Full Press Release Details
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2017 FINANCIAL RESULTS; PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR FULL YEAR 2018; INCREASES DIVIDEND 11% TO $0.50 PER QUARTER
SECAUCUS, N.J., February 1, 2018 - Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, announced today financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2017.
"We delivered a strong fourth quarter, which included 4% revenue growth and 7% adjusted EPS growth," said Steve Rusckowski, Chairman, CEO and President. "In 2017 we made great progress accelerating growth and driving operational excellence. We announced seven acquisitions and exited the year exceeding our $1.3 billion goal of cumulative run rate Invigorate savings.
"In 2018 our guidance for the full year is aligned with our long term outlook even before the meaningful benefit of tax reform. We expect to deliver continued acceleration of top-line growth of 4-5% and more than 20% adjusted earnings growth, driven in part by solid mid to high single digit earnings growth from operations."
Mr. Rusckowski continued, "Quest is a beneficiary of recent tax legislation, which enables us to further grow earnings per share and invest in our business and our people. The benefits of tax reform will also help offset new Medicare reimbursement reductions under PAMA, which represent a headwind to our company and industry."
| Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | Change | 2017 | 2016 | Change | ||||||||||||||||
| (dollars in millions, except per share data) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Reported: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Net revenues (a) (c) | $ | 1,936 | $ | 1,861 | 4.1 | % | $ | 7,709 | $ | 7,515 | 2.6 | % | |||||||||
| DIS revenues | $ | 1,853 | $ | 1,773 | 4.5 | % | $ | 7,370 | $ | 7,138 | 3.3 | % | |||||||||
| Revenue per requisition | 2.1 | % | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Requisition volume | 2.4 | % | 2.3 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating income (b) (c) | $ | 269 | $ | 276 | (2.5 | )% | $ | 1,165 | $ | 1,277 | (8.8 | )% | |||||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of net revenues (c) | 13.9 | % | 14.8 | % | (90) bps | 15.1 | % | 17.0 | % | (190) bps | |||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Quest Diagnostics (c) (d) | $ | 254 | $ | 155 | 64.0 | % | $ | 772 | $ | 645 | 19.8 | % | |||||||||
| Diluted earnings per share (c) (d) | $ | 1.82 | $ | 1.09 | 67.0 | % | $ | 5.50 | $ | 4.51 | 22.0 | % | |||||||||
| Cash provided by operations (e) | $ | 323 | $ | 304 | 6.0 | % | $ | 1,175 | $ | 1,069 | 9.9 | % | |||||||||
| Capital expenditures | $ | 82 | $ | 128 | (35.6 | )% | $ | 252 | $ | 293 | (14.0 | )% | |||||||||
| Adjusted: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues on an equivalent basis | $ | 1,936 | $ | 1,861 | 4.1 | % | $ | 7,709 | $ | 7,489 | 2.9 | % | |||||||||
| Operating income (f) | $ | 317 | $ | 305 | 4.0 | % | $ | 1,282 | $ | 1,230 | 4.2 | % | |||||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of net revenues | 16.4 | % | 16.4 | % | 0 bps | 16.6 | % | 16.4 | % | 20 bps | |||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Quest Diagnostics (d) | $ | 180 | $ | 173 | 4.3 | % | $ | 740 | $ | 682 | 8.6 | % | |||||||||
| Diluted earnings per share excluding amortization (d) | $ | 1.40 | $ | 1.31 | 6.9 | % | $ | 5.67 | $ | 5.15 | 10.1 | % |
| First Quarter | Second Quarter | Third Quarter | Fourth Quarter | Total Year | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in millions, except per share data) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Income tax benefit | $ | 16 | $ | 13 | $ | 7 | $ | 1 | $ | 37 | |||||||||
| Diluted EPS | $ | 0.11 | $ | 0.10 | $ | 0.04 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.27 | |||||||||
| 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Income tax benefit | $ | 2 | $ | 2 | $ | 3 | $ | 2 | $ | 9 | |||||||||
| Diluted EPS | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.06 |
Quest Diagnostics' Board of Directors authorized an 11% increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.45 to $0.50 per share, or $2.00 per share annually, payable on April 18, 2018 to shareholders of record of Quest Diagnostics common stock on April 4, 2018. This dividend increase is the company's seventh since 2011.
