AMMO (POWW) 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.

AMMO disclosed 38 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. AMMO reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q2, 2025

Risk Distribution

45% Finance & Corporate

21% Legal & Regulatory

13% Tech & Innovation

13% Ability to Sell

5% Macro & Political

3% Production

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

Risks added

Risks changed

AMMO 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 Q2, 2025

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 17 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 17 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Jun 2025

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Jun 2025

Number of Risk Changed

-2

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 1

-2

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 1

See the risk highlights of AMMO 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 38

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 17/38 (45%)Above Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights10 | 26.3%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

The Series A Preferred Stock is not convertible, and investors will not realize a corresponding upside if the market price of the Common Stock increases.

The Series A Preferred Stock is not convertible into shares of Common Stock and earns dividends at a fixed rate. Accordingly, an increase in market price of our Common Stock will not necessarily result in an increase in the market price of our Series A Preferred Stock. The market value of the Series A Preferred Stock may depend more on dividend and interest rates for other preferred stock, commercial paper and other investment alternatives and our actual and perceived ability to pay dividends on, and in the event of dissolution satisfy the liquidation preference with respect to, the Series A Preferred Stock.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

Holders of Series A Preferred Stock have extremely limited voting rights.

The voting rights for holders of Series A Preferred Stock are limited. Our shares of Common Stock are the only class of our securities that carry full voting rights. Voting rights for holders of the Series A Preferred Stock exist primarily with respect to the ability to elect, voting together with the holders of any other series of our preferred stock having similar voting rights, two additional directors to our Board of Directors, subject to certain limitations in the event that dividends payable on the Series A Preferred Stock are in arrears for four or more consecutive or non-consecutive quarterly dividend periods, and with respect to voting on amendments to our certificate of incorporation or certificate of designations relating to the Series A Preferred Stock that materially and adversely affect the rights of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock or authorize, increase or create additional classes or series of our capital stock that are senior to the Series A Preferred Stock. Other than the limited circumstances set forth in the certificate of designations for the Series A Preferred and except to the extent required by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock do not have any voting rights.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3

We may redeem the Series A Preferred Stock.

On or after May 18, 2026, we may, at our option, redeem the Series A Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time. Also, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined in the certificate of designations with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock), we may, at our option, redeem the Series A Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, within 120 days after the first date on which such Change of Control occurred. We may have an incentive to redeem the Series A Preferred Stock voluntarily if market conditions allow us to issue other preferred stock or debt securities at a rate that is lower than the dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock. If we redeem the Series A Preferred Stock, then from and after the redemption date, dividends will cease to accrue on shares of Series A Preferred Stock, the shares of Series A Preferred Stock will no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights as a holder of those shares will terminate, except the right to receive the redemption price plus accumulated and unpaid dividends, if any, payable upon redemption.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4

Our Series A Preferred Stock has not been rated.

We have not sought to obtain a rating for the Series A Preferred Stock. No assurance can be given, however, that one or more rating agencies might not independently determine to issue such a rating or that such a rating, if issued, would not adversely affect the market price of the Series A Preferred Stock. Also, we may elect in the future to obtain a rating for the Series A Preferred Stock, which could adversely affect the market price of the Series A Preferred Stock. Ratings only reflect the views of the rating agency or agencies issuing the ratings and such ratings could be revised downward, placed on a watch list, or withdrawn entirely at the discretion of the issuing rating agency if in its judgment circumstances so warrant. Any such downward revision, placing on a watch list or withdrawal of a rating could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Series A Preferred Stock.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5

We may issue additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock and additional series of preferred stock that rank on parity with the Series A Preferred Stock as to dividend rights, rights upon liquidation or voting rights.

We are allowed to issue additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock and additional series of preferred stock that would rank junior to the Series A Preferred Stock as to dividend payments and rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs pursuant to our certificate of incorporation and the certificate of designations relating to the Series A Preferred Stock without any vote of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock. The issuance of additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock and additional series of preferred stock that have been authorized pursuant to our certificate of incorporation and the certificate of designations could have the effect of reducing the amounts available to the Series A Preferred Stock upon our liquidation or dissolution or the winding up of our affairs. It also may reduce dividend payments on the Series A Preferred Stock if we do not have sufficient funds to pay dividends on all Series A Preferred Stock outstanding and other classes or series of stock with greater or equal priority with respect to dividends. Also, although holders of Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to limited voting rights, with respect to the circumstances under which the holders of Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, the Series A Preferred Stock votes separately as a class along with all other series of our preferred stock that we may issue upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable. As a result, the voting rights of holders of Series A Preferred Stock may be significantly diluted, and the holders of such other series of preferred stock that we may issue may be able to control or significantly influence the outcome of any vote. Future issuances and sales of senior or pari passu preferred stock, or the perception that such issuances and sales could occur, may cause prevailing market prices for the Series A Preferred Stock and our Common Stock to decline and may adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital in the financial markets at times and prices favorable to us.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6

The trading market for the Series A Preferred Stock may not provide investors with adequate liquidity.

The Series A Preferred Stock is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol "POWWP." We cannot assure you that holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will be able to sell their shares at favorable prices or at all. The difference between bid and ask prices in any secondary market for the Series A Preferred Stock could be substantial. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of, or trading markets for, the Series A Preferred Stock, and holders of the Series A Preferred Stock may be required to bear the financial risks of an investment in the Series A Preferred Stock for an indefinite period of time.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7

The Series A Preferred Stock ranks junior to all of our indebtedness and other liabilities.

