What impacted Danaher's net profit in early 2024?

Danaher's net profit in early 2024 was impacted by several key factors:

1. **Revenue Decline**: The company experienced a 2.5% year-over-year decline in revenue, with reported revenue totaling $5.8 billion, falling short of estimates. This decline was primarily attributed to a 4.0% decrease in non-GAAP core revenue, reflecting challenges in the market.
2. **Market Challenges**: The biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors faced sluggish demand, particularly in China, which affected Danaher's Instrument businesses under the Life Sciences segment. Additionally, the Biotechnology segment faced weakness due to slow demand in the discovery and medical business.
3. **Cost and Expense Increases**: Selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased by 5.9% year-over-year in 2024, primarily due to the impact of the Abcam acquisition. This increase, if not controlled, could hurt the company's bottom line in the future.
4. **Impact of COVID-19**: Although Danaher saw a decline in demand for COVID-related products, the impact of the pandemic was not the sole factor affecting net profit. The company's core business faced challenges, and the impact of COVID-19 was just one of the factors contributing to the revenue decline.

In summary, Danaher's net profit in early 2024 was impacted by a combination of revenue decline, market challenges, cost and expense increases, and the impact of COVID-19. These factors, either directly or indirectly, contributed to the company's financial outcomes during that period.