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Risk Overview Q2, 2026
Risk Distribution
36% Finance & Corporate
23% Legal & Regulatory
18% Macro & Political
14% Tech & Innovation
5% Production
5% 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
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
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Markel Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
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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.
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 Q2, 2026
Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 8 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 8 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
22
+1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 31
22
+1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
2Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Jun 2026
2Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Jun 2026
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 Markel 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 22
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 8/22 (36%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights1 | 4.5%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Shareholder ActivismAccounting & Financial Operations2 | 9.1%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
Financial StrengthAccounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
Loss ExposuresWe may experience losses or disruptions from catastrophes and other significant, infrequent loss events. As a company with significant property and casualty insurance underwriting operations, we may experience losses from man-made or natural catastrophes. Catastrophes and other significant, infrequent loss events include, but are not limited to, windstorms, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, derechos, hail, severe winter weather, floods, and wildfires and may include pandemics and events related to terrorism, broad reaching cyberattacks, riots, and political and civil unrest. While we employ catastrophe modeling tools in our underwriting process, we cannot predict how severe a potential catastrophe will be before it occurs. The extent of losses from catastrophes is a function of the total amount of losses incurred, the number of insureds affected, the frequency and severity of the events, the effectiveness of our catastrophe risk management program, and the adequacy of our reinsurance coverage. Catastrophes can occur over numerous geographic areas; however, some catastrophes may produce significant damage in large, heavily populated areas. We offer coverage against terrorist acts in connection with some of our programs, and in other instances we are legally required to offer terrorism insurance; in both circumstances, we actively manage our exposure, but if there is a covered terrorist attack, we could sustain material losses. Catastrophes also may result in significant disruptions in our insurance and other operations, as well as loss of income and assets. The impacts of climate change may increase the frequency and/or severity of weather-related catastrophes, which may result in elevated catastrophe-related losses or disruptions, which may be material. See "Climate Change" for more information about the potential impacts of climate change.
The failure of any of the methods we employ to manage our loss exposures could have a material adverse effect on us. We seek to manage our loss exposures in a variety of ways, including adhering to maximum limitations on policies written in defined geographical zones, implementing maximum gross limits by coverage for each insured, establishing per risk and per occurrence limitations for each event, employing coverage restrictions, and following prudent underwriting guidelines for each program written. We also seek to manage our loss exposures through geographic and industry diversification. Underwriting is a matter of judgment, involving assumptions about matters that are inherently unpredictable and beyond our control, and for which historical experience and probability analysis may not provide sufficient guidance. For example, as weather patterns evolve, historical data and models may be less predictive, increasing the uncertainty in catastrophe loss estimates and pricing. One or more future events could result in claims that substantially exceed our expectations, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, we seek to manage our loss exposures through policy terms, coverage exclusions, and choice of legal forum. Disputes relating to coverage and choice of legal forum also arise. As a result, various provisions of our policies, such as choice of forum, or coverage limitations or exclusions, may not be enforceable in the manner we intend and some or all of our methods to manage loss exposures may prove ineffective.
The effects of emerging claim and coverage issues on our business are uncertain. As industry practices and legal, judicial, social, and other environmental conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverage may emerge. These issues could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition by either broadening coverage beyond our underwriting intent or increasing the frequency and/or severity of claims. For example, rising costs, litigation funding, social inflation, including new or expanded theories of liability, higher adverse verdicts, and legislative changes, such as extended statutes of limitations, may result in higher and more frequent claims over a longer reporting period than originally expected. In some instances, these changes may not become apparent until after we have issued insurance or reinsurance contracts that are affected by the changes. As a result, the full extent of liability under our insurance or reinsurance contracts may not be known for many years after a contract is issued.
We use analytical models to assist our decision making in key areas such as pricing, reserving, and capital modeling, and actual results may differ materially from the model outputs and related analyses. We use various modeling techniques and data analytics (e.g., scenarios, predictive and stochastic modeling, and forecasting) to analyze and estimate exposures, loss trends, and other risks associated with our insurance businesses. This includes both proprietary and third-party modeled outputs and related analyses to assist us in, among other things, decision-making related to underwriting, pricing, capital allocation, reserving, investing, reinsurance, and catastrophe risk. We incorporate numerous assumptions and forecasts about the future level and variability of policyholder behavior, loss frequency and severity, interest rates, equity markets, inflation, capital requirements, and currency exchange rates, among others. The modeled outputs and related analyses from both proprietary models and third-party models, including statistical, artificial intelligence, and machine-learning models, are subject to various assumptions, uncertainties, model design errors (e.g., bias and inadequate validation or documentation), complexities, and the inherent limitations of any statistical analysis, including those arising from the use of historical internal and industry data and assumptions, which could result in mispricing, misreserving, or capital misallocation.
