(8) Segment Reporting
Accounting and measurement policies
Segment reporting
The Group’s business activities are broken down into the three operational business sectors of Life Science, Healthcare and Electronics, as well as the central Group functions. This segment structure reflects the internal organizational and reporting structure. The Life Science business sector encompasses business with tools, chemicals and equipment for academic labs, biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers, as well as the industrial sector. The Healthcare business sector discovers, develops, manufactures and markets prescription drugs and biopharmaceuticals. The Electronics business sector supplies materials for the semiconductor and display industries and surface design. The three business sectors differ in terms of their products and services, their customers, their sales structures and processes, and the regulatory environment in which they operate. However, the activities that are bundled in each individual business sector are extremely similar in terms of these criteria. The central Group functions also encompass service activities that are the same for all business sectors, such as procurement and human resources, as well as other central Group functions that are not allocated to any of the business sectors. Resource allocation and the assessment of business development are performed at the level of the business sectors by the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, as the chief operating decision-maker.
In addition to the direct activities of the central Group functions, “Corporate and Other” includes income and expenses, assets and liabilities, as well as cash flows that cannot be allocated to the reportable segments as they are managed at Group level in central Group functions. This relates in particular to expenses and income for the foreign currency hedging of transactions in operating business, financial expenses and financial income, which include interest expenses and interest income as well as income tax expenses and income. Financial liabilities, pension provisions as well as income tax assets and liabilities are also allocated to “Corporate and Other”. Moreover, the column serves as the reconciliation to the Group figures.
Apart from net sales, the success of a segment is mainly determined by EBITDA pre (segment result). EBITDA pre is a key figure that is not defined by International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). However, it represents the most important variable used to steer the Group. To permit a better understanding of operational performance, EBITDA pre excludes depreciation and amortization, impairment losses and reversals of impairment losses in addition to specific adjustments presented below.
The segment data is derived from the financial information, which is based on the IFRSs applied in the consolidated financial statements. Transfer prices for intragroup net sales were determined on an arm’s-length basis for all of the business sectors. Fixed assets are allocated to the segments based on the degree of utilization. Depreciation expenses are allocated on the same basis. Fixed assets are always recognized by the buyer at the amortized Group cost following intragroup transactions. Services performed by the Group functions are allocated on the basis of planning data. Any deviations in the actual costs incurred are not allocated to the reportable operating segments but continue to be recognized in the “Corporate and Other” column.
€ million |
|
Life Science |
|
Healthcare |
|
Electronics |
|
Total of reportable operating segments |
|
Corporate and Other |
|
Group |
||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Net sales1 |
|
8,916 |
|
8,455 |
|
3,785 |
|
