses of $2.68 billion compared to $1.26 billion in the year ended December 31, 2023 on our position in Sartorius AG. In addition, holding gains from the change in fair market value of our loan receivable of $12.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to holding losses of $6.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2023 contributed to the change.
Other income, net
Other income, net includes investment and dividend income, interest income on our cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term marketable securities. Other income, net for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased to $90.3 million compared to $106.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower dividend income from Sartorius AG in 2024 compared to 2023.
Effective tax rate
Our effective tax rates were 21.3% and 25.0% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were primarily driven by the unrealized gain/loss in equity securities that was taxed at 22.6% and 22.3%, respectively, as well as the geographical mix of earnings.
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Our income tax returns are routinely audited by U.S. federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by many of these tax authorities. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions.
We record liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions. We do not believe the
resolution of our uncertain tax positions will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, although an adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.
As of December 31, 2024, based on the expected outcome of certain examinations or as a result of the expiration of
statutes of limitation for certain jurisdictions, we believe that within the next twelve months it is reasonably possible
that our previously unrecognized tax benefits could decrease by approximately $18.1 million.
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included an Alternative Minimum Tax based on the Adjusted Financial Statement Income of Applicable Corporations. We do not believe the Inflation Reduction Act will have a material impact on our income tax provision and cash taxes, but we continue to monitor U.S. Department of the Treasury guidance and regulations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Bio-Rad operates and conducts business globally, primarily through subsidiary companies established in the markets in which we trade. Goods are manufactured in a small number of locations, and are then shipped to local distribution facilities around the world. Our product mix is diversified, and certain products compete largely on product efficacy, while others compete on price. Gross margins are generally sufficient to exceed normal operating costs, and funding for research and development of new products, as well as routine outflows for capital expenditures, interest and taxes. In addition to the annual positive cash flow from operating activities, additional liquidity is readily available via the sale of short-term investments and access to our $200.0 million unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement that we entered into in February 2024, and to a lesser extent international lines of credit. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement are available on a revolving basis and can be used to make acquisitions, for working capital and for other general corporate purposes. We had no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2024, however, $5.7 million was utilized for domestic standby letters of credit that reduced our borrowing availability. As of December 31, 2024, our short-term investments include the net cash proceeds from the sale of Senior Notes of $1.186 billion. Interest is payable semiannually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year. Management believes that this availability, together with cash flow from operations, will be adequate to meet our current objectives for operations, research and development, capital additions for manufacturing and distribution, plant and equipment, information technology systems and acquisitions of reasonable proportion to our existing total available capital for the next twelve months and beyond.
At December 31, 2024, we had available $1.7 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, of which approximately 14% was held in our foreign subsidiaries. The amount of funds held in the United States can fluctuate due to the timing of receipts and payments in the ordinary course of business and due to other reasons, such as acquisitions and borrowings. As part of our ongoing liquidity assessments, we regularly monitor the mix of domestic and foreign cash flows (both inflows and outflows).
It is generally our intention to repatriate certain foreign earnings to the extent that such repatriations are not restricted by local laws, and there are no substantial incremental costs.
Cash Flows from Operations
Net cash provided by operations was $455.2 million and $374.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The increase in operating cash flows was primarily due to lower cash paid to suppliers and employees, lower income tax paid, and higher proceeds from foreign exchange contracts, partially offset by lower cash received from customers and lower dividend proceeds from Sartorius AG.
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Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Our investing activities have consisted primarily of cash used for purchases of marketable securities and investments, and acquisitions.
Net cash used in investing activities was $160.2 million compared to net cash provided by investing activities of $20.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, primarily due to the timing of our purchases, maturities and sales of marketable securities and investments.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Our financing activities have consisted primarily of cash used for stock related activity, including the issuance of common stock and repurchases of treasury stock.
Net cash used in financing activities was $218.8 million and $425.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The change was primarily attributable to lower payments for share repurchases, partially offset by a one-time payment of contingent consideration.
Treasury Shares
During the year ended December 31, 2024, 183,567 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $64.0 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program and our Employee Stock Purchase Program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, Additional paid-in capital was reduced by $48.2 million from share reissuance activity during the year.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, 160,811 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $64.1 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program and our Employee Stock Purchase Program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, Additional paid-in capital was reduced by $49.7 million from share reissuance activity during the year.
The re-issuance of the treasury stock for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 did not require cash payments or receipts and therefore did not affect liquidity.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, we repurchased 690,857 shares of Class A common stock for $201.6 million under our share repurchase programs, compared to the repurchase of 1,267,757 shares of our common stock for $428.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2024, $577.1 million of stock remained available for repurchases under the Company's 2023 Share Repurchase Program. We designated these repurchased shares as treasury stock.
Contractual Obligations
The following summarizes certain of our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2024 and the effect such obligations are expected to have on our cash flows in future periods (in millions):
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| Payments Due by Period | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less Than | 1-3 | 3-5 | More than | ||||||||||||||||
| Contractual Obligations | Total | One Year | Years | Years | 5 Years | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt, including current portion (1) | $ | 1,210.4 | $ | 1.2 | $ | 401.0 | $ | 1.1 | $ | 807.1 | |||||||||
| Interest payments (1) | $ | 257.7 | $ | 43.9 | $ | 77.4 | $ | 61.4 | $ | 75.0 | |||||||||
| Operating lease obligations (2) | $ | 195.5 | $ | 46.8 | $ | 66.0 | $ | 39.4 | $ | 43.3 | |||||||||
| Purchase obligations (3) | $ | 77.8 | $ | 60.1 | $ | 17.7 | $ | — | $ | — | |||||||||
| Long-term liabilities (4) | $ | 90.8 | $ | 4.4 | $ | 17.5 | $ | 10.0 | $ | 58.9 | |||||||||
| (1) These amounts represent expected cash payments, primarily from Senior Notes, which are included in our December 31, 2024 consolidated balance sheet. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our debt. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (2) Operating lease obligations are described in Note 16 of the consolidated financial statements. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (3) Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding to Bio-Rad and that specify all significant terms. Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable without penalty. Recognition of purchase obligations occurs when products or services are delivered to Bio-Rad generally within Accounts payable or Other current liabilities. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (4) These amounts primarily represent recognized long-term obligations for other post-employment benefits and long-term deferred revenue. Excluded from this table are tax liabilities for uncertain tax positions and contingencies in the amount of $81.1 million. We are not able to reasonably estimate the timing of future cash flows of these tax liabilities, therefore, our income tax obligations are excluded from the table above. See Note 7 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our income taxes. See Note 13 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about these purchase obligations. |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted
See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for recent accounting pronouncements adopted and to be adopted.
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000012208-24-000013.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion should be read in conjunction with the information contained in our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes which are an integral part of the statements. Refer to Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations located in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed on February 17, 2023, for the discussion of the comparison of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
Overview. We are a multinational manufacturer and worldwide distributor of our own life science research and clinical diagnostics products. Our business is organized into two reportable segments, Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics, with the mission to provide scientists with specialized tools needed for biological research and health care specialists with products needed for clinical diagnostics.
We sell more than 12,000 products and services to a diverse client base comprised of scientific research, healthcare, education and government customers worldwide. We do not disclose quantitative information about our different products and services as it is impractical to do so based primarily on the numerous products and services that we sell and the global markets that we serve.
We manufacture and supply our customers with a range of reagents, apparatus and equipment to separate complex chemical and biological materials and to identify, analyze and purify components. As our customers require standardization for their experiments and test results, much of our revenues are recurring in nature.
We rely on the support of many governments for both research and healthcare. The current global economic outlook is still uncertain as the need to control government social spending by many governments limits opportunities for growth. Approximately 42% of our 2023 consolidated net sales are derived from the United States and approximately 58% are derived from international locations, with Europe being our largest international region. The international sales are largely denominated in local currencies such as the Euro, Swiss Franc, Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan and British Sterling. As a result, our consolidated net sales expressed in dollars benefit when the U.S. dollar weakens and suffer when the dollar strengthens. When the dollar strengthens, we benefit from lower cost of sales from our own international manufacturing sites, and from lower international operating expenses. We regularly discuss our changes in revenue and expense categories in terms of both changing foreign exchange rates and in terms of a currency neutral basis, if notable, to explain the impact currency has on our results.
We are impacted by global economic conditions and our business was negatively impacted by the recent economic constraints in China and the ongoing challenges impacting the biopharma market and small biotech companies. We expect that these conditions will continue to negatively impact our business in 2024.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The accompanying discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingencies as of the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate our estimates on an on-going basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources.
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However, future events may cause us to change our assumptions and estimates, which may require adjustment. Actual results could differ from these estimates. We have determined that for the periods reported in this Annual Report on Form 10-K the following accounting policies and estimates are critical in understanding our financial condition and results of operations.
Accounting for Income Taxes
We operate in multiple jurisdictions and our profits are taxed pursuant to the tax laws of these jurisdictions. Our effective income tax rate may be affected by the changes in or interpretations of tax laws and tax agreements in any given jurisdiction, utilization of net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, changes in geographical mix of income and expense, and changes in our assessment of matters such as the ability to realize deferred tax assets. As a result of these considerations, we must estimate income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process involves estimating current tax exposure together with assessing temporary differences resulting from the different treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in the consolidated balance sheet.
We assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income, considering all available evidence such as historical levels of income, expectations and risks associated with estimates of future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax strategies. When we determine that it is not more likely than not that we will realize all or part of our deferred tax assets, an adjustment is charged to earnings in the period when such determination is made. Likewise, if we later determine that it is more likely than not that all or a part of our deferred tax assets would be realized, the previously provided valuation allowance would be reversed.
We make certain estimates and judgments about the application of tax laws, the expected resolution of uncertain tax positions and other matters surrounding the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax benefits. In the event that uncertain tax positions are resolved for amounts different than our estimates, or the related statutes of limitations expire without the assessment of additional income taxes, we will be required to adjust the amounts of the related assets and liabilities in the period in which such events occur. Such adjustments may have a material impact on our income tax provision and our results of operations.
Impairment of Goodwill
We conduct a goodwill impairment analysis annually in the fourth quarter or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist or if a decision is made to sell or exit a business. We test goodwill at the reporting unit level. Significant judgments are involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred.
