Thermo Fisher Scientific Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Highlights

• Fourth quarter revenue was $10.89 billion, 5% lower versus the same quarter last year. Core organic revenue growth declined 4%.
• Fourth quarter GAAP diluted EPS was $4.20, 5% higher versus the same quarter last year, driven by 70 basis points of operating margin expansion.
• Fourth quarter adjusted EPS was $5.67, 5% higher versus the same quarter last year, driven by 100 basis points of adjusted operating margin expansion.

• Full year revenue was $42.86 billion, 5% lower versus prior year. Core organic revenue growth was 1%.
• Full year GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) was $15.45.
• Full year adjusted EPS was $21.55.

• During the year, we strengthened our industry leadership, advanced our trusted partner status with our customers, and delivered differentiated financial performance for our shareholders due to strong execution by our global team enabled by our PPI Business System.

• Advanced our proven growth strategy, launching a range of high-impact, innovative new products during the year, highlighted by the groundbreaking Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ Astral™ mass spectrometer, the Applied Biosystems™ QuantStudio™ Absolute Q™ AutoRun dPCR System, the Thermo Scientific™ Metrios™ 6 S/TEM, the first FDA-cleared assays for risk assessment and clinical management of preeclampsia, and the Gibco™ CTS™ Detachable Dynabeads™. During the quarter, we launched the Thermo Scientific™ Meridian™ EX System, an electron-beam-based solution for precise defect localization in advanced logic semiconductors and the Thermo Scientific™ Aquanex™ Ultrapure Water Purification System, for reliable water purity and operational enhancement in laboratories.

• Continued to further strengthen our industry-leading commercial engine and deepen our trusted partner status during the year, as demonstrated by our differentiated performance in 2023. This included the addition of a new customer excellence center in Europe, partnering and collaborating with customers on innovative new medicines, and leveraging digital tools to further optimize commercial effectiveness and improve the customer experience. During the fourth quarter, we opened a customer experience center for battery manufacturing in Seoul to support our material science customers as they accelerate the development of the next generation of environmentally friendly energy solutions.

• Strong year advancing our corporate social responsibility (CSR) priorities. We accelerated our net-zero roadmap with on-site solar projects and power purchase agreements across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific regions, advancing our progress toward our target of utilizing 80% renewable electricity globally by 2030. We also progressed our global health equity initiatives by offering expanded access to advanced genomic testing in low- and middle-income countries and launched new initiatives to continue bringing clinical trials to historically underserved patient populations. We further engaged in supporting local communities through our colleague-led STEM education programs.

• Continued to successfully execute our capital deployment strategy in 2023. During the year we completed the acquisitions of The Binding Site, a leading provider for detection and monitoring of multiple myeloma, and CorEvitas, a leading provider of regulatory-grade, real-world evidence for approved medical treatments and therapies. We also announced an agreement to acquire Olink Holding AB (publ) (“Olink”) (Nasdaq: OLK), a leading solution for advanced proteomics discovery and development. Additionally, we returned $3.5 billion of capital to shareholders through stock buybacks and dividends.

“Thanks to the strong contributions from our team, we delivered differentiated performance in 2023 and enabled our customers’ success,” said Marc N. Casper, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We effectively navigated the challenging macroeconomic conditions by leveraging our PPI Business System to deliver strong financial results.”

Casper added, “Our proven growth strategy, capital deployment approach, and PPI Business System, continue to position our company for an even brighter future.”

Fourth Quarter 2023

Revenue for the quarter declined 5% to $10.89 billion in 2023, versus $11.45 billion in 2022. Organic revenue was 7% lower, Core organic revenue growth declined 4%, and COVID-19 testing revenue was $0.05 billion.

GAAP Earnings Results

GAAP diluted EPS in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $4.20, versus $4.01 in the same quarter last year. GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $1.85 billion, compared with $1.86 billion in the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating margin was 17.0%, compared with 16.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Non-GAAP Earnings Results

Adjusted EPS in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $5.67, versus $5.40 in the fourth quarter of 2022. Adjusted operating income for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $2.55 billion, compared with $2.56 billion in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted operating margin was 23.4%, compared with 22.4% in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Full Year 2023

Revenue for the full year declined 5% to $42.86 billion in 2023, versus $44.92 billion in 2022. Organic revenue was 5% lower, Core organic revenue growth was 1%, and COVID-19 testing revenue was $0.33 billion.

GAAP Earnings Results

GAAP diluted EPS for the full year was $15.45, versus $17.63 in 2022. GAAP operating income for 2023 was $6.86 billion, compared with $8.39 billion a year-ago. GAAP operating margin was 16.0%, compared with 18.7% in 2022.

Non-GAAP Earnings Results

Adjusted EPS for the full year was $21.55, versus $23.24 in 2022. Adjusted operating income for the full year was $9.81 billion, compared with $10.99 billion a year-ago. Adjusted operating margin was 22.9%, compared with 24.5% in 2022.

Annual Guidance for 2024

Thermo Fisher is initiating a guidance range for full year 2024 with revenue of $42.1 billion to $43.3 billion and adjusted EPS of $20.95 to $22.00.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted EPS, adjusted net income, adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin, free cash flow, organic revenue growth and Core organic revenue growth are non-GAAP measures that exclude certain items detailed after the tables that accompany this press release, under the heading “Supplemental Information Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures.” The reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures are provided in the tables that accompany this press release.