In addition, the modeled outputs and related analyses may from time to time contain inaccuracies, perhaps in material respects, including as a result of inaccurate inputs or applications thereof (whether due to data error, human error, or otherwise). Consequently, actual results may differ materially from our modeled results. Our profitability and financial condition substantially depend on the extent to which our actual experience is consistent with assumptions we use in our models and ultimate model outputs. If, based upon these models or other factors, we misprice our products or fail to appropriately estimate the risks we are exposed to, our business, results of operations, and financial condition may be materially adversely affected.
Debt & Financing2 | 9.1%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
InvestmentsDebt & Financing - Risk 2
We invest a significant portion of our shareholders' equity in equity securities and our equity portfolio is concentrated, which may result in significant variability in our results and net income and may have a material adverse effect on shareholders' equity and on our ability to carry out our business plans. Equity securities were 70% of our shareholders' equity at December 31, 2025. Equity securities have historically produced higher returns than fixed maturity securities overlong periods of time; however, investing in equity securities may result in significant variability in our results from one period to the next. In volatile financial markets, we could experience significant declines in the fair value of our equity securities, which would result in a material decrease in net income and shareholders' equity. Our portfolio of equity securities is concentrated in particular issuers and industries and, as a result, a decline in the fair value of these concentrated investments also could result in a material decrease in net income and shareholders' equity. A material decrease in shareholders' equity may have a material adverse effect on our ability to carry out our business plans. See also, "We invest a significant portion of the capital required to be held at our insurance companies in equity securities."
Corporate Activity and Growth3 | 13.6%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
Acquisitions, Integration, and Reliance on Management and PersonnelCorporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
Loss ReservesOur results may be affected because actual insured or reinsured losses differ from our loss reserves. Significant periods of time often elapse between the occurrence of an insured or reinsured loss, the reporting of the loss to us, and our payment of that loss. To recognize liabilities for unpaid losses, we establish reserves as balance sheet liabilities representing estimates of amounts needed to pay reported and unreported losses and the related loss adjustment expenses. The process of estimating loss reserves is a difficult and complex exercise involving analytical models with many variables and subjective judgments. This process may also become more difficult if we experience a period of rising inflation, as we experienced in recent years.
As part of the reserving process, we review historical data and consider the impact of various factors, such as:
- trends in claim frequency and severity;- changes in operations;- changes to mix of business, terms and conditions, limits and layers;- emerging economic and social trends;- trends in insurance rates;- inflation or deflation; and - changes in the regulatory and litigation environments.
This process assumes that past experience, adjusted for the effects of current developments and anticipated trends, is an appropriate basis for predicting future events. There is no precise method, however, for evaluating the impact of any specific factor on the adequacy of reserves, and actual results will differ from original estimates. As part of the reserving process, we regularly review our loss reserves and make adjustments as necessary. Future increases in loss reserves for our underwriting operations will, and for our programs services operations may, result in additional charges to earnings, which may be material.
In addition, as discussed above, we use analytical models to assist our decision making in loss reserving, and actual results may differ materially from the model outputs and related analyses.
There is generally greater uncertainty in estimating reserves for long-tail coverages, such as general liability, professional liability, and workers' compensation, as they require a longer period of time for claims to be reported and settled. The impact of changes in economic and social inflation and medical costs are also more pronounced for long-tail coverages due to the longer settlement period. In addition, reinsurance reserves are subject to greater uncertainty than insurance reserves primarily because a reinsurer relies on the original underwriting decisions and claims decisions made by ceding companies and information and data from ceding companies. As a result, we are subject to the risk that our ceding companies may not have adequately evaluated the risks reinsured by us and the premiums ceded may not adequately compensate us for the risks we assume. In addition, reinsurance reserves may be less reliable than insurance reserves because there is generally a longer lapse of time from the occurrence of the event to the reporting of the loss or benefit to the reinsurer and ultimate resolution or settlement of the loss. While we sold the renewal rights for business written by the Markel Insurance Global Reinsurance division in 2025 and the division entered into run-off, we expect reinsurance premiums to continue earning over the next two to three years and loss reserves are expected to take several additional years to run off. Reserves for contracts for which we are not the primary insurer, and participate only in excess layers of loss, are also subject to greater uncertainty than insurance reserves for contracts for which we are the primary insurer for many of the same reasons as reinsurance reserves.
