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Fangdd Network Group (DUO) 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. Fangdd Network Group disclosed 88 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Fangdd Network Group reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2023

Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Dec 31, 2023, filed Apr 19, 2024

Risk Distribution
88Risks
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

Fangdd Network Group disclosed risks per quarterNo. of Risks878889909192Q4Q4Showing: Q4, 2023
Risks removedRisks addedRisks changedFangdd Network Group Risk Factors
  • Debt & Financing - Risk 1
    There can be no assurance that we were not a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for 2023 or that we will not be a PFIC for 2024 or any other taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors in the ADSs or ordinary shares.

    A non-United States corporation will be a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income for such year is passive income or (ii) at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on a weighted quarterly average) during such year is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income. A separate determination must be made after the close of each taxable year as to whether a non-United States corporation is a PFIC for that year. Although the law in this regard is unclear, we intend to treat the VIE (and its subsidiaries) as being owned by us for U.S. federal income tax purposes, not only because we direct the activities of the VIE (and its subsidiaries) that most significantly impact the economic performance of such entities but also because we are entitled to substantially all of their economic benefits, and, as a result, we consolidate their results of operations in our consolidated financial statements. Assuming that we are treated as the owner of the VIE (and its subsidiaries) for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and based upon our current and expected income and assets, including goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, and the market value of the ADSs), we do not believe we were a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for the taxable year ended December 31, 2023. The determination of our PFIC status is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis and the applicable law is subject to varying interpretation. The value of our assets for purposes of the asset test may be determined by reference to the market price of the ADSs, fluctuations in the market price of the ADSs may cause us to become a PFIC for the current or subsequent taxable years. In addition, the composition of our income and assets will also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets and the cash raised in our initial public offering. If we determine not to deploy significant amounts of cash for active purposes or if it were determined that we do not own the stock of the VIE for U.S. federal income tax purposes, our risk of being a PFIC may substantially increase. In light of the foregoing, there can be no assurance that we were not, or will not be, a PFIC for any taxable year, and our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status for any prior, current or future taxable year. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (as defined in "Item 10. Additional Information-E. Taxation-U.S. Federal Income Taxation) holds the ADSs or ordinary shares, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. Holder. See "Item 10. Additional Information-E. Taxation-U.S. Federal Income Taxation-Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules."

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Risk Highlights Q4, 2023

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 35 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
88
-3
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 32
Recent Changes
0Risks added
3Risks removed
3Risks changed
Since Dec 2023
Number of Risk Changed
3
-6
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 1

Risk Word Cloud

governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.governmental control of currency conversionas a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to, and we have elected to, rely on exemptions from certain nasdaq corporate governance standards applicable to u.s. issuers, including the requirement that a majority of an issuer's directors consist of independent directors. this may afford less protection to holders of our class a ordinary shares and adss.directors consist of independent directorsit may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within china.overseas regulators to conduct investigationswe may lose the ability to utilize assets held by the vie that are important to the operation of our business if the vie goes bankrupt or becomes subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding.ability to utilize assets heldif our marketplace is unable to offer comprehensive, authentic, accurate and up-to-date property listings, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.up-to-date property listingswe have granted, and may continue to grant, share options and other forms of share-based incentive awards, which will adversely affect our results of operations and you will incur immediate and substantial dilution.forms of share-based incentive awardsour results of operations and cash flows may fluctuate due to seasonal variations in the real estate market, the non-recurring nature of our real estate transactions, billing cycles and unpredictable development cycles.fluctuate due to seasonal variationshistorically there have been occurrences of unexpected network interruptions and security breaches, including "hacking" or computer virus attacks. such disruptions in the future would cause delays or interruptions of service, damage our reputation and result in a loss of users of our products, which could harm our business, operating results, and financial condition.occurrences of unexpected network interruptionsour triple-class voting structure will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our class a ordinary shares and adss may view as beneficial.our triple-class voting structureour triple-class voting structure will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our class a ordinary shares and adss may view as beneficial.ability to influence corporate matters

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 88

Share Price & Shareholder Rights20 | 22.7%
  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
    We have granted, and may continue to grant, share options and other forms of share-based incentive awards, which will adversely affect our results of operations and you will incur immediate and substantial dilution.