Conference Call

During the call, the company will discuss its financial performance, as well as future expectations. To listen, call (833) 470-1428 within the U.S. or (404) 975-4839 outside the U.S. The access code is 718426. You may also listen to the call live on the “Investors” section of our website, www.thermofisher.com. The earnings press release and related information can also be found in that section of our website under the heading “Financials”. A replay of the call will be available under “News, Events & Presentations” through Friday, February 16, 2024.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue over $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

The following constitutes a “Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: the COVID-19 pandemic; the need to develop new products and adapt to significant technological change; implementation of strategies for improving growth; general economic conditions and related uncertainties; dependence on customers' capital spending policies and government funding policies; the effect of economic and political conditions and exchange rate fluctuations on international operations; use and protection of intellectual property; the effect of changes in governmental regulations; any natural disaster, public health crisis or other catastrophic event; and the effect of laws and regulations governing government contracts, as well as the possibility that expected benefits related to recent or pending acquisitions, including our pending acquisition of Olink, may not materialize as expected. Additional important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are set forth in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are on file with the SEC and available in the “Investors” section of our website under the heading “SEC Filings.” While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if estimates change and, therefore, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to today.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any common shares or American Depositary Shares of Olink or any other securities, nor is it a substitute for the tender offer materials that Thermo Fisher or Orion Acquisition AB (the “Buyer”) has filed with the SEC. The terms and conditions of the tender offer are published in, and the offer to purchase common shares and American Depositary Shares of Olink is made only pursuant to, the offer document and related offer materials prepared by Thermo Fisher and the Buyer and is filed with the SEC in a tender offer statement on Schedule TO. In addition, Olink has filed a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the tender offer.

THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, AN ADS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, ACCEPTANCE FORM FOR SHARES AND CERTAIN OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9, AS THEY MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF OLINK ARE URGED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY, AND NOT THIS DOCUMENT, GOVERN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TENDER OFFER, AND BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT SUCH PERSONS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING TENDERING THEIR COMMON SHARES AND AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES.

The tender offer materials, including the offer to purchase, the related ADS letter of transmittal and acceptance form for shares and certain other tender offer documents, and the solicitation/recommendation statement and other documents filed with the SEC by Thermo Fisher or Olink, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, at Olink’s website https://investors.olink.com/investor-relations, at Thermo Fisher's website at www.thermofisher.com or by contacting Thermo Fisher's investor relations department at 781-622-1111.

Supplemental Information Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the financial measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), we use certain non-GAAP financial measures such as organic revenue growth, which is reported revenue growth, excluding the impacts of acquisitions/divestitures and the effects of currency translation. We also report Core organic revenue growth, which is reported revenue growth, excluding the impacts of COVID-19 testing revenue, and excluding the impacts of acquisitions/divestitures and the effects of currency translation. We report these measures because Thermo Fisher management believes that in order to understand the company’s short-term and long-term financial trends, investors may wish to consider the impact of acquisitions/divestitures, foreign currency translation and/or COVID-19 testing on revenues. Thermo Fisher management uses these measures to forecast and evaluate the operational performance of the company as well as to compare revenues of current periods to prior periods.

We report adjusted operating income, adjusted operating income margin, adjusted net income, and adjusted EPS. We believe that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures, in addition to GAAP financial measures, helps investors to gain a better understanding of our core operating results and future prospects, consistent with how management measures and forecasts the company’s core operating performance, especially when comparing such results to previous periods, forecasts, and to the performance of our competitors. Such measures are also used by management in their financial and operating decision-making and for compensation purposes. To calculate these measures we exclude, as applicable:

• Certain acquisition-related costs, including charges for the sale of inventories revalued at the date of acquisition, significant transaction/acquisition-related costs, including changes in estimates of contingent acquisition-related consideration, and other costs associated with obtaining short-term financing commitments for pending/recent acquisitions. We exclude these costs because we do not believe they are indicative of our normal operating costs.
• Costs/income associated with restructuring activities and large-scale abandonments of product lines, such as reducing overhead and consolidating facilities. We exclude these costs because we believe that the costs related to restructuring activities are not indicative of our normal operating costs.
• Equity in earnings/losses of unconsolidated entities; impairments of long-lived assets; and certain other gains and losses that are either isolated or cannot be expected to occur again with any predictability, including gains/losses on investments, the sale of businesses, product lines, and real estate, significant litigation-related matters, curtailments/settlements of pension plans, and the early retirement of debt. We exclude these items because they are outside of our normal operations and/or, in certain cases, are difficult to forecast accurately for future periods.
• The expense associated with the amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets because a significant portion of the purchase price for acquisitions may be allocated to intangible assets that have lives of up to 20 years. Exclusion of the amortization expense allows comparisons of operating results that are consistent over time for both our newly acquired and long-held businesses and with both acquisitive and non-acquisitive peer companies.
• The noncontrolling interest and tax impacts of the above items and the impact of significant tax audits or events (such as changes in deferred taxes from enacted tax rate/law changes), the latter of which we exclude because they are outside of our normal operations and difficult to forecast accurately for future periods.

We report free cash flow, which is operating cash flow excluding net capital expenditures, to provide a view of the continuing operations’ ability to generate cash for use in acquisitions and other investing and financing activities. The company also uses this measure as an indication of the strength of the company. Free cash flow is not a measure of cash available for discretionary expenditures since we have certain non-discretionary obligations such as debt service that are not deducted from the measure.

Thermo Fisher Scientific does not provide GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis because we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty and without unreasonable effort items such as the timing and amount of future restructuring actions and acquisition-related charges as well as gains or losses from sales of real estate and businesses, the early retirement of debt and the outcome of legal proceedings. The timing and amount of these items are uncertain and could be material to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s results computed in accordance with GAAP.

The non-GAAP financial measures of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s results of operations and cash flows included in this press release are not meant to be considered superior to or a substitute for Thermo Fisher Scientific’s results of operations prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of such non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are set forth in the tables above.

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