Earnings Per Share
Prior to the completion of the Spin-Off, the Company had no common shares issued and outstanding. On April 1, 2024, there were 172,709,505 shares of Solventum common stock issued and outstanding as part of the Distribution. For the year ended 2023, these shares are treated as issued and outstanding for purposes of calculating historical earnings per share.
The dilutive effect of outstanding stock options, restricted stock units ("RSUs") and performance share units ("PSUs") is reflected in the calculation of earnings per share using the treasury stock method. Diluted earnings per share excludes certain shares issuable under stock-based compensation plans because the effect would have been antidilutive.
The computations for basic and diluted earnings per share are as follows:
Year ended December 31,
(Millions, except per share amounts)202520242023
Numerator:
Net income$1,556 $479 $1,346 
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares outstanding basic
174.1 173.2 172.7 
Dilution associated with stock-based compensation plans1.2 0.5 — 
Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted175.3173.7172.7
Basic earnings per share$8.94 $2.77 $7.79 
Diluted earnings per share $8.88 $2.76 $7.79 
Antidilutive shares3.3 4.0 — 

About Earnings Per Share Disclosures

The earnings per share disclosure breaks down the calculation from net income to both basic and diluted EPS, revealing the full impact of a company's capital structure on per-share economics. The reconciliation between basic and diluted share counts exposes how many stock options, RSUs, convertible securities, and warrants are potentially dilutive to existing shareholders.

Key signals: a widening gap between basic and diluted shares indicates growing dilution from equity compensation or convertible instruments. Anti-dilutive securities excluded from the diluted calculation deserve attention — they represent latent dilution that will materialize if the stock price rises. Watch for the effect of share buybacks on per-share metrics: EPS growth driven primarily by repurchases rather than income growth signals weakening fundamentals. Compare year-over-year changes in the diluted share count against equity compensation expense to assess whether management is effectively managing dilution.