    We adopted the 2018 Share Incentive Plan, or the 2018 Plan, in December 2018 and amended it in September 2019. Under the 2018 Plan, as amended, the maximum aggregate number of shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards is 356,514,660 ordinary shares. As of March 31, 2024, awards to purchase 65,936,250 ordinary shares were granted and outstanding under the 2018 Plan. In 2023, we incurred RMB105.0 thousand (US$14.7 thousand) share-based compensation expenses relating to awards granted under the 2018 Plan. We believe the granting of share incentive awards is critical to our ability to attract and retain employees and promote the success of our business, and we will continue to grant share incentive awards in the future. As a result, our expenses associated with the grant of share-based incentive awards may increase, which will have an adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, issuance of ordinary shares underlying the outstanding awards will cause you to experience an immediate and substantial dilution of your shareholding.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
    We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders to exercise control over our business, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control.

    Since the applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations restrict foreign ownership in the value-added telecommunications services, we conduct our online real estate service and derive related revenues through the contractual arrangements with the VIE. We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders for our business operations, and these contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIE. We rely on the performance by the VIE and its shareholders of their obligations under the contracts to exercise control over the VIE. The shareholders of the VIE may not act in the best interests of us or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate certain portion of our business through the contractual arrangements with the VIE. As we have no direct or indirect ownership interest in the VIE, these contractual arrangements, including the voting proxies granted to us, may not be as effective in providing us with control over these companies as direct or indirect ownership. If we were the controlling shareholder of the VIE with direct or indirect ownership, we would be able to exercise our rights as shareholders to effect changes in the board of directors, which in turn could effect change, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management level. Since we control the VIE through contractual arrangements, if the VIE or its shareholders fail to perform their obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may be forced to (i) incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such arrangements, including the voting proxies, and (ii) rely on legal remedies available under PRC law, including exercising our call option right over the equity interest in the VIE or the assets of the VIE, seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming monetary damages. See "-Any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material and adverse effect on our business." In the event that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant time delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The equity and asset transfer and foreclosure of pledge in accordance with our contractual arrangements shall be subject to procedures required by relevant PRC authorities. In addition, the equity and asset transfer price may be subject to review and tax adjustment by the relevant tax authority.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
    The shareholders of the VIE may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

    Shareholders of the VIE include Xi Zeng, Yi Duan, Wei Zhang, Li Zhou, Jiaorong Pan, and Ying Lu, holding 46.62%, 31.95%, 9.00%, 8.88%, 2.66%, and 0.90%, respectively, of the equity interest in the VIE. Xi Zeng and Yi Duan are our co-founders. Jiaorong Pan is our director and chief operating officer. However, we cannot assure you that these shareholders would not have potential conflicts of interest with us. If they breach, or cause the VIE to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements we have with them and the VIE, our ability to effectively control the VIE and receive economic benefits from the VIE and its subsidiaries would be materially and adversely affected. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with the VIE to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor. Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these shareholders and our company. For the shareholders who are also our directors and executive officers, we rely on them to abide by the laws of the Cayman Islands and China, which provide that the directors owe a fiduciary duty to the company that requires them to act in good faith and in what they believe to be the best interests of the company and not to use their position for personal gain. There is currently no specific and clear guidance under PRC laws that address any conflict between PRC law and Cayman Islands law in respect of any conflict relating to corporate governance. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the shareholders of the VIE, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
    Any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our contractual arrangements with them would have a material and adverse effect on our business.

    We refer to the shareholders of the VIE as its nominee shareholders because although they are the holders on record of equity interest in the VIE, pursuant to the terms of the relevant power of attorney, each such shareholder has irrevocably authorized Xi Zeng to exercise his or her rights as a shareholder of the VIE. However, if the VIE or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC law, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure will be effective under PRC law. For example, if the shareholders of the VIE refuse to transfer their equity interest in the VIE to us or our designee when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if they otherwise act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations. All of the agreements under our contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration or litigation. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC law and any disputes would be resolved through arbitration in Hong Kong or litigation in PRC. The legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. See "-Risks Related to Doing Business in China-The PRC legal system contains uncertainties, which could limit the legal protections available to you and us." Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a VIE should be interpreted or enforced under PRC law. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, rulings by arbitrators are final, parties cannot appeal the arbitration results in courts, and if the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over the VIE, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
    Any unauthorized use of indicia of corporate power or authority would have a material adverse effect on our business.