In the event of our bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs, holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive any of our assets remaining only after all of our indebtedness and other liabilities have been paid. The rights of holders of the Series A Preferred Stock to participate in the distribution of our assets rank junior to the prior claims of our current and future creditors and any future series or class of preferred stock we may issue that ranks senior to the Series A Preferred Stock. Also, the Series A Preferred Stock effectively ranks junior to all existing and future indebtedness and to the indebtedness and other liabilities of our existing subsidiaries and any future subsidiaries. Our existing subsidiaries are, and future subsidiaries would be, separate legal entities and have no legal obligation to pay any amounts to us in respect of dividends due on the Series A Preferred Stock. If we are forced to liquidate our assets to pay our creditors, we may not have sufficient assets to pay amounts due on any or all of the Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding. We have incurred and may in the future incur substantial amounts of debt and other obligations that rank senior to the Series A Preferred Stock. At March 31, 2025, our total liabilities equaled approximately $75.3 million. Certain of our existing or future debt instruments may restrict the authorization, payment or setting apart of dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock. Also, future offerings of debt or senior equity securities may adversely affect the market price of the Series A Preferred Stock. If we decide to issue debt or senior equity securities in the future, it is possible that these securities will be governed by an indenture or other instruments containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of the Series A Preferred Stock and may result in dilution to owners of the Series A Preferred Stock. We and, indirectly, our stockholders, will bear the cost of issuing and servicing such securities. Because our decision to issue debt or equity securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. The holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will bear the risk of our future offerings, which may reduce the market price of the Series A Preferred Stock and will dilute the value of their holdings in us.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8

Our certification of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for actions or proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could discourage claims or limit stockholders' ability to make a claim against the Company, our directors, officers, and employees.

Our certificate of incorporation states that unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) an action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company's stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Company, its directors, officers, or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Company, its directors, officers, or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except for, as to each of (i) through (iv) above, any claim as to which the Court of Chancery determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within 10 days following such determination), which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. These exclusive forum provisions do not apply to claims under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. The exclusive forum provision may discourage claims or limit stockholders' ability to submit claims in a judicial forum that they find favorable and may create additional costs as a result. If a court were to determine the exclusive forum provision to be inapplicable and unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs in conjunction with our efforts to resolve the dispute in an alternative jurisdiction, which could have a negative impact on our results of operations.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9

Our charter documents and Delaware law could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us and discourage a takeover.

Our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and Delaware law contain certain provisions that may have the effect of deterring or discouraging, among other things, a non-negotiated tender or exchange offer for shares of Common Stock, a proxy contest for control of our company, the assumption of control of our company by a holder of a large block of Common Stock, and the removal of the management of our company. Such provisions also may have the effect of deterring or discouraging a transaction which might otherwise be beneficial to stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation also authorizes our Board of Directors, without stockholder approval, to issue one or more series of preferred stock, which could have voting and conversion rights that adversely affect or dilute the voting power of the holders of Common Stock. Delaware law also imposes conditions on certain business combination transactions with "interested stockholders." Further, our Bylaws authorize our Board of Directors to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors, including as a result of newly created directorships. A majority of the remaining directors may elect a successor to fill any vacancies or newly created directorships. Such provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our Common Stock and impede the ability of the stockholders to replace management. The elimination of monetary liability against our directors under Delaware law pursuant to our certificate of incorporation and the existence of indemnification rights to our directors and officers under Delaware law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, may result in substantial expenditures by us and may discourage lawsuits against our directors, officers, and employees. We also entered into contractual indemnification obligations under employment agreements with our executive officers. The foregoing indemnification obligations could result in our incurring substantial expenditures to cover the cost of settlement or damage awards against directors and officers, which we may be unable to recoup. These provisions and resultant costs may also discourage us from bringing a lawsuit against our directors and officers for breaches of their fiduciary duties and may similarly discourage the filing of derivative litigation by our stockholders against our directors and officers even though such actions, if successful, might otherwise benefit our company and our stockholders.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10

The restatement and related matters could cause increased volatility in the trading price of our securities.

The restatement of our financial statements, the results of the Special Committee Investigation, any future findings, and related legal proceedings or regulatory actions could result in increased volatility in the price of our Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock. We may also experience reduced analyst coverage and diminished interest from institutional investors, which could adversely impact the trading volume, liquidity, and market price of our securities.

Accounting & Financial Operations5 | 13.2%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

Our operating results may experience significant fluctuations.

Many factors can contribute to significant fluctuations in our results of operations. These factors include the following: - the cyclicality of the markets we serve;- the timing and size of new orders;- the cancellation of existing orders;- the volume of orders relative to our capacity;- product introductions and market acceptance of new products or new generations of products;- timing of expenses in anticipation of future orders;- changes in product mix;- availability of production capacity;- changes in cost and availability of labor and raw materials;- timely delivery of products to customers;- pricing and availability of competitive products;- new product introduction costs;- changes in the amount or timing of operating expenses;- introduction of new technologies into the markets we serve;- pressures on reducing selling prices;- excess inventory levels;- our success in serving new markets;- adverse publicity regarding the safety, performance, and use of our products;- the institution and adverse outcome of any litigation;- political, economic, or regulatory developments;- changes in economic conditions; and - natural and manmade disasters, including health emergencies such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of these and other factors, we believe that period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations may not be meaningful in the short term, and our performance in a particular period may not be indicative of our performance in any future period.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2

Our management has concluded that we have material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and that our disclosure controls and procedures are not effective. If we fail to develop or maintain an effective system of internal control, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent financial fraud. As a result, current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting.

As a public company, we are required to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("Section 404"). Section 404 requires us to include management's assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the fiscal year in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This report must also include disclosure of any material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting that we have identified. Based on the results of the Special Committee Investigation, our review of our financial records, and other work completed by our management, the Special Committee has concluded that there were material misstatements in the previously filed consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. Accordingly, our Board of Directors and management concluded that our consolidated financial statements for these periods should no longer be relied upon and that such financial statements required restatement. Based upon an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures, our Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective at a reasonable assurance level as of March 31, 2025. In addition, as further described in this Annual Report in Item 9A "Controls and Procedures", as of March 31, 2025, management identified material weaknesses in our internal control processes that involve the control environment, information and communication, monitoring activities, and control activities components of the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission ("COSO") framework. These material weaknesses, if not remediated, create an increased risk of misstatement of the Company's financial results, which, if material, may require future restatement thereof. While we are actively engaged in remediation efforts as of the filing of this Annual Report, including the implementation of new policies, procedures, and controls, these efforts may not be successful, we may not be able to remediate all identified material weaknesses in a timely manner, and additional material weaknesses may be identified in the future. Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in additional errors or misstatements in our financial statements, impair our ability to accurately and timely report financial results, harm our reputation and investor confidence, limit our ability to access capital markets, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Effective internal control over financial reporting and related controls and procedures are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, we could be subject to regulatory action or other substantial litigation and our business and operating results could be materially harmed.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3

Investors may view our historical financial statements as less reliable following the restatement, which could adversely effect our access to capital markets and our stock price.

