What drove Stryker's operating profit decline in Q4 2024?

Stryker's operating profit decline in Q4 2024 can be attributed to **Increased Costs** and **Market Challenges**.

1. **Cost Factors**: The company's occupancy cost increased to $546 million, which could be a result of higher operational expenses or increased costs related to their facilities or workforce. This rise in costs directly impacts the operating profit margin, as the company needs to allocate more resources to cover these expenses, thereby reducing the net income.
2. **Market Challenges**: Despite strong organic sales growth of 11.5% in Q3 2024, the neurovascular segment faced challenges with a weak US organic sales growth of only 1.5%. This indicates that while the company has seen overall growth, specific segments faced headwinds. Additionally, the impact of foreign currency fluctuations could have influenced the operating profit, suggesting that macroeconomic factors also played a role in the decline of the operating profit.

In summary, Stryker's operating profit decline in Q4 2024 is likely a result of a combination of higher operational costs and market challenges, despite strong revenue growth.