Skip to main content
TipRanks
Go Ultimate75% OFF

ATIF Holdings (AUC) Risk Analysis

167 Followers
Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning. ATIF Holdings disclosed 43 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. ATIF Holdings reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q2, 2024

Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Jul 31, 2024, filed Nov 13, 2024

Risk Distribution
43Risks
Sector Avg.Finance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

Risk Change Over Time

ATIF Holdings disclosed risks per quarterNo. of Risks424344454647Q2Q2Showing: Q2, 2024
Risks removedRisks addedRisks changedATIF Holdings Risk Factors
  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
    Our largest shareholder owns approximately 47.4% of our Ordinary Shares, which will allow him the ability to elect directors and approve matters requiring shareholder approval by way of resolution of members.

    Mr. Jun Liu, who is our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, is currently the beneficial owner of 5,652,808 ordinary shares (as adjusted to reflect the Reverse Split), or 47.4% of our current outstanding Ordinary Shares (32.2% directly held by Mr. Liu including 28.9% directly held by Tianzhen Investments Limited which is an entity that 100% owned by Mr. Liu, and the remaining 15.3% that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by Mr. Liu through the assignment of a proxy agreement entered with Eno Group Limited on September 30, 2018 to Tianzhen Investments Limited on February 10, 2021). Mr. Liu has the power to elect all directors and approve all matters requiring shareholder approval without the votes of any other shareholder, significant influence over a decision to enter into any corporate transaction, and the ability to prevent any transaction that requires the approval of shareholders, regardless of whether or not our directors or other shareholders believe that such a transaction is in our best interests. Such concentration of voting power could have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change of control or other business combination, which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on the market price of our Ordinary Shares or prevent our shareholders from realizing a premium over the then-prevailing market price for their Ordinary Shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
    If we fail to comply with the continued listing requirements of NASDAQ, we would face possible delisting, which would result in a limited public market for our shares and make obtaining future debt or equity financing more difficult for us.

    Stockholders' Equity Requirement As previously reported on November 22, 2023, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq (the Stockholder Equity Letter), regarding its non-compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The letter notified the Company that its stockholders' equity, reported at $1,539,353 in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ending July 31, 2023, did not meet the Nasdaq Capital Market's minimum stockholders' equity requirement of $2,500,000 for continued listing as per Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) (the Stockholders' Equity Requirement). Nasdaq gave the Company until January 8, 2024, to submit a plan to regain compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). As previously reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K April 16, 2024 the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") with a non- U.S investor named in the Purchase Agreement (the "Purchaser"), pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell an aggregate of 1,092,512 newly issued ordinary shares of the Company, $0.001 par value per ordinary share (the "Ordinary Shares") at a purchase price of $1.23 per share (the "Private Placement"). In connection with the Private Placement, the Company received gross proceeds in the amount of $1,343,789.76. As previously reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K, on April 18, 2024, the Company entered into two securities purchase agreements (the "April 18 Purchase Agreements") in a private placement (the "April 18 Private Placement") of the Company's 813,010 newly issued ordinary shares, par value $0.001 per ordinary share, with one (1) U.S. accredited investor, as defined under Rule 501 of Regulation D, and one (1) non-U.S. investor (individually, an "Investor" and collectively, the "Investors"), at the purchase price of $1.23 per ordinary share. The Company received gross proceeds in the amount of $1,000,002.38 in connection with the April 18 Private Placement. As previously reported in a Form 8-K, on April 29, 2024, the Company entered into a deferred salary conversion agreement ("Deferred Salary Conversion Agreement") with Mr. Jun Liu, the president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of the Company. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company issued 384,478 ordinary shares to Mr. Liu ("Deferred Salary Debt Shares"), $0.001 par value in lieu of an unpaid salary of $349,875 owed to Mr. Liu at a per share price of $0.91 which was the Nasdaq consolidated closing bid price per share of the Company's ordinary shares on April 29, 2024. On May 16, 2024, Nasdaq granted the Company an extension of time until May 20, 2024 to provide evidence of compliance, by filing a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes (1) disclosure of Nasdaq's deficiency letter and the specific deficiency or deficiencies cited; (2) a description of the completed transaction or event that enabled the Company to satisfy the stockholders' equity requirement for continued listing; (3) an affirmative statement that, as of the date of the report, the Company believes it has regained compliance with the stockholders' equity requirement based upon the specific transaction or event referenced in item (2) above; and (4) a disclosure stating that Nasdaq will continue to monitor the Company's ongoing compliance with the stockholders' equity requirement and, if at the time of its next periodic report the Company does not evidence compliance, that it may be subject to delisting. As of May 16, 2024, the Company submitted to Nasdaq that it believes its shareholders' equity as of April 30, 2024, on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the transactions described above would be $2,683,042 and therefore, believes it has regained compliance with the stockholders' equity requirement based upon the specific transactions and events referenced above. Nasdaq will continue to monitor the Company's ongoing compliance with the stockholders' equity requirement, and if at the time of its next periodic report, which will be its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2024, the Company does not evidence compliance, it may be subject to delisting. As of July 31, 2024, the Company's stockholders' equity was $1,753,754. There can be no assurance that the company will continue to have a minimum stockholders' equity of $2,500,000 and satisfy Nasdaq's requirements for continued listing under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), the Stockholders' Equity Requirement. If we fail to satisfy any of Nasdaq's continued listing requirements, Nasdaq may take steps to delist our ordinary shares, which could have a materially adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds as well as the price and liquidity If the Company fails to regain compliance with Nasdaq's Listing Rules, we could be subject to suspension and delisting proceedings. If our securities lose their status on The NASDAQ Capital Market, our securities would likely trade in the over-the-counter market. If our securities were to trade on the over-the-counter market, selling our securities could be more difficult because smaller quantities of securities would likely be bought and sold, transactions could be delayed, and security analysts' coverage of us may be reduced. In addition, in the event our securities are delisted, broker-dealers have certain regulatory burdens imposed upon them, which may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our securities, further limiting the liquidity of our securities. These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our securities. Such delisting from The NASDAQ Capital Market and continued or further declines in our share price could also greatly impair our ability to raise additional necessary capital through equity or debt financing, and could significantly increase the ownership dilution to shareholders caused by our issuing equity in financing or other transactions.

  • Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
    We have incurred net losses for the year ended July 31, 2024 and expect losses to continue in the near future.

    For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, we incurred a loss of $3.2 million.  Our operations have been adversely affected by the effect of declining Economic environment. In addition, the PRC has recently issued statements that may have the effect of slowing down our business consulting services of assisting PRC companies to go public in the United States. As a result, until the PRC further clarifies its views and regulations regarding PRC companies seeking to go public in the United States, and PRC companies are comfortable with the business climate and seeking our services, we anticipate that we continue to experience losses in the future.

Read and Evaluate the RiskReserved for Ultimate MembersUpgrade

Risk Highlights Q2, 2024

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 23 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
43
-3
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 32
Recent Changes
0Risks added
3Risks removed
3Risks changed
Since Jul 2024
Number of Risk Changed
3
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 1

Risk Word Cloud

our historical financial results may not be indicative of our future performance.indicative of our future performancesales of a significant number of our ordinary shares in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress the market price of our ordinary shares.price of our ordinary sharesarbitration proceedings, legal proceedings, investigations, and other claims or disputes are costly to defend and, if determined adversely to us, could require us to pay fines or damages, undertake remedial measures, or prevent us from taking certain actions, any of which could adversely affect our business.require us to pay finesthe chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we conduct our business activities in prc.chinese government exerts substantial influenceraising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholdersdilution to our existing stockholdersour largest shareholder owns approximately 47.4% of our ordinary shares, which will allow him the ability to elect directors and approve matters requiring shareholder approval by way of resolution of members.approve matters requiring shareholder approvalif we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.effective system of internal controlschanges in the policies of the prc government could have a significant impact upon our ability to generate revenue from the prc.our ability to generate revenueany failure to protect our trademarks and other intellectual property rights could have a negative impact on our business.failure to protect our trademarksif we fail to comply with the continued listing requirements of nasdaq, we would face possible delisting, which would result in a limited public market for our shares and make obtaining future debt or equity financing more difficult for us.continued listing requirements of nasdaq

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 43

Share Price & Shareholder Rights16 | 37.2%
  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1Changed
    Our largest shareholder owns approximately 47.4% of our Ordinary Shares, which will allow him the ability to elect directors and approve matters requiring shareholder approval by way of resolution of members.

