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QDM International (QDMI) Risk Analysis

Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning. QDM International disclosed 44 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. QDM International reported the most risks in the “Legal & Regulatory” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2025

Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Sep 30, 2025, filed Nov 14, 2025

Risk Distribution
44Risks
Sector Avg.Finance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

Risk Change Over Time

QDM International disclosed risks per quarterNo. of Risks39404142434445Q12024Q12025Q3Showing: Q3, 2025
Risks removedRisks addedRisks changedQDM International Risk Factors
  • Regulation - Risk 1
    If we fail to comply with Hong Kong regulations on referral arrangements and benchmark referral fees, we may be subject to regulatory sanctions, including suspension or revocation of our insurance broker license, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

    We rely on referrals as an important source of new clients, including visitors from Mainland China. As a licensed insurance broker company in Hong Kong, we are subject to the Insurance Ordinance (Cap. 41) and the supervision of the Insurance Authority (the "IA"), including its requirements on the use of referrers and on cross-border business. Under Hong Kong law and IA guidance, only licensed insurance intermediaries may carry on regulated activities such as advising on and arranging insurance policies. Business models that, in substance, shift selling or advisory activities to unlicensed persons or incentivize unlicensed selling are prohibited. On May 22, 2024, the IA issued a circular addressing non-compliant business models that incentivize unlicensed selling of long-term insurance policies to Mainland China visitors. The IA indicated that it will not tolerate licensed insurance intermediaries who rely on or have arrangements with unlicensed persons to conduct regulated activities for them. These business models have features including engaging unlicensed persons to source Mainland China clients, paying inordinately high, sales-contingent referral fees that absorb most of the commission, received by the licensed broker for selling the insurance policy, referrers paying prohibited rebates to clients to induce them to buy long-term insurance policies, licensed technical representatives who, due to insufficient time or resources, are unable to perform their responsibilities beyond a superficial form-filling exercise, effectively reducing their role to that of a "rubber stamp" and requiring or encouraging clients to provide inaccurate statements about who performed the regulated activities and where they took place. The IA expects licensed broker companies that rely on referrers to ensure that any referral model is consistent with the relevant principles and that all regulated activities are performed by licensed personnel. On September 1, 2025, the IA issued a further circular on referral fees in respect of certain participating policies. With effect from October 1, 2025, the IA adopted 50% of the total commission or other remuneration receivable by a licensed insurance broker company from an authorized insurer for introducing, arranging and servicing a participating policy as a benchmark for referral fees (the "Benchmark") paid by licensed insurance broker companies to referrers. Licensed insurance brokers that pay referral fees above the Benchmark are expected to provide enhanced disclosures and explanations, and will be subject to on-site inspections, and off-site reviews of their corporate governance and internal controls to inform the license renewal process. The IA will also evaluate the strength of the intermediary management oversight exercised by the authorized insurers in working with licensed insurance broker companies to ensure that the Benchmark has been taken into account during their due diligence process. Historically, including in the quarter ended September 30, 2025, we paid referral fees to certain referrers at rates exceeding 50% of the commissions or other remuneration we received in respect of underlying policies. We intend to lower referral fees paid to referrers to levels not exceeding the Benchmark with effect from October 1, 2025 and to strengthen our internal controls to ensure that all regulated activities are performed by our licensed technical representatives. We cannot assure you, however, that our past referral practices, including the payment of referral fees above the Benchmark and referral business involving Mainland China visitors, will not be subject to review, investigation or enforcement action by the IA, or that the IA will not take the view that aspects of our referral model have incentivized or facilitated unlicensed selling or otherwise failed to meet its expectations. If the IA determines that we have not complied with applicable laws, regulations or regulatory guidance relating to referral arrangements, the Benchmark or our internal controls and governance over referral business, it may require remedial measures or changes to our business model, issue public sanctions or impose pecuniary penalties, impose conditions or restrictions on our license, or suspend or revoke our insurance broker license, and may also take action against our responsible officers, senior management or licensed technical representatives. Any such action could result in significant legal and compliance costs, diversion of management attention, damage to our reputation with clients, referrers and insurers, and the termination or reduction of distribution relationships with authorized insurers. In the most serious case, suspension or revocation of our insurance broker license would prevent us from continuing to operate as a licensed insurance broker company in Hong Kong. In addition, any person who, without reasonable excuse, carries on regulated activities without the requisite license commits a criminal offence and is subject to criminal liability, including fines and imprisonment. In addition, our efforts to reduce referral fees and adjust our referral arrangements in order to comply with IA expectations may adversely affect the motivation and behavior of our referrers. Referrers may be less willing to refer clients to us, may divert business to competitors that offer more attractive economic arrangements (to the extent permitted) or may seek to renegotiate existing arrangements on terms that are less favorable to us. We may need to commit additional resources to developing alternative distribution channels, which may be costly and may not fully offset any loss of referral-based business. As a result, our revenue and profitability from referral-generated business, particularly business involving Mainland China visitors, could decline. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Risk Highlights Q3, 2025

