NetApp (NTAP) Risk Analysis

Our markets are highly competitive, fragmented, and characterized by rapidly changing technology. We face competition from many companies, including established public companies, newer public companies with a strong focus on flash storage, and new market entrants targeting opportunities in GenAI and application data management for Kubernetes. Some competitors offer a broad range of IT products and services (full-stack vendors), while others offer a more limited set. Technology trends, such as GenAI, hosted or public cloud storage, software as a service (SaaS), IT as a service, and flash storage are driving significant changes in storage architectures and solution requirements. Cloud service providers offer storage on demand without requiring capital expenditure, which meets rapidly evolving business needs and has altered the competitive landscape. Competitors may develop new technologies, products, or services ahead of us or establish new business models, more flexible purchase models, or disruptive technologies. By extending our offerings in flash, cloud storage, converged infrastructure, and block storage, and GenAI, we are entering new segments and facing competition from both traditional competitors and emerging competitors. The long-term potential and competitiveness of emerging vendors remains uncertain. New competitors or alliances among existing competitors could emerge and quickly gain significant market share or buying power. Changes in customer requirements or increased industry consolidation could result in stronger competitors better able to compete. Additionally, current and potential competitors may establish cooperative relationships among themselves or with third parties, including some of our partners or suppliers. For additional information regarding our competitors, see the section entitled "Competition" contained in Part I, Item 1 - Business of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We store and transmit, and sell products and services that store and transmit, personal, sensitive and proprietary data related to our products, our employees, customers, clients, partners (including third-party vendors such as data centers and providers of SaaS, cloud computing, and internet infrastructure and bandwidth), and their respective customers. This data includes intellectual property, records, and personal information. It is critical to our business strategy that our infrastructure, products, and services remain secure and are perceived as secure by customers, clients, and partners. There are numerous and evolving cybersecurity and privacy risks, including criminal hacking (eCrime), state-sponsored intrusions, industrial espionage, hacktivism, insider threats, inadvertent disclosure, ransomware attacks, social-engineering, exploitation of unpatched or unmanaged vulnerabilities, cyber-attacks to the Company's service providers, suppliers or vendors, technological vulnerabilities, or destruction or other misuse of data that could harm the Company, operations or our competitive position. In some cases, these types of attacks have been successful. Increasing use of AI in techniques employed by threat actors will continue to increase the risk of successful attacks, while also providing opportunities for improved attack detection and prevention capabilities. Our information systems and data have been specifically targeted by various threat actors, including nation-state affiliated threat actors, and we expect that our information systems and data will continue to be targeted in the future. Cybersecurity incidents or other security breaches have in the past and could in the future result in: (1) unauthorized access to, or loss or unauthorized use, alteration, or disclosure of, personal, sensitive and/or proprietary data; (2) litigation, indemnity obligations, government investigations and proceedings, regulatory fines and penalties, and other possible liabilities; (3) revenue loss; (4) negative publicity and damage to our reputation; and (5) disruptions to our internal and external operations. These outcomes could damage our reputation, harm our business, and lead to significant liabilities. Additionally, a cybersecurity incident or loss of personal information has in the past and could in the future result in remediation costs, disruption of internal operations, increased cybersecurity protection costs, significant fines, and/or lost revenues. Our clients and their customers use our platforms to transmit and store sensitive data. We do not generally have the ability to review the information or content they upload and store, nor do we control the substance of this information or content. If our employees, clients, partners, or their respective customers use our platforms for the transmission or storage of sensitive information, or our supply-chain cybersecurity is compromised and our security measures are breached as a result of third-party action, employee error, malfeasance, stolen or fraudulently obtained log-in credentials or otherwise, our reputation could be damaged, our business may be harmed and we could incur significant liabilities. Security industry experts and U.S. government officials continue to emphasize risks to our industry. Cyber-attacks and security breaches continue to increase, and of particular concern are supply-chain attacks against software development and breaches of technology service providers. We anticipate that cyberattacks will continue to increase in the future given cyber warfare has become a consistent lever within geopolitical conflicts and increasingly leverages hacktivism. We cannot give assurance that we will always be successful in preventing or repelling unauthorized access to our systems. We also may face delays in our ability to identify or otherwise respond to any cybersecurity incident or any other breach. Future cyber-attacks or incidents could persist undetected in our environments for a period of time. Additionally, we use third-party service providers to provide some services to us that involve the storage or transmission of data, such as SaaS, cloud computing, and internet infrastructure and bandwidth, and they face various cybersecurity threats and also may suffer cybersecurity incidents or other security breaches. While we conduct diligence on these third parties, our ability to monitor these third parties' information security practices is limited, and these third parties may not have adequate information security measures in place. In addition, supply-chain attacks have increased in frequency and severity, and we cannot guarantee that third parties' infrastructure in our supply chain or our third-party partners' supply chains have not been or will not be compromised. Many jurisdictions require companies to notify regulators or individuals of data security incidents involving certain types of personal data. These mandatory disclosures regarding security incidents often lead to widespread negative publicity. The risk of reputational harm may be magnified by the rapid dissemination of information online. Any security incident, loss of data, or other security breach, whether actual or perceived, or whether impacting us or our third-party service providers, could harm our reputation, erode customer confidence in the effectiveness of our data security measures, negatively impact our ability to attract new customers, cause existing customers to elect not to renew their support contracts or their SaaS subscriptions, or subject us to third-party lawsuits, regulatory fines or other action or liability, which could materially and adversely affect our business and operating results. There can be no assurance that the limitations of liability in our contracts would be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from any such liabilities or damages with respect to any particular claim. Our existing general liability insurance coverage, cybersecurity insurance coverage and coverage for errors and omissions may not continue to be available on acceptable terms or may not be available in sufficient amounts to cover one or more large claims, or our insurers may deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceeds available insurance coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition and cash flows.

