TipRanks
Go Ultimate55% OFF

Clearwater Paper (CLW) Risk Analysis

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. Clearwater Paper disclosed 40 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Clearwater Paper reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q2, 2026

Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Jun 30, 2026, filed Jul 28, 2026

Risk Distribution
40Risks
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

Clearwater Paper disclosed risks per quarterNo. of Risks343638404244Q3Q4Q12023Q2Q3Q4Q12024Q2Q3Q4Q12025Q2Q3Q4Q12026Q2Showing: Q4, 2025
Risks removedRisks addedRisks changedClearwater Paper Risk Factors
  • Debt & Financing - Risk 1
    The Tissue Divestiture changes our exposure to other risks and uncertainties.

    As a result of the Tissue Divestiture, our pulp and paperboard segment is our only line of business, and thus we are a smaller and more narrowly-focused business than prior to the Tissue Divestiture. Due to this lack of diversification, any adverse developments in the pulp and paperboard industry could have a significantly greater impact on our overall financial condition and results of operations than if we maintained multiple lines of business.

  • Debt & Financing - Risk 2
    The Tissue Divestiture may disrupt our remaining business or not achieve its intended benefits.

    On November 1, 2024, we completed the sale of our consumer products division to Sofidel America Corp. (the "Tissue Divestiture"). A number of risks and challenges may arise from the divestiture, including purchase price adjustments, unexpected costs, charges or expenses and disruption in our remaining business, including potential adverse changes to relationships with customers, employees, suppliers or other parties resulting from the divestiture process. The Tissue Divestiture may also be disruptive to our regular operations, diverting the attention of our workforce and management team from the day-to-day operation of our business, making the execution of business and other potential strategies more difficult, and could result in increased undesired workforce turnover, including of key leaders or other personnel. We may not realize some or all of the anticipated benefits from the Tissue Divestiture with respect to the anticipated performance of our remaining business. The Company may experience continued financial exposure as a result of the Tissue Divestiture, through the retention of certain liabilities, including, for example, with respect to certain environmental claims. The Tissue Divestiture may not enhance long-term stockholder value as anticipated and/or the efforts required to complete the divestiture process may be more costly or time-consuming than expected. Any of the foregoing could result in the imposition of obligations that could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

  • Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
    We may not realize the expected benefits of the acquisition of the Augusta Facility because of integration difficulties or other challenges.

    Our long-term growth strategy involves strengthening our position as a premier, independent supplier of paperboard products to North American converters. On May 1, 2024, we completed the purchase of the consumer packaging business operating out of the paperboard mills and associated facilities in Augusta, Georgia (the "Augusta Facility") from Graphic Packaging International, LLC. We may not be able to maintain the levels of revenue, earnings or operating efficiency that we estimate for the Augusta Facility. In addition, the success of the acquisition will depend, in part, on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from the acquisition, including anticipated revenue, customer growth and cost structure and production scale benefits. The integration process has been and will continue to be complex, costly and time-consuming. The potential risks associated with our efforts to integrate the Augusta Facility operations and business include, among others: ?failure to implement effectively our business plan for the addition of the operations and business into our existing systems;?unanticipated issues in integrating financial, manufacturing, logistics, information, information technology, communications and other systems;?failure to retain key employees;?failure to retain key customers;?increased working capital needs, which could require additional debt and result in higher interest;?inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies, including internal control and regulatory requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; and ?unanticipated issues, expenses and liabilities. Further, the integration of the Augusta Facility requires the focused attention of our management team, including a significant commitment of their time and resources, which may divert management's attention from other business concerns. The need for our management to focus on integration matters could have a material and adverse impact on our sales and operating results. Any inability by us to integrate and manage the Augusta Facility, any inability to achieve anticipated revenues, cost savings or other anticipated benefits from the acquisition in the time frame we anticipate or any unanticipated required increases in capital spending could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Read and Evaluate the RiskReserved for Ultimate MembersUpgrade

Risk Highlights Q2, 2026

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 13 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
40
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 32
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Jun 2026
Number of Risk Changed
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 1

Risk Word Cloud

our operations require substantial capital and our capital expenditures may not achieve the desired outcomes or may be achieved at a higher cost than anticipated.our operations require substantial capitalwe are subject to significant environmental regulation and environmental compliance expenditures, which could increase our costs and subject us to liabilities.subject to significant environmental regulationwe could be subject to changes in tax rates, the adoption of new tax laws or interpretations, or exposure to additional tax liabilities.exposure to additional tax liabilitiesour failure to comply with the covenants contained in our credit agreements or the indenture governing our outstanding notes, including as a result of events beyond our control, could result in an event of default that could cause repayment of the debt to be accelerated.indenture governing our outstanding noteswe depend on external sources of wood fiber which exposes our business and results of operations to potentially significant supply and price fluctuations.external sources of wood fiberwe rely on a limited number of third-party suppliers, vendors and service providers required for the production of our products and our operations.limited number of third-party supplierswe may face demand, supply, and operational challenges associated with effects of a disease outbreak, including epidemics, pandemics, or similar widespread public health concerns.similar widespread public health concernsto service our existing and future indebtedness, we must generate cash flows. our ability to generate cash depends on many factors beyond our control, and we may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful.actions to satisfy our obligationswe rely on information technology in critical areas of our operations, and a disruption relating to such technology could harm our operations and financial condition.critical areas of our operationsif we default under our credit agreements, or other indebtedness, we may not be able to service our debt obligations.to service our debt obligations

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 40

Share Price & Shareholder Rights1 | 2.5%
  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
    Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law may make it difficult for stockholders to change the composition of our Board of Directors and may discourage hostile takeover attempts that some of our stockholders may consider to be beneficial.

    Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control if our Board of Directors determines that such changes in control are not in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders. The provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws include, among other things, the following: - a classified Board of Directors with staggered terms (which shall cease to be classified after the 2027 annual meeting);- the ability of our Board of Directors to issue shares of preferred stock and to determine the price and other terms, including preferences and voting rights, of those shares without stockholder approval;- stockholder action can only be taken at a special or regular meeting and not by written consent;- advance notice procedures for nominating candidates to our Board of Directors or presenting matters at stockholder meetings;- removal of directors only for cause (except for directors elected following the 2025 annual meeting); and - supermajority voting requirements to amend our bylaws and certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation. While these provisions have the effect of encouraging persons seeking to acquire control of the Company to negotiate with our Board of Directors, they could enable the Board of Directors to hinder or frustrate a transaction that some, or a majority, of the stockholders might believe to be in their best interests and, in that case, may prevent or discourage attempts to remove and replace incumbent directors. We are also subject to Delaware laws that could have similar effects. One of these laws prohibits us from engaging in a business combination with a significant stockholder unless specific conditions are met.

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.