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AU Optronics (AU7) 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. AU Optronics disclosed 65 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. AU Optronics reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2019

Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Dec 31, 2019, filed Mar 27, 2020

Risk Distribution
65Risks
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

No filing history is available.

Risks removedRisks addedRisks changedAU Optronics Risk Factors
Risk Changed (2)
  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
    We have voluntarily delisted our ADSs from NYSE and may terminate the registration of our securities with the SEC in the future, and this may adversely affect our share price.

    On September 9, 2019, our board of directors resolved to delist our ADSs from NYSE. The voluntary delisting was sought in view of the costs of maintaining the listing of the ADSs in the United States. On September 20, 2019, we filed with the SEC a Form 25 to effect the delisting from the NYSE. As soon as we are eligible, we intend to file a Form 15 with the SEC to terminate the registration of the ADSs and the underlying ordinary shares under the Exchange Act. We will remain subject to all SEC requirements, including reporting obligations, until such time as our ADSs and the underlying ordinary shares are deregistered. Since the delisting came into effect on October 1, 2019, our ADSs have been traded in the U.S. over-the-counter market, and Citibank, N.A. has continued to act as our ADSs depositary pursuant to the existing deposit agreement. The delisting of the ADSs from the NYSE and the possible deregistration under the Exchange Act may have a negative impact on the price of our ADSs and shares of common stock. Following the delisting from NYSE, the ADSs have traded on the U.S. over-the-counter market. Compared with the NYSE, the U.S. over-the-counter market has a smaller trading volume, less liquidity and an information disclosure regime that is less robust. These characteristics may make it more difficult for holders of our ADSs to sell their securities. In addition, broker-dealers have certain regulatory burdens imposed upon them that may discourage them from effecting transactions in our ADSs, further limiting the liquidity of our ADSs. The delisting may result in holders of our ADSs surrendering their ADSs in exchange for the underlying shares and selling them on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. As a result, the market price of our ADSs may be depressed, and the investors may find it more difficult to sell our ADSs.

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Risk Highlights Q4, 2019

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 21 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
65
+1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 32
Recent Changes
3Risks added
2Risks removed
2Risks changed
Since Dec 2019
Number of Risk Changed
2
-4
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 1

Risk Word Cloud

we have made investments in, and are exploring the possibility of expanding our businesses and operations to, or making additional investments in, the prc, which may expose us to additional social, political, regulatory and economic risks with respect to our investments and business operations in the prc.expose us to additional socialregulations related to conflict minerals could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.regulations related to conflict mineralswe may undertake mergers, acquisitions or investments to diversify or expand our business, which may pose risks to our business and dilute the ownership of our existing shareholders, and we may not realize the anticipated benefits of these mergers, acquisition or investments.ownership of our existing shareholdersas a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow certain home-country corporate governance practices instead of applicable sec and nyse requirements, which may result in less protection than is accorded to investors under rules applicable to domestic issuers.rules applicable to domestic issuersour industry is cyclical, with recurring periods of capacity increases. as a result, price fluctuations in response to supply and demand imbalances could harm our results of operations.recurring periods of capacity increasesas a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow certain home-country corporate governance practices instead of applicable sec and nyse requirements, which may result in less protection than is accorded to investors under rules applicable to domestic issuers.home-country corporate governance practicesif we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to report accurately our financial results or prevent fraud.effective system of internal controlsif we lose the support of our technology partners or the legal rights to use our licensed manufacturing process or product technologies, our business may suffer.support of our technology partnersthe protection of the interests of our public shareholders available under our articles of incorporation and the laws governing roc corporations is different from that which applies to a u.s. corporation.interests of our public shareholdersthe current restrictions imposed by the roc government on investments in certain related businesses may limit our ability to compete with other display panel manufacturers that are permitted to establish display panel production operations in the prc.limit our ability to compete

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 65

Share Price & Shareholder Rights7 | 10.8%
  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1Added
    We have voluntarily delisted our ADSs from NYSE and may terminate the registration of our securities with the SEC in the future, and this may adversely affect our share price.

