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GE Aerospace (GE)
NYSE:GE
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GE
GE Aerospace
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GE Aerospace (GE) Risk Analysis

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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.

GE Aerospace disclosed 18 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. GE Aerospace reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2023

Risk Distribution
18Risks
33% Finance & Corporate
22% Production
17% Macro & Political
11% Tech & Innovation
11% Legal & Regulatory
6% Ability to Sell
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2022
Q4
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
GE Aerospace Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q3, 2023

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 6 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 6 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
18
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
18
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Sep 2023
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Sep 2023
Number of Risk Changed
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 1
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 1
See the risk highlights of GE Aerospace in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 18

Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 6/18 (33%)Below Sector Average
Debt & Financing3 | 16.7%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
Financial services operations - We continue to have exposure to insurance, credit, legal and other risks in our financial services operations and, in the event of future adverse developments, may not be able to meet our business and financial objectives without further actions or additional capital contributions.
To fund the remaining statutory capital contributions that we expect to make to our insurance subsidiaries, as well as to meet our debt maturities and other obligations, we expect to rely on liquidity from our operations. There is a risk that future adverse developments could cause funding or liquidity stress. For example, it is possible that future requirements for capital contributions to our insurance subsidiaries will be greater than currently estimated, or that contemplated contributions could be accelerated by regulators. Our annual testing of insurance reserves is subject to a variety of assumptions, including assumptions about the discount rate (which is sensitive to changes in market interest rates), morbidity, mortality and future long-term care premium increases. Any future adverse changes to these assumptions (to the extent not offset by any favorable changes to these assumptions) could result in an increase to future policy benefit reserves and, potentially, to the amount of capital we are required to contribute to our insurance subsidiaries (as discussed in the Other Items - Insurance section within MD&A). We also anticipate that the new insurance accounting standard that became effective on January 1, 2023 (as discussed in the Other Items - New Accounting Standards section within MD&A) will materially affect our financial statements and require changes to certain of our processes, systems, and controls. In addition, we continue to evaluate potential strategic options to accelerate the further reduction in the size of our financial services operations. Some of these options could involve cash payments, financial charges or other adverse effects depending on the timing, negotiated terms and conditions of any ultimate arrangements. In addition, our financial services operations also have exposure to various industries and counterparties, including insurance companies, brokers and dealers, and financial institutions, which exposes us to credit and other risks in the event of insolvency or other default of a counterparty. For example, a portion of our run-off insurance operations’ assets are held in trust accounts associated with reinsurance contracts. For our UFLIC subsidiary, such trust assets are currently held in trusts for the benefit of insurance company subsidiaries of Genworth, which stated in 2021 that any proceeds from its contingency plan will be used to repay parent company debt and not to bolster the capital position of its insurance subsidiaries. Solvency or other concerns about Genworth or its insurance company subsidiaries may cause those subsidiaries or their regulators to take or attempt to take actions that could adversely affect UFLIC, including control over assets in the relevant trusts. It is also possible that contingent liabilities and loss estimates from our financial services-related continuing or discontinued operations, such as those related to Bank BPH (see Note 24), will need to be recognized or increase in the future and will become payable. There can be no assurance that future liabilities, losses or impairments to the carrying value of assets within our financial services operations would not materially and adversely affect GE’s business, financial position, cash flows, results of operations or capacity to provide financing to support orders at the businesses.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
Liquidity - Failure to meet our cash flow targets, or additional credit downgrades, could adversely affect our liquidity, funding costs and related margins.
We rely primarily on cash and cash equivalents, free cash flows from our operating businesses and cash generated from asset sales and dispositions (including from our equity stakes in AerCap and GE HealthCare) to fund our operations and meet our financial obligations, and to meet our capital allocation objectives. We maintain short-term borrowing facilities, including revolving credit facilities, as a contingency buffer of liquidity and to meet our financial obligations and capital allocation priorities. Failure to meet our cash flow objectives could adversely affect our financial condition or our credit ratings. There can be no assurance that we will not face credit downgrades as a result of factors such as the performance of our businesses, the failure to make progress as planned on the separation transactions and continued progress in decreasing GE’s leverage, reduced diversification of GE’s businesses following the separation transactions, or changes in rating application or methodology. Future downgrades could further adversely affect our ability to execute the planned spin-off of GE Vernova, as well as our cost of funds and related margins, liquidity, competitive position and access to capital markets, and a significant downgrade could have an adverse commercial impact on our businesses. In addition, swap, forward and option contracts are executed under standard master agreements that typically contain mutual downgrade provisions that provide the ability of the counterparty to require termination if the credit ratings of the applicable GE entity were to fall below specified ratings levels agreed upon with the counterparty. For additional discussion about our current credit ratings and related considerations, refer to the Capital Resources and Liquidity - Credit Ratings and Conditions section within MD&A.
Debt & Financing - Risk 3
Borrowings - We may face risks related to our debt levels, particularly if we face severely adverse market conditions.
We have significantly reduced our debt levels over the past several years through debt tenders and other liability management actions, and we expect to allocate additional capital to debt reduction in the future, with cash flows from operations and the proceeds from asset sales and dispositions (including our stakes in AerCap and GE HealthCare) as sources for that. If we are unable to generate cash flows in accordance with our plans, our deleveraging plan could be delayed or altered, which may require that we delay investments or capital expenditures. We may be required to adopt one or more alternatives such as increasing borrowing under credit lines, reducing or delaying investments or capital expenditures or taking other actions. In addition, we have significant pension and run-off insurance liabilities that are sensitive to numerous factors and assumptions that we use in our pension liability, GAAP insurance reserve and statutory insurance calculations. Our debt levels could put us at a competitive disadvantage compared to competitors with lower debt levels that may provide them with greater financial flexibility to secure additional funding for their operations, pursue strategic acquisitions, finance long-term projects or take other actions. Significant debt levels could also pose risks in the event of recession or adverse industry-specific conditions. In addition, elevated debt may limit our ability to obtain new debt financing on favorable terms or at all in the future, particularly if coupled with downgrades of our credit ratings or a deterioration of capital markets conditions more generally.