We first may assess qualitative factors to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test included in U.S. GAAP. To the extent our assessment identifies adverse conditions, or if we elect to bypass the qualitative assessment, goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level using a quantitative impairment test. We generally estimate the fair value of the reporting units in goodwill impairment assessments using an income approach, which includes an analysis of the future cash flows expected to be generated and the risk associated with achieving such cash flows. This approach requires significant management judgment including the discount rate that is applied to the discretely forecasted future cash flows to calculate the present value of those cash flows and the estimate of future cash flows attributable to the reporting unit. Actual results may differ from management’s estimates. There were no impairments for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue from operations through the sale of products, services, license of intellectual property and rental of instruments.
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We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally accounted for as distinct performance obligations. The transaction consideration is allocated between separate performance obligations of an arrangement based on the stand-alone selling price (“SSP”) for each distinct product or service.
We recognize revenue from product sales at the point in time when we have satisfied our performance obligation by transferring control of the product to the customer. We use judgment to evaluate whether and when control has transferred and consider the right to payment, legal title, physical possession, risks and rewards of ownership, and customer acceptance if it is not a formality, as indicators to determine the transfer of control to the customer.
Fair Value Measurements
We elected the fair value option under ASC 825, Financial Instruments for accounting of the Loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH to simplify the accounting. The Loan includes certain value appreciation rights that are due upon repayment of the Loan. The fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right is estimated under the income approach using a discounted cash flow, and option pricing model, respectively. The significant assumptions used to estimate fair value of the Loan include an estimate of the discount rate and cash flows of the Loan and the significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the value appreciation right include volatility, the risk-free interest rate, expected life (in years) and expected dividend. The inputs are subject to estimation uncertainty and actual amounts realized may materially differ. An increase in the expected volatility may result in a significantly higher fair value, whereas a decrease in expected life may result in a significantly lower fair value. All subsequent changes in fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right, including accrued interest are recognized in (Gains) losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable in our consolidated statements of income (loss).
Results of Operations - Sales, Gross Margins and Expenses
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2023 to the Year Ended December 31, 2022
The following shows cost of goods sold, gross profit, expense items and net income as a percentage of net sales:
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |
| Cost of goods sold | 46.6 | 44.1 | |||
| Gross profit | 53.4 | 55.9 | |||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 31.5 | 29.5 | |||
| Research and development expense | 9.3 | 9.2 | |||
| Net loss | (23.9) | (129.5) |
Net sales
Percentage sales growth in currency neutral amounts are calculated by translating prior period sales in each local currency using the current period monthly average foreign exchange rates for that currency and comparing that to current period sales.
Net sales (sales) for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $2.67 billion, compared to $2.80 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of 4.7%. COVID-related sales were approximately $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to approximately $109.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. On a currency neutral basis, for the year ended December 31, 2023 sales decreased by approximately 4.1% compared to
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the same period in 2022. Currency neutral sales decreased mainly in APAC and EMEA. Excluding COVID-related sales, sales decreased 0.4% on a currency neutral basis from the year ended December 31, 2022. Sales of our Life Sciences segment in 2023 were negatively impacted by demand constraints from biopharma and small biotech customers in the biopharma market and the economic environment in China. In addition, the Russia sanctions impacted both our Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics segments.
The Life Science segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $1.18 billion, a decrease of 12.5% compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. On a currency neutral basis, sales decreased 12.0% compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The currency neutral sales decrease was mainly in Asia Pacific and EMEA. COVID-related sales were $2.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to approximately $105.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2022. Excluding COVID-related sales, sales decreased 4.9% on a currency neutral basis driven primarily by lower process chromatography, qPCR and Western blotting products, as a result of demand constraints from biopharma and small biotech customers, the economic environment in China, and Russia sanctions.
The Clinical Diagnostics segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $1.49 billion, an increase of 2.6% compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. On a currency neutral basis, sales increased 3.2% compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. COVID-related sales were $0.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to approximately $4.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2022. Excluding COVID-related sales, sales increased 3.4% on a currency neutral basis. The currency neutral sales increase was primarily driven by an increased demand for our diagnostic testing systems, primarily diabetes, blood typing, and quality control products, especially in Asia Pacific and EMEA, partially offset by a decline in our infectious disease products and lower sales due to Russia sanctions.
Gross margin
Consolidated gross margin was 53.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to 55.9% for the year ended December 31, 2022. Gross margin for the Life Science segment and Clinical Diagnostics segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 decreased by approximately 4.1 percentage points and 0.7 percentage points, respectively, from the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in gross margin was primarily driven by product mix, increased material costs and inventory reserves.
Selling, general and administrative expense
Consolidated selling, general and administrative expense (SG&A) increased to $841.7 million or 31.5% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $827.8 million or 29.5% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase to SG&A expense was primarily driven by restructuring costs as well as higher facility-related expenses, partially offset by lower employee-related expenses.
Research and development expense
Consolidated research and development (R&D) expense decreased to $247.4 million or 9.3% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $256.9 million or 9.2% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in R&D expense in the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to a change in the fair value of contingent consideration, partially offset by higher restructuring costs and continued investment in research and development.
Results of Operations – Non-operating
Interest expense
Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $49.4 million and $38.1 million, respectively, an increase of $11.3 million compared to the prior year period. The increase was primarily due to the sale in March 2022 of the $1.2 billion Senior Notes.
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses
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Foreign currency exchange (gains) and losses consist primarily of foreign currency transaction gains and losses on intercompany net receivables and payables and the change in fair value of our forward foreign exchange contracts used to manage our foreign currency exchange risk. Foreign currency exchange net gains were $7.3 million and $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. Gains and losses are primarily due to the estimating process inherent in the timing of product shipments and intercompany debt payments, market volatility, and the change in the fair value of our foreign exchange contracts.
Change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable
(Gains) losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable was a loss of $1.25 billion and $5.19 billion for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The change in the fair market value primarily resulted from the recognition of lower holding losses of $1.26 billion compared to holding losses of $5.07 billion in the year ended December 31, 2022 on our position in Sartorius AG. In addition, lower losses from the change in fair market value of our loan receivable of $6.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to holding losses of $100.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 contributed to the change.
Other income, net
Other income, net includes investment and dividend income, interest income on our cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term marketable securities. Other income, net for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased to $106.4 million compared to $44.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to higher interest rates favorably impacting our investments resulting from cash invested from the $1.2 billion Senior Notes issued in March 2022. The increase to Other income, net also resulted from a $3 million higher dividend from Sartorius AG in 2023 compared to 2022, and from no credit loss or other than temporary impairment in 2023 compared to a credit loss of $8 million and other than temporary impairment losses of $12 million in 2022.
Effective tax rate
Our effective tax rates were 25.0% and 22.9% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were primarily driven by the unrealized gain/loss in equity securities that was taxed at 22.3% and 22.5%, respectively, as well as the geographical mix of earnings.
Our income tax returns are routinely audited by U.S. federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by many of these tax authorities. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions.
We record liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions. We do not believe the
resolution of our uncertain tax positions will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, although an adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.
As of December 31, 2023, based on the expected outcome of certain examinations or as a result of the expiration of
statutes of limitation for certain jurisdictions, we believe that within the next twelve months it is reasonably possible
that our previously unrecognized tax benefits could decrease by approximately $17.2 million.
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes an Alternative Minimum Tax based on the Adjusted Financial Statement Income of Applicable Corporations. Based on our initial evaluation, we do not believe the Inflation Reduction Act will have a material impact on our income tax provision and cash taxes. We continue to monitor the changes in tax laws and regulations to evaluate their potential impact on our business.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Bio-Rad operates and conducts business globally, primarily through subsidiary companies established in the markets in which we trade. Goods are manufactured in a small number of locations, and are then shipped to local distribution facilities around the world. Our product mix is diversified, and certain products compete largely on product efficacy, while others compete on price. Gross margins are generally sufficient to exceed normal operating costs, and funding for research and development of new products, as well as routine outflows for capital expenditures, interest and taxes. In addition to the annual positive cash flow from operating activities, additional liquidity is readily available via the sale of short-term investments and access to our $200.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility (Credit Agreement, as amended) that we entered into in April 2019, and to a lesser extent international lines of credit. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement, as amended, are available on a revolving basis and can be used to make permitted acquisitions, for working capital and for other general corporate purposes. We had no outstanding borrowings under the 2019 Credit Agreement, as amended, as of December 31, 2023, however, $0.2 million was utilized for domestic standby letters of credit that reduced our borrowing availability. In March 2022, we issued $400 million aggregate principal amount of 3.3% Senior Notes due 2027, and $800 million aggregate principal amount of 3.7% Senior Notes due 2032. Net cash proceeds from the bond issuance after deducting the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses was $1.186 billion. Interest on the Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year until the principal is paid or made available for payment. Management believes that this availability, together with cash flow from operations, will be adequate to meet our current objectives for operations, research and development, capital additions for manufacturing and distribution, plant and equipment, information technology systems and acquisitions of reasonable proportion to our existing total available capital.
At December 31, 2023, we had available $1.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, of which approximately 16% was held in our foreign subsidiaries. The amount of funds held in the United States can fluctuate due to the timing of receipts and payments in the ordinary course of business and due to other reasons, such as acquisitions and borrowings. As part of our ongoing liquidity assessments, we regularly monitor the mix of domestic and foreign cash flows (both inflows and outflows).
It is generally our intention to repatriate certain foreign earnings to the extent that such repatriations are not restricted by local laws or accounting rules, and there are no substantial incremental costs.
On February 13, 2024, we entered into a new $200.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility with a group of financial institutions. Borrowings under the credit agreement are on a revolving basis and can be used to make acquisitions, for working capital and for other general corporate purposes. The credit agreement requires Bio-Rad to comply with certain financial ratios and covenants, among other things. The new credit facility replaces the credit facility which expires April 2024.
Cash Flows from Operations
Net cash provided by operations was $374.9 million and $194.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase in operating cash flows was primarily due to lower cash paid to suppliers and employees, higher dividend proceeds, and lower income tax paid, partially offset by higher interest paid, lower cash received from customers, and lower proceeds from foreign exchange contracts.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Our investing activities have consisted primarily of cash used for purchases of marketable securities and investments, and acquisitions.
Net cash provided by investing activities was $20.2 million compared to net cash used for investing activities of $1,207.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, primarily due to the timing of our purchases, maturities and sales of marketable securities and investments as a result of the cash proceeds from the sale of Senior Notes issued in March 2022.
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Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Our financing activities have consisted primarily of cash from the issuance of senior notes.
Net cash used in financing activities was $425.6 million compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $973.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, primarily attributable to the sale in March 2022 of the Senior Notes which yielded net cash proceeds of $1,186.2 million. The change also resulted from higher payments for share repurchases in 2023.
