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Capital Structure, Investments, and Financing Activities

(36) Other financial assets

Accounting and measurement policies
Other financial assets

This section does not cover the accounting and measurement policies for derivative financial instruments. They are presented separately in Note (39) “Derivative financial instruments”.

Recognition and initial measurement

Financial assets are initially measured at fair value and recognized as of the settlement date. For financial assets not subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss in subsequent periods, initial measurement also includes directly attributable transaction costs. Any difference between the fair value of a financial instrument on initial recognition (Level 2 and 3) and the transaction price is recognized in income using the straight-line method over the duration.

Detailed information on the measurement methods for financial assets measured at fair value are presented in Note (43) “Information on fair value measurement”.

Classification and subsequent measurement

On initial recognition, financial assets are assigned to one of the following measurement categories which also correspond to the financial instrument classes as defined in IFRS 9:

  • subsequent measurement at amortized cost,
  • subsequent measurement at fair value through other comprehensive income, or
  • subsequent measurement at fair value through profit or loss.

This classification is based on the business model and the structure of contractual payment flows. Financial assets subsequently measured at amortized cost are accounted for using the effective interest method and considering any impairment losses. The procedure for calculating impairment losses is described in Note (42) “Management of financial risks”. Financial assets of this class are held in order to collect their contractual cash flows, which are exclusively principal repayments and interest payments on the outstanding capital amount.

Except for derivative financial instruments with positive market value, the Group only applies subsequent measurement at fair value through profit or loss for debt instruments with contractual properties resulting in cash flows that do not exclusively represent principal repayments and interest payments on the outstanding capital amount. In particular, this includes contingent consideration that was contractually agreed with the acquirer within the context of the disposal of businesses within the meaning of IFRS 3 (see Note (43) “Information on fair value measurement”). The Group does not utilize the option of the subsequent measurement of debt instruments at fair value through profit or loss.

Equity instruments not subject to mandatory subsequent measurement at fair value through profit or loss are measured at fair value through other comprehensive income in subsequent periods and if they are intended to be held for the longer term. Further details on the measurement of equity instruments at fair value are presented in Note (43) “Information on fair value measurement”.

Financial assets are only reclassified in the rare event of the Group changing its business model with regard to the management of financial assets.

Derecognition

Financial assets are derecognized if the claim for compensation is fulfilled by the other counterparty, if there is no longer a reasonable expectation that the counterparty will fulfill its contractual obligations, or if the Group transfers the contractual rights including all material risks and rewards of the financial asset to another counterparty.

Recognition

Measurement effects of debt instruments are reported in the consolidated balance sheet and the consolidated income statement as follows:

Category

 

Asset type

 

Impairment losses/reversals of impairment losses

 

Net gain and net loss on disposal/value adjustments

 

Foreign currency gains or losses

 

Interest income or expenses

Subsequent measurement at amortized cost

 

Operational

 

Impairment losses, and reversals of impairment losses of financial assets (net)

 

Other operating income or other operating expenses

 

Other operating income or other operating expenses

 

Financial income and expenses (applying the effective interest method)

 

Financial

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Subsequent measurement at fair value through other comprehensive income

 

Operational

 

Impairment losses, and reversals of impairment losses of financial assets (net)

 

Group equity (upon derecognition: reclassification to other operating income or other operating expenses)

 

Other operating income or other operating expenses

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Financial

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Group equity (upon derecognition: reclassification to financial income and expenses)

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Subsequent measurement at fair value through profit or loss

 

Operational

 

 

 

Other operating income or other operating expenses

 

Other operating income or other operating expenses

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Financial

 

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Financial income and expenses

 

The recognition of income from the unwinding of discounts and income and expenses from interest rate-induced changes in contingent considerations measured at fair value through profit or loss subsequent to initial recognition are reported in financial income and expenses.

The following table provides details on the measurement effects of equity instruments on the consolidated balance sheet and the consolidated income statement:

Category

 

Asset type

 

Value adjustments

 

Foreign currency
gains or losses

 

Dividend income

Subsequent measurement at fair value through other comprehensive income

 

Operational

 

Results recognized directly in equity
(value adjustments)

 

Foreign currency gains and losses recognized directly in equity

 

Other operating income

 

 

Reclassification of the cumulative results previously recognized directly in equity in the retained earnings when asset is disposed

 

 

 

Financial

 

Results recognized directly in equity
(value adjustments)

 

Foreign currency gains and losses recognized directly in equity

 

Financial income

 

 