Corporate Activity and Growth3 | 16.7%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
Business portfolio - Our success depends on achieving our strategic and financial objectives, including through acquisitions, integrations, dispositions and joint ventures.
With respect to acquisitions and business integrations or with dispositions, separations, such as the spin-off of GE HealthCare, and joint ventures, we may not achieve expected returns or other benefits on a timely basis or at all as a result of changes in strategy, integration challenges or other factors. Over the past several years we have also been pursuing a variety of dispositions, and we plan to exit our equity interests in AerCap and GE HealthCare over time. Declines in the values of equity interests (such as our interests AerCap and GE HealthCare) or other assets (such as the AerCap senior notes that we hold) that we sell can diminish the cash proceeds that we realize, and our ability and timing to sell can depend on the liquidity of the relevant asset and other market conditions. We may dispose of businesses or assets at a price or on terms that are less favorable than we had anticipated, or with purchase price adjustments or the exclusion of assets or liabilities that must be divested, managed or run off separately. Dispositions or other business separations also often involve continued financial involvement in the divested business, such as through continuing equity ownership, retained assets or liabilities, transition services agreements, commercial agreements, guarantees, indemnities or other current or contingent financial obligations or liabilities. Under these arrangements, performance by the divested businesses or other conditions outside our control could materially affect our future financial results. Evaluating or executing on all types of potential or planned portfolio transactions can divert senior management time and resources from other pursuits. We also participate in a number of joint ventures with other companies or government enterprises in various markets around the world, including joint ventures where we have a lesser degree of control over the business operations, which expose us to additional operational, financial, reputational, legal or compliance risks.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
Energy transition - The strategic priorities and financial performance of many of our businesses are subject to market and other dynamics related to decarbonization, which can pose risks in addition to opportunities.
Given the nature of our businesses and the industries we serve, we must anticipate and respond to market, technological, regulatory and other changes driven by broader trends related to decarbonization efforts in response to climate change and energy security. These changes present both risks and opportunities for our businesses, many of which provide products and services to customers in sectors like power generation and commercial aviation that have historically been carbon intensive and we expect will remain important to efforts globally to lower greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come. For example, the significant decreases in recent years in the levelized cost of energy for renewable sources of power generation (such as wind and solar), along with ongoing changes in government, investor, customer and consumer policies, commitments, preferences and considerations related to climate change, in some cases have adversely affected, and may continue to affect, the demand for and the competitiveness of products and services related to fossil fuel-based power generation, including sales of new gas turbines and the utilization and servicing needs for existing gas power plants that are unmitigated with capabilities such as hydrogen or carbon capture. Continued shifts toward greater penetration by renewables in both new capacity additions and the proportionate share of power generation, particularly depending on the pace and timeframe for such shifts across different markets globally, could have a material adverse effect on the performance of our Power business and our consolidated results. While the currently anticipated market growth and power generation share for renewable energy is expected to be favorable for our wind businesses over time, we face uncertainties related to future levels and timeframes of government subsidies and credits (including the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act and other policies), significant price competition among wind equipment manufacturers, changing dynamics between onshore and offshore wind power, potential further consolidation in the wind industry, competition with solar power-based and other sources of renewable energy and the pace at which power grids are modernized to maintain reliability with higher levels of renewables penetration. The achievement of deep decarbonization goals for the power sector over the coming decades is likely to depend in part on technologies that are not yet deployed or widely adopted today but that may become more important over time (such as hydrogen-based power generation, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, small modular or other advanced nuclear power and grid-scale batteries or other storage solutions). Successfully navigating these changes will require significant investments in power grids and other infrastructure, research and development and new technology and products, both by GE and third parties. Similar dynamics exist in the aviation sector, where decarbonization over time will require a combination of continued technological innovation in the fuel efficiency of engines, expanded use of sustainable aviation fuels and the development of electric flight and hydrogen-based aviation technologies. For example, the risk of insufficient availability of low carbon fuels (such as sustainable aviation fuels or hydrogen) may compromise the pace and degree of decarbonization within the aviation sector. Our success in advancing decarbonization objectives across our businesses will depend in part on the actions of governments, regulators and other market participants to invest in infrastructure, create appropriate market incentives and to otherwise support the development of new technologies. The process of developing new high-technology products and enhancing existing products to mitigate climate change is often complex, costly and uncertain, and we may pursue strategies or make investments that do not prove to be commercially successful in the time frames expected or at all. A failure by GE or other industry participants to invest successfully in these technological developments, or to adequately position our businesses to benefit from the growth in adoption of new technologies, could adversely affect our competitive position, business, ability to attract and retain talent, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, we face increasing scrutiny and expectations from many customers, governments, regulators, investors, banks, project financiers and other stakeholders regarding the roles that the private sector and individual companies play in decarbonization, which can result in additional costs and pose reputational or other risks for companies like GE that serve carbon intensive industries or relative to progress that we make over time in reducing emissions from our operations or products and achieving our publicly announced ambitions. We anticipate that we will continue to need to make investments in new technologies and capabilities and devote additional management and other resources in response to the foregoing, and we may not realize the anticipated benefits of those investments and actions. Trends related to the global energy transition and decarbonization, will affect the relative competitiveness of different types of product and service offerings within and across our energy businesses and our Aerospace business. Important factors that could impact our businesses include the pace of technological developments and related cost considerations, the levels of economic growth in different markets around the world and the adoption and pace of implementation of climate change-related policies (such as carbon taxes, cap and trade regimes, increased efficiency standards, greenhouse gas emission reduction targets or commitments, incentives or mandates for particular types of energy or policies that impact the availability of financing for certain types of projects) at the national and sub-national levels or by customers, investors or other private actors.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
Strategic plan - We may encounter challenges to executing our plan to separate GE into three public companies, or to completing the plan within the timeframes we anticipate, and we may not realize some or all of the expected benefits of the separations.
