Solventum (NYSE:SOLV) raised its 2026 earnings outlook after reporting third-quarter results that exceeded its expectations for organic growth and earnings, even as the reversal of advance orders weighed on sales.
The health care company reported sales of $1.95 billion, down 7% from a year earlier, and earnings per share of $1.45. Organic sales declined 2.8%, reflecting the reversal of $125 million in advance orders placed ahead of an enterprise resource planning, or ERP, system cutover.
Chief Executive Officer Bryan Hanson said the company completed its largest and most complex ERP cutover during the quarter, leaving its separation from 3M more than 90% complete. The financial figures discussed on the call were non-GAAP unless otherwise identified.
Advance orders weighed on sales and margins
Chief Financial Officer Wayde McMillan said the reversal of orders that had benefited the second quarter reduced third-quarter organic sales growth by approximately 6.3 percentage points. On a normalized basis, accounting for the ERP timing impact and product rationalization headwinds, organic growth was approximately 4%, he said.
The normalized figure did not include growth from Acera, which would have added approximately 0.5 percentage point to total growth, McMillan said. Acera contributed $35 million in reported sales and grew 35% in the quarter.
By segment:
- MedSurg: Sales were $1.2 billion, with organic sales down 2.8%. Advanced Wound Care grew 1.5% organically, while Infection Prevention and Surgical Solutions declined 5.7%.
- Dental Solutions: Sales were $317 million, with an organic decline of 7.4%. The reversal of advance orders represented more than 10 percentage points of headwind.
- Health Information Systems: Sales were $356 million, up 4.4% organically, supported by revenue cycle management solutions and customer retention.
Gross margin increased 1.2 percentage points from a year earlier to 57.1%. Operating margin fell to 19.9% from 20.6%, primarily because of the reversal of the ERP-related sales benefit. Excluding that timing impact, operating margin was approximately 22.3%, ahead of expectations, McMillan said.
Higher earnings outlook and margin confidence
Solventum raised its full-year earnings outlook to $7.20 to $7.30 per share from $7.10 to $7.20. It also said it expects organic sales growth toward the high end of its existing 2.5% to 3% range and operating margin toward the high end of its 22.2% to 22.7% range.
The company maintained its free cash flow outlook of $200 million to $300 million and expects the majority of that cash flow in the fourth quarter as separation costs decline. Excluding separation and portfolio-related costs, underlying free cash flow is tracking to approximately $1 billion for the year, McMillan said.
Solventum now expects full-year gross margin of approximately 57%, including a 1.2-percentage-point annual benefit from a second-quarter tariff refund. McMillan said the company remains confident it can expand margins in 2027 despite the absence of that one-time benefit, though it is not yet providing formal 2027 guidance.
3M agreement and planned HIS separation
Solventum renegotiated its raw material supply agreement with 3M. In exchange for a volume commitment over time, the amended agreement eliminates a scheduled April 2027 increase in product costs, McMillan said. The company no longer expects an additional 1-percentage-point gross margin headwind that could have begun in the third quarter of 2027.
McMillan said Solventum has exited just over 90% of its transition service agreements with 3M and plans to complete the balance by the end of 2027. Hanson identified rebranding as a longer-running part of the separation work.
Meanwhile, Solventum is pursuing both spin-off and sale options for its Health Information Systems business, which it announced plans to separate in August. McMillan said it was reasonable to expect approximately 4 percentage points of annualized net operating margin dilution for the remaining company, after considering anticipated short-term transition service agreement benefits and plans for cost reductions.
Hanson said it was too early to quantify any earnings-per-share dilution because the separation method remains undecided. The company plans to use proceeds to reduce debt and maintain its investment-grade credit rating, with the majority of remaining proceeds returned to shareholders, McMillan said.
Acera clearance supports growth strategy
Hanson said Acera’s integration remains on track and that the business delivered its best quarter on record. Solventum received 510(k) clearance for the combined use of Acera’s Restrata product with its V.A.C. negative pressure wound therapy faster than expected, allowing the company to co-market the technologies.
Asked whether the clearance could extend Acera’s growth runway, Hanson said it confirmed assumptions underlying the acquisition rather than necessarily changing its growth trajectory.
Hanson said Solventum’s growth plans rely on greater use of existing products, new product launches and acquisitions rather than an improvement in medical or dental market growth. The company plans to discuss its product pipeline and commercial strategy at an investor day in March 2027.
About Solventum (NYSE:SOLV)
Solventum is a global healthcare company that develops products and services for hospitals, dental professionals, health systems and other care providers. It was formed from 3M’s healthcare business and became an independent public company in April 2024.
The company’s offerings include medical and surgical supplies, wound-care products, sterilization and infection-prevention solutions, dental materials and technologies, and software for health information management. Its products and services support clinical care, dental care and healthcare administration.
Solventum serves customers in the United States and international markets.