    In China, a company chop or seal serves as the legal representation of the company towards third parties even when unaccompanied by a signature. Each legally registered company in China is required to maintain a company chop, which must be registered with the local Public Security Bureau. In addition to this mandatory company chop, companies may have several other chops which can be used for specific purposes. The chops of our PRC subsidiaries, the VIE and its subsidiaries are generally held securely by personnel designated or approved by us in accordance with our internal control procedures. To the extent those chops are not kept safe, are stolen or are used by unauthorized persons or for unauthorized purposes, the corporate governance of these entities could be severely and adversely compromised and those corporate entities may be bound to abide by the terms of any documents so chopped, even if they were chopped by an individual who lacked the requisite power and authority to do so.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
    We may be unable to comply with the applicable continued listing requirements of Nasdaq.

    ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares are currently listed on Nasdaq. In order to maintain this listing, we must satisfy minimum financial and other continued listing requirements and standards. On January 4, 2022, we received a notice from Nasdaq, notifying that we were not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) because the bid price of our ADSs closed below US$1.00 per ADS for the 30 consecutive trading days from November 19, 2021 to January 3, 2022. We were granted a grace period of 180 calendar days, expiring on July 5, 2022, in which to regain compliance. In order to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement, we changed the ratio of our ADSs representing Class A ordinary shares from one (1) ADS representing twenty five (25) Class A ordinary shares to one (1) ADS representing three hundred seventy-five (375) Class A ordinary shares. The change became effective on June 7, 2022. On June 22, 2022, Nasdaq confirmed in a compliance notice that for the ten consecutive trading days, from June 7 through June 21, 2022, the closing bid price of our ADSs had been at $1.00 per share or greater. Accordingly, we regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1), and the matter was closed. On October 20, 2022, we received another notice from Nasdaq, stating that we were not in compliance with the Nasdaq listing requirement to maintain a minimum market value of publicly held shares, or MVPHS, of at least US$5 million for a period of 30 consecutive trading days, as required under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(1)(C). We were provided 180 calendar days, or until April 18, 2023, to regain compliance with the MVPHS requirement. On March 24, 2023, based on our company's MVPHS for a period of 11 consecutive trading days, from March 9 to March 23, 2023, Nasdaq confirmed that our company's MVPHS had been greater than US$5 million. Accordingly, we regained compliance with the MVPHS requirement and this matter was closed. On June 22, 2023, we were informed by Nasdaq that we were not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) and were granted a grace period of 180 calendar days till December 19, 2023 to cure the deficiency. To regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement, we effected a reverse ADS split on August 4, 2023, changing the ratio of the ADSs representing Class A ordinary shares from one (1) ADS representing three hundred seventy-five (375) Class A ordinary shares to one (1) ADS representing five thousand six hundred and twenty-five (5,625) Class A ordinary shares. On August 21, 2023, Nasdaq confirmed that we regained compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1), as the closing bid price of the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares had been at US$1.00 per share or above from August 4 through August 17, 2023. We received another notification from Nasdaq on December 13, 2023, notifying us that we are currently not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement and that we have been granted 180 calendar days until June 10, 2024 to regain compliance. If we were unable to regain compliance within the grace period for this requirement or any other applicable listing requirements of Nasdaq, our ADSs would be subject to delisting. In the event that our ADSs are delisted from Nasdaq and are not eligible for quotation or listing on another market or exchange, trading of our ADSs could be conducted only in the over-the-counter market established for unlisted securities such as OTC Markets. In such event, it could become more difficult to dispose of, or obtain accurate price quotations for our ADSs, which could cause the price of our ADSs to decline further.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
    The market price movement of the ADSs may be volatile.