In November 2021, we announced our plan to form three independent public companies from our (i) Aerospace business, (ii) HealthCare business and (iii) portfolio of energy businesses that we plan to combine as GE Vernova (Renewable Energy, Power, Digital and Energy Financial Services), to better position those businesses to deliver long-term growth and create value for customers, investors, and employees. In January 2023, our HealthCare business was spun off as GE HealthCare. The GE HealthCare business separation was, and the planned GE Vernova business separation is expected to be, effected through spin-offs by GE that are intended to be tax-free for the Company and its shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes and with all three resulting companies having investment grade credit ratings. The GE Vernova separation transaction will be subject to the satisfaction of a number of customary conditions, including, among others, final approvals by GE’s Board of Directors, receipt of tax rulings in certain jurisdictions and/or tax opinions from external counsel, the filing with the SEC and effectiveness of a Form 10 registration statement, and establishment of the capital structures and credit ratings for both GE Vernova and the remainder of GE following the spin-off. A failure to satisfy required conditions, or disruptions in market conditions, could delay the completion of the GE Vernova separation transaction for a significant period of time or prevent it from occurring at all. Additionally, the GE Vernova separation transaction is complex in nature, and business, market or other developments or changes may affect our ability to complete the separation transaction as currently expected, within the anticipated timeframe or at all. These or other developments could cause us not to realize some or all of the expected benefits, or to realize them on a different timeline than expected. If we are unable to complete the GE Vernova separation, we will have incurred costs without realizing the benefits of such transaction. In addition, the terms and conditions of the required regulatory authorizations and consents that are granted, if any, may impose requirements, limitations or costs, or place restrictions on the conduct of GE Vernova or GE Aerospace as independent companies. In addition, although we intend for the GE Vernova separation transaction to be tax-free to the Company and its shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we expect to incur non-U.S. cash taxes on the preparatory restructuring and may also incur non-cash tax expense including potential impairments of deferred tax assets. Moreover, there can be no assurance that either of the separation transactions will qualify as tax-free for U.S. purposes for the Company or its shareholders. If either of the separation transactions were ultimately determined to be taxable, we would incur a significant tax liability, while the distributions to the Company’s shareholders would become taxable and the new independent companies might incur income tax liabilities as well. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that each separate company will be successful as a standalone public company. Whether or not the GE Vernova separation transaction is completed, our businesses may face material challenges as a result of the GE HealthCare separation and in connection with the GE Vernova separation, including the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business concerns and impact on the businesses of the Company; appropriately allocating assets and liabilities among GE Aerospace and GE Vernova; maintaining employee morale and retaining and attracting key management and other employees; retaining existing or attracting new business and operational relationships, including with customers, suppliers, employees and other counterparties; assigning customer contracts, guaranties and other contracts and instruments to each of the businesses, and obtaining releases from the counterparties to those contracts or beneficiaries of those instruments; providing financial or credit support for new business; assigning intellectual property to each of the businesses; establishing transition service agreements and standalone readiness for key functions; and potential negative reactions from investors or the financial community. In particular, GE for the past several years has been undertaking various restructuring and business transformation actions (including workforce reductions, global facility consolidations and other cost reduction initiatives, and the GE HealthCare separation) that have entailed changes across our organizational structure, senior leadership, culture, functional alignment, outsourcing and other areas. These pose risks in the form of personnel capacity constraints and institutional knowledge loss that could lead to missed performance or financial targets, loss of key personnel and harm to our reputation, and these risks are heightened with the additional interdependent actions that will be needed to complete the planned separation of GE Vernova. Moreover, completion of the GE HealthCare separation has resulted, and completion of the GE Vernova separation will result in independent public companies that are smaller, less diversified companies with more limited businesses concentrated in their respective industries than GE was prior to the separation transactions. As a result, each company may be more vulnerable to global economic trends, geopolitical risks, demand or supply shocks, and changing market conditions, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. In addition, the diversification of revenues, costs, and cash flows will diminish, such that each company’s results of operations, cash flows, working capital, effective tax rate, and financing requirements may be subject to increased volatility and its ability to execute of capital allocation plans, fund capital expenditures and investments, pay dividends and meet debt obligations and other liabilities may be diminished. Each of the separate companies will also incur ongoing costs, including costs of operating as independent public companies, that the separated businesses will no longer be able to share. Additionally, we cannot predict whether the market value of our common stock and the common stock of each of the new independent companies after the separation transactions will be, in the aggregate, less than, equal to or greater than the market value of our common stock prior to the separation transactions. Investors holding our common stock may also sell the common stock of any of the new independent companies that do not match their investment strategies, which may cause a decline in the market price of such common stock. Any decline in the market price of GE HealthCare common stock will also affect the value of our retained equity ownership in that company and could affect the timing and tax treatment of our disposition of that stake.
