Dell Technologies (12DA) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q2, 2026
Risk Change Over Time
Risk Highlights Q2, 2026
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 40
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1Our certificate of incorporation designates a state court of the State of Delaware and the U.S. federal district courts as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of legal actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit the ability of the holders of Class C Common Stock to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or with our directors, officers, or controlling stockholders.
Our certificate of incorporation contains provisions requiring an exclusive forum for specified types of legal actions and proceedings. These provisions could limit the ability of the holders of the Class C Common Stock to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or with our directors, officers, or controlling stockholders, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and stockholders. Under our certificate of incorporation, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum will be, to the fullest extent permitted by law, a state court located within the State of Delaware (or, if no state court located within the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) for: - any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf;- any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer or stockholder of Dell Technologies to us or our stockholders;- any action asserting a claim against Dell Technologies or any director or officer or stockholder of Dell Technologies arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; or - any action asserting a claim against us or any director or officer or stockholder of Dell Technologies governed by our internal affairs doctrine. The foregoing Delaware exclusive forum provision does not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or the rules or regulations thereunder, or any other claim over which the federal district courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition to the Delaware exclusive forum provision, our certification of incorporation contains a provision stating that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal courts of the United States shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. If a court were to find these provisions inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2Because we are a "controlled company" within the meaning of the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and, as a result, qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements, holders of Class C Common Stock do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to such requirements.
We are a "controlled company" within the meaning of the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") because the MD stockholders hold common stock representing more than 50% of the voting power eligible to vote in the election of directors. As a result, holders of Class C Common Stock do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the NYSE's corporate governance requirements. Because we are a controlled company, we may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements under NYSE rules, including the requirements that we have a board composed of a majority of "independent directors," as defined under NYSE rules, and that we have a compensation committee and a nominating/corporate governance committee each composed entirely of independent directors. Although we currently maintain a board composed of a majority of independent directors and three standing committees of the board composed entirely of independent directors, we may decide in the future to change our board membership and committee composition so that the board is not composed of a majority of independent directors or one or more committees, other than the audit committee, are not composed entirely of independent directors.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3The MD stockholders, the MSD Partners stockholders, and the SLP stockholders and their respective affiliates may have interests that conflict with the interests of other stockholders or those of Dell Technologies.
In the ordinary course of their business activities, the MD stockholders, certain investment funds affiliated with an investment firm formed by principals of the firm that manages the capital of Michael Dell and his family (the "MSD Partners stockholders"), and the SLP stockholders and their respective affiliates may engage in activities in which their interests conflict with our interests or those of other stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation provides that none of the MD stockholders, the MSD Partners stockholders, the SLP stockholders, nor any of their respective affiliates or any director or officer of the Company who is also a director, officer, employee, managing director, or other affiliate (other than Michael Dell) have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we operate. The MD stockholders, the MSD Partners stockholders, and the SLP stockholders also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. In addition, such stockholders may have an interest in pursuing acquisitions, divestitures, and other transactions that, in their judgment, could enhance the value of their investment in Dell Technologies, even though such transactions might involve risks to other stockholders.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4We are controlled by the MD stockholders, who, separately and together with the SLP stockholders, collectively own common stock with a majority of the voting power of all our outstanding series of common stock and are able to effectively control our actions, including approval of mergers and other significant corporate transactions.
By reason of their ownership of Class A Common Stock possessing a majority of the aggregate votes entitled to be cast by holders of all outstanding shares of our common stock voting together as a single class, the MD stockholders have the ability to approve any matter submitted to the vote of holders of all of the outstanding shares of the common stock voting together as a single class. Through their control, the MD stockholders are able to control our actions, including actions related to the election of our directors and directors of our subsidiaries, amendments to our organizational documents, and the approval of significant corporate transactions, including mergers and sales of substantially all of our assets that our stockholders may deem advantageous. For example, although our bylaws provide that the number of directors will be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors, our stockholders may adopt, amend, or repeal the bylaws in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law. Through their control, the MD stockholders therefore may amend our bylaws to change the number of directors (within the limits of the certificate of incorporation), notwithstanding any determination by the Board of Directors regarding board size. Further, as of March 9, 2026, the MD stockholders together with the SLP stockholders collectively beneficially owned 53.8% of our outstanding common stock. This concentration of ownership, together with the disparate voting rights of our common stock, may delay or deter possible changes in control of Dell Technologies, which may reduce the value of an investment in the Class C Common Stock. So long as the MD stockholders and the SLP stockholders continue to own common stock representing a significant amount of the combined voting power of our outstanding common stock, even if such amount is, individually or in the aggregate, less than 50%, such stockholders will continue to be able to strongly influence our decisions. In addition, the MD stockholders and the SLP stockholders, respectively, have the right to nominate a number of individuals for election as Group I Directors (who constitute all but one of our directors), which is equal to the percentage of the total voting power for the regular election of directors beneficially owned by the MD stockholders or by the SLP stockholders multiplied by the number of directors then on the Board of Directors who are not members of the audit committee, rounded up to the nearest whole number. Further, so long as the MD stockholders or the SLP stockholders each beneficially own at least 5% of all outstanding shares of the common stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, each of the MD stockholders or the SLP stockholders, as applicable, are entitled to nominate at least one individual for election as a Group I Director.