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Cencora Inc

For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Feb 5, 2025.

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A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Dec 31, 2024 · Filed Feb 5, 2025

COR$345.76+3.7%Stored close · as of Nov 9, 2026

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial statements present the consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of Cencora, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including less-than-wholly-owned subsidiaries in which Cencora, Inc. has a controlling financial interest (the "Company"), as of the dates and for the periods indicated. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals, except as otherwise disclosed herein) considered necessary to present fairly the financial position as of December 31, 2024 and the results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 have been included. Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but which are not required for interim reporting purposes, have been omitted. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual amounts could differ from these estimated amounts. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior-period amounts in order to conform to the current year presentation.

Restricted Cash

The Company is required to maintain certain cash deposits with banks mainly consisting of deposits restricted under contractual agency agreements and cash restricted by law and other obligations.

The following represents a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents in the Consolidated Balance Sheets to cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows:

(amounts in thousands)December 31,2024September 30,2024December 31,2023September 30, 2023
(unaudited) · (unaudited)
Cash and cash equivalents$3,224,260$3,132,648$2,872,351$2,592,051
Restricted cash (included in Prepaid Expenses and Other)103,25298,59699,79697,722
Restricted cash (included in Other Assets)67,46266,63663,97463,116
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash$3,394,974$3,297,880$3,036,121$2,752,889

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

As of December 31, 2024, there were no recently-adopted accounting standards that had a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or notes to the financial statements upon their adoption.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU No. 2023-07, "Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures ("ASU 2023-07")." ASU 2023-07 requires public entities to disclose significant segment expenses on an annual and interim basis and to provide in interim periods all disclosures about a reportable segment's profit or loss that are currently required annually. ASU 2023-07 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is evaluating the impact of adopting this new accounting guidance.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures ("ASU 2023-09")." ASU 2023-09 requires entities to provide additional information in their tax rate reconciliation and additional disclosures about income taxes paid by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The guidance should be applied prospectively, but entities have the option to apply it retrospectively for each period presented. The Company is evaluating the impact of adopting this new accounting guidance.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, "Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses ("ASU 2024-03")." ASU 2024-03 requires disaggregated disclosures about specific types of expenses included in the expense captions presented on the face of the income statement as well as disclosures about selling expenses. Expense captions should be disaggregated to include expenses related to purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation, and intangible asset amortization. ASU 2024-03 applies to public entities and is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance should be applied prospectively with the option for retrospective application. The Company is evaluating the impact of adopting this new accounting guidance.

Note 2. Variable Interest Entity

The Company has substantial governance rights over Profarma Distribuidora de Produtos Farmacêuticos S.A. ("Profarma") that allow it to direct the activities that significantly impact Profarma’s economic performance. As such, the Company consolidates the operating results of Profarma in its consolidated financial statements. The Company is not obligated to provide future financial support to Profarma.

The following assets and liabilities of Profarma are included in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets:

(in thousands)December 31,2024September 30,2024
Cash and cash equivalents$19,831$58,082
Accounts receivables, net250,498236,930
Inventories249,602259,299
Prepaid expenses and other55,75368,612
Property and equipment, net47,54749,869
Other intangible assets57,05258,116
Other long-term assets79,60183,765
Total assets$759,884$814,673
Accounts payable$330,265$307,201
Accrued expenses and other51,13956,597
Short-term debt36,12576,308
Long-term debt77,02791,246
Deferred income taxes20,49819,227
Other long-term liabilities57,85061,690
Total liabilities$572,904$612,269

Profarma's assets can only be used to settle its obligations, and its creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of the Company.

Note 3. Income Taxes

The Company files income tax returns in U.S. federal, state, and various foreign jurisdictions. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits, defined as the aggregate tax effect of differences between tax return positions and the benefits recognized in the Company’s financial statements, of $553.2 million ($505.2 million, net of federal benefit). If recognized, $495.4 million of these tax benefits would have reduced income tax expense and the effective tax rate. Included in this amount is $47.4 million of interest and penalties, which the Company records in Income Tax Expense in its Consolidated Statements of Operations. In the three months ended December 31, 2024, unrecognized tax benefits increased by $8.3 million. Over the next 12 months, tax authority audit resolutions and the expiration of statutes of limitations could result in a reduction of unrecognized tax benefits by approximately $13.1 million.