    Mr. Jun Liu, who is our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, is currently the beneficial owner of 5,652,808 ordinary shares (as adjusted to reflect the Reverse Split), or 47.4% of our current outstanding Ordinary Shares (32.2% directly held by Mr. Liu including 28.9% directly held by Tianzhen Investments Limited which is an entity that 100% owned by Mr. Liu, and the remaining 15.3% that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by Mr. Liu through the assignment of a proxy agreement entered with Eno Group Limited on September 30, 2018 to Tianzhen Investments Limited on February 10, 2021). Mr. Liu has the power to elect all directors and approve all matters requiring shareholder approval without the votes of any other shareholder, significant influence over a decision to enter into any corporate transaction, and the ability to prevent any transaction that requires the approval of shareholders, regardless of whether or not our directors or other shareholders believe that such a transaction is in our best interests. Such concentration of voting power could have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change of control or other business combination, which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on the market price of our Ordinary Shares or prevent our shareholders from realizing a premium over the then-prevailing market price for their Ordinary Shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2Changed
    If we fail to comply with the continued listing requirements of NASDAQ, we would face possible delisting, which would result in a limited public market for our shares and make obtaining future debt or equity financing more difficult for us.

    Stockholders' Equity Requirement As previously reported on November 22, 2023, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq (the Stockholder Equity Letter), regarding its non-compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The letter notified the Company that its stockholders' equity, reported at $1,539,353 in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ending July 31, 2023, did not meet the Nasdaq Capital Market's minimum stockholders' equity requirement of $2,500,000 for continued listing as per Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) (the Stockholders' Equity Requirement). Nasdaq gave the Company until January 8, 2024, to submit a plan to regain compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). As previously reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K April 16, 2024 the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") with a non- U.S investor named in the Purchase Agreement (the "Purchaser"), pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell an aggregate of 1,092,512 newly issued ordinary shares of the Company, $0.001 par value per ordinary share (the "Ordinary Shares") at a purchase price of $1.23 per share (the "Private Placement"). In connection with the Private Placement, the Company received gross proceeds in the amount of $1,343,789.76. As previously reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K, on April 18, 2024, the Company entered into two securities purchase agreements (the "April 18 Purchase Agreements") in a private placement (the "April 18 Private Placement") of the Company's 813,010 newly issued ordinary shares, par value $0.001 per ordinary share, with one (1) U.S. accredited investor, as defined under Rule 501 of Regulation D, and one (1) non-U.S. investor (individually, an "Investor" and collectively, the "Investors"), at the purchase price of $1.23 per ordinary share. The Company received gross proceeds in the amount of $1,000,002.38 in connection with the April 18 Private Placement. As previously reported in a Form 8-K, on April 29, 2024, the Company entered into a deferred salary conversion agreement ("Deferred Salary Conversion Agreement") with Mr. Jun Liu, the president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of the Company. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company issued 384,478 ordinary shares to Mr. Liu ("Deferred Salary Debt Shares"), $0.001 par value in lieu of an unpaid salary of $349,875 owed to Mr. Liu at a per share price of $0.91 which was the Nasdaq consolidated closing bid price per share of the Company's ordinary shares on April 29, 2024. On May 16, 2024, Nasdaq granted the Company an extension of time until May 20, 2024 to provide evidence of compliance, by filing a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes (1) disclosure of Nasdaq's deficiency letter and the specific deficiency or deficiencies cited; (2) a description of the completed transaction or event that enabled the Company to satisfy the stockholders' equity requirement for continued listing; (3) an affirmative statement that, as of the date of the report, the Company believes it has regained compliance with the stockholders' equity requirement based upon the specific transaction or event referenced in item (2) above; and (4) a disclosure stating that Nasdaq will continue to monitor the Company's ongoing compliance with the stockholders' equity requirement and, if at the time of its next periodic report the Company does not evidence compliance, that it may be subject to delisting. As of May 16, 2024, the Company submitted to Nasdaq that it believes its shareholders' equity as of April 30, 2024, on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the transactions described above would be $2,683,042 and therefore, believes it has regained compliance with the stockholders' equity requirement based upon the specific transactions and events referenced above. Nasdaq will continue to monitor the Company's ongoing compliance with the stockholders' equity requirement, and if at the time of its next periodic report, which will be its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2024, the Company does not evidence compliance, it may be subject to delisting. As of July 31, 2024, the Company's stockholders' equity was $1,753,754. There can be no assurance that the company will continue to have a minimum stockholders' equity of $2,500,000 and satisfy Nasdaq's requirements for continued listing under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), the Stockholders' Equity Requirement. If we fail to satisfy any of Nasdaq's continued listing requirements, Nasdaq may take steps to delist our ordinary shares, which could have a materially adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds as well as the price and liquidity If the Company fails to regain compliance with Nasdaq's Listing Rules, we could be subject to suspension and delisting proceedings. If our securities lose their status on The NASDAQ Capital Market, our securities would likely trade in the over-the-counter market. If our securities were to trade on the over-the-counter market, selling our securities could be more difficult because smaller quantities of securities would likely be bought and sold, transactions could be delayed, and security analysts' coverage of us may be reduced. In addition, in the event our securities are delisted, broker-dealers have certain regulatory burdens imposed upon them, which may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our securities, further limiting the liquidity of our securities. These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our securities. Such delisting from The NASDAQ Capital Market and continued or further declines in our share price could also greatly impair our ability to raise additional necessary capital through equity or debt financing, and could significantly increase the ownership dilution to shareholders caused by our issuing equity in financing or other transactions.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
    We have a limited operating history and are subject to the risks encountered by early-stage companies.