As a result of the restatement of our historical financial statements and the identification of material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, investors may view our historical financial information as less reliable. This perception could impact investor confidence, adversely affect the market price of our securities, impair our ability to access capital markets, and result in greater difficulty in achieving strategic or financial objectives.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 4

We may not be able to pay dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock if we have insufficient cash to make dividend payments.

Our ability to pay cash dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock requires us to have either net profits or positive net assets (total assets less total liabilities) over our capital, to be able to pay our debts as they become due in the usual course of business. Further, even if we meet this criterion, we still may not have sufficient cash to pay dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock. Our ability to pay dividends may be impaired if any of the risks described in this report were to occur. Also, payment of our dividends depends upon our financial condition and other factors as our Board of Directors may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that our businesses will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to make distributions on our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, to pay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 5

The matters relating to the restatement of our financial statements have required, and may continue to require, a significant amount of management time and accounting, financial and legal resources, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

On May 20, 2025, we filed Amendment No. 2 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 to restate our financial statements for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2022, March 31, 2023, and March 31, 2024 and the quarters within the year ended March 31, 2024. We also filed an amendment to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The restatement of our financial statements occurred following an investigation ("Special Committee Investigation") conducted by a special committee of the Board of Directors of the Company. The restatement process was highly time and resource-intensive and involved substantial attention from management and significant legal and accounting costs. Furthermore, as a result of the circumstances giving rise to the restatement, we have become subject to a number of additional risks and uncertainties, including unanticipated costs for accounting and legal fees in connection with or related to the restatement and a pending investigation by the SEC's Division of Enforcement (the "SEC Investigation"). The SEC Staff has significant discretion in conducting investigations, and therefore, we cannot predict the scope or outcome of the SEC Investigation. Based upon document subpoenas to the Company and other communications, it appears that the SEC Staff is investigating and likely will recommend that the SEC bring an enforcement action relate to the Company's (i) valuation of, and accounting for share-based compensation awards to employees, non-employee directors and other service providers, and issued in exchange for goods and services; (ii) capitalization of certain share issuance costs;(ii) disclosure of perquisites and the valuation of equity-based compensation paid to certain executives; (iii) disclosure of certain executive officers and related party transactions; and (iv) disclosure concerning the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA. The SEC Staff have not issued a Wells Notice to the Company in the SEC Investigation. If the SEC Staff issues a Wells Notice, the Company will have the opportunity to present factual evidence, legal arguments and mitigating circumstances to the SEC why an enforcement action is not warranted. If, notwithstanding the Company's Wells submission, the SEC authorizes a civil enforcement action the agency may seek injunctions, civil penalties or other relief, and the Company may incur additional legal and other professional fees in defending such action or negotiating a resolution. Management's attention and resources have been, and may continue to be, diverted from the operation of our business as a result of the ongoing impact of the restatement, the Special Committee Investigation, the SEC Investigation, potential litigation, and efforts to remediate material weaknesses. This diversion could adversely impact our operations, strategic initiatives, and ability to execute our business plans and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Debt & Financing2 | 5.3%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

We may not be able to secure additional financing on favorable terms, or at all, to meet our future capital needs.

In the future, we may require additional capital to fund the planned expansion of our business and to respond to business opportunities, challenges, potential acquisitions, or unforeseen circumstances. We could encounter unforeseen difficulties that may deplete our capital resources rapidly, which could require us to seek additional financing in the near future. The timing and amount of any additional financing that is required to continue the expansion of our business and the marketing of our products will depend on our ability to improve our operating results and other factors. We may not be able to secure additional debt or equity financing on a timely basis or on favorable terms, or at all. Further, such financing, if obtained, could result in substantial dilution of the equity interests of existing stockholders. If we are unable to secure any necessary additional financing, we may need to delay expansion plans, conserve cash, and reduce operating expenses. There is no assurance that any additional financing will be sufficient, that the financing will be available on terms favorable to us or to existing stockholders and at such times as required, or that we will be able to obtain the additional financing required for the continued operation and growth of our business.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

Our failure to prepare and timely file our periodic reports with the SEC limits our access to the public markets to raise debt or equity capital, impacts our ability to obtain alternative financing, and could have negative consequences under the terms of our existing credit agreements.

Our failure to timely file our periodic reports with the SEC restricts our ability to use a registration statement on Form S-3, which limits our ability to access the public markets quickly and efficiently. It may also restrict our ability to raise capital through traditional private placements, as potential investors may be reluctant to invest in a company that is not current or has a history of not being current in its SEC filings. In addition, our failure to file periodic reports could constitute a default under certain covenants in existing or future credit facilities, which could lead to the acceleration of outstanding indebtedness or other adverse consequences. The combined effect of these factors could materially and adversely affect our liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 8/38 (21%)Above Sector Average

Regulation2 | 5.3%

Regulation - Risk 1

Changes in government policies and firearms legislation could adversely affect our financial results.

The sale, purchase, ownership, and use of firearms are subject to numerous and varied federal, state, and local governmental regulations. Federal laws governing firearms include the National Firearms Act, the Federal Firearms Act, the Arms Export Control Act, and the Gun Control Act of 1968. These laws generally govern the manufacture, import, export, sale, and possession of firearms and ammunition. Currently, the federal legislature and several state legislatures are considering additional legislation relating to the regulation of firearms and ammunition. These proposed bills are extremely varied. If enacted, such legislation could effectively ban or severely limit the sale of affected firearms and ammunition. In addition, if such restrictions are enacted and are incongruent, we could find it difficult, expensive, or even practically impossible to comply with them, which could impede new product development and the distribution of existing products. We cannot assure you that the regulation of our business activities will not become more restrictive in the future and that any such restriction will not have a material adverse effect on our business. Any adverse change to the interpretations of the Second Amendment (Right to Bear Arms) could impact our ability to conduct business by restricting the ownership and use of firearms in the United States.