The Company's effective tax rates were 20.4% and 23.0% for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The effective tax rate for the three months ended December 31, 2024 was lower than the U.S. statutory rate primarily due to the benefit of income taxed at rates lower than the U.S. statutory rate and benefits associated with equity compensation, offset in part by U.S. state income taxes. The effective tax rate for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was higher than the U.S. statutory rate primarily due to U.S. state income taxes and discrete tax expense, offset in part by the benefit of income taxed at rates lower than the U.S. statutory rate and tax benefits associated with equity compensation.

Note 4. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

The following is a summary of the changes in the carrying value of goodwill, by reportable segment, for the three months ended December 31, 2024:

(in thousands)U. S. Healthcare SolutionsInternational Healthcare SolutionsTotal
Goodwill as of September 30, 2024$6,285,165$3,032,862$9,318,027
Goodwill recognized in connection with acquisition—6,1416,141
Foreign currency translation(2,424)(144,499)(146,923)
Goodwill as of December 31, 2024$6,282,741$2,894,504$9,177,245

The following is a summary of other intangible assets:

December 31, 2024 · September 30, 2024
(in thousands)Weighted Average Remaining Useful LifeGrossCarryingAmountAccumulatedAmortizationNetCarryingAmountGrossCarryingAmountAccumulatedAmortizationNetCarryingAmount
Indefinite-lived trade names$17,000$—$17,000$17,000$—$17,000
Finite-lived:
Customer relationships13 years4,910,011(1,576,349)3,333,6625,090,864(1,536,081)3,554,783
Trade names and other5 years1,239,578(908,029)331,5491,259,954(830,691)429,263
Total other intangible assets$6,166,589$(2,484,378)$3,682,211$6,367,818$(2,366,772)$4,001,046

Amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets was $165.8 million and $166.4 million in the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets is estimated to be $537.0 million in fiscal 2025, $361.9 million in fiscal 2026, $303.8 million in fiscal 2027, $292.0 million in fiscal 2028, $280.4 million in fiscal 2029, and $2,055.9 million thereafter.

Note 5. Debt

Debt consisted of the following:

(in thousands)December 31,2024September 30,2024
Multi-currency revolving credit facility due in 2029$1,665,900$—
Receivables securitization facility due in 2027350,000—
Term loan facility due in 2027——
364-day revolving credit facility due in 2025——
Money market facility due in 2027——
$500,000, 3.250% senior notes due 2025499,909499,738
$750,000, 3.450% senior notes due 2027747,519747,308
$500,000, 4.625% senior notes due 2027496,391—
$600,000, 4.850% senior notes due 2029595,997—
$500,000, 2.800% senior notes due 2030496,716496,564
$1,000,000, 2.700% senior notes due 2031992,998992,718
$500,000, 5.125% senior notes due 2034494,662494,514
$700,000, 5.150% senior notes due 2035694,492—
$500,000, 4.250% senior notes due 2045495,629495,574
$500,000, 4.300% senior notes due 2047493,888493,821
Alliance Healthcare debt11,293286
Nonrecourse debt113,153167,553
Total debt8,148,5474,388,076
Less current portion of senior notes499,909499,738
Less borrowings outstanding under multi-currency revolving credit facility1,665,900—
Less Alliance Healthcare current portion11,293286
Less nonrecourse current portion36,12476,307
Long-term debt$5,935,321$3,811,745

Multi-Currency Revolving Credit Facility and Commercial Paper Program

The Company has a $2.4 billion multi-currency senior unsecured revolving credit facility ("Multi-Currency Revolving Credit Facility") with a syndicate of lenders, which is scheduled to expire in October 2029. Interest on borrowings under the Multi-Currency Revolving Credit Facility accrues at specified rates based upon the Company’s debt rating. The Company pays facility fees to maintain the availability under the Multi-Currency Revolving Credit Facility at specified rates based on its debt rating. The Company may choose to repay or reduce its commitments under the Multi-Currency Revolving Credit Facility at any time. The Multi-Currency Revolving Credit Facility contains covenants, including compliance with a financial leverage ratio test, as well as others that impose limitations on, among other things, indebtedness of subsidiaries and asset sales, with which the Company was compliant as of December 31, 2024.