    We have only been in business since November 2015. We did not generate any revenue until the fiscal year ended July 31, 2016. We launched AT Consulting Center, which offers financial and advisory services to our clients in August 2018 and acquired CNNM, a media and news platform, in September 2018. As a start-up company, our business strategies and model are constantly being tested by the market and operating results, and we pursue to adjust our allocation of resources accordingly. As such, our business may be subject to significant fluctuations in operating results in terms of amounts of revenues and percentages of total with respect to the business segments. We are, and expect for the foreseeable future to be, subject to all the risks and uncertainties, inherent in a new business and in an industry which is in the early stages of development in China. As a result, we must establish many functions necessary to operate a business, including expanding our managerial and administrative structure, assessing and implementing our marketing program, implementing financial systems and controls and personnel recruitment. Accordingly, you should consider our prospects in light of the costs, uncertainties, delays, and difficulties frequently encountered by companies with a limited operating history. These risks and challenges are, among other things: - we operate in an industry that is or may in the future be subject to increasing regulation by various governmental agencies in China;- we may require additional capital to develop and expand our operations which may not be available to us when we require it;- our marketing and growth strategy may not be successful;- our business may be subject to significant fluctuations in operating results; and - we may not be able to attract, retain and motivate qualified professionals. Our future growth will depend substantially on our ability to address these and the other risks described in this annual report. If we do not successfully address these risks, our business would be significantly harmed.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
    Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders

    As of July 31, 2024, we had cash of $1.2 million. We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings, strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, existing ownership interests will be diluted and the terms of such financings may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of existing stockholders. Debt financings may be coupled with an equity component, such as warrants to purchase shares, which could also result in dilution of our existing stockholders' ownership. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business and may result in liens being placed on our assets and intellectual property. If we were to default on such indebtedness, we could lose such assets and intellectual property.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
    The Warrants we sold in a Private Placement Completed on November 5, 2020 contain repricing features which may have the effect of limiting our ordinary share price and make it more expensive to raise capital in the future.

    In a November 5, 2020, private placement, we sold warrants to purchase 869,565 Ordinary Shares at an exercise price of $4.60 per Ordinary Share. Each warrant will expire five years from the date of issuance. The warrant exercise price may be subject to adjustment in the event that we issue certain securities at prices below the then exercise price. In connection with our reverse stock split, the exercise price for these warrants were repriced at $2.74 per ordinary share. Until these warrants all exercised, these repricing exercise features may have the effect of limiting our ordinary share price and make it more expensive to raise capital in the future. As of July 31, 2024, 563,855 warrants have been exercised for 459,986 Ordinary Shares, among which 389,855 warrants were exercised at $2.74 per ordinary share for an aggregate total of $1.1 million, and the remaining 174,000 warrants were cashless exercises.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
    Sales of a significant number of our Ordinary Shares in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress the market price of our Ordinary Shares.

    In connection with a private placement of warrants to purchase 869,565 Ordinary Shares that closed on November 5, 2020, we have filed a registration statement allowing the holders of the warrants to resale the Ordinary Shares that they may acquire upon the exercise thereof in the public market. The exercise of the warrants and subsequent sales of those Ordinary Shares in the public market could depress the market price of our Ordinary Shares and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We cannot predict the effect that future sales of our Ordinary Shares would have on the market price of our Ordinary Shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
    Since we are deemed a "controlled company" under the Nasdaq listing rules, we may follow certain exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements that could adversely affect our public shareholders.