21,156 |
|
– |
|
21,156 |
||||||||||||||
Intersegment sales |
|
91 |
|
– |
|
– |
|
91 |
|
-91 |
|
– |
||||||||||||||
Cost of sales |
|
-4,150 |
|
-2,201 |
|
-2,319 |
|
-8,670 |
|
-1 |
|
-8,671 |
||||||||||||||
Marketing and selling expenses |
|
-2,238 |
|
-1,713 |
|
-568 |
|
-4,519 |
|
-18 |
|
-4,536 |
||||||||||||||
Administration expenses |
|
-441 |
|
-313 |
|
-166 |
|
-919 |
|
-450 |
|
-1,370 |
||||||||||||||
Research and development costs |
|
-388 |
|
-1,503 |
|
-297 |
|
-2,187 |
|
-92 |
|
-2,279 |
||||||||||||||
Operating result (EBIT)2 |
|
1,507 |
|
2,481 |
|
360 |
|
4,347 |
|
-702 |
|
3,645 |
||||||||||||||
Depreciation |
|
862 |
|
331 |
|
498 |
|
1,690 |
|
116 |
|
1,806 |
||||||||||||||
Impairment losses3 |
|
87 |
|
209 |
|
29 |
|
325 |
|
3 |
|
328 |
||||||||||||||
Reversals of impairment losses |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
||||||||||||||
EBITDA4 |
|
2,455 |
|
3,021 |
|
887 |
|
6,362 |
|
-584 |
|
5,779 |
||||||||||||||
Adjustments2 |
|
134 |
|
-26 |
|
83 |
|
191 |
|
102 |
|
293 |
||||||||||||||
EBITDA pre (segment result)2 |
|
2,589 |
|
2,995 |
|
970 |
|
6,553 |
|
-482 |
|
6,072 |
||||||||||||||
EBITDA pre margin (in % of net sales)2 |
|
29.0% |
|
35.4% |
|
25.6% |
|
– |
|
– |
|
28.7% |
||||||||||||||
Assets by business sector |
|
25,206 |
|
8,620 |
|
10,748 |
|
44,575 |
|
6,992 |
|
51,567 |
||||||||||||||
Liabilities by business sector |
|
-1,901 |
|
-2,858 |
|
-653 |
|
-5,412 |
|
-16,168 |
|
-21,579 |
||||||||||||||
Investments in property, plant and equipment5 |
|
858 |
|
302 |
|
396 |
|
1,556 |
|
146 |
|
1,702 |
||||||||||||||
Investments in intangible assets5 |
|
44 |
|
348 |
|
43 |
|
435 |
|
47 |
|
482 |
||||||||||||||
|
95 |
|
150 |
|
95 |
|
339 |
|
42 |
|
381 |
|||||||||||||||
|
€ million |
|
Life Science |
|
Healthcare |
|
Electronics |
|
Total of reportable operating segments |
|
Corporate and Other |
|
Group |
||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Net sales1 |
|
9,281 |
|
8,053 |
|
3,659 |
|
20,993 |
|
– |
|
20,993 |
||||||||||||||
Intersegment sales |
|
77 |
|
– |
|
– |
|
77 |
|
-77 |
|
– |
||||||||||||||
Cost of sales |
|
-4,236 |
|
-2,029 |
|
-2,332 |
|
-8,597 |
|
-3 |
|
-8,600 |
||||||||||||||
Marketing and selling expenses |
|
-2,245 |
|
-1,668 |
|
-591 |
|
-4,503 |
|
-7 |
|
-4,510 |
||||||||||||||
Administration expenses |
|
-425 |
|
-314 |
|
-147 |
|
-886 |
|
-506 |
|
-1,392 |
||||||||||||||
Research and development costs |
|
-396 |
|
-1,657 |
|
-297 |
|
-2,351 |
|
-94 |
|
-2,445 |
||||||||||||||
Operating result (EBIT)2 |
|
1,850 |
|
2,225 |
|
248 |
|
4,322 |
|
-713 |
|
3,609 |
||||||||||||||
Depreciation |
|
848 |
|
299 |
|
526 |
|
1,673 |
|
109 |
|
1,782 |
||||||||||||||
Impairment losses3 |
|
34 |
|
27 |
|
42 |
|
103 |
|
1 |
|
104 |
||||||||||||||
Reversals of impairment losses |
|
– |
|
-6 |
|
– |
|
-6 |
|
– |
|
-6 |
||||||||||||||
EBITDA4 |
|
2,731 |
|
2,545 |
|
816 |
|
6,092 |
|
-603 |
|
5,489 |
||||||||||||||
Adjustments2 |
|
88 |
|
-1 |
|
97 |
|
184 |
|
206 |
|
390 |
||||||||||||||
EBITDA pre (segment result)2 |
|
2,820 |
|
2,543 |
|
913 |
|
6,276 |
|
-397 |
|
5,879 |
||||||||||||||
EBITDA pre margin (in % of net sales)2 |
|
30.4% |
|
31.6% |
|
25.0% |
|
– |
|
– |
|
28.0% |
||||||||||||||
Assets by business sector |
|
23,476 |
|
8,522 |
|
10,275 |
|
42,273 |
|
6,222 |
|
48,495 |
||||||||||||||
Liabilities by business sector |
|
-1,843 |
|
-3,146 |
|
-636 |
|
-5,626 |
|
-16,115 |
|
-21,741 |
||||||||||||||
Investments in property, plant and equipment5 |
|
953 |
|
316 |
|
394 |
|
1,663 |
|
145 |
|
1,807 |
||||||||||||||
Investments in intangible assets5 |
|
54 |
|
69 |
|
58 |
|
181 |
|
35 |
|
216 |
||||||||||||||
|
33 |
|
94 |
|
100 |
|
227 |
|
154 |
|
381 |
|||||||||||||||
|
€ million |
|
Europe |
|
thereof: Germany |
|
thereof: Switzerland |
|