The Company has a commercial paper program whereby it may, from time to time, issue short-term promissory notes in an aggregate amount of up to $2.4 billion at any one time. Amounts available under the program may be borrowed, repaid, and re-borrowed from time to time. The maturities on the notes will vary but may not exceed 365 days from the date of issuance. The notes will bear interest, if interest bearing, or will be sold at a discount from their face amounts. The commercial paper program does not increase the Company’s borrowing capacity as it is fully backed by the Company’s Multi-Currency Revolving Credit Facility. There were $1,665.9 million of borrowings outstanding under the commercial paper program as of December 31, 2024 andnone outstanding as of September 30, 2024.

Receivables Securitization Facility

The Company has a $1,450 million receivables securitization facility ("Receivables Securitization Facility"), which is scheduled to expire in October 2027. The Company has available to it an accordion feature whereby the commitment on the Receivables Securitization Facility may be increased by up to $250 million, subject to lender approval, for seasonal needs during the December and March quarters. Interest rates are based on prevailing market rates for short-term commercial paper or 30-day Term SOFR, plus a program fee. The Company pays a customary unused fee at prevailing market rates, monthly, to maintain the availability under the Receivables Securitization Facility. The Receivables Securitization Facility contains similar covenants to the Multi-Currency Revolving Credit Facility, with which the Company was compliant as of December 31, 2024. There were $350 million of borrowings outstanding under the Receivables Securitization Facility as of December 31, 2024 andnone outstanding as of September 30, 2024.

Term Loan Facility

In November 2024, the Company entered into an agreement pursuant to which it obtained a $1.5 billion senior unsecured term facility (“Term Loan Facility”). The Term Loan Facility became available to the Company and was drawn on January 2, 2025 to finance a portion of the acquisition of Retina Consultants of America ("RCA") (see Note 13). The Term Loan Facility matures inthree years. The Term Loan Facility bears interest at a rate equal to either an adjusted SOFR plus an applicable margin or an alternate base rate plus an applicable margin. The margins are based on the Company's public debt ratings. The Term Loan Facility contains similar covenants to the Multi-Currency Revolving Credit Facility. The Company has the right to prepay the borrowings under the Term Loan Facility at any time, in whole or in part and without premium or penalty.

364-Day Revolving Credit Facility

In November 2024, the Company entered into an agreement pursuant to which it obtained a $1.0 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility (the "364-Day Revolving Credit Facility") with a syndicate of lenders, which is scheduled to expire 364 days after the January 2, 2025 closing of the RCA acquisition, the date on which borrowings under this facility became available to the Company. Interest on borrowings under the 364-Day Revolving Credit Facility will accrue at a rate equal to either an adjusted SOFR plus an applicable margin or an alternate base rate plus an applicable margin, in each case based on the Company’s public debt ratings. The Company may choose to reduce its commitment under the 364-Revolving Credit Facility at any time. The Company also has the right to prepay borrowings under the 364-Revolving Credit Facility at any time, in whole or in part and without premium or penalty, provided that the amount of any such prepayment meets certain minimum thresholds.

Money Market Facility

The Company has an uncommitted, unsecured line of credit available to it pursuant to a money market credit agreement (the "Money Market Facility"). The Money Market Facility provides the Company with the ability to request short-term, unsecured revolving credit loans from time to time in a principal amount not to exceed $100 million. On February 3, 2025, the Company entered into an amendment to the Money Market Facility pursuant to which it may request short-term unsecured revolving credit loans in a principal amount not to exceed $750 million until June 30, 2025, after which date the facility limit will revert to $100 million. The Money Market Facility may be decreased or terminated by the bank or the Company at any time without prior notice.

Senior Notes

In December 2024, the Company issued $500 million of 4.625% senior notes due in December 2027 (the "2027 Notes"), $600 million of 4.850% senior notes due in December 2029 (the "2029 Notes"), and $700 million of 5.150% senior notes due in February 2035 (the "2035 Notes"). The 2027 Notes were sold at 99.815% of the principal amount with an effective yield of 4.634%. The 2029 Notes were sold at 99.968% of the principal amount with an effective yield of 4.852%. The 2035 Notes were sold at 99.945% of the principal amount with an effective yield of 5.153%. Interest on the 2027 Notes and the 2029 Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 beginning on June 15, 2025. Interest on the 2035 Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 beginning on February 15, 2025. The Company used the proceeds from the 2027 Notes, the 2029 Notes, and the 2035 Notes to finance a portion of the acquisition of RCA.

