Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co (SGJH) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q4, 2019
Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Dec 31, 2019, filed Apr 28, 2020
Risk Change Over Time
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1The audit report included in this annual report is prepared by an auditor who is not inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, our investors are deprived of the benefits of such inspection.
Auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States are registered with the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, and are required by the laws of the U.S. to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the laws of the U.S. and applicable professional standards. Because our auditors are located in the People's Republic of China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our auditors are not currently inspected by the PCAOB. On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. In a statement issued on December 9, 2019, the SEC reiterated concerns over the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of the audit firm work papers with respect to U.S.-listed companies that have operations in China, and emphasized the importance of audit quality in emerging markets, such as China. On April 21, 2020, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a new joint statement, reminding investors that in many emerging markets, including China, there is substantially greater risk that disclosures will be incomplete or misleading and, in the event of investor harm, substantially less access to recourse, as compared to U.S. domestic companies. The SEC/PCAOB statement noted the PCAOB's inability to inspect audit work papers in China and its potential harm to investors. However, it remains unclear what further actions the SEC and PCAOB will take to address the problem. Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside China have identified deficiencies in those firms' audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor's audit procedures and quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to PCAOB inspections. In light of the lack of inspections, investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our consolidated financial statements. In June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of the U.S. Congress, which if passed, would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which PCAOB is not able to inspect or investigate an auditor report issued by a foreign public accounting firm. The proposed Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges (EQUITABLE) Act would prescribe increased disclosure requirements for these issuers and, beginning in 2025, the delisting from U.S. national securities exchanges such as the NYSE of issuers included on the SEC's list for three consecutive years. Enactment of this legislation or similar measures could cause investor uncertainty for affected issuers, including us, and the market price of the ADSs could be adversely affected. It is unclear if this proposed legislation will be enacted.
Risk Highlights Q4, 2019
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 24
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1AddedThe audit report included in this annual report is prepared by an auditor who is not inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, our investors are deprived of the benefits of such inspection.
Auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States are registered with the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, and are required by the laws of the U.S. to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the laws of the U.S. and applicable professional standards. Because our auditors are located in the People's Republic of China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our auditors are not currently inspected by the PCAOB. On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. In a statement issued on December 9, 2019, the SEC reiterated concerns over the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of the audit firm work papers with respect to U.S.-listed companies that have operations in China, and emphasized the importance of audit quality in emerging markets, such as China. On April 21, 2020, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a new joint statement, reminding investors that in many emerging markets, including China, there is substantially greater risk that disclosures will be incomplete or misleading and, in the event of investor harm, substantially less access to recourse, as compared to U.S. domestic companies. The SEC/PCAOB statement noted the PCAOB's inability to inspect audit work papers in China and its potential harm to investors. However, it remains unclear what further actions the SEC and PCAOB will take to address the problem. Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside China have identified deficiencies in those firms' audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor's audit procedures and quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to PCAOB inspections. In light of the lack of inspections, investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our consolidated financial statements. In June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of the U.S. Congress, which if passed, would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which PCAOB is not able to inspect or investigate an auditor report issued by a foreign public accounting firm. The proposed Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges (EQUITABLE) Act would prescribe increased disclosure requirements for these issuers and, beginning in 2025, the delisting from U.S. national securities exchanges such as the NYSE of issuers included on the SEC's list for three consecutive years. Enactment of this legislation or similar measures could cause investor uncertainty for affected issuers, including us, and the market price of the ADSs could be adversely affected. It is unclear if this proposed legislation will be enacted.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2We are controlled by Sinopec Corp., whose interests may not be aligned with yours.