    The trading prices of the ADSs are likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation in the market prices or the underperformance or deteriorating financial results of other listed companies based in China. The securities of some of these companies have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings, including, in some cases, substantial price declines in the trading prices of their securities. The trading performances of other Chinese companies' securities after their offerings, including Internet companies, online retail and mobile commerce platforms and consumer finance service providers, may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese companies listed in the United States, which consequently may impact the trading performance of the 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 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 conducted any inappropriate activities. Furthermore, securities markets may from time to time experience significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to our operating performance, such as the large decline in share prices in the United States, China and other jurisdictions in late 2008, early 2009, the second half of 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2022, which may have a material and adverse effect on the trading price of the ADSs. In addition to the above factors, the price and trading volume of the ADSs may be highly volatile due to multiple factors, including the following: - regulatory developments affecting us or our industry;- announcements of studies and reports relating to the quality of our service offerings or those of our competitors;- changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other real estate service providers;- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and changes or revisions of our expected results;- changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;- conditions in the market for real estate services;- announcements by us or our competitors of new product and service offerings, acquisitions, strategic relationships, joint ventures, capital raisings or capital commitments;- additions to or departures of our senior management;- fluctuations of exchange rates between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar; and - release or expiry of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding shares or ADSs, and sales or perceived potential sales of additional ordinary shares or ADSs.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
    The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of the ADSs or ordinary shares could adversely affect their market price.

    Sales of substantial amounts of the ADSs or ordinary shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of the ADSs. As of March 31, 2024, we had 36,354,249,496 ordinary shares outstanding, comprising of (i) 35,856,759,709 Class A ordinary shares (excluding 643,016,250 Class A ordinary shares issued to depositary bank for ADSs reserved for future issuances upon the exercise or vesting of awards granted under our share incentive plans and upon the exercise of warrants issued on July 19, 2023), (ii) 490,418,360 Class B ordinary shares, and (iii) 7,071,427 Class C ordinary shares. As of March 31, 2024, 35,728,220,900 Class A ordinary shares of our company represented by approximately 6,351,683 ADSs were freely transferable without restriction or additional registration under the Securities Act. The remaining Class A ordinary shares outstanding and Class A ordinary shares converted from the Class B ordinary shares or the Class C ordinary shares will be available for sale, subject to volume and other restrictions as applicable under Rules 144 and 701 under the Securities Act. Certain holders of our ordinary shares may cause us to register under the Securities Act the sale of their shares. Sales of these registered shares in the form of ADSs in the public market could adversely affect the market price of the ADSs.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
    Our triple-class voting structure will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.

    Our ordinary share capital consists of Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares. Holders of Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares shall vote together as one class on all resolutions submitted to a vote by the shareholders. In respect of matters requiring the votes of shareholders, holders of Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote per share, while (i) holders of Class B ordinary shares are entitled to ten votes per share and (ii) holders of Class C ordinary shares are entitled to 10,000 votes per share, except that we shall only amend, alter, modify or change the rights, restrictions, preferences or privileges of Class C ordinary shares with the written consent of the holders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding Class C ordinary shares or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the issued and outstanding Class C ordinary shares. Each Class B ordinary share or Class C ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time at the option of the holder thereof, or subject to automatic and immediate conversion into one Class A ordinary share once certain conditions are met, while neither Class A ordinary shares nor Class C ordinary shares are convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances, neither Class A ordinary shares nor Class B ordinary shares are convertible into Class C ordinary shares under any circumstances. Due to the disparate voting powers attached to these three classes, holders of our Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares have significant voting power over matters requiring shareholders' approval. This concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions that holders of Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
    If securities or industry analysts cease to publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding the ADSs, the market price for the ADSs and trading volume could decline.

    The trading market for the ADSs will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If research analysts do not establish and maintain adequate research coverage or if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades the ADSs or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for the ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which, in turn, could cause the market price or trading volume for the ADSs to decline.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11
    Our memorandum and articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could adversely affect the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.