In 2018 the company expects to realize approximately $180 million in tax savings on an adjusted basis. Of this amount, the company plans to reinvest roughly $75 million before tax back into the business and its employees, resulting in a benefit of approximately $120 million to net earnings. Investment initiatives include:
Guidance for Full Year 2018
Beginning in 2018, the company will change how it presents adjusted diluted EPS excluding amortization expense to additionally exclude ETB. The company believes this presentation provides investors with additional insight into the company's operational performance as well as the impact of TCJA. As a result, the company's presentation of 2018 adjusted diluted EPS guidance described below excludes the impact of special items, amortization expense and ETB. For the full year 2017, adjusted diluted EPS excluding amortization expense and ETB was $5.40.
The company estimates full year 2018 results as follows:
| Low | High | ||
| Revenues (a) | $7.70 billion | $7.77 billion | |
| Revenue increase (a) | 4% | 5% | |
| Reported diluted EPS | $5.42 | $5.62 | |
| Adjusted diluted EPS excluding amortization expense and ETB | $6.50 | $6.70 | |
| Cash provided by operations | Approximately $1.3 billion | ||
| Capital expenditures | $350 million | $400 million |
Note on Non-GAAP Financial Measures
As used in this press release the term "reported" refers to measures under the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). The term "adjusted" refers to non-GAAP measures as follows: (i) for the purpose of income measures the term "adjusted" refers to operating performance measures that exclude special items such as the gain on sale of the Focus Diagnostics products business, the effect of changes in tax law on our deferred tax assets (liabilities) and reserves, the retirement of debt and related refinancing charges, restructuring and integration charges, and other items; (ii) the term "adjusted diluted EPS excluding amortization expense" represents the company's diluted EPS before the impact of special items (described above) and amortization expense; (iii) the term "adjusted diluted EPS excluding amortization expense and ETB" represents the company's diluted EPS before the impact of special items (described above), amortization expense, and ETB, (iv) reference to "revenues on an equivalent basis" when comparing 2017 to 2016 represents 2016 reported revenues excluding all Focus Diagnostics products revenues.
Non-GAAP adjusted measures are presented because management believes those measures are useful adjuncts to GAAP results. Non-GAAP adjusted measures should not be considered as an alternative to the corresponding measures determined under GAAP. Management may use these non-GAAP measures to evaluate our performance period over period and relative to competitors, to analyze the underlying trends in our business, to establish operational budgets and forecasts and for incentive compensation purposes. We believe that these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors and analysts to evaluate our performance period over period and relative to competitors, as well as to analyze the underlying trends in our business and to assess our performance. The additional tables attached below include reconciliations of adjusted measures to GAAP measures.
Conference Call Information
Quest Diagnostics will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss financial results beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time today. The conference call can be accessed in listen-only mode by dialing 773-756-0467, passcode 3214469. The company suggests participants dial in approximately 10 minutes before the call.
A replay of the call may be accessed online at www.QuestDiagnostics.com/investor or by phone at 888-667-5784 for domestic callers or 402-220-6427 for international callers. Telephone replays will be available from approximately 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on February 1, 2018 until midnight Eastern Time on February 15, 2018. Anyone listening to the call is encouraged to read the company's periodic reports, on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion of risk factors and historical results of operations and financial condition in those reports.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 45,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
The statements in this press release which are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they are made and which reflect management's current estimates, projections, expectations or beliefs and which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to be materially different. Risks and uncertainties that may affect the future results of the company include, but are not limited to, adverse results from pending or future government investigations, lawsuits or private actions, the competitive environment, changes in government regulations, changing relationships with customers, payers, suppliers or strategic partners and other factors discussed in the company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and in any of the company's subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including those discussed in the "Business," "Risk Factors," "Cautionary Factors that May Affect Future Results" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of those reports.
