Zimmer Biomet Holdings (ZBH) risk factors, FY2025 10-K

Zimmer Biomet Holdings's FY2025 10-K, filed Feb 20, 2026, lists 31 risk factors in 4 groups. Against the prior year's 27: 5 new, 1 dropped, 8 substantially reworded.

Risk factors listed
314 groups
New this year
5vs 27 last year
Dropped
1since the prior 10-K
Substantially reworded
8of those kept
Section length
10k wordsItem 1A

What the changes say

  • Sales-force conversion and product portfolio rationalization create execution, retention, supply-chain and cost risks.
  • Natural disasters, corporate-responsibility expectations and geopolitical conflicts broaden operational and reputational exposure.
  • Goodwill increased to $9.9 billion and intangible assets to $4.7 billion, increasing impairment sensitivity.

What changed since the prior 10-K

New

  • NewRisks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy

    We are transforming aspects of our sales and distribution network and go-to-market model in the U.S. and certain other markets, and these efforts may not be successful and they involve risks and challenges that may adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition

    Converting U.S. distributors and representatives to employees and specializing sales roles could cause departures, coverage gaps, disruptions, higher costs and lower sales.

  • NewRisks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy

    Our product portfolio rationalization activities may not be successful or we may not fully realize the expected cost savings and/or operating efficiencies from our portfolio rationalization initiatives

    Rationalizing products could reduce customer-valued breadth, disrupt supply and inventory, increase impairments, and fail to deliver expected savings.

  • NewRisks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy

    Natural disasters, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address natural disasters, could materially adversely affect our business and financial results

    Natural disasters and related regulatory or market responses could damage facilities, disrupt supply chains, and raise input, energy and transportation costs.

  • NewRisks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy

    Our commitments, goals and disclosures related to corporate responsibility matters, and the perception of our activities in these areas, may adversely impact us

    Failure to satisfy differing climate, social and governance expectations could reduce product demand and cause customer, employee or stakeholder losses.

  • NewFinancial, Credit and Liquidity Risks

    economic activities between or among these economies. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations

    Expanding conflicts, sanctions and disruptions such as Red Sea shipping attacks could increase costs, delay manufacturing and shipping, and impair market collections.

Dropped

  • DroppedLegal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks

    adverse regulatory action, depending on its magnitude, may restrict us from effectively manufacturing, marketing and selling our products and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations

Reworded

  • 89% rewrittenFinancial, Credit and Liquidity Risks

    Violations of foreign laws or regulations could result in fines; criminal sanctions against us, our directors, officers, employees, agents or distributors; prohibitions or restrictions relating to the conduct of our business; and damage to our reputation

    The named politically sensitive countries now include Russia and Venezuela, expanding the stated geopolitical exposure.

  • 76% rewrittenFinancial, Credit and Liquidity Risks

    Changes in tax laws in countries in which we do business are expected to negatively impact our effective tax rate; further changes in tax laws may have a further negative impact

    The discussion now describes the 15% OECD Pillar Two framework, U.S. non-adoption, and adoption or planned adoption elsewhere instead of forecasting specific effects.

  • 57% rewrittenRisks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy

    Challenges integrating, transitioning and implementing a new enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system have adversely affected our business and operations, and may in the future have further adverse effects

    The current text removes the specific reference to the fiscal-2024 Americas transition to a new ERP system while retaining general integration risks.

  • 50% rewrittenFinancial, Credit and Liquidity Risks

    Tariffs, trade restrictions and other trade measures have adversely affected, and could continue to adversely affect, our business and financial results

    The risk now states tariffs and trade measures have already caused adverse effects, in addition to potentially causing future harm.

    Was: Tariffs, trade restrictions and other trade measures could adversely affect our business and financial results

  • 31% rewrittenRisks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy

    suffer other adverse consequences

    The text removes the commitment to dedicate significant protective resources and adds explicit risks from system breakdown, intrusion, corruption and destruction.

  • 30% rewrittenFinancial, Credit and Liquidity Risks

    Future material impairments in the carrying value of our intangible assets, including goodwill, would negatively affect our operating results

    Reported goodwill increased from $9.0 billion to $9.9 billion, while intangible assets increased from $4.6 billion to $4.7 billion.

  • 23% rewrittenRisks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy

    Interruption of manufacturing or distribution operations could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations

    The current wording states manufacturing interruptions have already adversely affected operations and retains cyberattacks, compliance, equipment and geopolitical causes.

  • 20% rewrittenRisks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy

    Our success depends on our ability to effectively develop and market our products against those of our competitors

    No substantive change is shown; the current text repeats the prior-year competitive, technology, regulatory, forecasting, manufacturing and distribution risks.

