EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENT AND NOTE RECEIVABLE

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENT AND NOTE RECEIVABLE

As discussed in Note 5, the Company completed the divestiture of a majority stake in Copeland on May 31, 2023, and received upfront, pre-tax cash proceeds of approximately $9.7 billion and a note receivable with a face value of $2.25 billion, while retaining a 40 percent non-controlling common equity interest in Copeland. As a result of the transaction, the Company deconsolidated Copeland from its financial statements, as it no longer had a controlling interest, and initially recognized its common equity investment and note receivable at fair values of $1,359 and $2,052, respectively.

On June 6, 2024, the Company entered into definitive agreements to sell its 40 percent non-controlling common equity interest in Copeland to private equity funds managed by Blackstone for $1.5 billion and its note receivable to Copeland for $1.9 billion, and the transactions were subsequently completed in August 2024. As a result of these transactions, the equity interest and note receivable are reported as held-for-sale in the prior year, and the gain on the sale of the Company's non-controlling common equity interest in Copeland and the historical equity method losses, which were reported since May 2023 in Other deductions, net, have been reclassified and are now reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented (see Note 5).

The Company recognized non-cash interest income on the note receivable (through the date of the agreement) of $86 and $41 in 2024 and 2023, respectively, which is reported in Interest income from related party within continuing operations and capitalized to the carrying value of the note. Upon entering into the note agreement, the Company recorded a pretax loss of $279 ($217 after-tax, $0.38 per share) to adjust the carrying value of the note to $1.9 billion to reflect the transaction price.

During the year ended September 30, 2023, the Company settled a note receivable and note payable with Copeland of $918, which is reported in Investing and Financing cash flows, respectively.

Summarized financial information for Copeland for 2024 and 2023 is presented below. Copeland's results only reflect activity subsequent to the Company's divestiture of its majority stake and through the completion of the sale of the 40 percent non-controlling common equity interest.


	2023		2024
Net sales	$	1,677	4,323
Gross profit	$	479	1,495
Income (loss) from continuing operations	$	(442)	(326)
Net income (loss)	$	(442)	(326)
Net income (loss) attributable to shareholders	$	(442)	(322)