For further information: Denny Moynihan, Quest Diagnostics (Media): 973-520-2800, Shawn Bevec, Quest Diagnostics (Investors): 973-520-2900
This earnings release, including the attached financial tables, is available online in the Newsroom section at www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
ADDITIONAL TABLES FOLLOW
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
For the Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2017 and 2016
(in millions, except per share data)
| Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||||||||
| Net revenues | $ | 1,936 | $ | 1,861 | $ | 7,709 | $ | 7,515 | |||||||
| Operating costs and expenses and other operating income: | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of services | 1,194 | 1,160 | 4,719 | 4,616 | |||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | 453 | 400 | 1,750 | 1,681 | |||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 20 | 18 | 74 | 72 | |||||||||||
| Gain on disposition of business | - | - | - | (118 | ) | ||||||||||
| Other operating expense (income), net | - | 7 | 1 | (13 | ) | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses, net | 1,667 | 1,585 | 6,544 | 6,238 | |||||||||||
| Operating income | 269 | 276 | 1,165 | 1,277 | |||||||||||
| Other income (expense): | |||||||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | (39 | ) | (36 | ) | (151 | ) | (143 | ) | |||||||
| Other income (expense), net | 4 | 2 | 16 | (48 | ) | ||||||||||
| Total non-operating expenses, net | (35 | ) | (34 | ) | (135 | ) | (191 | ) | |||||||
| Income before income taxes and equity in earnings of equity method investees | 234 | 242 | 1,030 | 1,086 | |||||||||||
| Income tax benefit (expense) | 23 | (84 | ) | (241 | ) | (429 | ) | ||||||||
| Equity in earnings of equity method investees, net of taxes | 10 | 9 | 35 | 39 | |||||||||||
| Net income | 267 | 167 | 824 | 696 | |||||||||||
| Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | 13 | 12 | 52 | 51 | |||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Quest Diagnostics | $ | 254 | $ | 155 | $ | 772 | $ | 645 | |||||||
| Earnings per share attributable to Quest Diagnostics' common stockholders: | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 1.86 | $ | 1.11 | $ | 5.63 | $ | 4.58 | |||||||
| Diluted | $ | 1.82 | $ | 1.09 | $ | 5.50 | $ | 4.51 | |||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding: | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | 136 | 138 | 137 | 140 | |||||||||||
| Diluted | 139 | 141 | 140 | 142 |
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, 2017 and 2016
(in millions, except per share data)
| December 31, 2017 | December 31, 2016 | ||||||
| Assets | |||||||
| Current assets: | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 137 | $ | 359 | |||
| Accounts receivable, net | 924 | 926 | |||||
| Inventories | 95 | 82 | |||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 150 | 155 | |||||
| Assets held for sale | - | 9 | |||||
| Total current assets | 1,306 | 1,531 | |||||
| Property, plant and equipment, net | 1,145 | 1,029 | |||||
| Goodwill | 6,335 | 6,000 | |||||
| Intangible assets, net | 1,119 | 949 | |||||
| Investment in equity method investees | 462 | 443 | |||||
| Other assets | 136 | 148 | |||||
| Total assets | $ | 10,503 | $ | 10,100 | |||
| Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | |||||||
| Current liabilities: | |||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $ | 1,021 | $ | 975 | |||
| Current portion of long-term debt | 36 | 6 | |||||
| Total current liabilities | 1,057 | 981 | |||||
| Long-term debt | 3,748 | 3,728 | |||||
| Other liabilities | 663 | 654 | |||||
| Redeemable noncontrolling interest | 80 | 77 | |||||
| Stockholders' equity: | |||||||
| Quest Diagnostics stockholders' equity: | |||||||
| Common stock, par value $0.01 per share; 600 shares authorized as of both December 31, 2017 and 2016; 216 shares issued as of both December 31, 2017 and 2016 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 2,612 | 2,545 | |||||
