SOLV · 10-Q · 2026Q3 · Full report

Operating Expense Trends

Solventum Corp · 2026-11-05 · Importance 44 · Surprise 40

SG&A rose to 41.7% of total net sales in the third quarter of 2026 from 37.2% a year earlier, and to 41.6% for the first nine months from 36.7%. The quarterly increase reflected higher costs from the Transform for the Future restructuring program and lower sales following the July ERP deployment. The nine-month increase also reflected accrued legal expenses, partly offset by insurance recoveries, and higher costs to separate operations from 3M. R&D was 9.3% of sales in the third quarter versus 8.7% a year earlier, driven by additional amortization from the Acera acquisition, partly offset by higher capitalized software development costs.

Key facts

• Solventum's SG&A as a percentage of net sales increased 4.5 percentage points in the third quarter and 5.0 percentage points in the first nine months of 2026 versus the corresponding 2025 periods. source
• Third-quarter SG&A as a percentage of sales rose because of higher Transform for the Future restructuring costs and lower sales following the July ERP deployment. source
• SG&A as a percentage of sales for the first nine months of 2026 increased primarily because of Transform for the Future restructuring, accrued legal expenses partly offset by insurance recoveries, and higher costs to separate operations from 3M. source
• Third-quarter 2026 R&D as a percentage of net sales increased due to additional amortization expense from the Acera acquisition, partly offset by higher capitalized software development costs. source
• Solventum identifies inability to successfully deploy its new ERP system and related business disruption as a risk. source