Changes in the assumptions and estimates used in establishing reserves for our life and annuity reinsurance book could result in material increases in our estimated loss reserves for such business. Our run-off life and annuity reinsurance book exposes us to mortality risk, which is the risk that the level of death claims may differ from that which we assumed in establishing the reserves for our life and annuity reinsurance contracts. Some of our life and annuity reinsurance contracts expose us to longevity risk, which is the risk that an insured person will live longer than expected when the reserves were established, or morbidity risk, which is the risk that an insured person will become critically ill or disabled. Our reserving process for the life and annuity reinsurance book is designed with the objective of establishing appropriate reserves for the risks we assumed. Among other things, this process relies heavily on analysis of mortality, longevity, and morbidity trends, lapse rates, interest rates, and expenses. As of December 31, 2025, our reserves for life and annuity benefits totaled $581.6 million.
We expect mortality, morbidity, longevity, and lapse experience to fluctuate somewhat from period to period, but believe they should remain reasonably predictable over a period of many years. Mortality, longevity, morbidity, or lapse experience that is less favorable than the mortality, longevity, morbidity, or lapse rates that we used in establishing the reserves for a reinsurance agreement will negatively affect our net income because the reserves we originally set for the risks we assumed may not be sufficient to cover the future claims and expense payments. Furthermore, even if the total benefits paid over the life of the contract do not exceed the expected amount, unexpected increases in the incidence of deaths or illness can result in changes to our assumptions in a given reporting period, adversely affecting our net income in any particular reporting period. If there are adverse changes to any of the above factors, a charge to earnings may be recorded, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
Item 1C. CYBERSECURITYMarkel Group is a holding company comprised of a diverse group of businesses and investments. Our specialty insurance business, Markel Insurance, sits at the core of our company. Markel Group also owns controlling interests in a diverse portfolio of businesses that operate in a variety of other industries. Each of our businesses is required to maintain cybersecurity insurance coverage and has its own independently managed cybersecurity and data protection program that is tailored to its operations and risk profile. Markel InsuranceIn order to maintain a strong cybersecurity program, Markel Insurance uses a variety of controls and technology tools designed to identify, detect, prevent, respond to, and recover from security threats. Markel Insurance undergoes regular security audits including a System and Organization Controls, or SOC, audit for cybersecurity conducted annually by independent auditors in which cybersecurity threats are identified and assessed. Markel Insurance regularly tests aspects of its internal security and conducts security risk interviews and assessments on third parties with whom it does business, depending on the nature of the relationship. Markel Insurance has invested in technology that assists its risk management teams in measuring and addressing weaknesses in its third-party and supply chain community. Markel Insurance performs continuous monitoring of all its critical third parties to ensure they are maintaining acceptable levels of security controls and remediating any known weaknesses.Markel Insurance participates in the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center to share information about the latest cyber threats and preparedness measures. Markel Insurance also shares threat intelligence information with other partners. Markel Insurance has a cybersecurity incident response plan, as well as a crisis management plan, that cover cyber events, including a process for determining the materiality of cyber events that includes evaluation by a cross functional crisis management group including security, information technology, finance, legal, and business and escalation to Markel Group senior management as warranted by the severity of the situation. An internal team engages in tabletop exercises on a regular basis to enhance preparedness for such situations.Information security and data protection risks are the responsibility of all employees. Markel Insurance has a mandatory training program covering a variety of security and data protection disciplines. In addition, all Markel Insurance employees are required to acknowledge annually policies on acceptable use of Markel Insurance's technology resources and enterprise information security. Contractors are required to provide certain representations and certifications relating to information security.The Markel Insurance information security and data protection program is led by a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who supervises a team of security and data protection professionals across the globe. The Markel Insurance global information security and data protection program leverages the Cybersecurity Framework from the National Institutes of Standards and Technology as well as industry best practices. The program also is able to map to both ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and