| Retained earnings | 7,138 | 6,613 | |||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (48 | ) | (72 | ) | |||
| Treasury stock, at cost; 81 shares and 79 shares as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively | (4,783 | ) | (4,460 | ) | |||
| Total Quest Diagnostics stockholders' equity | 4,921 | 4,628 | |||||
| Noncontrolling interests | 34 | 32 | |||||
| Total stockholders' equity | 4,955 | 4,660 | |||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | 10,503 | $ | 10,100 |
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2017 and 2016
| Twelve Months Ended December 31, | |||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | ||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities: | |||||||
| Net income | $ | 824 | $ | 696 | |||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 270 | 249 | |||||
| Provision for doubtful accounts | 315 | 308 | |||||
| Deferred income tax provision | 9 | 37 | |||||
| Stock-based compensation expense | 79 | 69 | |||||
| Gain on disposition of business | - | (118 | ) | ||||
| Other, net | (6 | ) | (6 | ) | |||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | |||||||
| Accounts receivable | (298 | ) | (343 | ) | |||
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | (8 | ) | 56 | ||||
| Income taxes payable | 16 | 42 | |||||
| Termination of interest rate swap agreements | - | 54 | |||||
| Other assets and liabilities, net | (26 | ) | 25 | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 1,175 | 1,069 | |||||
| Cash flows from investing activities: | |||||||
| Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired | (581 | ) | (139 | ) | |||
| Proceeds from disposition of business | 1 | 270 | |||||
| Escrow proceeds associated with disposition of business | 25 | - | |||||
| Capital expenditures | (252 | ) | (293 | ) | |||
| Decrease in investments and other assets | 2 | 10 | |||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (805 | ) | (152 | ) | |||
| Cash flows from financing activities: | |||||||
| Proceeds from borrowings | 205 | 1,869 | |||||
| Repayments of debt | (182 | ) | (1,724 | ) | |||
| Purchases of treasury stock | (465 | ) | (590 | ) | |||
| Exercise of stock options | 130 | 73 | |||||
| Employee payroll tax withholdings on stock issued under stock-based compensation plans | (23 | ) | (10 | ) | |||
| Dividends paid | (247 | ) | (223 | ) | |||
| Distributions to noncontrolling interests | (51 | ) | (41 | ) | |||
| Sale of noncontrolling interest in subsidiary | 4 | - | |||||
| Payment of deferred business acquisition consideration | (3 | ) | - | ||||
| Other financing activities, net | 40 | (45 | ) | ||||
| Net cash used in financing activities | (592 | ) | (691 | ) | |||
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents | (222 | ) | 226 | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period | 359 | 133 | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents, end of period | $ | 137 | $ | 359 | |||
| Cash paid during the period for: | |||||||
| Interest | $ | 159 | $ | 148 | |||
| Income taxes | $ | 243 | $ | 361 |
Notes to Financial Tables
| Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||||||||
| (in millions, except per share data) | |||||||||||||||
| Amounts attributable to Quest Diagnostics' common stockholders: | |||||||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Quest Diagnostics | $ | 254 | $ | 155 | $ | 772 | $ | 645 | |||||||
| Less: Earnings allocated to participating securities | 1 | - | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| Earnings available to Quest Diagnostics' common stockholders - basic and diluted | $ | 253 | $ | 155 | $ | 769 | $ | 642 | |||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic | 136 | 138 | 137 | 140 | |||||||||||
| Effect of dilutive securities: | |||||||||||||||