Treasury Shares
During the year ended December 31, 2023, 160,811 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $64.1 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program and our Employee Stock Purchase Program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, Additional paid-in capital was reduced by $49.7 million from share reissuance activity during the year.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, 135,744 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $58.4 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program and our Employee Stock Purchase Program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, Additional paid-in capital was reduced by $51.8 million from share reissuance activity during the year.
The re-issuance of the treasury stock for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 did not require cash payments or receipts and therefore did not affect liquidity.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased 1,267,757 shares of Class A common stock for $428.7 million under our share repurchase programs, compared to the repurchase of 496,692 shares of our common stock for $215.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2023, $278.7 million of stock remained available for repurchases under the Company's 2023 Share Repurchase Program. We designated these repurchased shares as treasury stock.
Contractual Obligations
The following summarizes certain of our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2023 and the effect such obligations are expected to have on our cash flows in future periods (in millions):
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| Payments Due by Period | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less Than | 1-3 | 3-5 | More than | ||||||||||||||||
| Contractual Obligations | Total | One Year | Years | Years | 5 Years | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt, including current portion (1) | $ | 1,210.1 | $ | 0.5 | $ | 1.0 | $ | 401.0 | $ | 807.6 | |||||||||
| Interest payments (1) | $ | 301.7 | $ | 44.0 | $ | 87.9 | $ | 64.1 | $ | 105.7 | |||||||||
| Operating lease obligations (2) | $ | 236.3 | $ | 46.6 | $ | 78.4 | $ | 45.8 | $ | 65.5 | |||||||||
| Purchase obligations (3) | $ | 122.6 | $ | 96.4 | $ | 26.1 | $ | 0.1 | $ | — | |||||||||
| Long-term liabilities (4) | $ | 121.7 | $ | 4.3 | $ | 36.5 | $ | 10.5 | $ | 70.4 | |||||||||
| (1) These amounts represent expected cash payments, primarily from Senior Notes, which are included in our December 31, 2023 consolidated balance sheet. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our debt. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (2) Operating lease obligations are described in Note 17 of the consolidated financial statements. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (3) Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding to Bio-Rad and that specify all significant terms. Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable without penalty. Recognition of purchase obligations occurs when products or services are delivered to Bio-Rad generally within Accounts payable or Other current liabilities. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (4) These amounts primarily represent recognized long-term obligations for other post-employment benefits and long-term deferred revenue. Excluded from this table are tax liabilities for uncertain tax positions and contingencies in the amount of $76.5 million. We are not able to reasonably estimate the timing of future cash flows of these tax liabilities, therefore, our income tax obligations are excluded from the table above. See Note 7 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our income taxes. |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted
See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for recent accounting pronouncements adopted and to be adopted.
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000012208-23-000031.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion should be read in conjunction with the information contained in our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes which are an integral part of the statements.
Overview. We are a multinational manufacturer and worldwide distributor of our own life science research and clinical diagnostics products. Our business is organized into two reportable segments, Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics, with the mission to provide scientists with specialized tools needed for biological research and health care specialists with products needed for clinical diagnostics.
We sell more than 12,000 products and services to a diverse client base comprised of scientific research, healthcare, education and government customers worldwide. We do not disclose quantitative information about our different products and services as it is impractical to do so based primarily on the numerous products and services that we sell and the global markets that we serve.
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We manufacture and supply our customers with a range of reagents, apparatus and equipment to separate complex chemical and biological materials and to identify, analyze and purify components. As our customers require standardization for their experiments and test results, much of our revenues are recurring in nature.
We are impacted by the support of many governments for both research and healthcare. The current global economic outlook is still uncertain as the need to control government social spending by many governments limits opportunities for growth.
Approximately 41% of our 2022 consolidated net sales are derived from the United States and approximately 59% are derived from international locations, with Europe being our largest international region. The international sales are largely denominated in local currencies such as the Euro, Swiss Franc, Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan and British Sterling. As a result, our consolidated net sales, which are expressed in U.S. dollars, are impacted by foreign currency fluctuations. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations on cost of sales and operating expenses from our international manufacturing sites and operations, which are mostly denominated in local currencies, is in the opposite direction from the foreign currency impact on sales. We regularly discuss our changes in revenue and expense categories in terms of both changing foreign exchange rates and in terms of a currency neutral basis, if notable, to explain the impact currency has on our results.
The consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2021 and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 have been revised to correct prior period errors as discussed in Note 1, “Immaterial Correction to Previously Issued Financial Statements” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Accordingly, Management’s Discussion and Analysis reflects the impact of those revisions.
COVID-19 and Supply Chain Impact
The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related supply constraints continues to be inherently uncertain at the time of this report. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and, we expect to some extent, will continue to impact parts of our business, operations, financial condition and results of operations in a variety of ways. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we saw continued but moderating demand for products associated with COVID-19 testing and related research. In addition, supply chain constraints and lockdowns in China have negatively impacted sales, particularly instrument placements. While improving, we continue to experience delays and shortages in the supply of certain components and raw materials. These shortages have caused a backlog of sales orders, some of which we consider to be significant, and some delays in certain new product development activities. They have also led to increases in inventory as we continue to receive available materials while we source those in short supply. We made progress in reducing this backlog in the fourth quarter of 2022, and we anticipate normalizing the backlog during 2023. For more discussion relating to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, please see "Item 1A, Risk Factors" to this Annual Report.
Acquisition
On August 3, 2022 (the "Acquisition Date"), we acquired all equity interests of Curiosity Diagnostics sp.z o.o. ("Curiosity") for a total consideration of $137.1 million, including the estimated fair value of contingent consideration. The contingent consideration of up to $70.0 million is payable upon achievement of certain technological development and sales-related milestones.
Curiosity Diagnostics, a late-stage, pre-commercial platform company, is in the process of developing a sample-to-answer, rapid diagnostics PCR system for the molecular diagnostics market. The strategic rationale for the transaction was to facilitate our entry into the molecular disease testing market with a differentiated platform. We believe this acquisition will complement our Clinical Diagnostics product offerings. The acquisition was included in our Clinical Diagnostics segment's results of operations from the Acquisition Date. The amount of acquisition-related costs was not material.
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Senior Notes due 2027 and 2032
In March 2022, pursuant to an indenture we issued $400.0 million in principal amount of Senior Notes due March 2027 (the “2027 Notes”) and $800.0 million in principal amount of Senior Notes due March 2032 (the “2032 Notes” and, together with the 2027 Notes, the “Notes”). The issuance of the 2027 Notes yielded net cash proceeds of $395.7 million at an effective rate of 3.5346% and the issuance of the 2032 Notes yielded net cash proceeds of $790.5 at an effective rate of 3.8429%. The 2027 Notes and the 2032 Notes pay a fixed rate of interest of 3.3% and 3.7% per annum, respectively. Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year until the principal is paid or made available for payment.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The accompanying discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingencies as of the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate our estimates on an on-going basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. However, future events may cause us to change our assumptions and estimates, which may require adjustment. Actual results could differ from these estimates. We have determined that for the periods reported in this Annual Report on Form 10-K the following accounting policies and estimates are critical in understanding our financial condition and results of operations.
Accounting for Income Taxes
We operate in multiple jurisdictions and our profits are taxed pursuant to the tax laws of these jurisdictions. Our effective income tax rate may be affected by the changes in or interpretations of tax laws and tax agreements in any given jurisdiction, utilization of net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, changes in geographical mix of income and expense, and changes in our assessment of matters such as the ability to realize deferred tax assets. As a result of these considerations, we must estimate income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process involves estimating current tax exposure together with assessing temporary differences resulting from the different treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in the consolidated balance sheet.
We assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income, considering all available evidence such as historical levels of income, expectations and risks associated with estimates of future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax strategies. When we determine that it is not more likely than not that we will realize all or part of our deferred tax assets, an adjustment is charged to earnings in the period when such determination is made. Likewise, if we later determine that it is more likely than not that all or a part of our deferred tax assets would be realized, the previously provided valuation allowance would be reversed.
We make certain estimates and judgments about the application of tax laws, the expected resolution of uncertain tax positions and other matters surrounding the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax benefits. In the event that uncertain tax positions are resolved for amounts different than our estimates, or the related statutes of limitations expire without the assessment of additional income taxes, we will be required to adjust the amounts of the related assets and liabilities in the period in which such events occur. Such adjustments may have a material impact on our income tax provision and our results of operations.
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Business Acquisitions
Accounting for business acquisitions requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially at the acquisition date with respect to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed and pre-acquisition contingencies. In a business combination, we allocate the purchase price to the acquired business’ identifiable assets and liabilities at their acquisition date fair values. The excess of the purchase price over the amount allocated to the identifiable assets and liabilities, if any, is recorded as goodwill.
The assets acquired and liabilities assumed in our business combinations consist of acquired working capital and finite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets. The carrying value of acquired working capital approximates its fair value, given the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. We estimate the fair value of finite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets acquired using a discounted cash flow approach, which includes an analysis of the future cash flows expected to be generated by such assets and the risk associated with achieving such cash flows. The key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow model include the discount rate that is applied to the discretely forecasted future cash flows to calculate the present value of those cash flows and the estimate of future cash flows attributable to the acquired intangible assets, which include revenue, operating expenses and taxes. Our estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, we may record adjustments to the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill.
Impairment of Goodwill
We conduct a goodwill impairment analysis annually in the fourth quarter or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist or if a decision is made to sell or exit a business. We test goodwill at the reporting unit level. Significant judgments are involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred. Such indicators may include deterioration in general economic conditions, negative developments in equity and credit markets, adverse changes in the markets in which an entity operates, increases in input costs that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows, a trend of negative or declining cash flows, a decline in actual or planned revenue or earnings compared with actual and projected results of relevant prior periods, or other relevant entity-specific events such as changes in management, key personnel, strategy or customers, contemplation of bankruptcy, or litigation. The fair value that could be realized in an actual transaction may differ from that used to evaluate the impairment of goodwill.
We first may assess qualitative factors to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test included in U.S. GAAP. To the extent our assessment identifies adverse conditions, or if we elect to bypass the qualitative assessment, goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level using a quantitative impairment test. There were no impairments for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue from operations through the sale of products, services, license of intellectual property and rental of instruments. Revenue from contracts with customers is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. Revenue is recognized net of any taxes collected from customers (sales tax, value added tax, etc.), which are subsequently remitted to government authorities.