All 31 risk factors

Headings as the filing states them, in filing order.

Risks Related to our Business, Operations and Strategy

  1. 01Our success depends on our ability to effectively develop and market our products against those of our competitors20% rewritten
  2. 02Our products may become obsolete, customers may not buy our products, and our revenue and profitability may decline without the timely introduction of new products and enhancements, due to changes in markets, changes in our strategy, or due to changes in applicable standards of care
  3. 03Our success largely depends on our ability to attract, retain, develop and motivate our human capital, including our senior management, key employees and key third parties, and on our ability to have meaningful succession plans in place to prepare for foreseen and unforeseen changes
  4. 04We are transforming aspects of our sales and distribution network and go-to-market model in the U.S. and certain other markets, and these efforts may not be successful and they involve risks and challenges that may adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial conditionNew
  5. 05Our restructuring programs may not be successful or we may not fully realize the expected cost savings and/or operating efficiencies from our restructuring initiatives
  6. 06Our product portfolio rationalization activities may not be successful or we may not fully realize the expected cost savings and/or operating efficiencies from our portfolio rationalization initiativesNew
  7. 07We may not be able to effectively integrate acquired businesses into our operations or achieve expected cost savings or profitability from our acquisitions
  8. 08inability to generate sufficient revenue or realize sufficient cost savings to offset acquisition or investment costs
  9. 09Interruption of manufacturing or distribution operations could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations23% rewritten
  10. 10Challenges integrating, transitioning and implementing a new enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system have adversely affected our business and operations, and may in the future have further adverse effects57% rewritten
  11. 11Disruptions in the supply of the materials and components used in manufacturing our products or the sterilization of our products by us or third-party suppliers could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations
  12. 12We and our business partners are dependent on sophisticated information technology and if we fail to effectively maintain or protect our information systems and data, including from cybersecurity events, our business could be adversely affected
  13. 13suffer other adverse consequences31% rewritten
  14. 14Business interruptions and disruptions have adversely impacted, and may, either alone or in combination with other risks, in the future adversely impact, our business, results of operations and financial condition, the nature and extent of which impacts are uncertain and unpredictable
  15. 15Natural disasters, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address natural disasters, could materially adversely affect our business and financial resultsNew
  16. 16Our commitments, goals and disclosures related to corporate responsibility matters, and the perception of our activities in these areas, may adversely impact usNew

Financial, Credit and Liquidity Risks

  1. 17limit our ability to apply proceeds from a future offering or asset sale to purposes other than the servicing and repayment of debt
  2. 18Changes in tax laws in countries in which we do business are expected to negatively impact our effective tax rate; further changes in tax laws may have a further negative impact76% rewritten
  3. 19We may have additional tax liabilities as a result of examinations and audits
  4. 20If our independent agents and distributors are characterized as employees, we would be subject to additional tax and other liabilities
  5. 21Future material impairments in the carrying value of our intangible assets, including goodwill, would negatively affect our operating results30% rewritten
  6. 22We conduct a significant amount of our sales and manufacturing activities outside of the U.S., which subjects us to additional business risks and may cause our profitability to decline due to increased costs
  7. 23Violations of foreign laws or regulations could result in fines; criminal sanctions against us, our directors, officers, employees, agents or distributors; prohibitions or restrictions relating to the conduct of our business; and damage to our reputation89% rewritten
  8. 24economic activities between or among these economies. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operationsNew
  9. 25Tariffs, trade restrictions and other trade measures have adversely affected, and could continue to adversely affect, our business and financial results50% rewritten
  10. 26We are subject to risks arising from currency exchange rate fluctuations, which can increase our costs, cause our profitability to decline and expose us to counterparty risks

Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks

  1. 27If we fail to comply with healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations, we could face substantial penalties and our business, operations and financial condition could be adversely affected
  2. 28If we fail to comply with data privacy and security laws and regulations, we could face substantial penalties and our business, operations and financial condition could be adversely affected
  3. 29Pending and future product liability claims and litigation could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations and impair our reputation
  4. 30We are involved in legal proceedings that may result in adverse outcomes

Risks Related to Our Organizational Documents and Jurisdiction of Incorporation

  1. 31Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents could delay or prevent a change of control

Other Zimmer Biomet Holdings 10-Ks

  • FY2024 10-K risk factors
    27 risks

    Zimmer Biomet faces heavy competitive and obsolescence risks in the musculoskeletal implant market.

    Filed Feb 25, 2025

About this page

The headings are the filing's own. The one-line readings and the overview are automated and can be wrong: read Item 1A of the 10-K for the exact wording.