Production
Total Risks: 4/18 (22%)Above Sector Average
Manufacturing2 | 11.1%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
Product safety and quality - Our products and services are highly sophisticated and specialized, and a major failure or quality issue affecting our products or third-party products with which our products are integrated can adversely affect our business, reputation, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
We produce highly sophisticated products and provide specialized services for both our own and third-party products that incorporate or use complex or leading-edge technology, including both hardware and software. Many of our products and services involve complex industrial machinery or infrastructure projects, such as commercial jet engines, gas turbines, onshore and offshore wind turbines or nuclear power generation, and accordingly the adverse impact of product quality issues can be significant. Actual or perceived design, production, performance or other quality issues related to new product introductions or existing product lines can result in reputational harm to our businesses, in addition to direct warranty, maintenance and other costs that may arise. For example, as discussed above, based on experience across our Onshore Wind fleet, we are deploying repairs and other corrective measures to improve overall quality and fleet availability resulting in higher warranty and related reserves. In addition, a catastrophic product failure or similar event resulting in injuries or death, widespread outages, a fleet grounding or similar systemic consequences could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial position, cash flows and results of operations. Even when there has not been a particularly significant or widespread product failures in the field, many of our products and services must function under demanding operating conditions and meet exacting certification, performance and reliability standards that we, our customers or regulators adopt. Developing and maintaining products that meet or exceed these can be costly and technologically challenging, and may also involve extensive coordination of suppliers and highly skilled labor from thousands of workers; a failure to deliver products and services that meet these standards could have significant adverse financial, competitive or reputational effects. In some circumstances we have also incurred and in the future we may continue to incur increased costs, delayed payments or lost equipment or services revenue in connection with a significant issue with a third party’s product with which our products are integrated, or if parts or other components that we incorporate in our products have defects or other quality issues. There can be no assurance that the operational processes around product design, manufacture, performance and servicing that we or our customers or other third parties have designed to meet rigorous quality standards will be sufficient to prevent us or our customers or other third parties from experiencing operational process or product failures and other problems, including through manufacturing or design defects, process or other failures of contractors or third-party suppliers, cyber-attacks or other intentional acts, software vulnerabilities or malicious software, that could result in potential product, safety, quality, regulatory or environmental risks.
Manufacturing - Risk 2
Operational execution - Operational challenges could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
The Company’s financial results depend on the successful execution of our businesses’ operating plans across all steps of the product and service lifecycle. We continue working to improve the operations and execution of our businesses and our ability to make the desired improvements will be a significant factor in our overall financial performance. We also face operational risks in connection with launching or ramping new product platforms, such as the Haliade-X offshore wind turbine or new onshore wind turbine models at Renewable Energy, or the LEAP engine at Aerospace. Particularly with newer product platforms and technologies, our businesses seek to reduce the costs of these products over time with experience, and risks related to our supply chain, the availability of skilled labor, product quality, timely delivery, liquidated damages or other aspects of operational execution can adversely affect our ability to meet customers' expectations, profits and cash flows. Operational failures at any of our businesses that result in quality problems or potential product, environmental, health or safety risks, could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial position, cash flows and results of operations. In addition, a portion of our business in recent years at our Power and Renewable Energy businesses involves large projects where we have taken on, or are members of a consortium responsible for, the full scope of engineering, procurement, construction or other services. We have been increasing our selectivity as to how frequently and with what scope of work we will participate in these types of projects, which often pose unique risks related to their location, scale, complexity, duration and pricing or payment structure. Delivering on these types of projects with multiple parties and subcontractors involved, particularly outside of mature markets in the U.S. and Europe, is highly complex with risks related to the safety and security of workers, impacts on local communities, corruption, breach or theft of intellectual property and other factors. Performance issues or schedule delays can arise due to inadequate technical expertise, unanticipated project modifications, developments at project sites, environmental, health and safety issues, execution by or coordination with suppliers, subcontractors or consortium partners, financial difficulties of our customers or significant partners or compliance with government regulations, and these can lead to cost overruns, contractual penalties, liquidated damages and other adverse consequences. Where GE is a member of a consortium, we are typically subject to claims based on joint and several liability, and claims can extend to aspects of the project or costs that are not directly related or limited to GE’s scope of work or over which GE does not have control. Operational, quality or other issues at large projects, or across our projects portfolio more broadly, can adversely affect GE’s business, reputation, cash flows or results of operations.
Employment / Personnel1 | 5.6%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
Postretirement benefit plans - Increases in pension, healthcare and life insurance benefits obligations and costs can adversely affect our earnings, cash flows and further progress toward our leverage goals.
Our results of operations and financial conditions may be positively or negatively affected by the amount of income or expense we record for our defined benefit pension plans. GAAP requires that we calculate income or expense for the plans using actuarial valuations, which reflect assumptions about financial markets, interest rates and other economic conditions such as the discount rate and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. We are also required to make an annual measurement of plan assets and liabilities, which may result in a significant reduction or increase to equity. The factors that impact our pension calculations are subject to changes in key economic indicators, and future decreases in the discount rate or low returns on plan assets can increase our funding obligations and adversely impact our financial results. In addition, although GAAP expense and pension funding contributions are not directly related, key economic factors that affect GAAP expense, such as a prolonged environment of low interest rates or sustained market volatility, would also likely affect the amount of cash we would be required to contribute to pension plans under ERISA. Such factors could also result in a failure to achieve expected returns on plan assets. In addition, there may be upward pressure on the cost of providing healthcare benefits to current and future retirees. There can be no assurance that the measures we have taken to control increases in these costs, or that the assignment of assets and liabilities with respect to certain U.S. and non-U.S. benefit plans in connection with GE’s ongoing separation into three separate companies, will succeed in limiting cost increases, and continued upward pressure could reduce our profitability. For a discussion regarding how our financial statements have been and can be affected by our pension and healthcare benefit obligations, the legal split of certain benefit plans and the transfer of certain postretirement plans to GE HealthCare in connection with the Separation, see Notes 13 and 28.
Supply Chain1 | 5.6%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
Supply chain - Significant raw material or other component shortages, supplier capacity constraints, supplier or customer production disruptions, supplier quality and sourcing issues or price increases can increase our operating costs and adversely impact the competitive positions of our products.