The senior notes discussed above and also illustrated in the above debt table are collectively referred to as the "Notes." Interest on the Notes is payable semiannually in arrears. Most of the Notes were sold at small discounts to the principal amounts and, therefore, have effective yields that are greater than the stated interest rates in the table above. Costs incurred in connection with the issuance of the Notes were deferred and are being amortized over the terms of the Notes. The indentures governing the Notes contain restrictions and covenants, which include limitations on additional indebtedness; distributions to stockholders; the repurchase of stock and the making of other restricted payments; issuance of preferred stock; creation of certain liens; transactions with subsidiaries and other affiliates; and certain corporate acts such as mergers, consolidations, and the sale of substantially all assets. An additional covenant requires compliance with a financial leverage ratio test. The Company was compliant with all covenants as of December 31, 2024.

Alliance Healthcare Debt

Alliance Healthcare debt is comprised of uncommitted revolving credit facilities in various currencies with various rates. These facilities are used to fund its working capital needs.

Nonrecourse Debt

Nonrecourse debt is comprised of short-term and long-term debt belonging to the Brazil subsidiaries and is repaid solely from the Brazil subsidiary's cash flows, and such debt agreements provide that the repayment of the loans (and interest thereon) is secured solely by the capital stock, physical assets, contracts, and cash flows of the Brazil subsidiaries.

Note 6. Stockholders’ Equity and Earnings per Share

In March 2024, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program allowing the Company to purchase up to $2.0 billion of its outstanding shares of common stock, subject to market conditions. In the three months ended December 31, 2024, the Company purchased 1.7 million shares of its common stock for a total of $385.4 million. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $932.2 million of availability under this program.

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to Cencora, Inc. by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the periods presented. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to Cencora, Inc. by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, plus the dilutive effect of restricted stock units and stock options during the periods presented.

The following illustrates the components of diluted weighted average shares outstanding for the periods indicated:

Three months endedDecember 31,
(in thousands)20242023
Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic193,758200,081
Dilutive effect of restricted stock units and stock options1,4301,756
Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted195,188201,837

The potentially dilutive restricted stock units that were antidilutive for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were 272 thousand and 320 thousand, respectively.

Note 7. Related Party Transactions

WBA owns more than 10% of the Company’s outstanding common stock and is, therefore, considered a related party. The Company operates under various agreements and arrangements with WBA, including a pharmaceutical distribution agreement pursuant to which the Company distributes pharmaceutical products to WBA and an agreement that provides the Company the ability to access favorable economic pricing and generic products through a generic purchasing services arrangement with Walgreens Boots Alliance Development GmbH (both through 2029), as well as a distribution agreement pursuant to which it supplies branded and generic pharmaceutical products to WBA’s Boots UK Ltd. subsidiary (through 2031).

Revenue from the various agreements and arrangements with WBA was $20.8 billion and $18.1 billion in the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company’s receivable from WBA, net of incentives, was $8.3 billion and $9.0 billion as of December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024, respectively.

Note 8. Restructuring and Other Expenses

The following illustrates expenses incurred by the Company relating to Restructuring and Other Expenses for the periods indicated:

Three months endedDecember 31,
(in thousands)20242023
Restructuring and employee severance costs$19,555$11,294
Business transformation efforts25,07424,722
Other, net1,131(1,575)
Total restructuring and other expenses$45,760$34,441

Restructuring and employee severance costs in the three months ended December 31, 2024 primarily included workforce reductions in both of the Company's reportable segments. Restructuring and employee severance costs in the three months ended December 31, 2023 primarily included expenses incurred related to facility closures in connection with the Company's office optimization plan and workforce reductions in both of its reportable segments.

Business transformation efforts in the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 included rebranding costs associated with the Company's name change to Cencora and non-recurring expenses related to significant strategic initiatives to improve operational efficiency, including certain technology initiatives. The majority of these costs related to services provided by third-party consultants.

Note 9. Legal Matters and Contingencies

In the ordinary course of its business, the Company becomes involved in lawsuits, administrative proceedings, government subpoenas, government investigations, stockholder demands, and other disputes, including antitrust, commercial, data privacy and security, employment discrimination, intellectual property, product liability, regulatory, and other matters. Significant damages or penalties may be sought from the Company in some matters, and some matters may require years for the Company to resolve. The Company records a reserve for these matters when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.