BSI (British Standards Institution) among other cybersecurity standards. Markel Insurance's CISO has been with Markel Insurance 15 years and has 24 years' experience in information technology, with 19 years in information technology security, and is a certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).Markel Group, State National, and NephilaInformation technology systems and services, including cybersecurity, used by the small team of individuals at the Markel Group holding company are provided and/or administered by teams within Markel Insurance, consistent with the practices outlined above. State National and Nephila each manage their own cybersecurity programs, with incident management support available from Markel Insurance.Other Operating BusinessesEach of our other operating businesses maintains its own IT infrastructure, often supported by third-party providers, to meet its specific business needs. As a result, cybersecurity risk is decentralized and not concentrated in a single system or service provider. Given the diversity of these businesses, systems, and providers, each business tailors its program to its unique risks and operations. Management at each business is responsible for assessing and managing its cybersecurity risks, including selecting appropriate IT systems and service providers. Markel Group has established processes for these businesses to share information about how they assess, identify, and manage cybersecurity risk, including material cybersecurity incidents, with Markel Group management. For example, Markel Group requires real-time reporting of cybersecurity incidents by these businesses to understand how the matters are being managed, assess whether public disclosure is required, with escalation to Markel Group senior management as warranted by the severity of the situation. Depending on the cybersecurity incident, third parties may be engaged by these businesses to assist in understanding and managing the event.Given each business varies in size and complexity, the individual or individuals responsible for managing cybersecurity risks varies by business. In all instances, ultimate responsibility rests with the Chief Executive Officer of each business.
Markel Group Board Oversight
The Markel Group Board of Directors oversees Markel Group's risk management framework on an enterprise-wide basis, which includes cybersecurity risks. Periodic reports are provided to the Markel Group Board of Directors by members of management which, among other things, seek to systematically identify the principal risks facing our businesses and the manner in which such risks are addressed. For cybersecurity, this includes a review of the cybersecurity program and its governance, active and planned initiatives, protection and prevention matters, detection and response measures, and the threat landscape.
Cybersecurity Risks
No previous cybersecurity incident has had, or is reasonably likely to have, a material adverse effect on Markel Group, its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. For risks related to cybersecurity threats, see Item 1A Risk Factors, including under "Information technology systems that we use could fail or suffer a security breach or cyberattack, which could have a material adverse effect on us or result in the loss of regulated or sensitive information."
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 5/22 (23%)Above Sector Average
Regulation4 | 18.2%
Regulation - Risk 1
We are subject to laws and regulations relating to economic and trade sanctions and bribery and corruption, the violation of which could have a material adverse effect on us. We are required to comply with the economic and tradeRegulation - Risk 2
Legal and Regulatory RisksThe legal and regulatory requirements applicable to our businesses are extensive. Failure to comply could have a material adverse effect on us. Each of our businesses is highly dependent on the ability to engage on a daily basis in a large number of financial and operational activities, including, among others, insurance underwriting, claim processing, investment activities, the management of third-party capital, and providing products and services to businesses and consumers, many of which are highly complex. These activities are subject to internal guidelines and policies, as well as legal and regulatory requirements, including, among others, those related to privacy and data security, artificial intelligence, economic and trade sanctions, anti-corruption, anti-bribery, global finance and investments, customer protection, and insurance matters. Our continued expansion into new businesses, distribution channels and markets brings about additional requirements. While we believe that we have adopted adequate and effective risk management and compliance programs, compliance risks remain, particularly as we become subject to additional rules and regulations. Failure to comply with, or to obtain, appropriate authorizations or exemptions under any applicable laws and regulations could result in restrictions on our ability to do business or undertake activities that are regulated in one or more of the jurisdictions in which we conduct business. Any such failure could also subject us to fines, penalties, equitable relief, and changes to our business practices. In addition, a failure to comply could result in defaults under our senior unsecured debt agreements or credit facilities or damage our businesses or our reputation.