Our reliance on third-party suppliers, contract manufacturers and service providers, and commodity markets to secure raw materials, parts, components and sub-systems used in our products exposes us to volatility in the prices and availability of these materials, parts, components, systems and services. As our supply chains extend into many different countries and regions around the world, we are also subject to global economic and geopolitical dynamics and risks associated with exporting components manufactured in particular countries for incorporation into finished products completed in other countries. We are operating in a supply-constrained environment and are facing, and may continue to face, supply-chain shortages, inflationary pressures, shortages of skilled labor, transportation and logistics challenges and manufacturing disruptions that impact our revenues, profitability and timeliness in fulfilling customer orders. We anticipate supply chain pressures across our businesses will continue to challenge and adversely affect our operations and financial performance for some period of time. For example, successfully executing the significant production ramp-up efforts at our Aerospace business in connection with both newer engine platforms such as the LEAP and the aviation sector’s ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, depends in part on our suppliers having access to the materials and skilled labor they require and making timely deliveries to us, as well as meeting the required quality and performance standards for commercial aviation. In addition, some of our suppliers or their sub-suppliers are limited- or sole-source suppliers, and our ability to meet our obligations to customers depends on the performance, product quality and stability of such suppliers. We also have internal dependencies on certain key GE manufacturing or other facilities. Disruptions in deliveries, capacity constraints, production disruptions up- or down-stream, price increases, or decreased availability of raw materials or commodities, including as a result of war, natural disasters (including the effects of climate change such as sea level rise, drought, flooding, wildfires and more intense weather events), actual or threatened public health emergencies or other business continuity events, adversely affect our operations and, depending on the length and severity of the disruption, can limit our ability to meet our commitments to customers or significantly impact our operating profit or cash flows. Quality, capability, compliance and sourcing issues experienced by third-party providers can also adversely affect our costs, margin rates and the quality and effectiveness of our products and services and result in liability and reputational harm; the harm to us could be significant if, for example, a quality issue at a supplier or with components that we integrate into our products results in a widespread quality issue across one of our product lines or our installed base of equipment. In addition, our suppliers may experience cyber-related attacks, as described above, which could negatively impact their ability to meet their delivery obligations to us and in turn have an adverse effect on our ability to meet our commitments to customers.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 3/18 (17%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment2 | 11.1%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Global macro-environment - Our growth is subject to global economic, political and geopolitical risks.
We operate in virtually every part of the world, serve customers in over 170 countries and received 57% of our revenues for 2022 from outside the United States. Our operations and the execution of our business plans and strategies are subject to the effects of global economic trends, geopolitical risks and demand or supply shocks from events such as war or international conflict, a major terrorist attack, natural disasters or actual or threatened public health emergencies (such as COVID-19, including virus variants and resurgences and responses to those). They are also affected by local and regional economic environments, supply chain constraints and policies in the U.S. and other markets that we serve, including factors such as continuing inflationary pressures in many markets, continuing increases in interest rates from recent historic lows, economic growth rates, the availability of skilled labor, monetary policy, exchange rates and currency volatility, commodity prices and sovereign debt levels. For example, ongoing inflationary pressures have caused and may continue to cause many of our material and labor costs to increase, which can adversely affect our profitability and cash flows, particularly when we are unable to increase customer contract values or pricing to offset those pressures. At the same time, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and related political and economic consequences, such as sanctions and other measures imposed by the European Union, the U.S. and other countries and organizations in response, have also caused and may continue to cause disruption and instability in global markets, supply chains and industries that negatively impact our businesses, financial condition and results of operations and pose reputational risks. Further deterioration of economic conditions or outlooks, such as lower rates of investment, lower economic growth, recession or fears of recession in the U.S., China, Europe or other key markets, may adversely affect the demand for or profitability of our products and services, and the impact from developments outside the U.S. on our business performance can be significant given the extent of our global activities. In addition, political changes and trends such as populism, protectionism, economic nationalism and sentiment toward multinational companies, as well as tariffs, export controls, restrictions on outbound investment or other trade barriers, sanctions, technical or local content regulations, currency controls, or changes to tax or other laws and policies, have been and may continue to be disruptive and costly to our businesses. These can interfere with our global operating model, supply chain, production costs, customer relationships and competitive position. Further escalation of any specific trade tensions, including intensified decoupling between the U.S. and China, or in global trade conflict more broadly could be harmful to global economic growth or to our business in or with China or other countries. We also do business in many emerging market jurisdictions where economic, political and legal risks are heightened and the operating environments are complex.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
Customers and counterparties - Global economic, industry-specific or other developments that weaken the financial condition or soundness of significant customers, governments or other parties we deal with can adversely affect our business, results of operations and cash flows.
The business and operating results of our businesses have been, and will continue to be, affected by worldwide economic conditions, including conditions in the air transportation, power generation, renewable energy and other industries we serve. Existing or potential customers may delay or cancel plans to purchase our products and services, including large infrastructure projects, and may not be able to fulfill their obligations to us in a timely fashion or at all as a result of business deterioration, cash flow shortages or difficulty obtaining financing for particular projects or due to macroeconomic conditions, geopolitical disruptions, changes in law or other challenges affecting the strength of the global economy. The airline industry, for example, is highly cyclical, and sustained economic growth and political stability in both developed and emerging markets are principal factors underlying long-term air traffic growth; the current macroeconomic and geopolitical environment and the potential for recession pose risks to the rate of that growth. Aviation industry activity is also particularly influenced by the actions of a small group of large original equipment manufacturers, as well as large airlines in various geographies. We have significant business with, and credit exposure to, some of our largest aviation customers and accordingly our Aerospace business performance can be adversely affected by challenges that individual customers or the industry faces related to factors such as competition, the need for cost reduction, financial stability and soundness, and the availability of aircraft leasing and financing alternatives, the satisfaction of certification or other regulatory requirements for aircraft in various jurisdictions, the retirement of older aircraft and other dynamics affecting the original equipment and aftermarket service markets. As described above, the extended disruption of regional and international air travel from the COVID-19 pandemic has had and may continue to have a material adverse effect on our airframer and airline customers and suppliers. A potential future disruption in connection with a terrorist incident, cyberattack, actual or threatened public health emergency or recessionary economic environment that results in the loss of business and leisure traffic could also adversely affect these customers, their ability to fulfill their obligations to us in a timely fashion or at all, demand for our products and services and the viability of a customer’s business. In our Power and Renewable Energy businesses, our customers also face a variety of challenges, including in connection with decarbonization, industry consolidation, competition and shifts in the availability of financing for certain types of power projects or technologies (such as prohibitions on financing for fossil fuel-based projects or technologies); these dynamics can also have a significant impact on the operating results and outlooks for our businesses. In addition, our customers include numerous governmental entities within and outside the U.S., including the U.S. federal government and state and local entities. We also at times face greater challenges collecting on receivables with customers that are sovereign governments or located in emerging markets. If there is significant deterioration in the global economy, in our industries, in financial markets or with particular significant counterparties, our results of operations, financial position and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 5.6%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
COVID-19 - The global COVID-19 pandemic has had and may continue to have a material adverse impact on our operations and financial performance, as well as on the operations and financial performance of many of the customers and suppliers in industries that we serve, particularly for our Aerospace business.