For those matters for which the Company has not recognized a liability, the Company cannot predict the outcome of their impact on the Company as uncertainty remains, including with regard to whether such matters will proceed to trial, whether settlements will be reached, and the amount and terms of any such settlements. Outcomes may include settlements in significant amounts that are not currently estimable, limitations on the Company's conduct, the imposition of corporate integrity agreement obligations, consent decrees, and/or other civil and criminal penalties. From time to time, the Company is also involved in disputes with its customers, which the Company generally seeks to resolve through commercial negotiations. If negotiations are unsuccessful, the parties may litigate the dispute or otherwise attempt to settle the matter.

With respect to the specific legal proceedings and claims described below, unless otherwise noted, the amount or range of possible losses is not reasonably estimable. There can be no assurance that the settlement, resolution, or other outcome of one or more matters, including the matters set forth below, during any subsequent reporting period will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or cash flows for that period or on the Company's financial condition.

Opioid Lawsuits and Investigations

A significant number of counties, municipalities, and other governmental entities in a majority of U.S. states and Puerto Rico, as well as numerous states and tribes, filed lawsuits in various federal, state and other courts against pharmaceutical wholesale distributors (including the Company and certain subsidiaries, such as AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation ("ABDC") and H.D. Smith, LLC ("H.D. Smith")), pharmaceutical manufacturers, retail pharmacy chains, medical practices, and physicians relating to the distribution of prescription opioid pain medications.

Starting in December 2017, more than 2,000 cases were transferred to Multidistrict Litigation ("MDL") proceedings before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (the "MDL Court"). Since then, several cases filed by government and tribal plaintiffs that were selected as bellwether cases in the MDL have been resolved through trial or settlement. Following trial in two consolidated cases in West Virginia federal court, the court entered judgment in favor of the defendants, including the Company. The plaintiffs filed an appeal of the court’s decision on August 2, 2022, which remains pending.

On July 21, 2021, the Company announced that it and the two other national pharmaceutical distributors had negotiated a Distributor Settlement Agreement that, if all conditions were satisfied, would result in the resolution of a substantial majority of opioid lawsuits filed by state and local governmental entities. The Distributor Settlement Agreement became effective on April 2, 2022, and as of December 31, 2024, it included 48 of 49 eligible states (the "Settling States") as well as 99% by population of the eligible political subdivisions in the Settling States. The Distributor Settlement Agreement requires the Company to comply with certain requirements, including the establishment of a clearinghouse that will consolidate data from allthree national pharmaceutical distributors. The States of Alabama and West Virginia and their subdivisions and Native American tribes are not a part of the Distributor Settlement Agreement, and the Company has reached separate agreements with those groups. In Maryland, a trial commenced on September 16, 2024 in a case filed by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. On November 12, 2024, the jury returned a verdict finding ABDC (and another national distributor) liable for public nuisance and assessing approximately $274 million total in compensatory damages, approximately $74 million of which was assessed against ABDC. A second phase of the trial began on December 11, 2024 related to the City of Baltimore's request for an abatement remedy and proceeded as a bench trial. The Court has not yet issued its ruling from the abatement phase. While the judgment is not yet final, the Company is evaluating next steps, including a possible appeal. The $74 million is a component of the Company's $4.8 billion litigation liability as of December 31, 2024 as described below.

The MDL Court selected four cases filed by third-party payors to serve as additional litigation bellwethers. On May 31, 2024, the MDL Court severed and stayed these four cases against the Company and the two other national pharmaceutical distributors, pursuant to ongoing settlement discussions to resolve litigation filed by a putative class of third-party payors. On August 29, 2024, the Company and two other national pharmaceutical distributors entered into a proposed class action settlement agreement to resolve the opioid-related claims of a proposed settlement class of third-party payors. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company recorded a $93.0 million litigation expense accrual in its fiscal 2024 Consolidated Statement of Operations. The MDL Court granted a motion for preliminary approval of the proposed class action settlement on September 3, 2024. Following a time period for submission of any objections or requests to be excluded from the settlement, the MDL granted final approval of the settlement during a fairness hearing held on January 13, 2025 and entered a final approval order on January 15, 2025.

On September 26, 2024, the Company and two other national pharmaceutical distributors entered into a proposed class action settlement agreement to resolve the opioid-related claims of a proposed settlement class of hospitals. The Company recorded a $120.9 million litigation expense accrual in its fiscal 2024 Consolidated Statement of Operations, representing the Company's expected share of the potential class action settlement. Pursuant to these settlement discussions, a case in Alabama that involved up toeight plaintiff hospitals, and that was scheduled to begin trial on July 8, 2024, has now been severed and stayed as to the Company. On October 30, 2024, the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico granted a motion for preliminary approval of the proposed class action settlement. Federal law imposes additional requirements before the class settlement can become final, including notice to class members, a time period for submission of any objections to the settlement or requests to be excluded from the settlement, and a fairness hearing, among other procedural steps, as described in the Court’s October 30, 2024 order. The deadline for objections or requests to be excluded from the settlement has now passed, and a fairness hearing is scheduled for March 4, 2025.