We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally accounted for as distinct performance obligations. A product or service is considered distinct if it is separately identifiable from other deliverables in the arrangement and if a customer can benefit from such product or service on its own or with other resources that are readily available to the customer. The transaction consideration is allocated between separate performance obligations of an arrangement based on the stand-alone selling price (“SSP”) for each distinct product or service.
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We recognize revenue from product sales at the point in time when we have satisfied our performance obligation by transferring control of the product to the customer. We use judgment to evaluate whether and when control has transferred and consider the right to payment, legal title, physical possession, risks and rewards of ownership, and customer acceptance if it is not a formality, as indicators to determine the transfer of control to the customer. For products that include installation, the product and installation are separate performance obligations. The product revenue is recognized when control has transferred to the customer, generally upon delivery, and installation service revenue is recognized when the product installation is completed.
At the time revenue is recognized, a provision is recorded for estimated product returns as this right is considered variable consideration. Accordingly, when product revenues are recognized, the transaction price is reduced by the estimated amount of product returns.
Service revenues on extended warranty contracts are recognized ratably over the life of the service agreement as a stand-ready performance obligation. For arrangements that include a combination of products and services, the transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation based on stand-alone selling prices. The method used to determine the stand-alone selling prices for product and service revenues is based on the observable prices when the product or services have been sold separately.
We recognize revenues for a functional license of intellectual property at a point in time when the control of the license and technology transfers to the customer. For license agreements that include sales or usage-based royalty payments to us, we recognize revenue at the later of (i) when the related sale of the product occurs, or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied, or partially satisfied.
The primary purpose of our invoicing terms is to provide customers with simple and predictable methods of purchasing our products and services, not to either provide or receive financing to or from our customers. We record contract liabilities when cash payments are received or due in advance of our performance.
We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected length of one year or less. Our payment terms vary by the type and location of our customer, and the products and services offered. The term between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant.
Our reagent rental agreements provide our customers the ability to use an instrument and consumables (reagents) on a per test basis. These agreements may also include maintenance of the instruments placed at customer locations as well as initial training. We initially determine if a reagent rental arrangement contains a lease at contract commencement. Where we have determined that such an arrangement contains a lease, we then determine the lease classification as either an operating or sales-type lease. The lease term used in performing the lease classification test, includes the noncancellable period of the lease together with those periods covered by lease extension options if the customer is reasonably certain to exercise that option, the periods covered by lease termination options if the customer is reasonably certain to not exercise that option, and the periods covered by the option to extend (or to not terminate) the lease when exercise of such option is controlled by the Company. The assessment of the lease term for reagent rental agreements, including the impact from any associated contractual termination penalties, are subject to an estimation process. While most of our reagent rental arrangements contain either the option for a lessee to extend and/or cancel the agreement, the period in which the contract is enforceable is very short so the lease term has been limited to the noncancellable period. Generally, these arrangements do not contain an option for the lessee to purchase the underlying asset.
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Fair Value Measurements
U.S. GAAP establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value. Each level of input has different levels of subjectivity and difficulty involved in determining fair value. Valuation of Level 1 and 2 instruments generally do not require significant management judgment and the estimation is not difficult. Level 3 instruments include unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. The determination of fair value for Level 3 instruments requires the most management judgment and subjectivity.
We elected the fair value option under ASC 825, Financial Instruments for accounting of the Loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH to simplify the accounting. The Loan includes certain value appreciation rights that are due upon repayment of the Loan. The fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right is estimated under the income approach using a discounted cash flow, and option pricing model, respectively, which results in a fair value measurement categorized in Level 3. The significant assumptions used to estimate fair value of the Loan include an estimate of the discount rate and cash flows of the Loan and the significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the value appreciation right include volatility, the risk-free interest rate, expected life (in years) and expected dividend. The inputs are subject to estimation uncertainty and actual amounts realized may materially differ. An increase in the expected volatility may result in a significantly higher fair value, whereas a decrease in expected life may result in a significantly lower fair value. All subsequent changes in fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right, including accrued interest are recognized in (Gains) losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable in our consolidated statements of income (loss).
Results of Operations - Sales, Gross Margins and Expenses
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2022 to the Year Ended December 31, 2021
The following shows cost of goods sold, gross profit, expense items and net income as a percentage of net sales:
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |
| Cost of goods sold | 44.1 | 43.9 | |||
| Gross profit | 55.9 | 56.1 | |||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 29.5 | 30.0 | |||
| Research and development expense | 9.2 | 8.9 | |||
| Net (loss) income | (129.5) | 145.6 |
Net sales
Percentage sales growth in currency neutral amounts are calculated by translating prior period sales in each local currency using the current period monthly average foreign exchange rates for that currency and comparing that to current period sales.
Net sales (sales) for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $2.80 billion, compared to $2.92 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, a decrease of 4.1%. COVID-related sales were approximately $109.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to approximately $265.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. On a currency neutral basis, for the year ended December 31, 2022 sales increased by approximately 0.3% compared to the same period in 2021. Currency neutral sales increased in the Americas, partially offset by decreases in both Asia Pacific and Europe. Sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 were elevated due to the approximately $31.6 million of royalty revenue related to an intellectual property settlement. Excluding COVID-related sales and the impact of royalty revenue related to an intellectual property litigation settlement in 2021, sales increased 7.2% on a currency neutral basis from the year ended December 31, 2021.
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The Life Science segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $1.35 billion, a decrease of 3.8% compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. On a currency neutral basis, sales increased 0.3% compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. The currency neutral sales increase was primarily attributed to strong growth of Process Chromatography, Western Blotting, and Antibody products, partially offset by lower qPCR product sales due to the decline in COVID-19 related demand. Currency neutral sales increased in the Americas and Asia Pacific, while EMEA sales declined. Sales in 2021 also benefited from the $31.6 million royalty revenue related to an intellectual property litigation settlement. Excluding COVID-related sales and the impact of royalty revenue related to an intellectual property litigation settlement in 2021, sales increased 15.2% on a currency neutral basis from the year ended December 31, 2021.
The Clinical Diagnostics segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $1.45 billion, a decrease of 4.3% compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. On a currency neutral basis, sales increased 0.4% compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. The currency neutral sales increase was primarily driven by growth in Quality Controls and Blood Typing products, especially in Europe and the Americas, despite supply chain constraints having an impact on instrument placements. The increase in currency neutral sales was partially offset by the impact of COVID lockdowns in China during the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2022. Excluding COVID-related sales, sales increased 1.3% on a currency neutral basis from the year ended December 31, 2021.
Gross margin
Consolidated gross margins were 55.9% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 56.1% for the year ended December 31, 2021. Life Science segment gross margins for the year ended December 31, 2022 decreased by approximately 1.6 percentage points from the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in gross margins was primarily driven by higher logistics costs and product mix. The 2021 Life Science margins also benefited from the $31.6 million royalty revenue related to an intellectual property litigation settlement. Clinical Diagnostics segment gross margins for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased by approximately 1.2 percentage points compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in gross margins was primarily driven by a one-time restructuring expense related to the 2021 restructuring plan that was announced and recorded in the first quarter of 2021 and the strong US dollar, partially offset by higher logistics costs and product mix.
Selling, general and administrative expense
Consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) decreased to $827.8 million or 29.5% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $877.1 million or 30.0% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in SG&A was primarily driven by a one-time restructuring expense related to the 2021 restructuring plan that was announced and recorded in the first quarter of 2021, as well as by lower employee related expenses.
Research and development expense
Consolidated research and development (R&D) expenses decreased to $256.9 million or 9.2% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $260.6 million or 8.9% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021. Life Science segment R&D expense increased for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily from increased personnel costs from the Dropworks, Inc. acquisition in October of 2021, and increased investment to complete strategic projects in key investment areas. Clinical Diagnostics segment R&D expense decreased for the year ended December 31, 2022 from the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to a one-time restructuring expense related to the 2021 restructuring plan that was announced and recorded in the first quarter of 2021, partially offset by continued investment in new strategic development projects and increased personnel costs from the Curiosity Diagnostics acquisition.
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Results of Operations – Non-operating
Interest expense
Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $38.1 million and $1.6 million, respectively, an increase of $36.6 million compared to the prior year period. The increase was primarily due to the issuance of $1.2 billion Senior Notes in March 2022.
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses
Foreign currency exchange (gains) and losses consist primarily of foreign currency transaction gains and losses on intercompany net receivables and payables and the change in fair value of our forward foreign exchange contracts used to manage our foreign currency exchange risk. Foreign currency exchange net gains were $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to net losses of $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Gains and losses are primarily due to the estimating process inherent in the timing of product shipments and intercompany debt payments, market volatility, and the change in the fair value of our foreign exchange contracts.
Change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable
(Gains) losses from change in fair market value of equity securities and loan receivable was a loss of $5.19 billion and a gain of $4.93 billion for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The change in the fair market value primarily resulted from the recognition of holding losses of $5.07 billion compared to holding gains of $4.92 billion primarily for our investment in Sartorius AG, for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. In addition, there were losses of $100.6 million and $10.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, for the change in fair market value of the Loan entered into with SHB.
Other (income), net
Other (income), net includes investment and dividend income, interest income on our cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term marketable securities. Other (income), net for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased to $44.6 million compared to $26.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The difference of income of $17.8 million was primarily due to $12.6 million increase in the Sartorius AG dividends declared during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared with the year ended December 31, 2021, and an increase in our investment income primarily attributable to an increase in our investments as a result of cash invested from the $1.2 billion Senior Notes issued in March 2022 and higher interest rates during 2022. This was partially offset by an increase in both, other than temporary impairment losses of $11.1 million and current expected credit losses on loans of $7.5 million in entities in which we have equity method investments.
Effective tax rate
Our effective tax rates were 22.9% and 21.9% for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were primarily driven by the unrealized gain/loss in equity securities that was taxed at 22.5% and 22.4%, respectively, as well as the geographical mix of earnings.
Our income tax returns are routinely audited by U.S. federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by many of these tax authorities. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions.
We record liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions. We do not believe the
resolution of our uncertain tax positions will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, although an adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.
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As of December 31, 2022, based on the expected outcome of certain examinations or as a result of the expiration of
statutes of limitation for certain jurisdictions, we believe that within the next twelve months it is reasonably possible
that our previously unrecognized tax benefits could decrease by approximately $22.2 million.
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes an Alternative Minimum Tax based on the Adjusted Financial Statement Income of Applicable Corporations. Based on our initial evaluation, we do not believe the Inflation Reduction Act will have a material impact on our income tax provision and cash taxes. We continue to monitor the changes in tax laws and regulations to evaluate their potential impact on our business.