    On September 9, 2019, our board of directors resolved to delist our ADSs from NYSE. The voluntary delisting was sought in view of the costs of maintaining the listing of the ADSs in the United States. On September 20, 2019, we filed with the SEC a Form 25 to effect the delisting from the NYSE. As soon as we are eligible, we intend to file a Form 15 with the SEC to terminate the registration of the ADSs and the underlying ordinary shares under the Exchange Act. We will remain subject to all SEC requirements, including reporting obligations, until such time as our ADSs and the underlying ordinary shares are deregistered. Since the delisting came into effect on October 1, 2019, our ADSs have been traded in the U.S. over-the-counter market, and Citibank, N.A. has continued to act as our ADSs depositary pursuant to the existing deposit agreement. The delisting of the ADSs from the NYSE and the possible deregistration under the Exchange Act may have a negative impact on the price of our ADSs and shares of common stock. Following the delisting from NYSE, the ADSs have traded on the U.S. over-the-counter market. Compared with the NYSE, the U.S. over-the-counter market has a smaller trading volume, less liquidity and an information disclosure regime that is less robust. These characteristics may make it more difficult for holders of our ADSs to sell their securities. In addition, broker-dealers have certain regulatory burdens imposed upon them that may discourage them from effecting transactions in our ADSs, further limiting the liquidity of our ADSs. The delisting may result in holders of our ADSs surrendering their ADSs in exchange for the underlying shares and selling them on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. As a result, the market price of our ADSs may be depressed, and the investors may find it more difficult to sell our ADSs.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
    ADS holders will not have the same rights as our shareholders, which may affect the value of the ADSs.

    ADS holders' rights as to the shares represented by such holders' ADSs are governed by the deposit agreement. ADS holders will not be able to exercise voting rights on an individual basis. If holders representing at least 51% of our ADSs outstanding at the relevant record date instruct the depositary to vote in the same manner regarding a resolution, including the election of directors, the depositary will cause all shares represented by the ADSs to be voted in that manner. If, at the relevant record date, the depositary does not receive instructions representing at least 51% of ADSs outstanding to vote in the same manner for any resolution, including the election of directors, ADS holders will be deemed to have instructed the depositary or its nominee to authorize all the shares represented by the ADS holders' ADSs to be voted at the discretion of our Chairman or his designee, which may not be in the ADS holders' interest. Moreover, while shareholders who own 1% or more of our total issued shares are entitled to submit one proposal to be considered at our annual general meetings and submit a roster of candidates to be considered for nomination to our board of directors at our shareholders' meeting for the election of directors, only holders representing at least 51% or more of our ADSs outstanding at the relevant record date are entitled to submit one proposal to be considered at our annual general meetings or one nomination to our board of directors, in accordance with the deposit agreement. Hence, only one proposal or one nomination can be submitted on behalf of all ADS holders.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
    ADS holders' rights to participate in our rights offerings are limited, which could cause dilution to the holdings of ADS holders.

    We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not offer ADS holders those rights unless both the distribution of the rights and the underlying securities to all our ADS holders are either registered under the Securities Act or exempt from registration under the Securities Act. Although we may be eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions under the Securities Act available to certain foreign issuers for rights offerings, we can give no assurances that we will be able to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and we are under no obligation to file a registration statement for any of these rights. Accordingly, ADS holders may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution with respect to their holdings.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
    Non-ROC holders of ADSs who withdraw our shares will be required to obtain a foreign investor investment identification and appoint a local custodian and agent and a tax guarantor in the ROC.

    Under current ROC law, if you are a non-ROC person (other than a PRC person) and wish to withdraw and hold our shares from a depositary receipt facility, you will be required to obtain a foreign investor investment identification, or a Foreign Investor Investment I.D., issued in accordance with the ROC Regulations Governing Investment in Securities by Overseas Chinese and Foreign Nationals (the "Investment Regulations"). You also will be required to appoint an eligible agent in the ROC to open a securities trading account and a Taiwan Depository & Clearing Corporation book-entry account and a bank account, to pay ROC taxes, remit funds, exercise shareholders' rights and perform such other functions as you may designate upon such withdrawal. In addition, you will be required to appoint a custodian bank to hold the securities in safekeeping, make confirmation and settle trades and report all relevant information. Without obtaining such Foreign Investor Investment I.D. under the Investment Regulations and opening such accounts, the non-ROC withdrawing holder would be unable to hold or subsequently sell our shares withdrawn from the depositary receipt facility on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or otherwise. There can be no assurance that such withdrawing holder would be able to obtain the Foreign Investor Investment I.D. and open such accounts in a timely manner. With the exception of a foreign institutional investor with a fixed place of business or business agent within the ROC, non-ROC holders of ADSs (other than a PRC person) withdrawing our shares represented by ADSs also are required under current ROC law and regulations to appoint an agent in the ROC for filing tax returns and making tax payments. Such agent must meet certain qualifications set by the ROC Ministry of Finance and, upon appointment, becomes a guarantor of such withdrawing holder's ROC tax obligations ("Tax Guarantor"). Generally, the evidence of the appointment of such agent and the approval of such appointment by the ROC tax authorities may be required as conditions to such withdrawing holder's repatriation of the profits. There can be no assurance that such withdrawing holder would be able to appoint and obtain approval for such agent in a timely manner. Also, if any non-ROC person (other than a PRC person) receives 10% or more of our total issued shares upon a single withdrawal, such non-ROC person must obtain prior approval from the Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (the "MOEAIC"). There can be no assurance that such withdrawing holder would be able to obtain such approval in a timely manner. Pursuant to the Regulations Governing Securities Investment and Futures Trading in Taiwan by Mainland Area Investors (the "Mainland Investors Regulations"), only qualified domestic institutional investors ("QDIIs") approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission and registered with the Taiwan Stock Exchange or Taiwan Futures Exchange are permitted to withdraw and hold our shares from a depositary receipt facility. In order to hold our shares, such QDIIs are required to appoint an agent, custodian and Tax Guarantor as required by the Mainland Investors Regulations. If the aggregate amount of our shares held by any QDII or shares received by any QDII upon a single withdrawal reaches 10% or more of our total issued shares, such QDII must obtain the prior approval from the MOEAIC. We cannot assure you that such approval would be granted. In addition, PRC investors' investments in our shares are subject to various restrictions; specifically, there are restrictions on the amount remitted to the ROC for investments by QDIIs, either individually or jointly. Accordingly, the qualification criteria for a PRC person to make an investment and the investment threshold imposed by the ROC government might cause an ADS holder who is a PRC person to be unable to withdraw and hold our shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
    The protection of the interests of our public shareholders available under our Articles of Incorporation and the laws governing ROC corporations is different from that which applies to a U.S. corporation.