    Our current memorandum and articles of association contain provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions, including a provision that grants authority to our board of directors to establish and issue from time to time one or more series of preferred shares without action by our shareholders and to determine, with respect to any series of preferred shares, the terms and rights of that series, any or all which may be greater than the rights associated with our Class A ordinary shares, in the form of ADSs. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction. For example, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our Class A ordinary shares, in the form of ADS, or otherwise. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the price of the ADSs may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12
    As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to, and we have elected to, rely on exemptions from certain Nasdaq corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers, including the requirement that a majority of an issuer's directors consist of independent directors. This may afford less protection to holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs.

    As a Cayman Islands exempted company listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, we are subject to the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. For example, Rule 5605 of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules requires listed companies to have, among other things, a majority of its board members to be independent, and to have independent director oversight of executive compensation and nomination of directors. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. For example, under Cayman Islands law we are not required to (i) have a majority of independent directors serve on our board of directors, (ii) have a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors, (iii) have a nominating committee composed entirely of independent directors, and (iv) hold annual meeting of shareholders within one year after the end of a fiscal year. With respect to the foregoing corporate governance requirements, we have elected to follow home country practice. See "Item 16G. Corporate Governance." As a majority of our board of directors are currently not independent directors, fewer board members will be exercising independent judgment and the level of board oversight on the management of our Company may decrease as a result. Since we have chosen to follow certain home country practice, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would enjoy under the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13
    The concentration of our share ownership among our directors and executive officers will likely limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transaction that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.

    As of March 31, 2024, our directors and executive officers and their affiliated entities together beneficially own approximately 1.5% of our total issued and outstanding ordinary shares, representing 67.9% of our total voting rights. As a result of the concentration of voting power, these directors and executive officers will have considerable influence over matters such as decisions regarding mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. This concentration of ownership may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company, which could have the effect of depriving our other shareholders of the opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our company and may reduce the price of the ADSs. This concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions that holders of Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 14
    Since shareholder rights under Cayman Islands law differ from those under U.S. law, you may have difficulty protecting your shareholder rights.

    We are an exempted company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against our directors, actions by our minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records (other than the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Register of Mortgages and Charges and special resolutions of our shareholders) or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our currently effective memorandum and articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for companies incorporated in other jurisdictions such as the United States.  Since we have chosen to follow certain home country practice, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would enjoy under the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.  See "-As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to, and we have elected to, rely on exemptions from certain Nasdaq corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers, including the requirement that a majority of an issuer's directors consist of independent directors. This may afford less protection to holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs." As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by our management, members of our board of directors or our controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 15
    Judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable in our home jurisdiction.

    We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, we conduct substantially all of our operations in China and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, all our senior executive officers reside within China for a significant portion of the time and most are PRC nationals. As a result, it may be difficult for our shareholders to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside mainland China. In addition, China does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts with the Cayman Islands and many other countries and regions. Therefore, recognition and enforcement in China of judgments of a court in any of these non-PRC jurisdictions in relation to any matter not subject to a binding arbitration provision may be difficult or impossible.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 16
    The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise your right to direct how the Class A ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs are voted.

    Holders of ADSs do not have the same rights as our registered shareholders. As a holder of the ADSs, you will not have any direct right to attend general meetings of our shareholders or to cast any votes at such meetings. You will only be able to exercise the voting rights which are carried by the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs indirectly by giving voting instructions to the depositary in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you may vote only by giving voting instructions to the depositary. If we instruct the depositary to ask for your instructions, then upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will try, as far as practicable, to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs, in accordance with your instructions. If we do not instruct the depositary to ask for your instructions, the depositary may still vote in accordance with instructions you give, but it is not required to do so. You will not be able to directly exercise your right to vote with respect to the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs unless you cancel and withdraw such shares and become the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting. Under our currently effective memorandum and articles of association, the minimum notice period required for convening a general meeting is ten calendar days. When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice of the meeting to withdraw the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs and to vote directly with respect to any specific matter or resolution to be considered and voted upon at the general meeting. In addition, under our currently effective memorandum and articles of association, for the purposes of determining those shareholders who are entitled to attend and vote at any general meeting, our directors may close our register of members and/or fix in advance a record date for such meeting, and such closure of our register of members or the setting of such a record date may prevent you from withdrawing the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs and becoming the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date, so that you would not be able to attend the general meeting or to vote directly. If we ask for your instructions, the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. We have agreed to give the depositary prior notice of shareholder meetings. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for their manner of carrying out your voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to direct how the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are voted and you may have no legal remedy if the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are not voted as you requested.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 17
    We are entitled to amend the deposit agreement and to change the rights of ADS holders under the terms of such agreement, or to terminate the deposit agreement, without the prior consent of the ADS holders.