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2021 to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
The following shows cost of goods sold, gross profit, expense items and net income as a percentage of net sales:
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |
| Cost of goods sold | 43.9 | 43.5 | |||
| Gross profit | 56.1 | 56.5 | |||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 30.0 | 31.4 | |||
| Research and development expense | 8.9 | 8.6 | |||
| Net (loss) income | 145.6 | 149.8 |
Net sales
Percentage sales growth in currency neutral amounts are calculated by translating prior period sales in each local currency using the current period monthly average foreign exchange rates for that currency and comparing that to current period sales.
Net sales (sales) for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $2.92 billion, compared to $2.55 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of 14.8%. Excluding the impact of foreign currency, for the year ended December 31, 2021 sales increased by approximately 12.7% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Currency neutral sales increased in all regions, led by growth in Asia Pacific and Europe. Excluding the impact of COVID related sales, currency neutral sales increased by 17% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.
The Life Science segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $1.40 billion, an increase of 13.7% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. On a currency neutral basis, sales increased 12.0% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Currency neutral sales were up in nearly all product lines but were primarily driven by growth in our Western Blotting, Digital PCR, and Process Chromatography products. A significant portion of the Life Science segment growth came from products used to support COVID-19 research and testing. All regions experienced double digit currency neutral sales growth compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.
The Clinical Diagnostics segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $1.52 billion, an increase of 16.1% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. On a currency neutral basis, sales increased 13.6% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Currency neutral sales increased across all product lines and regions as the overall diagnostics market continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, including an increase in utilization in lab operations.
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Gross margin
Consolidated gross margins were 56.1% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 56.5% for the year ended December 31, 2020. Life Science segment gross margins for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by approximately 0.5 percentage points compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily related to increased sales volume, favorable product mix related to higher sales of Digital PCR and Process Chromatography products, and lower production costs. Clinical Diagnostics segment gross margins for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased by approximately 1.1 percentage points compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in the Clinical Diagnostics segment gross margins for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily related to the costs associated with the restructuring plan announced in February 2021, partially offset by increased sales for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Selling, general and administrative expense
Consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) increased to $877.1 million or 30.0% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $798.8 million or 31.4% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase to SG&A was primarily related to the restructuring plan announced in February 2021, as well as increased employee related expenses.
Research and development expense
Research and development (R&D) expense increased to $260.6 million or 8.9% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $217.8 million or 8.6% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2020. R&D expense increased for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, in both the Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics segment. The increase was primarily from increases in investment in strategic projects and research initiatives, costs related to the restructuring plan announced in February 2021, and higher employee related expenses.
Results of Operations – Non-operating
Interest expense
Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $1.6 million and $21.9 million, respectively, a decrease of $20.3 million primarily due to the repayment of the $425.0 million principal amount of Senior Notes in December 2020.
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses consist primarily of foreign currency transaction gains and losses on intercompany net receivables and payables and the change in fair value of our forward foreign exchange contracts used to manage our foreign currency exchange risk. Foreign currency exchange net losses for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were $2.8 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Gains and losses are primarily due to the estimating process inherent in the timing of product shipments and intercompany debt payments, market volatility, and the change in the fair value of our foreign exchange contracts.
Change in fair market value of equity and debt securities
Change in fair market value of equity and debt securities were gains of $4.93 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $4.50 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily resulting from the recognition of holding gains on our position in Sartorius AG of $4.92 billion in 2021 and $4.48 billion in 2020, partially offset by a decrease in fair value of a loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH of $10.8 million.
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Other (income), net
Other (income), net includes investment and dividend income, interest income on our cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term marketable securities. Other (income), net for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased to $26.8 million compared to $24.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Other (income), net increased primarily due to a $10.1 million increase in the Sartorius AG dividends declared in 2021, and an increase in investment and other income of $3.9 million, partially offset by a gain of $11.7 million on the sale of our Informatics division in 2020.
Effective tax rate
Our effective tax rates were 21.9% and 22.4% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were primarily driven by the unrealized gain in equity securities that is taxed at approximately 22% as well as the geographic mix of earnings and the taxation of our foreign earnings. Our effective tax rate may be impacted in the future, either favorably or unfavorably, by many factors including, but not limited to, changes in the geographic mix of earnings, changes to statutory tax rates, changes in tax laws or regulations, tax audits and settlements, and generation of tax credits.
Our income tax returns are routinely audited by U.S. federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by many of these tax authorities. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions. We do not believe any currently pending uncertain tax positions will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, although an adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.
We record liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions. We do not believe the resolution of our uncertain tax positions will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, although an adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.
As of December 31, 2021, based on the expected outcome of certain examinations or as a result of the expiration of statutes of limitation for certain jurisdictions, we believe that within the next twelve months it is reasonably possible that our previously unrecognized tax benefits could decrease by approximately $20.8 million. Substantially all such amounts will impact our effective income tax rate.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Bio-Rad operates and conducts business globally, primarily through subsidiary companies established in the markets in which we trade. Goods are manufactured in a small number of locations, and are then shipped to local distribution facilities around the world. Our product mix is diversified, and certain products compete largely on product efficacy, while others compete on price. Gross margins are generally sufficient to exceed normal operating costs, and funding for research and development of new products, as well as routine outflows for capital expenditures, interest and taxes. In addition to the annual positive cash flow from operating activities, additional liquidity is readily available via the sale of short-term investments and access to our $200.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility (Credit Agreement, as amended) that we entered into in April 2019, and to a lesser extent international lines of credit. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement, as amended, are available on a revolving basis and can be used to make permitted acquisitions, for working capital and for other general corporate purposes. We had no outstanding borrowings under the 2019 Credit Agreement, as amended, as of December 31, 2022, however, $0.2 million was utilized for domestic standby letters of credit that reduced our borrowing availability. In March 2022, we issued $400 million aggregate principal amount of 3.3% Senior Notes due 2027, and $800 million aggregate principal amount of 3.7% Senior Notes due 2032. Net cash proceeds from the bond issuance after deducting the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses was $1.186 billion. Interest on the Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year until the principal is paid or made available for payment. Management believes that this availability, together with cash flow from operations, will be adequate to meet our current objectives for operations, research and development, capital additions for manufacturing and distribution, plant and equipment, information technology systems and acquisitions of reasonable proportion to our existing total available capital.
At December 31, 2022, we had available $1.8 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, of which approximately 13% was held in our foreign subsidiaries. The amount of funds held in the United States can fluctuate due to the timing of receipts and payments in the ordinary course of business and due to other reasons, such as acquisitions and borrowings. As part of our ongoing liquidity assessments, we regularly monitor the mix of domestic and foreign cash flows (both inflows and outflows).
It is generally our intention to repatriate certain foreign earnings to the extent that such repatriations are not restricted by local laws or accounting rules, and there are no substantial incremental costs.
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2022 to the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Cash Flows from Operations
Net cash provided by operations was $194.4 million and $669.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease of $475.1 million was primarily due to lower cash received from customers, higher cash paid to suppliers and to employees, higher income taxes paid, and interest paid on the Notes in 2022. These decreases were partially offset by higher proceeds from foreign exchange contracts and higher dividends in 2022 compared to 2021.
Cash flows from operations during the first quarter have historically had larger payments for royalties, fourth quarter sales commissions and annual employee bonuses, and we expect this pattern to recur in the first quarter of 2023.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Our investing activities have consisted primarily of cash used for purchases of marketable securities and investments, and acquisitions.
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Net cash used in investing activities was $1,207.6 million and $797.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase of cash used for investing activities of $410.2 million was primarily attributable to the purchase of marketable securities and investments utilizing the cash proceeds from the sale of the senior notes as described below. The increase was partially offset by a $453.4 million funding for a collateralized loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH in 2021, lower capital expenditures, and lower net cash outflows for the acquisition of Curiosity in 2022 compared to the acquisition of Dropworks in 2021.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Our financing activities have consisted primarily of cash from the issuance of senior notes.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $973.6 million compared to cash used for financing activities of $55.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. This increase was primarily attributable to the net cash proceeds from the Notes. The increase was partially offset by a higher repurchase of our common stock by $165.7 million in 2022 than in 2021 as described below.
Treasury Shares
During the year ended December 31, 2022, 135,744 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $58.4 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, a gain of $0.4 million was incurred as they were reissued at a higher price than their average cost, which increased Retained earnings, while $51.8 million reduced Additional paid-in capital.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, 114,711 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $43.6 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, a loss of $6.7 million was incurred as they were reissued at a lower price than their average cost, which reduced Retained earnings, while $37.0 million reduced Additional paid-in capital.
The re-issuance of the treasury stock for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 did not require cash payments or receipts and therefore did not affect liquidity.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased 496,692 shares of Class A common stock for $215.7 million under our Share Repurchase Program, compared to the repurchase of 86,506 shares of our common stock for $50.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2022, $207.4 million of stock remained available for repurchases under the Company's current Share Repurchase Program. We designated these repurchased shares as treasury stock.
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2021 to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
At December 31, 2021, we had available $869.9 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, of which approximately 23% was held in our foreign subsidiaries. The amount of funds held in the United States can fluctuate due to the timing of receipts and payments in the ordinary course of business and due to other reasons, such as acquisitions. As part of our ongoing liquidity assessments, we regularly monitor the mix of domestic and foreign cash flows (both inflows and outflows).
It is generally our intention to repatriate certain foreign earnings to the extent that such repatriations are not restricted by local laws or accounting rules, and there are no substantial incremental costs.
Demand for our products and services could change more dramatically in the short-term than in previous years due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as due to funding, reimbursement constraints and support levels from government, universities, hospitals and private industry, including diagnostic laboratories. The need for certain sovereign nations with large annual deficits to curtail spending, international trade disputes and increased regulation, could lead to slower growth of, or even a decline in, our business. Sovereign nations either delaying payment for goods and services or renegotiating their debts could impact our liquidity.
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Cash Flows from Operations
Net cash provided by operations was $669.5 million and $584.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The net increase between the year ended December 31, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 of $84.6 million was primarily due to higher cash received from customers as a result of the growth in sales, higher Sartorius AG dividends in 2021 compared to 2020, lower interest paid as a result of the repayment of the $425.0 million principal amount of Senior Notes in December 2020, proceeds from forward foreign exchange contracts in 2021 compared to payments for forward foreign exchange contracts in 2020, and higher investment income received in 2021 than in 2020. These increases were partially offset by higher cash paid to suppliers primarily for materials to support the increase in sales, cash paid for employee related expenses such as salaries, bonuses and benefits, and to a lesser extent for employee restructuring programs. The increases were also partially offset by higher income taxes paid.