Our operations and financial performance since early 2020 have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused, and may continue to cause, a slowdown of economic activity (including the decrease in demand for a broad variety of goods and services), disruptions in global supply chains and significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. While there has been recovery in many business sectors compared to the initial years of the pandemic, virus resurgences and variants, regional or site lockdowns and similar dynamics may continue to cause operational challenges at our facilities or with customers or suppliers and adversely affect our business and financial performance. In particular, our Aerospace business constitutes a substantial portion of our financial results, and accordingly the adverse impacts that COVID-19 has had and may continue to have on commercial air traffic and operators, airlines, airframers, lessors, suppliers and other actors in the aviation sector more broadly are significant for GE. Interruptions of regional and international air travel from COVID-19 have had a material adverse effect on our airline and airframer customers and their demand for our services and products, and in some cases may threaten the future viability of some customers. Industry participants’ measures in response to these dynamics could lead to future requests for payment deferrals, contract modifications, and similar actions across the aviation sector, which may lead to additional charges, impairments and other adverse financial impacts, or to customer disputes. There are also risks related to longer-term strategies the aviation industry may implement, such as reducing capacity, shifting route patterns or other strategies to mitigate impacts from COVID-19 and the risk of future public health crises, and from potential shifts in the flying public’s demand for travel, any of which could adversely affect the pace of recovery in commercial air traffic capacity and the demand for or profitability of our products and services. The continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and financial performance depends on many factors that are not within our control, including, but not limited, to: the severity and duration of the COVID-19 outbreaks around the world; governmental, business and individuals’ actions that have been and continue to be taken in response to the pandemic (including regional lockdowns, restrictions on travel and transport or changes such as China’s recent reversal of its zero-COVID policy); the impact of the pandemic and actions taken in response on global and regional economies, travel, and economic activity; the availability, public acceptance and continued efficacy of treatments or vaccines; and the pace and extent of recovery from the past and any future adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Impacts and risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risk factors described in this section.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 2/18 (11%)Below Sector Average
Trade Secrets1 | 5.6%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
Intellectual property - Our intellectual property portfolio may not prevent competitors from independently developing products and services similar to or duplicative to ours, and the value of our intellectual property may be negatively impacted by external dependencies.
Our patents and other intellectual property may not prevent competitors from independently developing or selling products and services similar to or duplicative of ours, and there can be no assurance that the resources invested by us to protect our intellectual property will be sufficient or that our intellectual property portfolio will adequately deter misappropriation or improper use of our technology, particularly in certain markets outside the US where intellectual property laws and related enforcement mechanisms may not be as well-developed. Trademark licenses of the GE brand in connection with dispositions may negatively impact the overall value of the brand in the future. We also face competition in some countries where we have not invested in an intellectual property portfolio. If we are not able to protect our intellectual property, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished, and our business may be adversely affected. We also face attempts, both internally from insider threats and externally from cyber-attacks, to gain unauthorized access to our IT systems or products for the purpose of improperly acquiring our trade secrets or confidential business information. In addition, we have observed an increase in the use of social engineering tactics by bad actors attempting to obtain confidential business information or credentials to access systems with our intellectual property. The theft or unauthorized use or publication of our trade secrets and other confidential business information as a result of such incidents could adversely affect our competitive position and the value of our investment in research and development. In addition, we are subject to the enforcement of patents or other intellectual property by third parties, including aggressive and opportunistic enforcement claims by non-practicing entities. Regardless of the merit of such claims, responding to infringement claims can be expensive and time-consuming. GE has in the past, and may in the future be, found to infringe third-party rights, which could require us to pay substantial damages or enjoin us from offering some of our products and services. The value of, or our ability to use, our intellectual property may also be negatively impacted by dependencies on third parties, such as our ability to obtain or renew on reasonable terms licenses that we need in the future, or our ability to secure or retain ownership or rights to use data in certain software analytics or services offerings.
Cyber Security1 | 5.6%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
Cybersecurity - Increased cybersecurity requirements, vulnerabilities, threats and more sophisticated and targeted computer crime pose a risk to our systems, networks, products, solutions, services and data.