As of March 31, 2020, Sinopec Corp. owned 50.44% of our shares. Accordingly, it has voting and management control over us, and its interests may be different from the interests of our other shareholders. Subject to our Articles of Association and applicable laws and regulations, Sinopec Corp. will be in a position to cause us to declare dividends, determine the outcome of corporate actions requiring shareholder approval or effect corporate transactions without the approval of the holders of the H Shares and ADSs. Any such increase in our dividend payout would reduce funds available for reinvestment in our business and any such actions or transactions could adversely affect us or our minority shareholders. Sinopec Corp. may also experience changes in its own business strategy and policies. Although we are not currently aware of any specific changes, they could, in turn, lead Sinopec Corp. to change its policies or practices toward us in ways that we cannot predict, with corresponding unpredictable consequences for our business. Additionally, Sinopec Corp. may leverage its controlling shareholder position to influence our decisions with regard to the manufacturing and operation, allocation of financial resources and appointment and removal of senior management members, which could adversely affect us or our minority shareholders. We have also engaged from time to time and will continue to engage in a variety of transactions with Sinopec Corp., Sinopec Group, the controlling company of Sinopec Corp., and their various subsidiaries or affiliates which provide a number of services to us, including the supply of raw materials, product distribution and sales agency, project design and installment service, petrochemical industry related insurance and financial services. We also sell oil and petrochemical products to Sinopec Corp. and its affiliates. Our transactions with these companies are governed by a Mutual Product Supply and Sales Services Framework Agreement with Sinopec Corp. and a Comprehensive Services Framework Agreement with Sinopec Group, the terms of which were negotiated on an arm's length basis. See Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions – B. Related Party Transactions. Our business and results of operations could be adversely affected if Sinopec Corp. or Sinopec Group refuses to engage in such transactions or if it seeks to amend the contracts between the parties in a way adverse to us. In addition, Sinopec Corp. has interests in businesses which compete or are likely to compete, either directly or indirectly, with our businesses. Because Sinopec Corp. is our controlling shareholder and its interests may conflict with our own interests, Sinopec Corp. may take actions that favor itself over our interests.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3You may not enjoy shareholders' protections that you would be entitled to in other jurisdictions.
As most of our business is conducted in China, our operations are governed principally by the laws of China. Despite the continuing improvement of the PRC Company Law and Securities Law, Chinese legal provisions for the protection of shareholders' rights and access to information are different from those applicable to companies formed in the United States, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and other developed countries or regions. You may not enjoy shareholders' protections under Chinese law that you would be entitled to in other jurisdictions. Moreover, there are significant differences between our corporate governance practices and those of U.S. issuers listed on the NYSE, as further described under Item 16 G. Corporate Governance.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4Our Articles of Association require you to submit your disputes with us and other persons defined by our Articles of Association regarding the Company's affairs to arbitration. You will have no legal right to a court proceeding with respect to such disputes.
Our Articles of Association require holders of our H Shares or ADSs having a claim against, or a dispute with, us, our directors, supervisors, executive officers or a holder of our A Shares relating to any rights or obligations conferred or imposed by our Articles of Association, the PRC Company Law or other relevant Chinese laws or regulations relating to our affairs, to submit such claim or dispute to arbitration with the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission or to the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center. Our Articles of Association further provide that any arbitration decisions with respect to such disputes or claims shall be final and binding on all parties. As a result, you will have no legal right to a court proceeding with respect to such disputes.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5The trading prices of our ADSs and H Shares have been volatile and may continue to be volatile regardless of our operating performance.
The trading prices of our ADSs and H Shares have been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations. The market price for our ADSs may continue to be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to factors including the following: - actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations;- changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;- conditions in petroleum and petrochemical markets;- changes in the operating performance or market valuations of other petroleum and petrochemical companies;- announcements by us or our competitors of new products, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;- fluctuations of exchange rates between RMB and the U.S. Dollar; and - general economic or political conditions in China or elsewhere in the world. In addition, the stock market in general, and the market prices for companies with operations in China in particular, have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. The securities of some China-based companies that have listed their securities in the United States have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings in recent years, including, in some cases, substantial declines in the trading prices of their securities. The trading performances of these companies' securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies listed in the United States in general, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure or other matters of other Chinese companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities. In particular, the global financial crisis and the ensuing economic recessions in many countries have contributed and may continue to contribute to extreme volatility in the global stock markets. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our ADSs.
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