Cash flows from operations during the first quarter have historically had larger payments for royalties, fourth quarter sales commissions and annual employee bonuses, and we expect this pattern to recur in the first quarter of 2022.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Our investing activities consisted primarily of cash used for extending a collateralized loan, activity related to the purchases, sales and maturities of marketable securities, acquisitions and capital expenditures.
Net cash used in investing activities was $797.4 million and $69.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase of $727.5 million was primarily attributable to a $453.4 million funding for a collateralized loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH, an increase of $204.3 million for net cash outflows from purchases, sales and maturities of marketable securities and investments, higher net cash outflows of $28.9 million for the acquisition of Dropworks, Inc. in 2021 compared to the acquisition of Celsee, Inc. in 2020, net payments of $25.2 million for higher capital expenditures, and proceeds of $12.2 million from a divestiture of a division that was received in 2020 compared to none in 2021.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Our financing activities have consisted primarily of cash used for repayment of debt, purchases of treasury stock, payments for contingent consideration, and cash proceeds from the issuance of common stock for share-based compensation.
Net cash used in financing activities was $55.4 million compared to $523.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. This decrease was primarily attributable to the repayment of the $425 million principal amount of Senior Notes in 2020, and lower purchases of treasury stock in 2021 compared to 2020 of $50.0 million.
Treasury Shares
During the year ended December 31, 2021, 114,711 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $43.6 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, a loss of $6.7 million was incurred as they were reissued at a lower price than their average cost, which reduced Retained earnings, while $37.0 million reduced Additional paid-in capital.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, 117,423 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $38.5 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, a loss of $9.0 million was incurred as they were reissued at a lower price than their average cost, which reduced Retained earnings, while $29.5 million reduced Additional paid-in capital.
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The re-issuance of the treasury stock for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 did not require cash payments or receipts and therefore did not affect liquidity.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we repurchased 89,506 shares of Class A common stock for $50.0 million under our Share Repurchase Program, compared to the repurchase of 291,941 shares of our common stock for $100.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2021, $223.1 million remained under the Share Repurchase Program. We designated these repurchased shares as treasury stock.
Contractual Obligations
The following summarizes certain of our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2022 and the effect such obligations are expected to have on our cash flows in future periods (in millions):
| Payments Due by Period | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less Than | 1-3 | 3-5 | More than | ||||||||||||||||
| Contractual Obligations | Total | One Year | Years | Years | 5 Years | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt, including current portion (1) | $ | 1,210.6 | $ | 0.5 | $ | 1.0 | $ | 400.9 | $ | 808.2 | |||||||||
| Interest payments (1) | $ | 335.2 | $ | 43.6 | $ | 87.0 | $ | 76.4 | $ | 128.2 | |||||||||
| Operating lease obligations (2) | $ | 216.4 | $ | 43.6 | $ | 68.8 | $ | 46.5 | $ | 57.5 | |||||||||
| Purchase obligations (3) | $ | 17.2 | $ | 17.1 | $ | 0.1 | $ | — | $ | — | |||||||||
| Long-term liabilities (4) | $ | 123.0 | $ | 4.6 | $ | 35.4 | $ | 47.8 | $ | 35.2 | |||||||||
| (1) These amounts represent expected cash payments, primarily from Senior Notes, which are included in our December 31, 2022 consolidated balance sheet. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our debt. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (2) Operating lease obligations are described in Note 17 of the consolidated financial statements. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (3) Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding to Bio-Rad and that specify all significant terms. Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable without penalty. Recognition of purchase obligations occurs when products or services are delivered to Bio-Rad. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (4) These amounts primarily represent recognized long-term obligations for other post-employment benefits and long-term deferred revenue. Excluded from this table are tax liabilities for uncertain tax positions and contingencies in the amount of $74.9 million. We are not able to reasonably estimate the timing of future cash flows of these tax liabilities, therefore, our income tax obligations are excluded from the table above. See Note 7 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our income taxes. |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted
See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for recent accounting pronouncements adopted and to be adopted.
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FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000012208-22-000011.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion should be read in conjunction with the information contained in our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes which are an integral part of the statements.
Overview. We are a multinational manufacturer and worldwide distributor of our own life science research and clinical diagnostics products. Our business is organized into two reportable segments, Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics, with the mission to provide scientists with specialized tools needed for biological research and health care specialists with products needed for clinical diagnostics.
We sell more than 12,000 products and services to a diverse customer base comprised of scientific research, healthcare, education and government organizations worldwide. We do not disclose quantitative information about our different products and services as it is impractical to do so based primarily on the numerous products and services that we sell and the global markets that we serve.
We manufacture and supply our customers with a range of reagents, apparatus and equipment to separate complex chemical and biological materials and to identify, analyze and purify components. As our customers require standardization for their experiments and test results, much of our revenues are recurring in nature.
We are impacted by the support of many governments for both research and healthcare. The current global economic outlook is still uncertain as the need to control government social spending by many governments limits opportunities for growth. Approximately 39% of our 2021 consolidated net sales are derived from the United States and approximately 61% are derived from international locations, with Europe being our largest international region. The international sales are largely denominated in local currencies such as the Euro, Swiss Franc, Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan and British Sterling. As a result, our consolidated net sales expressed in dollars benefit when the U.S. dollar weakens and suffer when the dollar strengthens. When the U.S. dollar strengthens, we benefit from lower cost of sales from our international manufacturing sites, and from lower international operating expenses. We regularly discuss our changes in revenue and expense categories in terms of both changing foreign exchange rates and in terms of a currency neutral basis, if notable, to explain the impact currency fluctuation has on our results.
COVID-19
The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be inherently uncertain at the time of this report. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and, we expect to some extent, will continue to impact parts of our business, operations, financial condition and results of operations in a variety of ways. During 2021, we saw continued but moderating demand for products associated with COVID-19 testing and related research. The COVID-19 pandemic has created delays and shortages in the supply of components and raw materials. Shortages of raw materials have caused backorders, some of which we consider to be significant, and some delays in certain new product development activities, and we expect backorders and delays to continue in 2022. For more discussion relating to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, please see "Item 1A, Risk Factors" to this Annual Report.
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Acquisition
On October 15, 2021 (the "Acquisition Date"), we acquired all equity interests of Dropworks, Inc. ("Dropworks") for a total consideration of $125.5 million.
Dropworks is a development stage company focused on developing a digital PCR product. The strategic rationale for the transaction was to address additional opportunities in the PCR market. We believe this acquisition will complement our Life Science product offerings. The acquisition was included in our Life Science segment's results of operations from the Acquisition Date.
Restructuring
In February 2021, we announced our strategy-driven restructuring plan in furtherance of our ongoing program to improve operating performance. The restructuring plan primarily impacts our operations in Europe and includes the elimination of certain positions, the consolidation of certain functions, and the relocation of certain manufacturing operations from Europe to Asia. The restructuring plan is being implemented in phases and is expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2022. The amounts reflected in Cost of goods sold, Selling, general and administrative expense and Research and development expense were $25.0 million, $26.1 million and $13.3 million, respectively, in the consolidated statements of income for the year ended December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we have a restructuring accrual of $47.1 million. The amounts are estimates based on the information currently available to management.
Loan
In November 2021, we extended a collateralized loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH ("SHB"), a private limited company incorporated under the laws of Germany, with a principal amount of €400 million due at the latest on January 31, 2029, subject to certain events which could trigger payment prior to maturity (the “Loan”). The Loan proceeds will be used by SHB to partially finance the acquisition of interests under the Sartorius family trust (“Trust”) from a beneficiary of the Trust. The Loan is collateralized by the pledge of certain of the Trust interests, which upon termination of the Trust in mid-2028 represent the right to receive Sartorius ordinary shares. Interest on the loan is payable annually in arrears at 1.5% per annum, and the entire principal amount is due at maturity. In addition to contractual interest, we are entitled to certain value appreciation rights associated with the acquired Trust interests that are due upon repayment of the Loan.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The accompanying discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingencies as of the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate our estimates on an on-going basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. However, future events may cause us to change our assumptions and estimates, which may require adjustment. Actual results could differ from these estimates. We have determined that for the periods reported in this Annual Report on Form 10-K the following accounting policies and estimates are critical in understanding our financial condition and results of operations.
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Accounting for Income Taxes
We operate in multiple jurisdictions and our profits are taxed pursuant to the tax laws of these jurisdictions. Our effective income tax rate may be affected by the changes in or interpretations of tax laws and tax agreements in any given jurisdiction, utilization of net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, changes in geographical mix of income and expense, and changes in our assessment of matters such as the ability to realize deferred tax assets. As a result of these considerations, we must estimate income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process involves estimating current tax exposure together with assessing temporary differences resulting from the different treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in the consolidated balance sheet.
We assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income, considering all available evidence such as historical levels of income, expectations and risks associated with estimates of future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax strategies. When we determine that it is not more likely than not that we will realize all or part of our deferred tax assets, an adjustment is charged to earnings in the period when such determination is made. Likewise, if we later determine that it is more likely than not that all or a part of our deferred tax assets would be realized, the previously provided valuation allowance would be reversed.
We make certain estimates and judgments about the application of tax laws, the expected resolution of uncertain tax positions and other matters surrounding the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax benefits. In the event that uncertain tax positions are resolved for amounts different than our estimates, or the related statutes of limitations expire without the assessment of additional income taxes, we will be required to adjust the amounts of the related assets and liabilities in the period in which such events occur. Such adjustments may have a material impact on our income tax provision and our results of operations.
Business Acquisitions
Accounting for business acquisitions requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially at the acquisition date with respect to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed and pre-acquisition contingencies. In a business combination, we allocate the purchase price to the acquired business’ identifiable assets and liabilities at their acquisition date fair values. The excess of the purchase price over the amount allocated to the identifiable assets and liabilities, if any, is recorded as goodwill.