Regulation - Risk 2

Current and future government regulations, particularly regulations relating to the sale of firearms and ammunition, may negatively impact the demand for products held for sale on our platform.

We operate in a complex regulatory and legal environment that could negatively impact the demand for our products and services and expose us to compliance and litigation risks, which could materially affect our operations and financial results. We are required to comply with a wide variety of laws, rules, and regulations that impose significant compliance requirements on our business, and more restrictive laws, rules and regulations may be adopted in the future. We are subject to the rules and regulations of the ATF, particularly with FFL compliance. If we fail to comply with ATF rules and regulations, the ATF may limit our growth or business activities, levy fines against us or revoke our license to do business. Our business and the business of all marketers of ammunition and firearms are also subject to numerous federal, state, local, and foreign laws, regulations, and protocols. These laws may, and do, change, sometimes significantly, as a result of political, economic or social events. For instance, Colorado and Washington passed legislation that, among other things, raises the minimum age to purchase certain firearms from 18 to 21 and imposes multi-day waiting period on gun purchases. In addition, Florida has also raised the minimum age for firearms purchases to 21 with some exceptions, and in November 2022, the State of Oregon passed a ballot measure that bans purchases of magazines with a capacity of over ten rounds, and that, among other things, imposes complex permitting and training requirements for the purchases of firearms. Over the past several years, bills have been introduced in the United States Congress that would restrict or prohibit the manufacture, transfer, importation or sale of certain calibers of handgun ammunition, impose a tax and import controls on bullets designed to penetrate bullet-proof vests, impose a special occupational tax and registration requirements on manufacturers of handgun ammunition and increase the tax on handgun ammunition in certain calibers. Because we carry these products, such legislation could, depending on its scope, materially harm sales on the Marketplace. Additionally, state and local governments have proposed laws and regulations that, if enacted, would place additional restrictions on the manufacture, transfer, sale, purchase, acquisition, possession and use of firearms, ammunition and shooting-related products. For example, in response to mass shootings and other incidents in the United States, several states, such as California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington have enacted laws and regulations that limit access to and sale of certain firearms in ways more restrictive than federal laws. Other state or local governmental entities may continue to explore similar legislative or regulatory restrictions that could prohibit the manufacture, sale, purchase, possession or use of firearms and ammunition. In California, Connecticut and New York, mandatory screening of ammunition purchases is now required, as well as electronic record keeping that will be audited by the state. In addition, several states and the United States Congress have introduced microstamping legislation (that is, engraving the handgun's serial number on the firing pin of new handguns) for certain firearms. Lastly, some states prohibit the sale of firearms without internal or external locking mechanisms, and several states are considering mandating certain design features on safety grounds, most of which would be applicable only to handguns. Other state or local governmental entities may also explore similar legislative or regulatory initiatives that may further restrict the manufacture, sale, purchase, acquisition, possession or use of firearms, ammunition and shooting-related products. The regulation of firearms, ammunition and shooting-related products may even become more restrictive in the future. Changes in these laws and regulations or additional regulations, particularly new laws or increased regulations regarding sales and ownership of firearms and ammunition, could cause the demand for and sales of products held for sale on our platform to decrease and could materially adversely impact our revenue and profitability. Sales of firearms represent a significant percentage of our transaction-fee based revenue. Substantial reduction in sales on our platform due to the establishment of new regulations could harm our operating results. Moreover, complying with increased or changed regulations could cause our operating expenses to increase.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities4 | 10.5%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

Our reputation may be harmed by the Special Committee Investigation, the SEC Investigation, and the restatement, making it more difficult to attract business opportunities, employees, and investors.

The restatement of our financial statements, the impact of the Special Committee Investigation and the SEC Investigation into historical matters, and any resulting litigation, SEC enforcement action or other regulatory proceedings, or negative publicity could damage our reputation with investors, customers, suppliers, business partners, and regulators. Any reputational harm could adversely affect our relationships with existing and prospective stakeholders, diminish our ability to attract and retain key personnel, reduce the confidence of investors in our company, and limit our access to capital markets. Reputational damage may also make it more difficult to pursue business opportunities, negotiate favorable terms in future commercial relationships, and achieve our strategic objectives, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2

We are and may continue to be subject to litigation, regulatory proceedings, and government enforcement actions arising from the restatement of our financial statements and related matters, which could result in significant judgments, settlements, penalties, and legal expenses.

The restatement of our previously issued financial statements, along with the findings of the Special Committee Investigation and the SEC Investigation, exposes us to various legal and regulatory challenges. These challenges could include securities class action lawsuits, stockholder derivative suits, and enforcement actions by regulatory authorities such as the SEC and the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq"). Such proceedings may allege violations of federal securities laws, deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures, or other corporate governance issues. Defending against these matters is time-consuming and costly and will divert management's attention from our business operations. Adverse outcomes could result in substantial monetary damages, penalties, injunctive, or other relief, and even if resolved favorably, we may incur significant legal expenses. These potential liabilities and costs could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 3

We are engaged in legal proceedings that could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses and could occupy a significant amount of our management's time and attention.

We have been and are currently engaged in legal proceedings that have caused the Company to dedicate significant resources to defend. Litigation or claims that may be made against the Company or its officers or directors, from time to time, could negatively affect our business, operations, or financial position. As we grow, we may see a rise in the number of litigation matters against us. These matters may include employment and labor claims, as well as consumer and securities class actions, each of which are typically expensive to defend. Litigation and other disputes could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses and otherwise occupy a significant amount of our management's time and attention, any of which could negatively affect our business operations and financial position.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 4

We may be required to indemnify our current and former directors, officers and employees in connection with litigation and other actions which could result in significant legal expenses and other costs to us.