    We are entitled to amend the deposit agreement and to change the rights of the ADS holders under the terms of such agreement, without the prior consent of the ADS holders. We and the depositary may agree to amend the deposit agreement in any way we decide is necessary or advantageous to us. Amendments may reflect, among other things, operational changes in the ADS program, legal developments affecting ADSs or changes in the terms of our business relationship with the depositary. In the event that the terms of an amendment may prejudice a substantial existing right of ADS holders, ADS holders will only receive 30 days' advance notice of the amendment, and no prior consent of the ADS holders is required under the deposit agreement. At the time an amendment becomes effective, ADS holders are considered, by continuing to hold their ADSs, to have agreed to the amendment and to be bound by the amended deposit agreement. Furthermore, we may decide to terminate the ADS facility at any time for any reason. For example, terminations may occur when we decide to list our shares on a non-U.S. securities exchange and determine not to continue to sponsor an ADS facility, when we become the subject of a takeover or a going-private transaction, or when we incur the insolvency event. If the ADS facility terminates, ADS holders will receive at least 90 days' prior notice, but no prior consent is required from them. The depositary may also terminate the deposit agreement if the depositary has told us that it would like to resign and we have not appointed a new depositary within 60 days. Under the circumstances that we decide to make an amendment to the deposit agreement that may prejudice a substantial existing right of ADS holders or terminate the deposit agreement, the ADS holders' choices will be limited to selling their ADSs or surrendering their ADSs and becoming direct holders of the underlying Class A ordinary shares, but will have no right to any compensation whatsoever. No assurance can be given that a sale of ADSs could be made at a price satisfactory to the holder in such circumstances.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 18
    The depositary for the ADSs will give us a discretionary proxy to vote our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs if you do not vote at shareholders' meetings, except in limited circumstances, which could adversely affect your interests.

    Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, if you do not vote, the depositary will give us a discretionary proxy to vote our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at shareholders' meetings if: - we have timely provided the depositary with notice of meeting and related voting materials; and - we confirm to the depositary that we reasonably do not know of any substantial shareholder opposition to a particular question and the particular question is not materially adverse to the interests of shareholders. The effect of this discretionary proxy is that if you do not vote at shareholders' meetings, you cannot prevent our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs from being voted, except under the circumstances described above. This may make it more difficult for shareholders to influence the management of our company. Holders of our ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 19
    You may not receive distributions on ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to you.

    The depositary of the ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on Class A ordinary shares or other deposited securities underlying the ADSs, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act but that are not properly registered or distributed under an applicable exemption from registration. The depositary may also determine that it is not feasible to distribute certain property through the mail. Additionally, the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may cause a material decline in the value of the ADSs.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 20
    ADSs holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in less favorable outcomes to the plaintiffs in any such action.

    The deposit agreement governing the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, ADS holders waive the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to our shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement, including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws. If we or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with the applicable state and federal law. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver in connection with claims arising under the federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by the United States Supreme Court. However, we believe that a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable, including under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement, by a federal or state court in the City of New York, which has non-exclusive jurisdiction over matters arising under the deposit agreement. In determining whether to enforce a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision, courts will generally consider whether a party knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived the right to a jury trial. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. It is advisable that you consult legal counsel regarding the jury waiver provision before entering into the deposit agreement. If you or any other holders or beneficial owners of ADSs bring a claim against us or the depositary in connection with matters arising under the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including claims under federal securities laws, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us and the depositary. If a lawsuit is brought against either or both of us and the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiffs in any such action. Nevertheless, if this jury trial waiver provision is not permitted by applicable law, an action could proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or ADSs serves as a waiver by any holder or beneficial owner of ADSs or by us or the depositary of compliance with any substantive provision of the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

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.