    Our largest shareholder owns more than a majority of the voting power of our outstanding ordinary shares. Under the Nasdaq listing rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group, or another company is a "controlled company" and is permitted to phase in its compliance with the independent committee requirements. Although we do not intend to rely on the "controlled company" exemptions under the Nasdaq listing rules even though we are deemed a "controlled company," we could elect to rely on these exemptions in the future. If we were to elect to rely on the "controlled company" exemptions, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent directors and our nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees might not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, if we rely on the exemptions, during the period we remain a controlled company and during any transition period following a time when we are no longer a controlled company, you would not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
    If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if the publish a negative report regarding our Ordinary Shares, the price of our Ordinary Shares and trading volume could decline.

    The trading market for our Ordinary Shares may depend in part on the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade us, the price of our Ordinary Shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price of our Ordinary Shares and the trading volume to decline.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
    The market price of our Ordinary Shares may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance.

    The market price of our Ordinary Shares may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including: - actual or anticipated fluctuations in our revenue and other operating results;- the financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in these projections or our failure to meet these projections;- actions of securities analysts who initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;- announcements by us or our competitors of significant products or features, technical innovations, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital commitments;- price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole;- lawsuits threatened or filed against us; and - other events or factors, including those resulting from war or incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events. In addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. Stock prices of many companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. In the past, stockholders have filed securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, and adversely affect our business.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
    Our board of directors may decline to register transfers of ordinary shares in certain circumstances.

    Our board of directors may, in its sole discretion, decline to register any transfer of any Ordinary Share issued in certificated form, which is not fully paid up or on which we have a lien. Our directors may also decline to register any transfer of any share issued in certificated form in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the share is to be transferred does not exceed four. A shareholder wishing to transfer its Ordinary Shares is liable to pay to the Company a fee of such maximum sum as Nasdaq Capital Market may determine to be payable, or such lesser sum as our board of directors may from time to time require in respect thereof. If our directors refuse to register a transfer they shall, within one month after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal. The registration of transfers may, on 14 days' notice being given by advertisement in such one or more newspapers or by electronic means, be suspended and the register closed at such times and for such periods as our board of directors may from time to time determine, provided, however, that the registration of transfers shall not be suspended nor the register closed for more than 30 days in any year.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11
    Certain types of class or derivative actions generally available under U.S. law may not be available as a result of the fact that we are incorporated in the BVI. As a result, the rights of shareholders may be limited.

    Whilst statutory provisions do exist in British Virgin Islands law for derivative actions to be brought in certain circumstances, these rights may be more limited than the rights afforded to minority shareholders under the laws of states in the United States and shareholders of BVI companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a court of the United States. Furthermore, questions of interpretation of our memorandum and articles of association will be questions of BVI law and determined by the BVI courts. In any event, the circumstances in which any such action may be brought, if at all, and the procedures and defenses that may be available in respect to any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of a BVI company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred. The BVI courts are also unlikely to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts in the United States based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities law or to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the BVI, based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature. There is no statutory recognition in the BVI of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the BVI will in certain circumstances recognize such a foreign judgment and treat it as a cause of action in itself which may be sued upon as a debt at common law so that no retrial of the issues would be necessary provided that: (i) the U.S. court issuing the judgment had jurisdiction in the matter and the company either submitted to such jurisdiction or was resident or carrying on business within such jurisdiction and was duly served with process; is final and for a liquidated sum;(ii) the judgment given by the U.S. court was not in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations of the company;(iii) in obtaining judgment there was no fraud on the part of the person in whose favor judgment was given or on the part of the court;(iv) recognition or enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to public policy in the BVI; and (v) the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice. In appropriate circumstances, a BVI Court may give effect in the British Virgin Islands to other kinds of final foreign judgments such as declaratory orders, orders for performance of contracts and injunctions.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12
    You may have more difficulty protecting your interests than you would as a shareholder of a U.S. corporation.

    Our corporate affairs are governed by the provisions of our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time, the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004 as amended from time to time (the "BVI Act") and the common law of the BVI. The rights of shareholders and the statutory duties and fiduciary responsibilities of our directors and officers under BVI law may not be clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in some jurisdictions in the United States, and some states (such as Delaware) have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. These rights and responsibilities are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the BVI Act and the common law of the BVI. The common law of the BVI is derived in part from judicial precedent in the BVI as well as from English common law, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the BVI. In addition, BVI law does not make a distinction between public and private companies and some of the protections and safeguards (such as statutory pre-emption rights, save to the extent expressly provided for in the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) that investors may expect to find in relation to a public company are not provided for under BVI law. There may be less publicly available information about us than is regularly published by or about U.S. issuers. Also, the BVI regulations governing the securities of BVI companies may not be as extensive as those in effect in the United States, and the BVI law and regulations regarding corporate governance matters may not be as protective of minority shareholders as state corporation laws in the United States. Therefore, you may have more difficulty protecting your interests in connection with actions taken by our directors and officers or our principal shareholders than you would as a shareholder of a corporation incorporated in the United States.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13
    Anti-takeover provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control.