North America |
|
thereof: USA |
|
Asia-Pacific |
|
thereof: China |
|
Latin America |
|
Middle East and Africa |
|
Group |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Net sales by customer location1 |
|
6,171 |
|
1,002 |
|
389 |
|
5,710 |
|
5,426 |
|
7,017 |
|
2,864 |
|
1,477 |
|
781 |
|
21,156 |
||||||||
Net sales by company location1 |
|
6,506 |
|
1,411 |
|
594 |
|
5,915 |
|
5,652 |
|
6,719 |
|
2,580 |
|
1,427 |
|
590 |
|
21,156 |
||||||||
Goodwill and other intangible assets2 |
|
5,056 |
|
1,539 |
|
1,772 |
|
19,997 |
|
19,987 |
|
380 |
|
42 |
|
1 |
|
– |
|
25,434 |
||||||||
Property, plant and equipment |
|
5,182 |
|
2,439 |
|
1,070 |
|
3,083 |
|
3,078 |
|
1,489 |
|
478 |
|
201 |
|
71 |
|
10,025 |
||||||||
Research and development costs |
|
-1,835 |
|
-1,062 |
|
-619 |
|
-355 |
|
-353 |
|
-58 |
|
-25 |
|
-21 |
|
-10 |
|
-2,279 |
||||||||
Number of employees3 |
|
28,138 |
|
13,236 |
|
2,632 |
|
14,187 |
|
13,976 |
|
15,593 |
|
4,369 |
|
3,502 |
|
1,137 |
|
62,557 |
||||||||
|
€ million |
|
Europe |
|
thereof: Germany |
|
thereof: Switzerland |
|
North America |
|
thereof: USA |
|
Asia-Pacific |
|
thereof: China |
|
Latin America |
|
Middle East and Africa |
|
Group |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Net sales by customer location1 |
|
6,037 |
|
1,000 |
|
369 |
|
5,952 |
|
5,632 |
|
6,936 |
|
2,708 |
|
1,331 |
|
737 |
|
20,993 |
||||||
Net sales by company location1 |
|
6,334 |
|
1,420 |
|
512 |
|
6,198 |
|
5,911 |
|
6,658 |
|
2,477 |
|
1,267 |
|
535 |
|
20,993 |
||||||
Goodwill and other intangible assets2 |
|
5,121 |
|
1,783 |
|
1,780 |
|
18,794 |
|
18,783 |
|
480 |
|
47 |
|
2 |
|
– |
|
24,396 |
||||||
Property, plant and equipment |
|
4,878 |
|
2,215 |
|
1,097 |
|
2,576 |
|
2,571 |
|
1,315 |
|
444 |
|
225 |
|
62 |
|
9,056 |
||||||
Research and development costs |
|
-2,004 |
|
-1,042 |
|
-827 |
|
-349 |
|
-348 |
|
-63 |
|
-25 |
|
-18 |
|
-11 |
|
-2,445 |
||||||
Number of employees |
|
28,304 |
|
13,531 |
|
2,648 |
|
14,718 |
|
14,496 |
|
15,259 |
|
4,433 |
|
3,458 |
|
1,169 |
|
62,908 |
||||||
|
No single customer accounted for more than 10% of the Group’s total net sales in fiscal 2024 or 2023.
The following table presents the reconciliation of segment results of all operating businesses to the profit before income tax of the Group:
€ million |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EBITDA pre of the operating businesses1 |
|
6,553 |
|
6,276 |
||||
Corporate and Other |
|
-482 |
|
-397 |
||||
EBITDA pre of the Group1 |
|
6,072 |
|
5,879 |
||||
Depreciation/amortization/impairment losses/reversals of impairment losses |
|
-2,134 |
|
-1,880 |
||||
Adjustments1 |
|
-293 |
|
-390 |
||||
Operating result (EBIT)1 |
|
3,645 |
|
3,609 |
||||
Financial result |
|
-108 |
|
-125 |
||||
Profit before income tax |
|
3,536 |
|
3,484 |
||||
|
The adjustments comprised the following:
€ million |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Restructuring expenses |
|
-144 |
|
-249 |
||||||
Integration expenses/IT expenses |
|
-103 |
|
-118 |
||||||
Gains (+)/losses (-) on the divestment of businesses |
|
46 |
|
51 |
||||||
Acquisition-related adjustments |
|
-26 |
|
-18 |
||||||
Other adjustments |
|
-68 |
|
-56 |
||||||
Adjustments before impairment losses/reversals of impairment losses1 |
|
-293 |
|
-390 |
||||||
Impairment losses2 |
|
-277 |
|
-88 |
||||||
Reversals of impairment losses |
|
– |
|
1 |
||||||
Adjustments (total)1 |
|
-570 |
|
-477 |
||||||
|
Restructuring expenses in fiscal 2024 primarily related to a program to improve efficiency in the Life Science business sector (€ 46 million; 2023: € 19 million) and a program to further improve processes and align the Group functions more closely with the businesses (€ 41 million; 2023: € 126 million; see Note (27) “Other provisions”).