Our corporate governance documents and applicable indemnification agreements require us to defend and indemnify our current and former directors and officers, and certain employees and contractors against enumerated liabilities and expenses incurred as a result of legal proceedings and investigations, including the pending SEC Investigation and potential litigation arising out of the matters related to the restatement. As a result, we may be obligated to advance and ultimately pay substantial legal costs, settlement amounts, or judgments on behalf of these individuals. These indemnification obligations could significantly increase our legal expenses and could materially adversely affect our financial condition and cash flows.

Taxation & Government Incentives1 | 2.6%

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1

We may suffer adverse tax consequences in connection with our historical share-based compensation practices, which could have a negative impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

The Special Committee Investigation and restatement identified errors related to the valuation and accounting for share-based compensation awards issued to our directors, officers, employees, and other service providers. As a result, we may face adverse tax consequences, including the potential loss of tax deductions previously claimed, the requirement to amend prior tax returns, the payment of additional taxes, penalties, and interest, and exposure to potential Internal Revenue Service audits or inquiries. Any such adverse tax consequences could materially negatively impact our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition in future periods.

Environmental / Social1 | 2.6%

Environmental / Social - Risk 1

We and the third parties with whom we work are subject to stringent and evolving obligations related to data privacy and security, and our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations (or such failure by the third parties with whom we work) could lead to adverse business consequences.

In the ordinary course of business, we process personal data and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential business data, trade secrets, intellectual property, sensitive third-party data, business plans, transactions, and financial information (collectively, sensitive data). These processing activities subject us to numerous data privacy and security obligations, such as various laws, regulations, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contractual requirements, and other obligations relating to data privacy and security. In the United States, federal, state, and local governments have enacted numerous data privacy and security laws, including data breach notification laws, personal data privacy laws, consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), and other similar laws (e.g., wiretapping laws). Numerous U.S. states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws that impose certain obligations on covered businesses, including providing specific disclosures in privacy notices and affording residents with certain rights concerning their personal data. As applicable, such rights include the right to access, correct, or delete certain personal data, and to opt-out of certain data processing activities, such as targeted advertising, profiling, and automated decision-making. The exercise of these rights may impact our business and ability to provide our products and services. Certain states also impose stricter requirements for processing certain personal data, including sensitive information, such as conducting data privacy impact assessments. These state laws allow for statutory fines for noncompliance. For example, the CCPA imposes obligations on covered businesses regarding their processing of personal data and provides for fines and a private right of action for certain data breaches. Similar laws are being considered in several other states, as well as at the federal and local levels, and we expect more states to pass similar laws in the future. Additionally, under various privacy laws and other obligations, we may be required to obtain certain consents to process personal data. Our inability or failure to do so could result in adverse consequences, such as threats of class-action litigation alleging violations of wiretapping laws. In addition to data privacy and security laws, we are contractually subject to industry standards adopted by industry groups, such as the PCI DSS, and we are, and may become in the future subject to such obligations. We rely on vendors to process payment card data, and those vendors are subject to PCI DSS, and our business may be negatively affected if our vendors are fined or suffer other consequences as a result of PCI DSS noncompliance. We are also bound by other contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful. We publish privacy policies, marketing materials, and other statements concerning data privacy and security. Regulators in the United States are increasingly scrutinizing these statements, and if these are found to be deficient, lacking in transparency, deceptive, unfair, misleading, or misrepresentative of our practices, we may be subject to investigation, enforcement actions by regulators, or other adverse consequences. Obligations related to data privacy and security (and consumers' data privacy expectations) are quickly changing, becoming increasingly stringent, creating regulatory uncertainty, and may be subject to differing applications and interpretations. Preparing for and complying with these obligations requires us to devote significant resources and may necessitate changes to our services, information technologies, systems, and practices and to those of any third parties that process personal data on our behalf. We may at times be unsuccessful (or be perceived to have been unsuccessful) in our efforts to comply with our data privacy and security obligations. Moreover, despite our efforts, our personnel or third parties with whom we work may be unsuccessful in complying with such obligations, which could negatively impact our business operations. If we or the third parties with whom we work are unsuccessful, or are perceived to have been unsuccessful, to address or comply with applicable data privacy and security obligations, we could face significant consequences, including but not limited to: government enforcement actions (e.g., investigations, fines, penalties, audits, inspections, and similar); litigation (including class-action claims); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; bans on processing personal data; and orders to destroy or not use personal data. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition, including but not limited to: loss of customers; inability to process personal data or to operate in certain jurisdictions; limited ability to develop or commercialize our products; expenditure of time and resources to defend any claim or inquiry; adverse publicity; or substantial changes to our business model or operations.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 5/38 (13%)Above Sector Average

Trade Secrets2 | 5.3%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

We may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims, which could cause us to incur litigation costs and divert management attention from our business.

Any intellectual property infringement claims against us, with or without merit, could be costly and time-consuming to defend and divert our management's attention from our business. If our products were found to infringe a third party's proprietary rights, we could be required to enter into costly royalty or licensing agreements to be able to sell our products. Royalty and licensing agreements, if required, may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all.

Trade Secrets - Risk 2

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, we may lose a competitive advantage or incur substantial litigation costs to protect our rights.

Our future success depends upon our proprietary technology. Our protective measures, including patent and trade secret protection, may prove inadequate to protect our proprietary rights. The right to stop others from misusing our trademarks, service marks, and patents in commerce depends to some extent on our ability to show evidence of enforcement of our rights against such misuse in commerce. Our efforts to stop improper use, if insufficient, may lead to loss of trademark and service mark rights, brand loyalty, and notoriety among our customers and prospective customers. The scope of any patent that we have or may obtain may not prevent others from developing and selling competing products. The validity and breadth of claims covered in technology patents involve complex legal and factual questions, and the resolution of such claims may be highly uncertain, and expensive. In addition, our patents may be held invalid upon challenge, or others may claim rights in or ownership of our patents.