| Stock options and performance share units | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted | 139 | 141 | 140 | 142 | |||||||||||
| Earnings per share attributable to Quest Diagnostics' common stockholders: | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 1.86 | $ | 1.11 | $ | 5.63 | $ | 4.58 | |||||||
| Diluted | $ | 1.82 | $ | 1.09 | $ | 5.50 | $ | 4.51 |
| Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||||||||
| (dollars in millions, except per share data) | |||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating income: | |||||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 269 | $ | 276 | $ | 1,165 | $ | 1,277 | |||||||
| Gain on disposition of business (a) | - | - | - | (118 | ) | ||||||||||
| Restructuring and integration charges (b) | 42 | 23 | 105 | 78 | |||||||||||
| Other (c) | 6 | 6 | 12 | (7 | ) | ||||||||||
| Adjusted operating income | $ | 317 | $ | 305 | $ | 1,282 | $ | 1,230 |
| Adjusted operating income as a percentage of net revenues: | |||||||||||
| Operating income as a percentage of net revenues | 13.9 | % | 14.8 | % | 15.1 | % | 17.0 | % | |||
| Gain on disposition of business (a) | - | - | - | (1.5 | ) | ||||||
| Restructuring and integration charges (b) | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.0 | |||||||
| Other (c) | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | (0.1 | ) | ||||||
| Adjusted operating income as a percentage of net revenues | 16.4 | % | 16.4 | % | 16.6 | % | 16.4 | % |
| Adjusted net income: | |||||||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Quest Diagnostics | $ | 254 | $ | 155 | $ | 772 | $ | 645 | |||||||
| Gain on disposition of business (a) | - | - | - | (118 | ) | ||||||||||
| Retirement of debt and related refinancing charges (d) | - | - | - | 48 | |||||||||||
| Restructuring and integration charges (b) | 42 | 24 | 106 | 82 | |||||||||||
| Other (c) | 6 | 6 | 10 | - | |||||||||||
| Income tax (benefit) expense associated with the special items (e) | (122 | ) | (12 | ) | (148 | ) | 25 | ||||||||
| Adjusted net income | $ | 180 | $ | 173 | $ | 740 | $ | 682 |
| Adjusted diluted EPS excluding amortization expense: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings per common share | $ | 1.82 | $ | 1.09 | $ | 5.50 | $ | 4.51 | |||||||
| Gain on disposition of business (a) (e) | - | - | - | (0.24 | ) | ||||||||||
| Retirement of debt and related refinancing charges (d) (e) | - | - | - | 0.21 | |||||||||||
| Restructuring and integration charges (b) (e) | 0.19 | 0.10 | 0.47 | 0.35 | |||||||||||
| Certain income tax benefits (e) | (0.77 | ) | - | (0.77 | ) | - | |||||||||
| Other (c) (e) | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.07 | (0.06 | ) | ||||||||||
| Amortization expense (f) | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.40 | 0.38 | |||||||||||
| Adjusted diluted EPS excluding amortization expense | 1.40 | 1.31 | 5.67 | 5.15 | |||||||||||
| ETB (g) | (0.02 | ) | (0.01 | ) | (0.27 | ) | (0.06 | ) | |||||||
| Adjusted diluted EPS excluding amortization expense and ETB | $ | 1.38 | $ | 1.30 | $ | 5.40 | $ | 5.09 |
| Revenue on an equivalent basis: | |||||||||||||||
| Net revenues | $ | 1,936 | $ | 1,861 | $ | 7,709 | $ | 7,515 | |||||||
| Excluded revenue (h) | - | - | - | (26 | ) | ||||||||||
| Revenue on an equivalent basis | $ | 1,936 | $ | 1,861 | $ | 7,709 | $ | 7,489 |
| Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||||||||
| (dollars in millions) | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of services | $ | 14 | $ | 15 | $ | 45 | $ | 40 | |||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | 28 | 7 | 60 | 37 | |||||||||||
| Other operating expense, net | - | 1 | - | 1 | |||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 42 | $ | 23 | $ | 105 | $ | 78 | |||||||
| Equity in earnings of equity method investees, net of taxes | $ | - | $ | 1 | $ | 1 | $ | 4 |
| Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||||||||