Increased global cybersecurity vulnerabilities, threats, computer viruses and more sophisticated and targeted cyber-related attacks such as ransomware, as well as cybersecurity failures resulting from human error and technological errors, pose a risk to the security of GE's and its customers', partners', suppliers' and third-party service providers' infrastructure, products, systems and networks and the confidentiality, availability and integrity of GE's and its customers' data, as well as associated financial risks. As the perpetrators of such attacks become more capable (including sophisticated state or state-affiliated actors), and as critical infrastructure is increasingly becoming digitized, the risks in this area continue to grow. Bad actors have attempted and may continue to attempt to use our strategic plan to separate into three separate companies as an opportunity to launch attacks or increase their number of attacks against GE’s network. A significant cyber-related attack in one of our industries, such as an attack on power grids, power plants or commercial aircraft (even if such an attack does not involve GE products, services or systems), could pose broader disruptions and adversely affect our business. We have also observed an increase in third-party breaches and ransomware attacks at suppliers, service providers and software providers, and our efforts to mitigate adverse effects on GE if this trend continues may not be successful in the future. The large number of suppliers that we work with requires significant effort for the initial and ongoing verification of the effective implementation of cybersecurity requirements by suppliers. The increasing degree of interconnectedness between GE and its partners, suppliers and customers also poses a risk to the security of GE’s network as well as the larger ecosystem in which GE operates. There can be no assurance that our efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risks by employing a number of measures, including employee training, monitoring and testing, performing security reviews and requiring business partners with connections to the GE network to appropriately secure their information technology systems, and maintenance of protective systems and contingency plans, will be sufficient to prevent, detect and limit the impact of cyber-related attacks, and we remain vulnerable to known or unknown threats. In addition to existing risks from the integration of digital technologies into our business portfolio, the adoption of new technologies in the future may also increase our exposure to cybersecurity breaches and failures. While we have developed secure development lifecycle design practices to secure our software designs and connected products, an unknown vulnerability or compromise could potentially impact the security of GE’s software or connected products and lead to the misuse or unintended use of our products, loss of GE intellectual property, misappropriation of sensitive, confidential or personal data, safety risks or unavailability of equipment. We also have access to sensitive, confidential or personal data or information in certain of our businesses that is subject to privacy and security laws, regulations or customer-imposed controls. Despite our use of reasonable and appropriate controls to protect our systems and sensitive, confidential or personal data or information, we have vulnerability to security breaches, theft, misplaced, lost or corrupted data, programming errors, employee errors and/or malfeasance (including misappropriation by departing employees) that could potentially lead to material compromising of sensitive, confidential or personal data or information, improper use of our systems, software solutions or networks, unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification or destruction of or denial of access to information, defective products, production downtimes and operational disruptions. In addition, while we require our suppliers to implement and maintain reasonable and appropriate controls to protect information we provide to them, they may be the victim of a cyber-related attack that could lead to the compromise of the Company’s intellectual property, personal data or other confidential information, or to production downtimes and operational disruptions that could have an adverse effect on our ability to meet our commitments to customers. An unknown security vulnerability or malicious software embedded in a supplier’s product that is later integrated into a GE product could lead to a vulnerability in the security of GE’s product or if used internally in the GE network environment to a compromise of the GE network, which could potentially lead to the loss of information or operational disruptions. Data privacy and protection laws are evolving, can vary significantly by country and present increasing compliance challenges, which increase our costs, affect our competitiveness and can expose us to substantial fines or other penalties. In addition, a significant cyber-related attack could result in other negative consequences, including damage to our reputation or competitiveness, remediation, increased digital infrastructure or other costs that are not covered by insurance, litigation or regulatory action.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 2/18 (11%)Below Sector Average
Regulation1 | 5.6%
Regulation - Risk 1
Regulatory - We are subject to a wide variety of laws, regulations and government policies that may change in significant ways.
Our businesses are subject to regulation under a wide variety of U.S. federal and state and non-U.S. laws, regulations and policies. There can be no assurance that laws, regulations and policies will not be changed or interpreted or enforced in ways that will require us to modify our business models and objectives or affect our returns on investments by restricting existing activities and products, subjecting them to escalating costs or prohibiting them outright. In particular, recent trends globally toward increased protectionism, import and export controls, required licenses or authorizations to engage in business dealings with certain countries or entities, the use of tariffs, restrictions on outbound investment and other trade barriers can result in actions by governments around the world that have been and may continue to be disruptive and costly to our businesses, and can interfere with our global operating model and weaken our competitive position. In addition, changes in environmental and climate change laws, regulations or policies (including carbon pricing, emission standards or sustainable finance, among others) affecting the power or aviation sectors could lead to additional costs or compliance requirements, a need for additional investment in product designs, require carbon offset investments or otherwise negatively impact our businesses or competitive position. Other legislative and regulatory areas of significance for our businesses that U.S. and non-U.S. governments have focused and continue to focus on include cybersecurity, data privacy and sovereignty, anti-corruption, competition law, public procurement law, compliance with complex trade controls and economic sanctions laws, technical regulations or local content requirements that could result in market access criteria that our products cannot or do not meet, foreign exchange intervention in response to currency volatility and currency controls that could restrict the movement of liquidity from particular jurisdictions. Potential changes to tax laws, including changes to taxation of global income, may have an effect on our subsidiaries' structure, operations, sales, liquidity, cash flows, capital requirements, effective tax rate and performance. For example, legislative or regulatory measures by U.S. federal, states or non-U.S. governments, or rules, interpretations or audits under new or existing tax laws such as newly adopted global minimum taxes or other changes to the treatment of global income could increase our cash tax costs and effective tax rate. Regulation or government scrutiny may impact the requirements for marketing our products and slow our ability to introduce new products, resulting in an adverse impact on our business. Furthermore, we make sales to U.S. and non-U.S. governments and other public sector customers, and we participate in various governmental financing programs, that require us to comply with strict governmental regulations. As a U.S. government contractor, we are also subject to risks relating to U.S. government audits and investigations that can lead to fines, damages or other penalties. Inability to comply with applicable regulations could adversely affect our status with government customers or our ability to participate in projects, and could have collateral consequences such as suspension or debarment. Suspension or debarment, depending on the entity involved and length of time, can limit our ability to bid for new U.S. government contracts or business with other government-related customers, or to participate in projects involving multilateral development banks, and this could adversely affect our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 5.6%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
Legal proceedings - We are subject to legal proceedings, disputes, investigations and legal compliance risks, including trailing liabilities from businesses that we dispose of or that are inactive.