As in the previous year, integration and IT expenses in fiscal 2024 related to expenses for the enhancement of ERP systems.
As in the previous year, gains on the divestment of businesses were due in particular to a revaluation following the achievement of milestones in connection with the biosimilars business that was sold to a subsidiary of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, in 2017; see Note (43) “Information on fair value measurement”.
Other adjustments include the losses on the net position of monetary assets and liabilities resulting from hyperinflationary accounting in Argentina and Türkiye, which are reported in other operating expenses (see Note (2) “Reporting principles” and Note (14) “Other operating expenses”).
Impairment losses considered as adjustments related to intangible assets in the amount of € 194 million (2023: € 65 million), particularly in the Healthcare and Life Science business sectors, see Note (14) “Other operating expenses” and Note (19) “Other intangible assets”), as well as to property, plant and equipment in the amount of € 83 million (2023: € 23 million; see Note (20) “Property, plant and equipment”).
The adjustments are reported in the consolidated income statement as part of the respective functional costs and allocated to them as follows:
€ million |
|
thereof: cost of sales |
|
thereof: marketing and selling expenses |
|
thereof: administration expenses |
|
thereof: research and development expenses |
|
thereof: others |
|
Total |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Restructuring expenses |
|
-39 |
|
-27 |
|
-58 |
|
-10 |
|
-10 |
|
-144 |
||||||
Integration expenses/IT expenses |
|
-2 |
|
– |
|
-90 |
|
-1 |
|
-10 |
|
-103 |
||||||
Gains (+)/losses (-) on the divestment of businesses |
|
– |
|
-3 |
|
-6 |
|
– |
|
55 |
|
46 |
||||||
Acquisition-related adjustments |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
-25 |
|
-26 |
||||||
Other adjustments |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
-68 |
|
-68 |
||||||
Adjustments before impairment losses/reversals of impairment losses1,2 |
|
-41 |
|
-30 |
|
-154 |
|
-11 |
|
-57 |
|
-293 |
||||||
Impairment losses2 |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
-277 |
|
-277 |
||||||
Reversals of impairment losses |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
||||||
Adjustments in the operating result (total)1 |
|
-41 |
|
-30 |
|
-154 |
|
-11 |
|
-335 |
|
-570 |
||||||
|
€ million |
|
thereof: cost of sales |
|
thereof: marketing and selling expenses |
|
thereof: administration expenses |
|
thereof: research and development expenses |
|
thereof: others |
|
Total |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Restructuring expenses |
|
-42 |
|
-44 |
|
-135 |
|
-6 |
|
-21 |
|
-249 |
||||||
Integration expenses/IT expenses |
|
-1 |
|
– |
|
-110 |
|
-1 |
|
-6 |
|
-118 |
||||||
Gains (+)/losses (-) on the divestment of businesses |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
51 |
|
51 |
||||||
Acquisition-related adjustments |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
-18 |
|
-18 |
||||||
Other adjustments |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
-56 |
|
-56 |
||||||
Adjustments before impairment losses/reversals of impairment losses1 |
|
-43 |
|
-44 |
|
-246 |
|
-7 |
|
-50 |
|
-390 |
||||||
Impairment losses2 |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
-88 |
|
-88 |
||||||
Reversals of impairment losses |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
– |
|
1 |
|
1 |
||||||
Adjustments in the operating result (total)1 |
|
-43 |
|
-44 |
|
-246 |
|
-7 |
|
-138 |
|
-477 |
||||||
|