    Our corporate affairs are governed by our Articles of Incorporation and by the laws governing ROC corporations. The rights and responsibilities of our shareholders and members of our board of directors under ROC law are different from those that apply to a U.S. corporation. Directors of ROC corporations are required to conduct business faithfully and act with the care of good administrators. However, the duty of care required of a ROC corporation's directors may not be the same as the fiduciary duty of a director of a U.S. corporation. In addition, controlling shareholders of U.S. corporations owe fiduciary duties to minority shareholders, while controlling shareholders in ROC corporations do not. The ROC Company Act also requires that a shareholder continuously hold at least 1% of our issued shares for at least six months in order to request that our independent director institute an action against a director on the company's behalf. Therefore, our public shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests against actions of our management, members of our board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as shareholders of a U.S. corporation.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
    As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow certain home-country corporate governance practices instead of applicable SEC and NYSE requirements, which may result in less protection than is accorded to investors under rules applicable to domestic issuers.

    As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow certain home-country corporate governance practices instead of those otherwise required under the NYSE rules for domestic issuers, including, but not limited to: - the evaluation standards for director's independence;- the requirements for non-management directors to meet regularly without management;- the requirement to have nominating committee;- the requirement to have a remuneration committee/corporate governance committee set up pursuant to the NYSE rules;- the requirement for shareholders' approval on all equity-based compensation and material revisions thereto; and - the requirement to adopt NYSE corporate governance guidelines. For a detailed discussion of the differences between our corporate governance practices and the NYSE listing standards, see "Item 16-16.G. Corporate Governance" for more information. Following our home-country governance practices as opposed to the requirements that would otherwise apply to a U.S. company listed on the NYSE may provide less protection than is accorded to investors under the NYSE rules applicable to domestic issuers. In addition, as a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from certain rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, related to the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act, to file annual, quarterly and current reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as domestic companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
    Potential conflicts of interest with our affiliates may cause us to lose opportunities to expand and improve our operations.

    We face potential conflicts of interest with our affiliates, such as Qisda Corporation ("Qisda") and its subsidiaries, including BenQ Corporation. Qisda is our largest shareholder, owning directly 6.99% of our outstanding shares as of December 31, 2019 and is also one of our large customers. Qisda and its subsidiaries accounted for approximately 3.5%, 3.9% and 3.8% of our net revenue in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. Qisda and its subsidiaries' substantial interest in our company may lead to conflicts of interest affecting our sales decisions or allocations. One of our directors, Mr. Peter Chen, is the Chairman and President of Qisda. Furthermore, Mr. Kuen-Yao (K.Y.) Lee, our director and former Chairman, is also a director of Qisda and Chairman of BenQ Corporation. See "Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees-6.A. Directors and Senior Management." As a result, conflicts of interest between their duties to Qisda and/or its subsidiaries and us may arise. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise with respect to Qisda and/or its subsidiaries, the conflicts of interest will be resolved in our favor. These conflicts may result in lost corporate opportunities, including opportunities that are never brought to our attention, or actions that may prevent us from taking advantage of opportunities to expand and improve our operations.

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.