We are subject to a variety of legal proceedings, commercial disputes, legal compliance risks and environmental, health and safety compliance risks in virtually every part of the world. We, our representatives, and the industries in which we operate are subject to continuing scrutiny by regulators, other governmental authorities and private sector entities or individuals in the U.S., the European Union, China and other jurisdictions, which have led or may, in certain circumstances, lead to enforcement actions, adverse changes to our business practices, fines and penalties, required remedial actions such as contaminated site clean-up or other environmental claims, or the assertion of private litigation claims and/or damages that could be material. For example, following our acquisition of Alstom's Thermal, Renewables and Grid businesses in 2015, we are subject to legacy legal proceedings and legal compliance risks that relate to claimed anti-competitive conduct or corruption by Alstom in the pre-acquisition period, and payments for settlements, judgments, penalties or other liabilities in connection with those matters have resulted and will in the future result in cash outflows. In addition, while in December 2020 we entered into a settlement to conclude the previously disclosed SEC investigation of GE, we remain subject to shareholder lawsuits related to the Company's financial performance, accounting and disclosure practices and related legacy matters. We have observed that these proceedings related to claims about past financial performance and reporting pose particular reputational risks for the Company that can cause new allegations about past or current misconduct, even if unfounded, to have a more significant impact on our reputation and how we are viewed by investors, customers and others than they otherwise would. We have established reserves for legal matters when and as appropriate; however, the estimation of legal reserves or possible losses involves significant judgment and may not reflect the full range of uncertainties and unpredictable outcomes inherent in litigation and investigations, and the actual losses arising from particular matters may exceed our current estimates and adversely affect our results of operations. The risk management and compliance programs we have adopted and related actions that we take may not fully mitigate legal and compliance risks that we face, particularly in light of the global and diverse nature of our operations and the current enforcement environments in many jurisdictions. For example, when we investigate potential noncompliance under U.S. and non-U.S. law involving GE employees or third parties we work with, in some circumstances we make self-disclosures about our findings to the relevant authorities who may pursue or decline to pursue enforcement proceedings against us in connection with those matters. We are also subject to material trailing legal liabilities from businesses that we dispose of or that are inactive. We also expect that additional legal proceedings and other contingencies will arise from time to time. Moreover, we sell products and services in growth markets where claims arising from alleged violations of law, product failures or other incidents involving our products and services are adjudicated within legal systems that are less developed and less reliable than those of the U.S. or other more developed markets, and this can create additional uncertainty about the outcome of proceedings before courts or other governmental bodies in those markets. See Note 24 for further information about legal proceedings and other loss contingencies.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 1/18 (6%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 5.6%
Competition - Risk 1
Competitive environment - We are dependent on the maintenance of existing product lines and service relationships, market acceptance of new product and service introductions, and technology and innovation leadership for revenue and earnings growth.
The markets in which we operate are highly competitive in terms of pricing, product and service quality, product development and introduction time, customer service, financing terms, the ability to respond to shifts in market demand and the ability to attract and retain skilled talent. Our long-term operating results and competitive position also depend substantially upon our ability to continually develop, introduce, and market new and innovative technology, products, services and platforms, to develop digital solutions for our own operations and our customers, to modify existing products and services, to customize products and services, to maintain long-term customer relationships and to increase our productivity over time as we perform on long-term service agreements. We often enter into long-term service agreements in both our Aerospace and Power businesses in connection with significant contracts for the sale of equipment. In connection with these agreements, we must accurately estimate our costs associated with delivering the products, product durability and reliability, and the provision of services over time in order to be profitable and generate acceptable returns on our investments. A failure to appropriately estimate or plan for or execute our business plans may adversely affect our delivery of products, services and outcomes in line with our projected financial performance or cost estimates, and ultimately may result in excess costs, build-up of inventory that becomes obsolete, lower profit margins and an erosion of our competitive position. In addition, at our Renewable Energy business, the rapid pace of innovation among onshore and offshore wind turbine manufacturers in recent years has led to short product cycles, early market introductions and faster time to market, all of which can lead to quality and execution issues, higher costs and other challenges to achieving profitability for new products. Our businesses are also subject to technological change and advances, such as growth in industrial automation and increased digitization of the operations, infrastructure and solutions that customers demand across all the industries we serve. The introduction of innovative and disruptive technologies in the markets in which we operate also poses risks in the form of new competitors (including new entrants from outside our traditional industries, such as competitors from digital technology companies), market consolidation, substitutions of existing products, services or solutions, niche players, new business models and competitors that are faster to market with new or more cost-effective products or services. Existing and new competitors frequently offer services for our installed base, and if the customers that purchase our equipment and products select our competitors’ services of if we otherwise fail to maintain or renew service relationships, this can erode the revenues and profitability of our businesses. In addition, the research and development cycle involved in bringing products in our businesses to market is often lengthy, it is inherently difficult to predict the economic conditions or competitive dynamics that will exist when any new product is complete, and our investments, to the extent they result in bringing a product to market, may generate weaker returns than we anticipated at the outset. Our capacity to invest in research and development efforts to pursue advancement in a wide range of technologies, products and services also depends on the financial resources that we have available for such investment relative to other capital allocation priorities. Under-investment in research and development, or investment in technologies that prove to be less competitive in the future (at the expense of alternative investment opportunities not pursued), could lead to loss of sales of our products and services in the future, particularly in our long-cycle businesses that have longer product development cycles. The amounts that we do invest in research and development efforts may not lead to the development of new technologies or products on a timely basis or meet the needs of our customers as fully as competitive offerings.
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.