Cyber Security1 | 2.6%

Cyber Security - Risk 1

Breaches of our information systems could adversely affect our reputation, disrupt our operations, and result in increased costs and loss of sales.

There have been an increasing number of cybersecurity incidents affecting companies around the world, which have caused operational failures or compromised sensitive corporate data. Although we do not believe that our systems are at a greater risk of cybersecurity incidents than other similar organizations, any such cybersecurity incidents may result in the loss or compromise of customer, financial, or operational data, disruption of billing, collections, or normal operating activities, disruption of electronic monitoring and control of operational systems, and delays in financial reporting and other management functions. Although we have integrated a variety of processes, technologies, and controls to assist in our efforts to assess, identify, and manage material cybersecurity-related risks, these efforts are not exhaustive, and our efforts may not be adequate to prevent or detect service interruption, system failure, data loss or theft, or other material adverse consequences, directly or through our vendors. Additionally, these measures have not always been in the past, and in the future may not be, sufficient to prevent or detect a cyberattack, system failure, or security breach particularly given the increasingly sophisticated tools and methods used by hackers, state actors, organized cyber criminals, and cyber terrorists. Possible impacts associated with a cybersecurity incident may include, among others, remediation costs related to lost, stolen, or compromised data, repairs to data processing systems, increased cybersecurity protection costs, reputational damage, and adverse effects on our compliance with applicable privacy and other laws and regulations. If we experience, or are perceived to experience, security breaches that result in Marketplace performance or availability problems or the loss, compromise or unauthorized disclosure of personal data or other sensitive information, or if we fail to respond appropriately to any security breaches that we may experience, or are perceived to do so, people may become unwilling to provide us the information necessary to set up an account with us to become a new seller or buyer. Existing sellers and buyers may also stop listing new items for sale on the Marketplace, decrease their purchases, or close their accounts altogether. We could also face damage to our reputation, potential liability, regulatory investigations in multiple jurisdictions, and costly remediation efforts and litigation, which may not be adequately covered by, and which may impact our future access to, insurance. Any of these results could harm our growth prospects, our business, and our reputation for maintaining a trusted Marketplace. In addition, the costs and effort to respond to a security breach and/or to mitigate any security vulnerabilities that may be identified could be significant, our efforts to address these problems may not be successful, and these problems could result in unexpected interruptions, delays, cessation of service, negative publicity, negative seller or buyer sentiment, and other harm to our business and our competitive position. We could be required to fundamentally change our business activities and practices in response to a security breach or related regulatory actions or litigation, which would have an adverse effect on our business.

Technology2 | 5.3%

Technology - Risk 1

Generative artificial intelligence may have a significant impact on our business.

We expect generative artificial intelligence ("Gen AI") to have a significant impact on the future of e-commerce, as artificial intelligence technologies become increasingly important for consumers buying and selling goods online. If we are unable to identify appropriate Gen AI providers and artificial intelligence technologies, or if we fail to utilize those technologies or develop our own technologies, our business may be harmed. For example, consumers may increasingly search for products using chatbots, virtual assistants or other Gen AI technologies powered by large language models instead of using traditional search engines. If current and future artificial intelligence technologies do not send referrals to GunBroker at the rate of traditional search engines for any reason, the amount of buyer and seller traffic using our platform could decrease, which could negatively impact on our business and results of operations.

Technology - Risk 2

A failure of our information technology systems, or an interruption in their operation due to internal or external factors including cyberattacks, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our operations depend on our ability to protect our information systems, computer equipment, and information databases from systems failures. We rely on our information technology systems generally to manage the day-to-day operations of our business, operate the Marketplace, manage relationships with our customers, facilitate customer orders, and maintain our financial and accounting records. Failure of our information technology systems could be caused by internal or external events, such as incursions by intruders or hackers, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, break-ins, intentional or accidental actions or inaction by employees or others with authorized access to our networks, failures in hardware or software, or power or telecommunication fluctuations or failures. Our information technology systems rely on internal technology, along with cloud services and software provided by our third-party service providers. In the event of a cyber-related incident or other service disruption, even partial unavailability of our systems could impair our ability to serve our customers, manage transactions, or operate the Marketplace. We have implemented disaster recovery mechanisms, including systems to back up key data and production systems, but these systems may be inadequate or incomplete. For example, these disaster recovery systems may be susceptible to cyber-related events if insufficiently separated from primary systems, not comprehensive, or not at a scale sufficient to replace our primary systems. Insufficient production and disaster recovery systems could, in the event of a cyber-related incident, harm our growth prospects, our business, and our reputation for maintaining a trusted marketplace. We rely on third-party service providers to perform services, including, credit card processing, payment disbursements, identity verification, and fraud analysis and detection. As a result, we are subject to a number of risks related to our dependence on third- party service providers. If any or some of these service providers fail to perform adequately or if any such service provider were to terminate or modify its relationship with us unexpectedly, our sellers' ability to use the Marketplace to receive orders or payments could be adversely affected, which could increase our costs, drive sellers away from our marketplaces, result in potential legal liability, and harm our business. In addition, we and our third-party service providers may experience service outages from time to time that could adversely impact payments made on our platform. Additionally, any unexpected termination or modification of those third-party services could lead to a lapse in the effectiveness of certain fraud prevention and detection tools. Our third-party service providers may increase the fees they charge us in the future, which would increase our operating expenses. This could, in turn, require us to increase the fees we charge and cause some buyers or sellers to reduce purchases or listings on the Marketplace or to leave our platform altogether by closing their accounts. We also rely on the security practices of our third-party service providers, which may be outside of our direct control. Our third-party service providers may not have adequate security and privacy controls, may not properly exercise their compliance, regulatory or notification requirements, including as to personal data, or may not have the resources to properly respond to an incident. The failure of our or our third-party service providers' information technology systems to perform as anticipated for any reason or any significant breach of security could disrupt our business and result in numerous adverse consequences, including reduced effectiveness and efficiency of operations, increased costs, or loss of important information, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition. Any technology and information security processes and disaster recovery plans we use to mitigate our risk to these vulnerabilities may not be adequate to ensure that our operations will not be disrupted should such an event occur.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 5/38 (13%)Above Sector Average

Competition1 | 2.6%

Competition - Risk 1

Substantial competition may harm our business.