Main Risk Category
Legal & Regulatory
With 17 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
44
+1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 32
Recent Changes
1Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Sep 2025
Number of Risk Changed
0
-6
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 1

Risk Word Cloud

shares of our common stock that have not been registered under federal securities laws are subject to resale restrictions imposed by rule 144, including those set forth in rule 144(i) which apply to a former "shell company."subject to resale restrictions imposedthe hfca act and the related regulations continue to evolve. further implementations and interpretations of or amendments to the hfca act or the related regulations, or a pcaob determination of its lack of sufficient access to inspect our auditor, might pose regulatory risks to and impose restrictions on us.related regulations continue to evolveit may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within china.overseas regulators to conduct investigationsour controlling shareholder may exercise significant influence over us and may be subject to conflicts of interest.subject to conflicts of interestthe enactment of the law of the prc on safeguarding national security in the hong kong special administrative region (the "hong kong national security law") could impact our hong kong operating subsidiary.hong kong special administrative regioncompliance with changing regulation of corporate governance and public disclosure as a public company in the u.s., and our management's limited experiences with such regulations, may result in additional expenses and create an increased risk of non-compliance.changing regulation of corporate governanceour hong kong subsidiaries may be subject to restrictions on paying dividends or making other payments to us, which may restrict its ability to satisfy liquidity requirements, conduct business and pay dividends to holders of our common stock. dividends payable to our foreign investors and gains on the sale of our shares of common stock by our foreign investors may become subject to tax by the prc.ability to satisfy liquidity requirementsour business is subject to concentration risks arising from dependence on a single or limited number of insurance company partners.subject to concentration risks arisingwe may face potential liability, loss of customers and damage to our reputation for any failure to protect the confidential information of our customers.confidential information of our customersour hong kong subsidiaries may be subject to restrictions on paying dividends or making other payments to us, which may restrict its ability to satisfy liquidity requirements, conduct business and pay dividends to holders of our common stock. dividends payable to our foreign investors and gains on the sale of our shares of common stock by our foreign investors may become subject to tax by the prc.holders of our common stock

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 44

Regulation15 | 34.1%
  • Regulation - Risk 1
    Failure to comply with Hong Kong Competition Law may result in material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

    We face competition in the market due to the presence of a large number of insurance brokers and service providers. We may be subject to the Competition Ordinance, which came into force on December 14, 2015, laying down three forms of behaviors and imposing three rules intended to prevent and discourage anti-competitive conducts: (i) the first conduct rule prohibits (a) the making of agreements by any entity, regardless of its legal status or the way in which it is financed, engaged in economic activity, and includes a natural person engaged in economic activity; (b) the engagement in concerted practice by Undertakings; or (c) the making or giving effect of decisions by members of an association of Undertakings, that have the object or effect of preventing, restricting or distorting competition in Hong Kong; (ii) the second conduct rule prohibits undertakings with a substantial degree of market power in a market from abusing that power by engaging in conduct that has the object or effect of preventing, restricting or distorting competition in Hong Kong; and (iii) the merger rule prohibits Undertakings from directly or indirectly carrying out mergers that have or are likely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in Hong Kong. Currently, the merger rule only applies where an Undertaking that directly or indirectly holds or, directly or indirectly controls an Undertaking that holds a "carrier license" within the meaning of the Telecommunications Ordinance (Chapter 106 of the Laws of Hong Kong) is involved in a merger. As we are not engaged in the telecommunication industry and do not hold such carrier license, such merger rule is currently not applicable to our business. The Competition Commission is an independent statutory body in Hong Kong established under the Competition Ordinance to investigate any contravention against the competition rules and enforce the provisions of the Competition Ordinance, and the Competition Tribunal is a superior court of record set up by the Competition Ordinance, as part of the Hong Kong judiciary, to hear and decide cases relating to competition law in Hong Kong. Under the guidelines and policies published by the Competition Commission, possible outcomes of the investigation of a contravention of the Competition Ordinance may include the acceptance by the Competition Commission of a commitment given by the infringer to take any action or refrain from taking any action, the issuance of a warning notice or infringement notice, the commencement of proceedings in the Competition Tribunal, the application for a consent order, the referral of the complaint to a government agency and the conduct of a market study. The Competition Tribunal may order remedies including imposing a pecuniary penalty, making a disqualification order or other orders under the Competition Ordinance. We have not adopted any anti-competitive conduct described in the Competition Ordinance and will continue to act in compliance with the Competition Ordinance. However, there may be uncertainties on the full effect of the rules in respect of compliance, infringement, and its effect on our business in particular when tendering is involved in securing contracts. We may face difficulties and may need to incur legal costs in ensuring our compliance with the rules. If we face any complaints of infringement of the Competition Ordinance, we may incur substantial legal costs and may result in business disruption and/or negative media coverage, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and reputation.