The Company’s accrued litigation liability related to the Distributor Settlement Agreement, including the State of Alabama and an estimate for non-participating government subdivisions (with whom the Company has not reached a settlement agreement), as well as other opioid-related litigation for which it has reached settlement agreements, as described above, was $4.8 billion as of December 31, 2024 and $4.9 billion as of September 30, 2024. The $4.8 billion liability will be paid over 14 years. The Company currently estimates that $509.3 million will be paid prior to December 31, 2025, which is recorded in Accrued Expenses and Other on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The remaining long-term liability of $4.3 billion is recorded in Accrued Litigation Liability on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. While the Company has accrued its estimated liability for opioid litigation, it is unable to estimate the range of possible loss associated with the matters that are not included in the accrual. Because loss contingencies are inherently unpredictable and unfavorable developments or resolutions can occur, the assessment is highly subjective and requires judgments about future events. The Company regularly reviews opioid litigation matters to determine whether its accrual is adequate. The amount of ultimate loss may differ materially from the amount accrued to date. Until such time as otherwise resolved, the Company will continue to litigate and prepare for trial and to vigorously defend itself in all such matters. Since these matters are still developing, the Company is unable to predict the outcome, but the result of these lawsuits could include excessive monetary verdicts and/or injunctive relief that may affect the Company’s operations. Additional lawsuits regarding the distribution of prescription opioid pain medications have been filed and may continue to be filed by a variety of types of plaintiffs, including lawsuits filed by non-governmental or non-political entities and individuals, among others. The Company is vigorously defending itself in the pending lawsuits and intends to vigorously defend itself against any threatened lawsuits or enforcement proceedings.

Since July 2017, the Company has received subpoenas from several U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including grand jury subpoenas from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey ("USAO-NJ") and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York ("USAO-EDNY"). Those subpoenas requested the production of a broad range of documents pertaining to the Company’s distribution of controlled substances through its various subsidiaries, including ABDC, and its diversion control programs. The Company produced documents in response to the subpoenas and engaged in discussions with the various U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including the Health Care and Government Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division of the USAO-NJ, the U.S. Department of Justice Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, in an attempt to resolve these matters. On December 29, 2022, the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint (the "Complaint") against the Company, ABDC, and Integrated Commercialization Services, LLC ("ICS"), a subsidiary of the Company, alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that the Company negligently failed to report suspicious orders to the Drug Enforcement Administration. In the Complaint, the Department of Justice seeks civil penalties and injunctive relief. This Complaint relates to the aforementioned and previously-disclosed investigations. On March 30, 2023, the Company filed a motion to dismiss the Complaint in its entirety on behalf of itself, ABDC, and ICS. On November 6, 2023, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted in part and denied in part the motion, dismissing with prejudice all claims for civil penalties for Defendants’ alleged violations of the suspicious order reporting requirement prior to October 24, 2018, but otherwise denying the motion. On December 18, 2023, the Company, ABDC and ICS filed an Answer and Affirmative Defenses to the Complaint. On January 23, 2024, the Court entered a Scheduling Order setting the fact discovery deadline as January 9, 2026 and the expert discovery deadline as September 18, 2026. The Company denies the allegations in the Complaint and intends to defend itself vigorously in the litigation.

Shareholder Securities Litigation

On December 30, 2021, Lebanon County Employees' Retirement Fund and Teamsters Local 443 Health Services & Insurance Plan filed a complaint for a purported derivative action in the Delaware Court of Chancery against the Company and certain of its current officers and directors. The complaint alleges claims for breach of fiduciary duty allegedly arising from the Board’s and certain officers' oversight of the Company’s controlled substance diversion control programs. The defendants moved to dismiss the complaint on March 29, 2022. On December 22, 2022, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted the motion to dismiss. On January 9, 2023, the Plaintiffs filed a Motion for Relief from Judgment and Order Pursuant to Rule 60(b) from the Delaware Chancery Court’s judgment. On January 20, 2023, the Plaintiffs also appealed the ruling to the Delaware Supreme Court. On March 21, 2023, the Delaware Court of Chancery denied the Plaintiffs' Motion for Relief from Judgement and Order Pursuant to Rule 60(b). On December 18, 2023, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed the dismissal and remanded the case to the Delaware Court of Chancery for further proceedings. On January 12, 2024, the Company's Board of Directors established a Special Litigation Committee ("SLC") and delegated to the SLC the Board's full authority with respect to the litigation. On March 4, 2024, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted the SLC’s consented-to motion to stay the action pending its investigation of the allegations of the complaint, and the litigation remains stayed.