Compliance with applicable laws and regulations is personnel- and systems-intensive. Shareholder activism, the current political environment, and the current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial and complex new regulations and compliance obligations. Any changes in, or the enactment of new laws and regulations may increase the complexity of the regulatory environment in which we operate, which could materially increase our direct and indirect costs for compliance and other expenses of doing business, and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. For example, the use of artificial intelligence by us or third-party providers may subject us to data privacy, intellectual property, and general regulatory risk, particularly in light of emerging regulation on the use of artificial intelligence.
Losses from legal and regulatory actions may have a material adverse effect on us. From time to time, we may be involved in various legal actions, including at times multi-party or class action litigation, some of which involve claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts. A significant unfavorable outcome in one or more of these actions could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. We are also involved, from time to time, in various regulatory actions, investigations, and inquiries, including market conduct exams by insurance regulatory authorities. If a regulatory authority takes action against us or we enter into a consent order or agreement to settle a matter, a regulatory authority has the option to require us to pay substantial fines or implement remedial measures that could prove costly or disruptive to our businesses and operations. Even if an unfavorable outcome does not materialize, these matters could have an adverse impact on our reputation and result in substantial expense and disruption.
Changes in tax laws, rates, or regulations could have a material adverse effect on us. Changes in federal, state, or foreign tax laws, rates, or regulations, or their interpretation and application, could adversely affect our tax positions or tax liabilities, require us to make adjustments in our operations or tax strategies, and increase our overall tax burden.
Regulation - Risk 3
Insurance RegulationOur insurance subsidiaries are subject to supervision and regulation that may have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition. Our insurance subsidiaries are subject to supervision and regulation by the regulatory authorities in the various jurisdictions in which they conduct business, including foreign and U.S. state insurance regulators. Regulatory authorities have broad regulatory, supervisory, and administrative powers relating to, among other things, data protection and data privacy, cybersecurity, solvency standards, licensing, coverage requirements, product terms and conditions, policy rates and forms, business and claims practices, disclosures to consumers, and the form and content of financial reports. In some instances, we follow practices based on our interpretations of regulations or practices that we believe may be generally followed by the industry. These practices may turn out to be different from the interpretations of regulatory authorities. Insurance regulatory authorities have broad authority to initiate investigations or other proceedings, and, in connection with a failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, could impose adverse consequences, including fines, penalties, injunctions, denial or revocation of an operating license or approval, increased scrutiny or oversight, limitations on engaging in a particular business, or redress to clients. These actions also could result in negative publicity, reputational damage or harm to client, employee or other relationships. Additionally, regulatory and legislative authorities continue to implement enhanced or new regulatory requirements to assure the stability of insurance companies or enhance policyholder protections or, in certain instances, intended to prevent or mitigate future financial crises. It is possible that requirements or guidance under one jurisdiction, such as the U.S., may be contradictory to or divergent from requirements or guidance in other jurisdictions where we operate, such as the E.U. Regulatory authorities also may seek to exercise their supervisory or enforcement authority in new or more extensive ways, such as increased capital requirements. Any of these actions, if they occur, could affect the competitive market, how we are regulated, and the way we conduct our business or manage our capital, and could result in lower revenues and higher costs. As a result, such actions could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Regulators may challenge our use of fronting arrangements in jurisdictions in which our capacity providers are not licensed. Our program services operations enter into fronting arrangements with general agents and domestic and foreign capacity providers that want to access specific U.S. and foreign property and casualty insurance business in jurisdictions in which the capacity providers are not licensed or are not authorized to write particular lines of insurance. Some insurance regulators may object to these fronting arrangements. In certain jurisdictions, an insurance regulator has the authority to prohibit an authorized insurer from acting as an issuing carrier for an unauthorized insurer. In addition, insurance regulators in jurisdictions in which there is no such statutory or regulatory prohibition, could deem the assuming insurer to be transacting insurance business without a license and the issuing carrier to be aiding and abetting the unauthorized sale of insurance.
If regulators in any of the jurisdictions where we conduct fronting business were to prohibit or limit those arrangements, we would be prevented or limited from conducting that business for which a capacity provider is not authorized in those jurisdictions, unless and until the capacity provider is able to obtain the necessary licenses. This could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition, which in turn could result in an impairment of the goodwill or intangible assets related to this business.