  • Regulation - Risk 2
    The enactment of the Law of the PRC on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the "Hong Kong National Security Law") could impact our Hong Kong operating subsidiary.

    On June 30, 2020, the Standing Committee of the PRC National People's Congress passed the Hong Kong National Security Law. Hong Kong's chief executive promulgated it in Hong Kong later the same day. This law defines the duties and government bodies of the Hong Kong for safeguarding national security and four categories of offences - secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security - and their corresponding penalties. On July 14, 2020, the former U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, or HKAA, into law, authorizing the U.S. administration to impose blocking sanctions against individuals and entities who are determined to have materially contributed to the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy. The HKAA further authorizes secondary sanctions, including the imposition of blocking sanctions, against foreign financial institutions that knowingly conduct a significant transaction with foreign persons sanctioned under this authority. The imposition of sanctions may directly affect the foreign financial institutions as well as any third parties or customers dealing with any foreign financial institution that is targeted. It is difficult to predict the full impact of the Hong Kong National Security Law and HKAA on Hong Kong and companies located in Hong Kong. If our Hong Kong operating subsidiary is determined to be in violation of the Hong Kong National Security Law or the HKAA by competent authorities, the business operations, our financial position and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

  • Regulation - Risk 3
    The HFCA Act and the related regulations continue to evolve. Further implementations and interpretations of or amendments to the HFCA Act or the related regulations, or a PCAOB determination of its lack of sufficient access to inspect our auditor, might pose regulatory risks to and impose restrictions on us.

    On December 18, 2020, the HFCA Act was signed into law. The HFCA Act has since then been subject to amendments by the U.S. Congress and interpretations and rulemaking by the SEC. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the "AHFCAA"), which proposes to reduce the period of time for foreign companies to comply with PCAOB audits from three to two consecutive years, thus reducing the time period before the securities of such foreign companies may be prohibited from trading or delisted. On December 16, 2021, PCAOB announced the PCAOB HFCA Act determinations relating to the PCAOB's inability to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in mainland China or Hong Kong. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China made it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of these accounting firms' audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause existing and potential investors in issuers operating in China to lose confidence in such issuers' procedures and reported financial information and the quality of financial statements. Our auditor, ZH CPA, LLC, an U.S. based independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this Report, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess our auditor's compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis with the latest inspection in 2025. As of the date of this Report, our auditor is not among the firms listed on the PCAOB Determination List issued in December 2021. On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB announced and signed a Statement of Protocol (the "Protocol") with the CSRC and the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China (together, the "PRC Authorities"). The Protocol provides the PCAOB with: (1) sole discretion to select the firms, audit engagements and potential violations it inspects and investigates, without any involvement of Chinese authorities; (2) procedures for PCAOB inspectors and investigators to view complete audit work papers with all information included and for the PCAOB to retain information as needed; (3) direct access to interview and take testimony from all personnel associated with the audits the PCAOB inspects or investigates. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced in its 2022 HFCA Act Determination Report (the "2022 Report") its determination that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate audit firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong in 2022, and the PCAOB Board voted to vacate previous determinations to the contrary. According to the 2022 Report, this determination was reached after the PCAOB had thoroughly tested compliance with every aspect of the Protocol necessary to determine complete access, including on-site inspections and investigations in a manner fully consistent with the PCAOB's methodology and approach in the U.S. and globally. According to the 2022 Report, the PRC authorities had fully assisted and cooperated with the PCAOB in carrying out the inspections and investigations according to the Protocol, and have agreed to continue to assist the PCAOB's investigations and inspections in the future. The PCAOB may reassess its determinations and issue new determinations consistent with the HFCA Act at any time. On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 was signed into law, which, among others, amended the HFCA Act to reduce the number of consecutive years an issuer can be identified a Commission-Identified Issuer before the SEC must impose an initial trading prohibition on the issuer's securities from three years to two. Further developments related to the HFCA Act could add uncertainties to our offering. We cannot assure you what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or the stock exchanges will take to address these issues and what impact such actions will have on U.S. companies that have significant operations in the PRC and have securities listed on a U.S. stock exchange (including a national securities exchange or over-the-counter stock market). Furthermore, any additional actions, proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create uncertainty for investors, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we and our auditor are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement. Such a delisting would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock when you wish to do so, and would have a negative impact on the price of our common stock.