The assets acquired and liabilities assumed in our business combinations consist of acquired working capital and finite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets. The carrying value of acquired working capital approximates its fair value, given the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. We estimate the fair value of finite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets acquired using a discounted cash flow approach, which includes an analysis of the future cash flows expected to be generated by such assets and the risk associated with achieving such cash flows. The key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow model include the discount rate that is applied to the discretely forecasted future cash flows to calculate the present value of those cash flows and the estimate of future cash flows attributable to the acquired intangible assets, which include revenue, operating expenses and taxes. Our estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, we may record adjustments to the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill represents the excess of (a) the aggregate of the fair value of consideration transferred in a business combination over (b) the fair value of assets acquired, net of liabilities assumed. Goodwill is not amortized, but is subject to annual impairment tests as described in the section "Impairment of Goodwill".
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We acquired intangible assets in connection with certain of our business acquisitions. These assets were recorded at their estimated fair values at the acquisition date and are amortized over their respective estimated useful lives using a method of amortization that reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are used. Estimated useful lives are determined based on our historical use of similar assets and the expectation of future realization of cash flows attributable to the intangible assets. Changes in circumstances, such as technological advances or changes to our business model, could result in the actual useful lives differing from our current estimates. In those cases where we determine that the useful life of an intangible asset should be shortened, we amortize the net book value in excess of the estimated salvage value over its revised remaining useful life. We did not revise our previously assigned useful life estimates attributed to any of our intangible assets during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
Impairment of Goodwill
We conduct a goodwill impairment analysis annually in the fourth quarter or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist or if a decision is made to sell or exit a business. We test goodwill at the reporting unit level. Significant judgments are involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred. Such indicators may include deterioration in general economic conditions, negative developments in equity and credit markets, adverse changes in the markets in which an entity operates, increases in input costs that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows, a trend of negative or declining cash flows, a decline in actual or planned revenue or earnings compared with actual and projected results of relevant prior periods, or other relevant entity-specific events such as changes in management, key personnel, strategy or customers, contemplation of bankruptcy, or litigation. The fair value that could be realized in an actual transaction may differ from that used to evaluate the impairment of goodwill.
We first may assess qualitative factors to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test included in U.S. GAAP. To the extent our assessment identifies adverse conditions, or if we elect to bypass the qualitative assessment, goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level using a quantitative impairment test. There were no impairments for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
We review long-lived assets, such as property and equipment and finite-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever events indicate that the carrying amounts might not be recoverable. Typical indicators that an asset may be impaired include, but are not limited to:
•a significant adverse change in the extent or manner in which a long-lived asset is being used or in its physical condition;
•a current-period operating or cash flow loss combined with a history of operating or cash flow losses or a projection or forecast that demonstrates continuing losses associated with the use of a long-lived asset; or
•a current expectation that, more likely than not, a long-lived asset will be sold or otherwise disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life.
Recoverability of property, plant and equipment, and other finite-lived intangible asset is measured by comparing the projected undiscounted net cash flows associated with those assets to their carrying values. If an asset is considered impaired, it is written down to its fair value, which is determined based on the asset's projected discounted cash flows or appraised value, depending on the nature of the asset. For purposes of recognition of impairment for assets held for use, we group assets and liabilities at the lowest level for which cash flows are separately identifiable. There were no triggering events to cause us to record an impairment charge for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
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Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue from operations through the sale of products, services, license of intellectual property and rental of instruments. Revenue from contracts with customers is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally accounted for as distinct performance obligations. Revenue is recognized net of any taxes collected from customers (sales tax, value added tax, etc.), which are subsequently remitted to government authorities.
Our contracts from customers often include promises to transfer multiple products and services to a customer. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together may require significant judgment, and may or may not impact the timing of revenue recognition. Revenue associated with equipment that requires factory installation is not recognized until installation is complete and customer acceptance, if required, has occurred. Certain equipment requires installation due to the fact that the instruments are being operated in a clinical/laboratory environment, and the installation services could result in modification of the equipment in order to ensure that the instruments are working according to customer specifications, which are subject to validation tests upon completion of the installation. In these arrangements, which require factory installation, the delivery of the equipment and the installation are separate performance obligations. We will recognize the transaction price allocated to the equipment only upon customer acceptance, as the transfer of control in relation to the equipment has occurred at that point as the customer has the ability to direct the use of and obtain substantially all of the remaining benefits from the asset. The transaction price allocated to the installation services is also recognized upon customer acceptance because without the completion of the installation services and related customer acceptance the customer cannot receive any of the benefits of the service.
At the time revenue is recognized, a provision is recorded for estimated product returns as this right is considered variable consideration. Accordingly, when product revenues are recognized, the transaction price is reduced by the estimated amount of product returns.
Service revenues on extended warranty contracts are recognized ratably over the life of the service agreement as a stand-ready performance obligation. For arrangements that include a combination of products and services, the transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation based on stand-alone selling prices. The method used to determine the stand-alone selling prices for product and service revenues is based on the observable prices when the product or services have been sold separately.
We recognize revenues for a functional license of intellectual property at a point in time when the control of the license and technology transfers to the customer. For license agreements that include sales or usage-based royalty payments to us, we recognize revenue at the later of (i) when the related sale of the product occurs, or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied, or partially satisfied.
The primary purpose of our invoicing terms is to provide customers with simple and predictable methods of purchasing our products and services, not to either provide or receive financing to or from our customers. We record contract liabilities when cash payments are received or due in advance of our performance.
We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected length of one year or less. Our payment terms vary by the type and location of our customer, and the products and services offered. The term between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant.
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Reagent rental agreements are primarily a diagnostic industry sales method that provides use of an instrument and consumables (reagents) to a customer on a per test basis. These agreements may also include maintenance of the instruments placed at customer locations as well as initial training. We initially determine if a reagent rental arrangement contains a lease at contract commencement. Where we have determined that such an arrangement contains a lease, we next must ascertain its lease classification for purposes of applying appropriate accounting treatment as an operating, sales-type or direct financing lease. For purposes of determining the lease term used in performing the lease classification test, we include the noncancellable period of the lease together with those periods covered by the option to extend the lease if the customer is reasonably certain to exercise that option, the periods covered by an option to terminate the lease if the customer is reasonably certain not to exercise that option, and the periods covered by the option to extend (or not to terminate) the lease in which exercise of the option is controlled by the Company. The assessment of the lease term for reagent rental agreements, including the impact from any associated contractual termination penalties, are subject to an estimation process. While most of our reagent rental arrangements contain either the option for a lessee to extend and/or cancel, the period in which the contract is enforceable is a very short period and therefore the lease term has been limited to the noncancellable period. Generally, these arrangements do not contain an option for the lessee to purchase the underlying asset.
Valuation of Inventories
We value inventory at the lower of the actual cost to purchase and/or manufacture the inventory, or the current estimated net realizable value of the inventory. We review inventory quantities on hand and reduce the cost basis of excess and obsolete inventory based primarily on an estimated forecast of product demand, production requirements and the quality and efficacy of raw materials. This review is done at the end of each fiscal quarter. In addition, our industry is characterized by technological change, frequent new product development and product obsolescence that could result in an increase in the amount of obsolete inventory quantities on hand. Our estimates of future product demand may prove to be inaccurate, and if too high, we may have overstated the carrying value of our inventory. In the future, if inventory is determined to be overvalued, we would be required to write down the value of inventory to market and recognize such costs in our cost of goods sold at the time of such determination. Therefore, although we make efforts to ensure the accuracy of our forecasts of future product demand and perform procedures to safeguard overall inventory quality, any significant unanticipated changes in demand, technological developments, regulations, storage conditions, or other economic or environmental factors affecting biological materials, could have a significant impact on the value of our inventory and reported results of operations.
Fair Value Measurements
U.S. GAAP establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value. Each level of input has different levels of subjectivity and difficulty involved in determining fair value. Valuation of Level 1 and 2 instruments generally do not require significant management judgment and the estimation is not difficult. Level 3 instruments include unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. The determination of fair value for Level 3 instruments requires the most management judgment and subjectivity.
We elected the fair value option under ASC 825, Financial Instruments for accounting of the Loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH. The Loan includes certain value appreciation rights that are due upon repayment of the Loan. The fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right is estimated under the income approach using a discounted cash flow, and option pricing model, respectively, which results in a fair value measurement categorized in Level 3. The significant assumptions used to estimate fair value of the Loan include an estimate of the discount rate and cash flows of the Loan and the significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the value appreciation right include volatility, the risk-free interest rate, expected life (in years) and expected dividend. The inputs are subject to estimation uncertainty and actual amounts realized may materially differ. An increase in the expected volatility may result in a significantly higher fair value, whereas a decrease in expected life may result in a significantly lower fair value. All subsequent changes in fair value of the Loan and value appreciation right, including accrued interest are recognized in change in fair value of equity and debt securities in our consolidated statements of income.
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Results of Operations - Sales, Gross Margins and Expenses - Incorporating by Reference the Results of Operations - Sales, Gross Margins and Expenses from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
The following shows cost of goods sold, gross profit, expense items and net income as a percentage of net sales:
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |
| Cost of goods sold | 43.9 | 43.5 | |||
| Gross profit | 56.1 | 56.5 | |||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 30.1 | 31.4 | |||
| Research and development expense | 9.3 | 8.9 | |||
| Net income | 145.3 | 149.5 |
Net sales
Percentage sales growth in currency neutral amounts are calculated by translating prior period sales in each local currency using the current period monthly average foreign exchange rates for that currency and comparing that to current period sales.
Net sales (sales) for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $2.92 billion, compared to $2.55 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of 14.8%. Excluding the impact of foreign currency, for the year ended December 31, 2021 sales increased by approximately 12.7% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Currency neutral sales increased in all regions, led by growth in Asia Pacific and Europe. Excluding the impact of COVID related sales, currency neutral sales increased by 17% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.
The Life Science segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $1.40 billion, an increase of 13.7% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. On a currency neutral basis, sales increased 12.0% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Currency neutral sales were up in nearly all product lines but were primarily driven by growth in our Western Blotting, Digital PCR, and Process Media products. A significant portion of the Life Science segment growth came from products used to support COVID-19 research and testing. All regions experienced double digit currency neutral sales growth compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.
The Clinical Diagnostics segment sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $1.52 billion, an increase of 16.1% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. On a currency neutral basis, sales increased 13.6% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Currency neutral sales increased across all product lines and regions as the overall diagnostics market continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, including an increase in utilization in lab operations.
Gross margin
Consolidated gross margins were 56.1% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 56.5% for the year ended December 31, 2020. Life Science segment gross margins for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by approximately 0.6 percentage points compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily related to increased sales volume, favorable product mix related to higher sales of Digital PCR and Process Media products, and lower production costs. Clinical Diagnostics segment gross margins for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased by approximately 1.1 percentage points compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in the Clinical Diagnostics segment gross margins for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily related to the costs associated with the restructuring plan announced in February 2021, partially offset by increased sales for the year ended December 31, 2021.