Emerging standards may adversely affect the UNIX, Windows and World Wide Web server markets upon which we depend. For example, we provide our open access data retention solutions to customers within the financial services, healthcare, pharmaceutical and government market segments, industries that are subject to various evolving governmental regulations, certifications and controls with respect to data access, reliability and permanence in the U.S. and in the other countries in which we operate. If our products do not meet and continue to comply with these evolving governmental regulations in this regard, customers in these market and geographical segments will not purchase our products, and we may not be able to expand our product offerings in these market and geographical segments at the rates which we have forecasted.

Our products and services are complex. We have experienced in the past, and expect to experience in the future, quality issues impacting certain products, and we could experience reliability issues with services we provide, including security vulnerabilities, software bugs, hardware failure in networked storage appliances, incompatibility issues with customer systems or other applications, performance deficiencies causing slow data retrieval or processing, firmware or software updates causing system instability, compliance with various product certifications, and data breaches due to flaws in the product design. Such quality and reliability issues may be due to, for example, our own designs or processes, the designs or processes of our suppliers, and/or flaws in third-party software used in our products. These types of risks are most acute when we are introducing new products. Quality or reliability issues have and could again in the future cause customers to experience outages or disruptions in service, data loss or data corruption. If we fail to remedy a product defect or flaw, we may experience a failure of a product line, temporary or permanent withdrawal from a product or market, damage to our reputation, loss of revenue, inventory costs or product reengineering expenses and higher ongoing warranty and service costs, and these occurrences could have a material impact on our gross margins, business and operating results. In addition, we exercise little control over how our customers use or maintain our products and services, and in some cases improper usage or maintenance could impair the performance of our products and services, which could lead to a perception of a quality or reliability issue. Customers may experience losses that may result from or are alleged to result from defects or flaws in our products and services, which could subject us to claims for damages, including consequential damages.

Our success depends on our ability to hire and retain qualified personnel to advance our corporate strategy and maintain key aspects of our corporate culture. As our future success relies on enhancing and introducing new products and features, we particularly need to attract and retain qualified engineers and technical talent, especially in emerging technology areas like AI and machine learning. To increase revenues, we must also increase the productivity of our sales force, which may require an increase in support infrastructure and personnel, to achieve adequate customer coverage. Competition for qualified employees, particularly in the technology industry, is intense. We have periodically reduced our workforce, including restructuring plans announced in fiscal 2023, fiscal 2024, and fiscal 2025, respectively. These actions may make it more challenging to attract and retain qualified employees. Failure to hire and retain skilled management and personnel, particularly engineers, salespeople, and key executive management, could disrupt our development efforts, sales results, business relationships, and our ability to execute our business plan and strategy, adversely affecting our operating results, financial conditions and cash flows. Many of our employees participate in our hybrid work program and work remotely on a full- or part-time basis. Changes to our office environments, including the adoption of new work models and our requirements and/or expectations about when or how often certain employees work on-site or remotely may not meet the expectations of our employees, and may create challenges in attracting and retaining qualified personnel, adversely affecting our business operations and financial performance. Additionally, many of our employees are foreign nationals relying on visas and entry permits to work legally in the U.S. and other countries, and may be dependent on licenses to work with controlled technology. Restrictions or difficulties in obtaining H-1B, L-1 and other business visas, as well as licenses to work with controlled technologies, along with compliance with new immigration and labor laws and unintended impacts from changes in immigration policy or in the enforcement of existing immigration laws and policies, could lead to unexpected labor costs and hinder our ability to retain and attract skilled professionals, negatively impacting our business, results of operations or financial conditions. Equity grants are a crucial part of our compensation programs, supporting talent attraction and engagement and aligning employee interests with stockholders. A competitive broad-based equity compensation program is essential to compete for talent in both the hardware and software industries, where competitors offer significant equity compensation. Reducing, modifying, or eliminating our equity programs, or failing to grant equity competitively, may hinder our ability to attract and retain critical employees. Furthermore, the structure of our sales, cash, and equity incentive compensation plans may increase the risk of losing employees at certain times, such as after the payment of periodic bonuses or the vesting of equity awards.