We operate in a highly competitive and evolving market for firearms, shooting sports, and outdoor gear. Our competitors, some of which are well-established brands with greater resources and larger customer bases than our own, provide similar products to consumers and span across multiple channels and business models. We currently and potentially compete with a wide variety of peer-to-peer marketplaces, e-commerce-enabled dealers, manufacturers with direct-to-consumer capabilities, online auction platforms from traditional firearms auction houses, big box retailers and brick and mortar stores. We compete as a two-sided, peer-to-peer marketplace, and we must attract both buyers and sellers to use our platform. Consumers who purchase products through us have many alternatives, and we face increased competitive pressure online and offline. Competitors with an e-commerce presence may increase the expected level of e-commerce service in a variety of aspects such as improved user experience, greater ease of buying goods, lower (or no) shipping costs, faster shipping times and more favorable return policies. Manufacturers with direct-to-consumer capabilities, such as Palmetto State Armory, Ammunition Depot, Vista Outdoors, and Freedom Munitions, have the ability to bypass intermediaries, manage pricing directly, and retain higher margins. We may not be able to successfully expand our e-commerce business to respond to shifting consumer traffic patterns and direct-to-consumer buying trends. In addition, we compete with brick and mortar and big box retailers that provide alternatives to e-commerce. As e-commerce evolves, offline retailers such as Sportsman's Warehouse, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, and Academy Sports have the ability to attract our customers through incentives such as in-store pick up and no FFL transfer fees. Competitors with other revenue sources or greater resources may also be able to devote more resources to marketing and promotional campaigns and buyer acquisition, adopt more aggressive pricing policies and devote more resources to website, mobile platforms and applications and systems development than we can. Other competitors may find ways to offer faster and/or free shipping, same-day delivery, more favorable return policies and other superior transaction-related services that improve the user experience on their sites, which could be impractical or inefficient for our sellers to match. We face competitive pressure to offer promotional discounts, which could impact our gross margin and increase our marketing expenses or overhead. We are limited, however, in our ability to fully respond to competitor price discounting because we cannot market our products at prices that may produce adverse relationships with our customers that operate brick and mortar locations as they may perceive themselves to be at a disadvantage based on lower e-commerce pricing to end consumers. We may not be able to compete effectively with and adapt to changes made by our competitors, and our business, financial performance and ability to attract and retain an active and engaged community of buyers and sellers could suffer.

Demand1 | 2.6%

Demand - Risk 1

Seasonality and weather conditions may cause our operating results to vary from quarter to quarter.

Because many of our products are used for seasonal outdoor sporting activities, our operating results may be significantly impacted by unseasonable weather conditions. Accordingly, our operating results could suffer when weather patterns do not conform to seasonal norms. Shipments of firearms and ammunition for hunting are highest during the months of June through September to meet consumer demand for the fall hunting season and holidays. The seasonality of our sales may change in the future. Seasonal variations in our operating results may reduce our cash on hand, increase our inventory levels, and extend our accounts receivable collection periods. This in turn may cause us to increase our debt levels and interest expense to fund our working capital requirements.

Sales & Marketing3 | 7.9%

Sales & Marketing - Risk 1

We expect to incur substantial costs in connection with remediation efforts following the restatement, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

We are undertaking significant efforts to remediate material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and to enhance our disclosure controls and procedures. These efforts have required and will continue to require significant management time and financial resources. We expect to incur substantial costs in connection with these remediation activities, including consulting fees, audit and professional service fees, and upgrades to our financial reporting systems and controls. These additional expenses could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 2

Our business, financial performance, and growth depends on our ability to attract and retain an active and engaged community of buyers and sellers on our e-commerce platform.

Our financial performance has been and will continue to be significantly determined by our success in attracting and retaining active buyers and active sellers on the GunBroker Marketplace. Our ability to attract and retain buyers and sellers is impacted by a variety of factors, including customer experience, platform usability and brand perception, as well as external influences such as the political environment, regulation and economic conditions. If buyers do not find our platform appealing, for example, because of a negative experience, inadequate customer service, dissatisfaction with FFL transfer fees or marketplace fees, lack of buyer-friendly features, lack of desirable product listings, lack of product listing variety, lack of competitive shipping charges, delayed shipping times, or other factors, they may make fewer purchases and they may not refer others to us. Likewise, if sellers are dissatisfied with their experience on our platform, or feel they have more attractive alternatives, they may stop listing items in our Marketplace and using our services and may stop referring others to us, which could negatively impact our financial performance. Additionally, our brand and reputation are critical to our success, as they influence our ability to attract and retain buyers and sellers. A perception that our levels of responsiveness and support for our buyers and sellers are inadequate could damage our reputation and reduce our sellers' willingness to sell and buyers' willingness to shop on our Marketplace. Although we are focused on enhancing customer service, our efforts may be unsuccessful, and our buyers and sellers may be disappointed in their experience and not return. In addition, GunBroker's revenue is concentrated in our most active buyers and sellers. If we lose a significant number of buyers or sellers, or our buyers or sellers do not maintain their level of activity for any reason, our financial performance would be harmed. Even if we are able to attract new buyers and sellers to replace the ones that we may lose, we may not be able to do so at comparable levels, they may not maintain the same level of activity, and the revenue generated from new buyers and sellers may not be as high as the revenue generated from the ones who leave, or reduce their activity level on our Marketplace. If we are unable to attract and retain buyers and sellers, or our buyers or sellers do not maintain their level of activity, our business and financial performance could be harmed. Furthermore, the demand for the products listed in our Marketplace is dependent on consumer preferences and available discretionary spending, which can and do change quickly. A shift in consumer interests away from outdoor sports, hunting, sport shooting or firearms could also make it more difficult to attract new buyers and sellers. Under any of these circumstances, we may have difficulty attracting new buyers and sellers without incurring additional expense. In addition, a change in applicable federal or state law and restrictions that prohibits GunBroker from providing its facilitative auction platform services would have a direct substantial financial impact on our operations that would cause an adverse effect on the continuity of our operations.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 3

Operations and continued development of our payments system and financial services offerings require ongoing investment, are subject to evolving laws, regulations, rules, and standards, and involve risk, including risks related to our dependence on third-party providers.