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Selling, general and administrative expense
Consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) increased to $879.6 million or 30.1% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $800.3 million or 31.4% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase to SG&A was primarily related to the restructuring plan announced in February 2021, as well as increased employee related expenses.
Research and development expense
Research and development (R&D) expense increased to $271.7 million or 9.3% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $226.6 million or 8.9% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2020. R&D expense increased for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, in both the Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics segment. The increase was primarily from increases in investment in strategic projects and research initiatives, costs related to the restructuring plan announced in February 2021, and higher employee related expenses.
Results of Operations – Non-operating
Interest expense
Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $1.6 million and $21.9 million, respectively, a decrease of $20.3 million primarily due to the repayment of the $425.0 million principal amount of Senior Notes in December 2020.
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses consist primarily of foreign currency transaction gains and losses on intercompany net receivables and payables and the change in fair value of our forward foreign exchange contracts used to manage our foreign currency exchange risk. Foreign currency exchange net losses for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were $2.8 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Gains and losses are primarily due to the estimating process inherent in the timing of product shipments and intercompany debt payments, market volatility, and the change in the fair value of our foreign exchange contracts.
Change in fair market value of equity and debt securities
Change in fair market value of equity and debt securities were gains of $4.93 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $4.50 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily resulting from the recognition of holding gains on our position in Sartorius AG of $4.92 billion in 2021 and $4.48 billion in 2020, partially offset by a decrease in fair value of a loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH of $10.8 million.
Other income, net
Other income, net includes investment and dividend income, interest income on our cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term marketable securities. Other income, net for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased to $26.8 million compared to $24.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Other income, net increased primarily due to a $10.1 million increase in the Sartorius AG dividends declared in 2021, and an increase in investment and other income of $3.9 million, partially offset by a gain of $11.7 million on the sale of our Informatics division in 2020.
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Effective tax rate
Our effective tax rates were 21.9% and 22.4% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were driven by the unrealized gain in equity securities that is taxed at approximately 22% as well as the geographic mix of earnings and the taxation of our foreign earnings. Our effective tax rate may be impacted in the future, either favorably or unfavorably, by many factors including, but not limited to, changes in the geographic mix of earnings, changes to statutory tax rates, changes in tax laws or regulations, tax audits and settlements, and generation of tax credits.
Our income tax returns are routinely audited by U.S. federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by many of these tax authorities. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions. We do not believe any currently pending uncertain tax positions will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, although an adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.
We record liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions. We do not believe the resolution of our uncertain tax positions will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, although an adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.
As of December 31, 2021, based on the expected outcome of certain examinations or as a result of the expiration of statutes of limitation for certain jurisdictions, we believe that within the next twelve months it is reasonably possible that our previously unrecognized tax benefits could decrease by approximately $20.8 million. Substantially all such amounts will impact our effective income tax rate.
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2020 to the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Refer to Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations located in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed on February 16, 2021, for the discussion of the comparison of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the earliest of the three fiscal years presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Bio-Rad operates and conducts business globally, primarily through subsidiary companies established in the markets in which we trade. Goods are manufactured in a small number of locations, and are then shipped to local distribution facilities around the world. Our product mix is diversified, and certain products compete largely on product efficacy, while others compete on price. Gross margins are generally sufficient to exceed normal operating costs, and funding for research and development of new products, as well as routine outflows for capital expenditures, interest and taxes. In addition to the annual positive cash flow from operating activities, additional liquidity is readily available via the sale of short-term investments and access to our $200.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility (Credit Agreement) that we entered into in April 2019 and amended in November 2021 (see Note 5, "Notes Payable and Long-Term Debt," to the consolidated financial statements), and to a lesser extent international lines of credit. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement are available on a revolving basis and can be used to make permitted acquisitions, for working capital and for other general corporate purposes. We had no outstanding borrowings under the 2019 Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2021; however, $0.2 million was utilized for domestic standby letters of credit that reduced our borrowing availability. Management believes that this availability, together with cash flow from operations, will be adequate to meet our current objectives for operations, research and development, capital additions for manufacturing and distribution, plant and equipment, information technology systems and acquisitions of reasonable proportion to our existing total available capital.
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At December 31, 2021, we had available $869.9 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, of which approximately 23% was held in our foreign subsidiaries. The amount of funds held in the United States can fluctuate due to the timing of receipts and payments in the ordinary course of business and due to other reasons, such as acquisitions. As part of our ongoing liquidity assessments, we regularly monitor the mix of domestic and foreign cash flows (both inflows and outflows).
It is generally our intention to repatriate certain foreign earnings to the extent that such repatriations are not restricted by local laws or accounting rules, and there are no substantial incremental costs.
Demand for our products and services could change more dramatically in the short-term than in previous years due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as due to funding, reimbursement constraints and support levels from government, universities, hospitals and private industry, including diagnostic laboratories. The need for certain sovereign nations with large annual deficits to curtail spending, international trade disputes and increased regulation, could lead to slower growth of, or even a decline in, our business. Sovereign nations either delaying payment for goods and services or renegotiating their debts could impact our liquidity.
Cash Flows from Operations
Net cash provided by operations was $656.5 million and $575.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The net increase between the year ended December 31, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 of $81.2 million was primarily due to higher cash received from customers as a result of the growth in sales, higher Sartorius AG dividends in 2021 compared to 2020, lower interest paid as a result of the repayment of the $425.0 million principal amount of Senior Notes in December 2020, proceeds from forward foreign exchange contracts in 2021 compared to payments for forward foreign exchange contracts in 2020, and higher investment income received in 2021 than in 2020. These increases were partially offset by higher cash paid to suppliers primarily for materials to support the increase in sales, cash paid for employee related expenses such as salaries, bonuses and benefits, and to a lesser extent for employee restructuring programs. The increases were also partially offset by higher income taxes paid.
Cash flows from operations during the first quarter have historically had larger payments for royalties, fourth quarter sales commissions and annual employee bonuses, and we expect this pattern to recur in the first quarter of 2022.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Our investing activities consisted primarily of cash used for extending a collateralized loan, activity related to the purchases, sales and maturities of marketable securities, acquisitions and capital expenditures.
Net cash used in investing activities was $784.4 million and $60.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase of $724.2 million was primarily attributable to a $453.4 million funding for a collateralized loan to Sartorius-Herbst Beteiligungen II GmbH, an increase of $204.3 million for net cash outflows from purchases, sales and maturities of marketable securities and investments, higher net cash outflows of $28.9 million for the acquisition of Dropworks, Inc. in 2021 compared to the acquisition of Celsee, Inc. in 2020, net payments of $21.9 million for higher capital expenditures, and proceeds of $12.2 million from a divestiture of a division that was received in 2020 compared to none in 2021.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Our financing activities have consisted primarily of cash used for repayment of debt, purchases of treasury stock, payments for contingent consideration, and cash proceeds from the issuance of common stock for share-based compensation.
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Net cash used in financing activities was $55.4 million compared to $523.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. This decrease was primarily attributable to the repayment of the $425 million principal amount of Senior Notes in 2020, and lower purchases of treasury stock in 2021 compared to 2020 of $50.0 million.
Treasury Shares
During the year ended December 31, 2021, 114,711 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $43.6 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, a loss of $6.7 million was incurred as they were reissued at a lower price than their average cost, which reduced Retained earnings, while $37.0 million reduced Additional paid-in capital.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, 117,423 shares of Class A treasury stock with an aggregate total cost of $38.5 million were reissued to fulfill grants to employees under our restricted stock program. Upon reissuing the Class A treasury stock, a loss of $9.0 million was incurred as they were reissued at a lower price than their average cost, which reduced Retained earnings, while $29.5 million reduced Additional paid-in capital.
The re-issuance of the treasury stock for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 did not require cash payments or receipts and therefore did not affect liquidity.
In November 2017, the Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program, granting Bio-Rad authority to repurchase, on a discretionary basis, up to $250.0 million of outstanding shares of our common stock (“Share Repurchase Program”). In July 2020, the Board of Directors authorized increasing the Share Repurchase Program to allow the Company to repurchase up to an additional $200.0 million of stock. As of December 31, 2021, $223.1 million remained under the Share Repurchase Program.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we repurchased 89,506 shares of Class A common stock for $50.0 million under our Share Repurchase Program, compared to the repurchase of 291,941 shares of our common stock for $100.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2020. We designated these repurchased shares as treasury stock.
Contractual Obligations
The following summarizes certain of our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2021 and the effect such obligations are expected to have on our cash flows in future periods (in millions):
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| Payments Due by Period | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less Than | 1-3 | 3-5 | More than | ||||||||||||||||
| Contractual Obligations | Total | One Year | Years | Years | 5 Years | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt, including current portion (1) | $ | 11.0 | $ | 0.5 | $ | 0.9 | $ | 0.9 | $ | 8.7 | |||||||||
| Interest payments (1) | $ | 7.8 | $ | 0.7 | $ | 1.5 | $ | 1.3 | $ | 4.3 | |||||||||
| Operating lease obligations (2) | $ | 246.8 | $ | 42.5 | $ | 71.7 | $ | 53.1 | $ | 79.5 | |||||||||
| Purchase obligations (3) | $ | 16.7 | $ | 12.2 | $ | 4.3 | $ | 0.2 | $ | — | |||||||||
| Long-term liabilities (4) | $ | 124.8 | $ | 10.6 | $ | 21.8 | $ | 9.1 | $ | 83.3 | |||||||||
| (1) These amounts represent expected cash payments, primarily from finance lease obligations, which are included in our December 31, 2021 consolidated balance sheet. See Note 5 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our debt. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (2) Operating lease obligations are described in Note 16 of the consolidated financial statements. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (3) Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding to Bio-Rad and that specify all significant terms. Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable without penalty. Recognition of purchase obligations occurs when products or services are delivered to Bio-Rad. | |||||||||||||||||||
| (4) These amounts primarily represent recognized long-term obligations for other post-employment benefits mostly due in more than 5 years, and long-term deferred revenue. Excluded from this table are tax liabilities for uncertain tax positions and contingencies in the amount of $66.6 million. We are not able to reasonably estimate the timing of future cash flows of these tax liabilities, therefore, our income tax obligations are excluded from the table above. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for additional information about our income taxes. |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted and to be Adopted
See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for recent accounting pronouncements adopted and to be adopted.
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