Regulation - Risk 4
Ceded ReinsuranceWe may be unable to purchase reinsurance protection on terms acceptable to us, or we may be unable to collect on loss recoveries from reinsurers. Within our underwriting operations, we purchase reinsurance to manage our net retention on individual risks and mitigate the volatility of losses on our results of operations and financial condition, while providing us with the ability to offer policies with sufficient limits to meet policyholder needs. In addition, we reinsure substantially all of the risks inherent in our fronting operations, however, we have certain programs that contain limits on our reinsurers' obligations to us that expose us to underwriting risk, including loss ratio caps, aggregate reinsurance limits, or exclusion of the credit risk of producers. See note 12 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included under Item 8 for information about ceded reinsurance for our fronting operations.
The ceding of insurance does not legally discharge us from our primary liability for the full amount of the policies. Reinsurance recoverables create credit risk as a result of the reinsurer's potential inability or unwillingness to pay reinsurance claims when due. We generally select well capitalized and highly rated reinsurers for our reinsurance purchases and in certain instances we require reinsurers to post substantial collateral to secure the reinsured risks. Deterioration in the credit quality of existing reinsurers or disputes over the terms of reinsurance could result in charges to earnings, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, collateral may not be sufficient to cover the reinsurer's obligation to us, and we may not be able to cause the reinsurer to deliver additional collateral.
As of December 31, 2025, we were the beneficiary of letters of credit, trust accounts, and funds withheld in the aggregate amount of $7.1 billion, collateralizing $14.6 billion in reinsurance recoverables. The remaining unsecured reinsurance recoverables are ceded to highly rated, well capitalized reinsurers. Our reinsurance recoverables are based on estimates, and our actual liabilities may exceed the amount we are able to recover from our reinsurers or any collateral securing the reinsurance recoverables. The failure of a reinsurer to meet its obligations to us, whether due to insolvency, dispute, or other unwillingness or inability to pay, or due to our inability to access sufficient collateral to cover our liabilities, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
The availability and cost of reinsurance are determined by market conditions beyond our control. There is no guarantee that our desired amounts of reinsurance will be available in the marketplace in the future. In addition, available capacity may not be on terms we deem appropriate or acceptable or with companies with whom we want to do business. This could impact our ability to write certain products and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Environmental / Social1 | 4.5%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
The impacts of climate change, and legal or regulatory measures to address climate change, may adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition. Our businesses, results of operations, and financial condition could be impacted by risks associated with climate change, including:Macro & Political
Total Risks: 4/22 (18%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment1 | 4.5%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Our businesses, results of operations, and financial condition could be adversely affected by ongoing regional or military conflicts and related disruptions in the global economy.Added
International Operations1 | 4.5%
International Operations - Risk 1
Global OperationsNatural and Human Disruptions1 | 4.5%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
PandemicsCapital Markets1 | 4.5%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Liquidity and Access to CapitalTech & Innovation
Total Risks: 3/22 (14%)Above Sector Average
Innovation / R&D1 | 4.5%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
Our efforts to develop new products, expand in targeted markets, or improve business processes and workflows may not be successful and may increase or create new risks. From time to time, to protect and grow market share or improve our efficiency, we invest in strategic initiatives to:Technology2 | 9.1%
Technology - Risk 1
Our adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI), which is an evolving and rapidly developing technology, and the use of AI by third parties, may expose us to additional risks.Added
Technology - Risk 2
Information Technology Systems and Third-Party Systems and Service ProvidersInformation technology systems that we use could fail or suffer a security breach or cyberattack, which could have a material adverse effect on us or result in the loss of regulated or sensitive information. Our businesses are dependent upon the operational effectiveness and security of our enterprise systems and those maintained by third parties. Among other things, we rely on these systems to interact with producers, insureds, customers, clients, and other third parties, to perform actuarial and other modeling functions, to underwrite business, to prepare policies and process premiums, to process claims and make claims payments, to prepare internal and external financial statements and information, and to engage in a wide variety of other business activities. A significant failure of our enterprise systems, or those of third parties upon which we may rely, whether because of a natural disaster, network outage or a cyberattack on those systems could compromise our personal, confidential, and proprietary information as well as that of our customers and business partners, impede or interrupt our business operations and could result in other negative consequences, including remediation costs, loss of revenue, additional regulatory scrutiny and fines, litigation, and monetary and reputational damages. In addition, if we are unable to innovate, develop, and acquire new technology, it may leave us more susceptible to these attacks. Like other companies, we have been subject to cyberattacks, malicious viruses and malware, and denial of service attacks and expect that this will continue in the future with greater sophistication and frequency. The risk and severity of such attacks could increase as artificial intelligence is used by threat actors to identify vulnerabilities and conduct increasingly sophisticated attacks. Despite any controls or protective actions we take against such attacks, those measures may be insufficient to prevent, or mitigate the effects of, a natural disaster, network outage or a cyberattack on our systems. This could result in liability to us, cause our data to be corrupted or stolen and cause us to commit resources to correct those failures.