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5Future sales, or the perception of future sales, of a substantial amount of shares of the Class C Common Stock could depress the trading price of the Class C Common Stock.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of the Class C Common Stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales may occur, could adversely affect the market price of the Class C Common Stock, which could make it more difficult for investors to sell their shares of Class C Common Stock at a time and price that they consider appropriate. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also could impair our ability to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price we deem appropriate, as well as our ability to use Class C Common Stock as consideration for acquisitions of other businesses, investments, or other corporate purposes. As of March 9, 2026, we had a total of approximately 318 million shares of Class C Common Stock outstanding. As of March 9, 2026, the 277 million outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock held by the MD stockholders and the 51 million outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock held by the SLP stockholders are convertible into shares of Class C Common Stock at any time on a one-to-one basis. Such shares, upon any conversion into shares of Class C Common Stock, will be eligible for resale in the public market pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, subject to compliance with conditions of Rule 144. From January 31, 2026 to March 9, 2026, the SLP stockholders converted approximately 1 million shares of Class B Common Stock on a one-for-one basis into approximately 1 million shares of Class C Common Stock. We are a party to a registration rights agreement with holders of substantially all outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock (which are convertible into the same number of shares of Class C Common Stock), holders of all outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock (which are convertible into the same number of shares of Class C Common Stock), and, as of March 9, 2026, holders of approximately 20 million outstanding shares of Class C Common Stock, pursuant to which we have granted such holders and their permitted transferees shelf, demand and/or piggyback registration rights with respect to such shares (including the shares of Class C Common Stock into which the Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock may be converted). Registration of those shares under the Securities Act would permit such holders to sell the shares into the public market. As of January 30, 2026, 22 million shares of Class C Common Stock that were issuable upon the exercise, vesting, or settlement of outstanding stock options, restricted stock units, or deferred stock units under our stock incentive plan would have been, upon issuance, eligible for sale in the public market, subject where applicable to compliance with Rule 144, and an additional 45 million shares of Class C Common Stock were authorized and reserved for issuance pursuant to potential future awards under the stock incentive plan. We also may issue additional stock options in the future that may be exercised for additional shares of Class C Common Stock and additional restricted stock units or deferred stock units that will provide for delivery of shares of Class C Common Stock upon vesting of such awards. We expect that all shares of Class C Common Stock issuable with respect to such awards will be registered under one or more registration statements on SEC Form S-8 under the Securities Act and available for sale in the open market.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6Our multi-class common stock structure with different voting rights may adversely affect the trading price of the Class C Common Stock.
Each share of our Class A Common Stock and each share of our Class B Common Stock has ten votes, while each share of our Class C Common Stock has one vote. Because of these disparate voting rights, Michael Dell and the Susan Lieberman Dell Separate Property Trust (the "MD stockholders") and certain investment funds affiliated with Silver Lake Partners (the "SLP stockholders") collectively held common stock representing approximately 91.7% of the total voting power of our outstanding common stock as of March 9, 2026. The limited ability of unaffiliated holders of the Class C Common Stock to influence matters requiring stockholder approval may adversely affect the trading price of the Class C Common Stock. Because of our multi-class share structure, we have in the past been, and may in the future be, excluded from certain stock indices. Previously, the FTSE Russell and S&P Dow Jones had excluded companies with multiple share classes, such as Dell Technologies, from its indices. We cannot be sure that the policies of the FTSE Russell or S&P Dow Jones or the policies of other sponsors of indices will not change and make us ineligible for inclusion in their indices in the future. It is unclear what effect, if any, exclusion from any indices has on the valuations of the affected publicly-traded companies. It is possible that such policies may depress the valuations of public companies excluded from such indices compared to valuations of companies that are included.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7The amount and frequency of our share repurchases may fluctuate.
Although our Board of Directors has adopted a stock repurchase program, we are not obligated to repurchase any specific amount of shares of common stock, and the stock repurchase program may be suspended or terminated at any time. The amount, timing, and execution of our stock repurchase program may fluctuate, and changes in cash flows, tax laws, and our stock price could also impact our stock repurchase program.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8Evolving and varied stakeholder expectations and regulatory requirements with respect to sustainability and environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") activities could harm our reputation, adversely affect our business, and expose us to regulatory proceedings and litigation.
Many stakeholders are increasingly focused on ESG considerations with evolving and varied expectations that could expose us to heightened scrutiny and various financial, legal, reputational, operational, compliance, and other risks. We make statements about sustainability and ESG initiatives through our SEC filings, our other non-financial reports, information provided on our website, social media sites, press statements and other communications. Successful implementation of these initiatives involves risks and uncertainties, is not guaranteed, and is subject to numerous conditions, as well as standards, processes, regulations, and methodologies that continue to evolve. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to further our ESG initiatives, adhere to our public statements, comply with federal, state, or international laws and regulations, or meet evolving and varied stakeholder expectations could harm our reputation, adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, and expose us to liabilities under regulatory proceedings or litigation instituted in the United States or in other countries. In recent periods, regulators in various jurisdictions have increasingly expressed or pursued conflicting views, legislation, and expectations with respect to sustainability initiatives. Conflicting regulations and a lack of harmonization of legal and regulatory environments across the jurisdictions in which we operate may create enhanced compliance risks and costs.
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