We have invested and plan to continue to invest internal resources into our payments tools in order to maintain existing availability, expand into additional markets and offer new payment methods and other types of financial services to our buyers and sellers. If we fail to invest adequate resources into payments on our platform, or if our investment efforts are unsuccessful, unreliable or result in system failure, our payments and financial services may not function properly or keep pace with competitive offerings, which could negatively impact their usage and our platform. Future errors, failures or outages could cause our buyers and sellers to lose confidence in our payments system and could cause them to cease using our Marketplace. If we transition to new third-party payment service providers for any reason, we may be required to invest significant financial and personnel resources to support such transition or could be unable to find a suitable replacement service provider. As we offer new payment methods and financial services to our sellers and buyers, we are now subject to additional regulations and compliance requirements, and exposed to heightened fraud and regulatory risk, which could lead to an increase in our operating expenses. Payments and other financial services are governed by complex and continuously evolving laws and regulations that are subject to change and vary across different jurisdictions in the United States. As a result, we are required to spend significant time and effort to determine whether various licensing and registration laws as well as privacy and secrecy laws relating to payments and other financial services we offer apply to us and to comply with applicable laws and licensing and registration regulations. In addition, we may be unable to obtain or retain any necessary licenses or registrations. Any failure or claim of failure by us or our third-party service providers to comply with applicable laws and regulations relating to payments or financial services could require us to expend significant resources, result in liability, limit or preclude our ability to enter or continue to operate in certain markets and harm our reputation. In addition, changes in payment regulations, or other financial regulation, including changes to the credit or debit card interchange rates, could adversely affect payments on our platform and make our payments systems less profitable. Further, we are indirectly subject to payment card association operating rules and certification requirements pursuant to agreements with our third-party payment processors. These rules and requirements, including the PCI DSS and rules governing electronic funds transfers, are subject to change or reinterpretation, making it difficult for us to comply. Any failure to comply with these rules and certification requirements could impact our ability to meet our contractual obligations to our third-party payment processors and could result in potential fines. In addition, changes in these rules and requirements, including any change in our designation by major payment card providers, could require a change in our business operations and could result in limitations on or loss of our ability to accept payment cards or other forms of payment, any of which could negatively impact our business. Such changes could also increase our costs of compliance, which could lead to increased fees for us or our sellers and adversely affect payments on our platform or usage of our payments services and platform. Our third-party payments system may be susceptible to illegal uses, including money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud and payments to sanctioned parties. If our compliance program and internal controls to limit such illegal activity are ineffective, government authorities could bring legal action against us or our third-party payments system provider or otherwise suspend our ability to offer payments or financial services.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 2/38 (5%)Below Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment1 | 2.6%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

Our performance is influenced by a variety of economic, social, and political factors.

Our performance is influenced by a variety of economic, social, and political factors. In times of economic uncertainty, consumers tend to defer expenditures for discretionary items, which affects demand for our products. Economic conditions also affect governmental political and budgetary policies. As a result, economic conditions also can have an adverse effect on the sale of our products to law enforcement, government, and military customers. Political and other factors also can adversely affect our performance. Concerns about presidential, congressional, and state elections and legislature and policy shifts resulting from those elections can adversely affect the demand for our products. In addition, uncertainty surrounding the control of firearms and firearm products at the federal, state, and local level and heightened fears of terrorism and crime can adversely affect consumer demand for our services. Often, such concerns result in an increase in near-term consumer demand and subsequent softening of demand when such concerns subside. In addition, federal and state legislatures frequently consider legislation relating to the regulation of firearms, including amendment or repeal of existing legislation. Existing laws may also be affected by future judicial rulings and interpretations. If restrictive changes to legislation develop, we could find it difficult, expensive, or even impossible to comply with such changes, impeding new product development and distribution of existing products. The health of the global economy, the credit markets and the financial services industry, in particular, as well as the stability of the social fabric of our society, affects our business and operating results. If the credit markets are not favorable, we may be unable to raise additional financing when needed or on favorable terms. Our customers may experience financial difficulties or be unable to borrow money to fund their operations, which may adversely impact their ability to purchase our products or to pay for our products on a timely basis, if at all.

Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 2.6%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

War, terrorism, other acts of violence, or natural, or manmade disasters, may affect the markets in which the Company operates, the Company's customers, and the Company's customer service, and could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, or financial condition.

The Company's business could be adversely affected by instability, disruption or destruction in a geographic region in which it operates, regardless of cause, including war, terrorism, riot, civil insurrection or social unrest, and natural or manmade disasters, including famine, food, fire, earthquake, storm or pandemic events, and spread of disease. Such events may cause customers to suspend their decisions on using the Company's services and give rise to sudden significant changes in regional and global economic conditions and cycles that could interfere with purchases of goods or services on our Marketplace and commitments to develop new products and services. These events also pose significant risks to the Company's personnel and to physical facilities, transportation and operations, which could materially adversely affect the Company's financial results.

Production

Total Risks: 1/38 (3%)Below Sector Average

Costs1 | 2.6%

Costs - Risk 1

Changes to our policies to protect buyers and sellers could increase our costs and loss rate, and failure to manage such programs effectively can result in harm to our reputation.

We maintain policies intended to compensate users who believe that they have not received the item that they purchased or have received an item different from what was described. We expect to continue to receive communications from users requesting reimbursement or threatening or commencing legal action against us if no reimbursement is made. Litigation, legislation, or regulation involving liability for any seller fraud or non-performance could result in increased costs of doing business, lead to adverse judgments or settlements or otherwise harm our business. In addition, affected users may complain to regulatory agencies that could take action against us, including imposing fines or seeking injunctions.

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.

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