Our effective tax rate is influenced by a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. These factors include among other things, fluctuations in our earnings and financial results in the various countries and states in which we do business, changes to the tax laws in such jurisdictions and the outcome of income tax audits. Changes to any of these factors could materially impact our operating results, financial condition and cash flows. We receive significant tax benefits from sales to our non-U.S. customers. These benefits are contingent upon existing tax laws and regulations in the U.S. and in the countries in which our international operations are located. Future changes in domestic or international tax laws and regulations or a change in how we manage our international operations could adversely affect our ability to continue realizing these tax benefits. Many countries around the world are beginning to implement legislation and other guidance to align their international tax rules with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project (BEPS) recommendation and related action plans that aim to standardize and modernize global corporate tax policy, including changes to cross-border tax, transfer pricing documentation rules and nexus-based tax incentive practices. As a result, many of these changes, if enacted in whole or in part, could increase our worldwide effective tax rate and harm our operating results, financial condition, and cash flows. Implementation of the BEPS inclusive framework (Inclusive Framework), including potential incremental taxes under a new global minimum tax framework known as Pillar Two, is effective in most jurisdictions for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2024. We are currently subject to Pillar Two rules starting in our fiscal year 2025 and could potentially be subject to additional taxes under the Inclusive Framework. Amount B under Pillar One of the Inclusive Framework is related to standardized returns for baseline marketing and distribution activities. Amount B is applicable to NetApp beginning in fiscal 2026 and we could be subject to higher controlled profit requirements for some of our global distribution entities which could increase our global tax burden. Our effective tax rate could also be adversely affected by changes in tax laws and regulations and interpretations of such laws and regulations, which in turn would negatively impact our earnings and cash and cash equivalent balances we currently maintain. Additionally, our effective tax rate could also be adversely affected if there is a change in international operations, our tax structure and how our operations are managed and structured, and as a result, we could experience harm to our operating results and financial condition. We continue to evaluate the impacts of changes in tax laws and regulations on our business. We are routinely subject to income tax audits in the U.S. and several foreign tax jurisdictions. If the ultimate determination of income taxes or at-source withholding taxes assessed under these audits results in amounts in excess of the tax provision we have recorded or reserved for, our operating results, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected.

As a global company, our business is influenced by worldwide economic and market conditions, including, among others, inflation, slower growth, economic downturn or recession, changes in fiscal and monetary policies, higher interest and tax rates, economic uncertainty, political instability, regional conflicts, military warfare, extreme weather events and effects from climate change, natural disasters and pandemics, supply chain interruptions and shortages, changes in laws, reduced consumer confidence and spending, international trade protection measures and disputes (including economic and trade barriers, tariffs, sanctions and export controls), and the threat and potential of retaliatory trade control policies (including retaliatory tariffs). These factors, as well as the fear or anticipation of such conditions, may influence decisions and actions by our key stakeholders and the market generally, and can lead to increased volatility in the IT industry, making it difficult to predict future demand for our products and services. They can also negatively impact the availability of supplies and limit access to capital for our suppliers, customers and partners. Any of these factors above, as well as other adverse macroeconomic conditions can significantly reduce demand for our products and negatively affect our operating results due to customer concerns about declining demand for their products, reduced asset values, fluctuating energy costs, geopolitical issues, the cost and availability of credit, and the stability of financial institutions, markets, businesses, and governments. These conditions may be widespread, and their resolution could be uncertain. If we are not able to efficiently and effectively resolve such issues in a timely manner, or if our chosen strategies are not successful, then our business, operations and financial condition could be materially adversely impacted. Consequently, these risks and conditions could materially adversely affect our future sales and operating results.