| (dollars in millions) | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of Sales | $ | 2 | $ | - | $ | 5 | $ | - | |||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | 4 | - | 7 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Other operating expense (income), net | - | 6 | - | (13 | ) | ||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 6 | $ | 6 | $ | 12 | $ | (7 | ) | ||||||
| Other non-operating (income) expense, net | $ | - | $ | - | $ | (2 | ) | $ | 7 |
| Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||||||||
| (dollars in millions) | |||||||||||||||
| Gain on disposition of business | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 84 | |||||||
| Retirement of debt and related refinancing charges | - | - | - | (18 | ) | ||||||||||
| Restructuring and integration charges | (16 | ) | (9 | ) | (41 | ) | (32 | ) | |||||||
| Other | - | (3 | ) | (1 | ) | (9 | ) | ||||||||
| Certain income tax benefits (1) | (106 | ) | - | (106 | ) | - | |||||||||
| $ | (122 | ) | $ | (12 | ) | $ | (148 | ) | $ | 25 |
(1) - For the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2017, certain income tax benefits represents the net tax benefit associated with the TCJA. The company recorded an estimated net income tax benefit of $106 million associated with the TCJA, including a deferred income tax benefit of $115 million primarily due to the remeasurement of net deferred tax liabilities and reserves at the new combined tax rate of 25.5%, partially offset by $9 million of current tax expense primarily due to the mandatory repatriation toll charge on undistributed foreign earnings and profits.
| Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||||||||
| (dollars in millions) | |||||||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | $ | 20 | $ | 18 | $ | 74 | $ | 72 | |||||||
| Equity in earnings of equity method investees, net of taxes | 4 | 4 | 16 | 16 | |||||||||||
| $ | 24 | $ | 22 | $ | 90 | $ | 88 |
sale of Focus Diagnostics products and $47 million of pre-tax cash charges, or $30 million after the related cash tax benefit, related to the retirement of debt, which were partially offset by $54 million of proceeds received from the termination of interest rate swap agreements.
| Low | High | ||||||
| Diluted earnings per common share | $ | 5.42 | $ | 5.62 | |||
| Restructuring and integration charges (a) | 0.59 | 0.59 | |||||
| Amortization expense (b) | 0.53 | 0.53 | |||||
| ETB (c) | (0.04 | ) | (0.04 | ) | |||
| Adjusted diluted EPS excluding amortization expense and ETB | $ | 6.50 | $ | 6.70 |
| Amortization of intangible assets | $ | 82 | ||
| Amortization expense included in equity in earnings of equity method investees, net of taxes | 16 | |||
| Total pre-tax amortization expense | $ | 98 | ||
| Total amortization expense, net of an estimated tax benefit | $ | 73 |
The following table reconciles our 2017 net revenues determined under current revenue recognition rules with 2017 net revenue adjusted to reflect the impact of the new revenue recognition rules:
| Three Months Ended | Year Ended | ||||||||||||||||||
| March 31, 2017 | June 30, 2017 | September 30, 2017 | December 31, 2017 | December 31, 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| (dollars in millions) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 Revenue on an adjusted basis: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Net revenues | $ | 1,899 | $ | 1,943 | $ | 1,931 | $ | 1,936 | $ | 7,709 | |||||||||
| Adjustment for adoption of new revenue recognition rules | (82 | ) | (79 | ) | (75 | ) | (71 | ) | (307 | ) | |||||||||
| 2017 Revenue on an adjusted basis | $ | 1,817 | $ | 1,864 | $ | 1,856 | $ | 1,865 | $ | 7,402 | |||||||||
| 2018 Revenue outlook: | Low | High | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017 Revenue on an adjusted basis | $ | 7,402 | $ | 7,402 | |||||||||||||||
| 2018 Equivalent revenue growth | 4 | % | 5 | % | |||||||||||||||
| 2018 Revenue outlook | $ | 7,698 | $ | 7,772 |