Subpoenas, Ongoing Investigations, and Other Contingencies

From time to time, the Company receives subpoenas or requests for information from various government agencies relating to the Company’s business or to the business of a customer, supplier, or other industry participant. The Company’s responses often require time and effort and can result in considerable costs being incurred. Most of these matters are resolved without incident; however, such subpoenas or requests can lead to the assertion of claims or the commencement of civil or criminal legal proceedings against the Company and other members of the healthcare industry, as well as to substantial settlements.

In January 2017, U.S. Bioservices Corporation, a former subsidiary of the Company, received a subpoena for information from the USAO-EDNY relating to its activities in connection with billing for products and making returns of potential overpayments to government payers. A filed qui tam complaint related to the investigation was unsealed in April 2019 and the relator filed an amended complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. In December 2019, the government filed a notice that it was declining to intervene. The court ordered that the relator's complaint against the Company and other defendants, including AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group, LLC, be unsealed. The relator's complaint alleged violations of the federal False Claims Act and the false claims acts of various states. The relator filed a second amended complaint, removing one state false claims act count. The Company filed a motion to dismiss the second amended complaint and all briefs on the motion were filed with the court on October 9, 2020. The motion to dismiss was granted on December 22, 2022. The False Claims Act claims were dismissed with prejudice, and the state claims were dismissed without prejudice. On January 24, 2023, the relator filed Motions to Reconsider Dismissal and For Leave to Amend the Complaint. Response briefs on those motions were filed by the Company and all briefing was completed on February 15, 2023.

In December 2019, Reliable Pharmacy, together with other retail pharmacies and North Sunflower Medical Center, filed a civil antitrust complaint against multiple generic drug manufacturers, and also included claims against ABDC and H.D. Smith, and other drug distributors and industry participants. The case is filed as a putative class action and plaintiffs purport to represent a class of drug purchasers including other retail pharmacies and healthcare providers. The case has been consolidated for multidistrict litigation proceedings before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The complaint alleges that ABDC, H.D. Smith, and others in the industry participated in a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate markets and rig bids regarding generic drugs. In March 2020, the plaintiffs filed a further amended complaint. On July 15, 2020, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. On May 25, 2022, the Court granted the motion to dismiss without prejudice. On July 1, 2022, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint, again including claims against ABDC, H.D. Smith, and other drug distributors and industry participants. On August 21, 2022, the Company and other industry participants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. All briefs on the motion were filed with the court on November 22, 2022. On February 3, 2025, the Court granted the motion to dismiss the amended complaint with prejudice.

On March 3, 2022, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia notified the Company of the existence of a criminal investigation into MWI Veterinary Supply Co. ("MWI"), the Company’s animal health subsidiary, in connection with grand jury subpoenas to which MWI previously responded relating to compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements governing wholesale shipments of animal health products to customers. In October 2024, the Company reached an agreement in principle to resolve these claims. Pursuant to the agreement in principle, the Company recorded a $49.1 million litigation expense accrual in its fiscal 2024 Consolidated Statement of Operations. This liability is included in Accrued Expenses and Other on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2024.

Note 10. Antitrust Settlements

Numerous lawsuits have been filed against certain brand pharmaceutical manufacturers alleging that the manufacturer, by itself or in concert with others, took improper actions to delay or prevent generic drugs from entering the market. These lawsuits are generally brought as class actions. The Company has not been named as a plaintiff in these lawsuits but has been a member of the direct purchasers' class (i.e., those purchasers who purchase directly from these pharmaceutical manufacturers). None of the lawsuits has gone to trial, but some have settled in the past with the Company receiving proceeds from the settlement funds. The Company recognized gains related to these lawsuits of $22.9 million and $48.2 million in the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. These gains, which are net of attorney fees and estimated payments due to other parties, were recorded as reductions to cost of goods sold in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Note 11. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The recorded amounts of the Company's cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable as of December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024 approximate fair value based upon the relatively short-term nature of these financial instruments. Within Cash and Cash Equivalents, the Company had $1,661.0 million of investments in money market accounts as of December 31, 2024 and had $1,190.0 million of investments in money market accounts as of September 30, 2024. The fair value of the money market accounts was determined based upon unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets, otherwise known as Level 1 inputs.