Reclassification of the cumulative results previously recognized directly in equity in the retained earnings when asset is disposed

 

 

Subsequent measurement at fair value through profit or loss

 

Operational

 

Other operating income or other operating expenses

 

Other operating income or other operating expenses

 

Other operating income

 

Financial

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Financial income and expenses

 

Financial income

At the reporting date, other financial assets were composed as follows:

 

 

Dec. 31, 2023

 

Dec. 31, 2022

€ million

 

current

 

non-current

 

Total

 

current

 

non-current

 

Total

Subsequent measurement at amortized cost

 

201

 

4

 

204

 

122

 

4

 

126

Loans against third parties

 

1

 

4

 

4

 

 

4

 

4

Other

 

200

 

 

200

 

122

 

 

122

Subsequent measurement at fair value through other comprehensive income

 

198

 

644

 

842

 

80

 

517

 

597

Equity instruments

 

 

643

 

643

 

 

516

 

516

Debt instruments

 

198

 

1

 

199

 

80

 

1

 

81

Subsequent measurement at fair value through profit and loss

 

63

 

333

 

396

 

66

 

436

 

502

Contingent consideration

 

 

125

 

125

 

14

 

235

 

250

Other debt instruments

 

33

 

161

 

194

 

28

 

154

 

182

Derivatives without a hedging relationship (financial transactions)

 

27

 

 

27

 

16

 

 

16

Derivatives without a hedging relationship (operational)

 

3

 

47

 

50

 

7

 

46

 

53

Derivatives with a hedging relationship (operational)

 

37

 

 

37

 

53

 

 

53

Financial assets

 

499

 

981

 

1,480

 

321

 

957

 

1,278

The increase in other current financial assets with subsequent measurement at amortized cost related to deposits with banks. Debt instruments with subsequent measurement at fair value through other comprehensive income increased in the year under review due to the purchase of commercial papers.

As in the previous year, contingent consideration primarily included claims arising from the sale of the biosimilars business to Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, in 2017. The reduction in contingent consideration was mainly attributable to payments received.

Equity interests with subsequent measurement at fair value through other comprehensive income mainly related to shares in the following companies in particular:

€ million

 

Fair value as of Dec. 31, 2023

 

Fair Value: hierarchy level IFRS 13

 

Fair value as of Dec. 31,
2022

 

Fair Value: hierarchy level IFRS 13

M Ventures portfolio

 

436

 

 

 

422

 

 

DNA Script S.A.S., France

 

<50

 

Level 3

 

<50

 

Level 3

Vera Therapeutics, Inc., United States

 

<50

 

Level 1

 

<50

 

Level 1

Precigen, Inc., United States

 

<50

 

Level 1

 

<50

 

Level 1

Artios Pharma Limited, UK

 

<25

 

Level 3

 

<50

 

Level 3

Wiliot Ltd., Israel

 

<25

 

Level 3

 

<25

 

Level 3

Celestial AI Inc., United States

 

<25

 

Level 3

 

<15

 

Level 3

Mosa Meat B.V., Netherlands

 

<25

 

Level 3

 

<50

 

Level 3

Storm Therapeutics Limited, UK

 

<15

 

Level 3

 

<15

 

Level 3

Asceneuron SA, Switzerland

 

<15

 

Level 3

 

<15

 

Level 3

ElectronInks Inc., United States

 

<15

 

Level 3

 

<15

 

Level 3

Formo Bio GmbH, Germany

 

<15

 

Level 3

 

<15

 

Level 3

Nouscom AG, Switzerland

 

<15

 

Level 3

 

-

 

-

Plexium Inc., United States

 

<15

 

Level 3

 

<15

 

Level 3

Other (notation in an active market)

 

1

 

Level 1

 

4

 

Level 1

Other (no notation in an active market)

 

200

 

Level 3

 

181

 

Level 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other minority interests

 

207

 

 

 

94

 

 

MoonLake Immunotherapeutics Ltd., Cayman Islands

 

152

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 1

MoonLake Immunotherapeutics AG, Switzerland

 

0

 

Level 1

 

34

 

Level 1

IDRX, Inc., United States

 

17

 

Level 3

 

10

 

Level 3

InfraServ GmbH & Co. Wiesbaden KG, Germany

 

13

 

Level 3

 

22

 

Level 3

Telios Pharma, Inc., United States

 

9

 

Level 3

 

10

 

Level 3

Other (notation in an active market)

 

2

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 1

Other (no notation in an active market)

 

14

 

Level 3

 

18

 

Level 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

643

 

 

 

516

 

 

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