A significant portion of our operations and revenues are derived from outside of the U.S., and most of our products are sourced and manufactured outside of the U.S. We also have research and development, sales, and service centers internationally. Consequently, our international operations and future financial results could be adversely affected by various economic, business, regulatory, social and political factors in foreign countries. These factors include government controls, local political or economic conditions such as recessions, economic downturns, inflation and political uncertainty, economic sanctions, trade protections and regulations, export and import requirements (including but not limited to government and regulatory authorizations), tariffs, investment restrictions, tax policies, treaties or laws, local labor conditions, transportation costs, government spending patterns, geopolitical tensions and uncertainties, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, natural disasters, and adverse public health developments. Changes in laws or policies governing the terms of foreign trade, and in particular increased trade restrictions, tariffs or taxes on imports from countries where we source and/or manufacture products, including the impact on our suppliers and contract manufacturers who may look to pass through additional costs imposed on them, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. The U.S. government has recently enacted changes to U.S. trade policy and has signaled plans for possible additional changes. For example, the U.S. government has imposed sweeping tariffs on certain products and countries and has signaled that further tariffs may be imposed in the future. The U.S. government's tariffs policy remains fluid, with tariffs on certain countries delayed or reduced in scope, and additional tariffs likely to be forthcoming on other countries or specified products. Additional tariffs and restrictive policies, particularly with respect to the tariffs on Mexico, could have a significant impact on our business and results of operations. The exact magnitude of any potential impact remains uncertain given possible further changes in tariffs and increased tensions with U.S. trading partners targeted by tariffs or other restrictive trade policies. Our risk exposure may increase further if any countries levy retaliatory tariffs, taxes, or other trade restrictions or penalties against the United States or U.S. companies. Additionally, ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China and recent investment restrictions, such as the U.S. Outbound Investment Security Program, could impact our business and operating results. Any increase in tensions between China and Taiwan, including threats of military actions or escalation of military activities, could adversely affect our or our contract manufacturers' ability to source key supply chain components included in our products. As a result of Russia's actions in Ukraine, numerous countries and organizations have imposed sanctions and export controls, while businesses, including the Company, have limited or suspended Russian operations. Russia has likewise imposed currency restrictions and regulations and may further take retaliatory trade or other actions, including the nationalization of foreign businesses. These actions could impact our supply chain, pricing, business and operating results and expose us to cyberattacks. In addition, due to the global nature of our business, we are subject to complex legal and regulatory requirements in the U.S. and the foreign jurisdictions in which we operate and sell our products, including antitrust and anti-competition laws, and regulations related to data privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity. We are also subject to the potential loss of proprietary information due to piracy, misappropriation, or laws that may be less protective of our intellectual property rights than U.S. laws. Such factors have had or could have an adverse impact on our business, operating results, financial condition and cash flows. We face exposure to adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates as a result of our international operations. These exposures may change over time as business practices evolve, and they could have a material adverse impact on our operating results, financial condition and cash flows. We utilize forward and option contracts in an attempt to reduce the adverse impact of exchange rate fluctuations on certain assets and liabilities. Our hedging strategies may not be successful, and currency exchange rate fluctuations could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and cash flows. In addition, our foreign currency exposure on assets, liabilities, and cash flows that we do not hedge could have a material impact on our financial results in periods when the U.S. dollar significantly fluctuates in relation to foreign currencies. Moreover, in many foreign countries, particularly in those with developing economies, it is a common business practice to engage in activities that are prohibited by NetApp's internal policies and procedures, or laws and regulations applicable to us. There can be no assurance that all our employees, contractors and agents, as well as those companies to which we outsource certain of our business operations, will comply with these policies, procedures, laws and/or regulations. Any such violation could subject us to fines and other penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition and cash flows.

We depend on the ability of our personnel, inventories, equipment and products to move reasonably unimpeded around the world. Any political, military, terrorism, global trade, world health or other issue that hinders this movement or restricts the import or export of materials could lead to significant business disruptions. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic impeded the mobility of our personnel, inventories, equipment and products and disrupted our business operations. Furthermore, any economic failure or other material disruption caused by natural disasters, including fires, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and volcanoes; power or water loss or shortages; environmental disasters; telecommunications or business information systems failures or break-ins and similar events could also adversely affect our ability to conduct business. As a result of climate change, we expect the frequency and impact of such natural disasters or other material disruptions to increase. If such disruptions result in cancellations of customer orders or contribute to a general decrease in economic activity or corporate spending on IT, or directly impact our marketing, manufacturing, financial and logistics functions, or impair our ability to meet our customer demands, our operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Our headquarters is located in Northern California, an area susceptible to earthquakes and wildfires. If any significant disaster were to occur there, our ability to operate our business and our operating results, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely impacted.