The recorded amount of long-term debt (see Note 5) and the corresponding fair value as of December 31, 2024 were $5,935.3 million and $5,651.3 million, respectively. The recorded amount of long-term debt and the corresponding fair value as of September 30, 2024 were $3,811.7 million and $3,588.0 million, respectively. The fair value of long-term debt was determined based upon inputs other than quoted prices, otherwise known as Level 2 inputs.

Note 12. Business Segment Information

The Company is organized geographically based upon the products and services it provides to its customers and reports its results undertwo reportable segments: U.S. Healthcare Solutions and International Healthcare Solutions.

The following illustrates reportable and operating segment disaggregated revenue as required by Accounting Standards Codification 606, "Revenue from Contracts with Customer," for the periods indicated:

Three months endedDecember 31,
(in thousands)20242023
U.S. Healthcare Solutions:
Human Health$72,653,143$63,898,165
Animal Health1,379,9851,285,637
Total U.S. Healthcare Solutions74,033,12865,183,802
International Healthcare Solutions:
Alliance Healthcare5,999,2005,725,564
Other Healthcare Solutions1,458,1411,344,663
Total International Healthcare Solutions7,457,3417,070,227
Intersegment eliminations(3,409)(1,196)
Revenue$81,487,060$72,252,833

The following illustrates reportable segment operating income information for the periods indicated:

Three months endedDecember 31,
(in thousands)20242023
U.S. Healthcare Solutions$767,344$698,124
International Healthcare Solutions182,093187,595
Intersegment eliminations(129)—
Total segment operating income$949,308$885,719

The following reconciles total segment operating income to income before income taxes for the periods indicated:

Three months endedDecember 31,
(in thousands)20242023
Total segment operating income$949,308$885,719
Gains from antitrust litigation settlements22,87048,248
LIFO credit7,32448,445
Turkey highly inflationary impact(7,155)(17,226)
Acquisition-related intangibles amortization(164,856)(165,724)
Litigation and opioid-related (expenses) credit, net(16,765)78,917
Acquisition-related deal and integration expenses(38,712)(21,063)
Restructuring and other expenses(45,760)(34,441)
Operating income706,254822,875
Other loss (income), net57,874(1,087)
Interest expense, net27,93340,564
Income before income taxes$620,447$783,398

Segment operating income is evaluated by the Chief Operating Decision Maker of the Company before gains from antitrust litigation settlements; LIFO credit; Turkey highly inflationary impact; acquisition-related intangibles amortization; litigation and opioid-related (expenses) credit, net; acquisition-related deal and integration expenses; and restructuring and other expenses. All corporate office expenses are allocated to the operating segment level.

Litigation and opioid-related (expenses) credit, net in the three months ended December 31, 2023 included a net $92.2 million opioid litigation settlement accrual reduction primarily as a result of the Company's commitment, which it made in December 2023, to prepay the net present value of a future obligation as permitted under its opioid settlement agreements.

The Company recorded a $35.5 million loss on the divestiture of non-core businesses in the three months ended December 31, 2024.

Note 13. Subsequent Event

As previously disclosed, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire RCA (as defined in Note 5), a leading management services organization of retina specialists. On January 2, 2025, the Company acquired an interest in RCA of approximately 85%, with certain RCA physicians and members of the management team retaining a minority interest in RCA. The Company's cash outlay at closing was $4.4 billion, which included a cash capitalization from the Company to RCA of $350 million and the payment of certain transaction costs. The purchase price is subject to a customary post-closing adjustment. The agreement also provides for the potential payment of up to $500 million in aggregate contingent consideration in fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028, subject to the successful completion of certain predefined business objectives. RCA's future operating results will be consolidated as a component of the U.S. Healthcare Solutions reportable segment.

The purchase price has not yet been allocated to the underlying assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The allocation is pending third-party appraisals of intangible assets and the corresponding deferred taxes, as well as other asset and liability account balances.

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