In addition, we are subject to numerous data privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations enacted in the jurisdictions in which we do business. A misuse or mishandling of personal, confidential, or proprietary information being sent to or received from a customer, business partner, employee, or third party could damage our businesses or our reputation or result in significant monetary damages, regulatory enforcement actions, fines, and criminal prosecution in one or more jurisdictions. For example, under the European General Data Protection Regulation there are significant punishments for non-compliance which could result in a penalty of up to 4% of a firm's global annual revenue. In addition, a violation of data privacy laws and regulations could result in defaults under our outstanding indebtedness or credit facilities. Those monetary damages, penalties, regulatory or legal actions or defaults, or the damage to our businesses or reputation, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Third parties who we utilize to perform certain functions are also subject to these risks, and their failure to adhere to these laws and regulations also could damage our businesses or reputation or result in regulatory intervention, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Further, we routinely transmit, receive, and store personal, confidential, and proprietary information by email and other digital means. Although we attempt to protect this personal, confidential, and proprietary information, we may be unable to do so in all cases, especially with business partners and other third parties who may not have or use appropriate controls to protect personal, confidential, and proprietary information.
While we maintain cyber risk insurance providing first-party and third-party coverages, that insurance may not cover all costs associated with the consequences of an enterprise failure, cyberattack, or breach of systems. A material cyber security breach could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. See also, "We may experience losses or disruptions from catastrophes and other significant, infrequent loss events."
Third-party providers may perform poorly, breach their obligations to us, or expose us to enhanced risks. Certain of our business functions are performed by third-party providers, and these providers may not perform as expected or may fail to adhere to the obligations owed to us. For example, certain of our business units rely on relationships with a number of third-party administrators under contracts pursuant to which these third-party administrators manage and pay claims on our behalf and advise us with respect to case reserves. In these relationships, we rely on controls incorporated in the provisions of the administration agreement, as well as on the administrator's internal controls, to manage the claims process within our prescribed parameters. In addition, certain of our business units use managing general agents, general agents and other producers to write and administer business on our behalf within prescribed underwriting authorities. Although we monitor these administrators, agents, producers, and other service providers on an ongoing basis, our monitoring efforts may not be adequate, or our service providers could exceed their authorities or otherwise breach obligations owed to us, which could result in operational disruption, reputational damage, and regulatory intervention and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and financial condition.
In addition, we utilize third parties to perform certain technology and business process functions, such as data center hosting, cloud based operating environments, human resources, and other outsourced services. If these third-party providers do not perform as expected, we may experience operational difficulties, increased costs, and a loss of business, or we may not realize expected productivity improvements or cost efficiencies. Our use of third parties to perform certain technology and business process functions may expose us to risks related to privacy and data security, including through their use of artificial intelligence without our knowledge or below our standards, which could result in monetary and reputational damages. We may be further exposed to risks associated with artificial intelligence and machine learning technology if third-party service providers or any counterparts, whether known or unknown to us, use such technology in their business activities. In addition, our ability to receive services from third-party providers might be impacted by a wide variety of factors, including political and civil instability, supply chain disruptions, volatility, or disruptions in the financial markets, wide-spread health issues, unanticipated or additional regulatory requirements or policies. As a result, our ability to conduct our businesses may be adversely affected.
Production
Total Risks: 1/22 (5%)Below Sector Average
Costs1 | 4.5%
Costs - Risk 1
Risks Primarily Related to Our Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS) OperationsAbility to Sell
Total Risks: 1/22 (5%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 4.5%
Competition - Risk 1
Market Competition and Broker RelianceSee 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.