    Some provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including, among other things, the following: - provisions that permit our board of directors by resolution to amend certain provisions of the memorandum and articles of association, including to create and issue classes of shares with preferred, deferred or other special rights or restrictions as the board of directors determine in their discretion, without any further vote or action by our shareholders. If issued, the rights, preferences, designations, and limitations of any class of preferred shares would be set by the board of directors by way of amendments to relevant provisions of the memorandum and articles of association and could operate to the disadvantage of the outstanding ordinary shares the holders of which would not have any pre-emption rights in respect of such an issue of preferred shares. Such terms could include, among others, preferences as to dividends and distributions on liquidation, or could be used to prevent possible corporate takeovers; and - provisions that restrict the ability of our shareholders holding in aggregate less than thirty percent (30%) of the outstanding voting shares in the company to call meetings and to include matters for consideration at shareholder meetings.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 14
    There are no pre-emptive rights in favor of holders of ordinary shares so you may not be able to participate in future equity offerings.

    There are no pre-emptive rights applicable under the BVI Act or the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association in favor of holders of ordinary shares in respect of further issues of shares of any class. Consequently, you will not be entitled under applicable law to participate in any such future offerings of further ordinary shares or any preferred or other classes of shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 15
    If we are classified as a passive foreign investment company, United States taxpayers who own our Ordinary Shares may have adverse United States federal income tax consequences.

    A non-U.S. corporation such as ourselves will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which is known as a PFIC, for any taxable year if, for such year, either - At least 75% of our gross income for the year is passive income; or - The average percentage of our assets (determined at the end of each quarter) during the taxable year which produce passive income or which are held for the production of passive income is at least 50%. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of a trade or business), and gains from the disposition of passive assets. If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. taxpayer who holds our ordinary shares, the U.S. taxpayer may be subject to increased U.S. federal income tax liability and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Depending on the amount of assets held for the production of passive income, it is possible that, for our 2024 taxable year or for any subsequent year, more than 50% of our assets may be assets which produce passive income. We will make this determination following the end of any particular tax year. For purposes of the PFIC analysis, in general, according to Internal Revenue Code Section 1297(c), a non-U.S. corporation is deemed to own its pro rata share of the gross income and assets of any entity in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the stock by value.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 16
    Volatility in the market price of our ordinary shares could lead to losses by investors.

    The market price of our ordinary shares has experienced volatility in the past and may experience volatility in the future which could lead to losses for investors. Factors impacting volatility in the market price of our ordinary shares include, amongst others: - general market and economic conditions;- our results of operations;- issuance of new or changed securities analysts' reports or recommendations;- developments impacting the industry or our competitors;- declines in the market prices of stocks generally;- strategic actions by us or our competitors;- announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, new products, acquisitions, joint marketing relationships, joint ventures, other strategic relationships or capital commitments;- the public's reaction to press releases, other public announcements by us or third parties, including our filings with the SEC;- guidance, if any, that we provide to the public, any changes in this guidance or failure to meet this guidance;- changes in the credit rating of our debt;- sale, or anticipated sale, of large blocks of our stock;- additions or departures of key personnel;- regulatory or political developments;- our performance on ESG matters - litigation and governmental investigations;- changing economic conditions;- exchange rate fluctuations;- changes in accounting principles; and - other events or factors, including those resulting from natural disasters, war, acts of terrorism or responses to those events. In addition, stock markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. Future fluctuations in stock markets may lead to volatility in the market price of our ordinary shares which could lead to losses by investors.

See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment. They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result. It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
How do companies disclose their risk factors?
Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process. Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”. Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report. According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing. You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector. Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements. A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
What are all the risk factor categories?
TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below. 1. Financial & Corporate Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results. Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing. Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments. Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances. 2. Legal & Regulatory Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company. Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation. Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy. Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives. 3. Production Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory. Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers. Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls. Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation. 4. Technology & Innovation Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development. Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology. Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks. Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying. 5. Ability to Sell Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers. Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes. Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration. Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation. 6. Macro & Political Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions. Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19. International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company. Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.