  • Regulation - Risk 4
    The PRC government exerts substantial influence and discretion over the manner in which companies incorporated in mainland China must conduct their business activities. We are a Hong Kong-based company with no operations in mainland China. There is a risk that the PRC government may intervene or influence our operations at any time, or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in Hong Kong or mainland China-based issuers. Any such action of the PRC government could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause our securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless.

    We have no operation in mainland China. We primarily operate in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China. In addition, YeeTah does not sell any insurance products in mainland China or solicit any customer in mainland China, and is not regulated by any insurance regulator in mainland China. However, we may be subject to such direct influence or discretion in the future due to changes in laws or other unforeseeable reasons or as a result of our expansion or acquisition of operations in mainland China. The PRC legal system is evolving rapidly and the PRC laws, regulations, and rules may change quickly with short notice. In particular, because these laws, rules and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited number of published decisions and the non-precedential nature of these decisions, the interpretation of these laws, rules and regulations may contain inconsistences, the enforcement of which involves uncertainties. The PRC government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over many sectors of the economy of mainland China through regulation and/or state ownership. The PRC government actions have had, and may continue to have, a significant effect on economic conditions in mainland China and businesses which are subject to such government actions. We may become subject to the PRC government's significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business, and the government may intervene or influence our operations at any time as the government deems appropriate. The PRC government has published new policies that significantly affected certain industries in mainland China, such as the education and internet industries, and we cannot rule out the possibility that it will in the future release regulations or policies extending the oversight and regulation to certain business and industries in Hong Kong, including our industry, that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, the PRC government has recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over securities offerings and other capital markets activities that are conducted overseas and foreign investment in mainland China-based companies. If such action is extended to cover companies in Hong Kong, like ours, such actions could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless. We may become subject to the direct intervention or influence of the PRC government at any time due to changes in laws or other unforeseeable reasons or as a result of our development, expansion or acquisition of operations in the PRC, or due to the expansion of the PRC government's oversight onto our industry in Hong Kong, and it may require a material change in our operations and/or result in increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. In addition, the market prices of our common stock could be adversely affected as a result of anticipated negative impacts of any such government actions, as well as negative investor sentiment towards Hong Kong-based companies subject to direct PRC government oversight and regulation, regardless of our actual operating performance. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government would not intervene in or influence our operations at any time. In the opinion of our PRC counsel, we are not currently required to obtain permission from the PRC government for the trading of our common stock on the OTCQB; however, there is no guarantee that this will continue to be the case in the future, or even when such permission is obtained, it will not be subsequently denied or rescinded. Any actions by the PRC government to exert more oversight and control over offerings (including businesses whose primary operations are in Hong Kong) that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investments in Hong Kong-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless. We are aware that the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in mainland China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over mainland China-based companies listed overseas using variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Our PRC counsel has advised us that we are not subject to cybersecurity review with the CAC, given that: (i) we do not possess a large amount of personal information in our business operations; and (ii) data processed in our business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities. In addition, our PRC counsel has advised us that we are not subject to merger control review by the anti-monopoly enforcement agency of the PRC government due to the level of our revenues which provided from us and audited by our auditor, and the fact that we currently do not expect to propose or implement any acquisition of control of, or decisive influence over, any company with revenues within mainland China of more than RMB800 million. Currently, these statements and regulatory actions have had no impact on our daily business operation, the ability to accept foreign investments and list our securities on an U.S. or other foreign exchange. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on our daily business operation, the ability to accept foreign investments and list our securities on an U.S. or other foreign exchange. See "Item 1. Business – Regulatory Permissions and Developments" on page 4.

  • Regulation - Risk 5
    Our business, financial condition and results of operations, and/or the value of our common stock or our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors may be materially and adversely affected to the extent the laws and regulations of mainland China become applicable to a company such as us.

    We currently have no operations in mainland China. YeeTah does not sell any insurance products in mainland China or solicit customers or collect, store or process any personal data of any customer in mainland China, and is not regulated by any insurance regulator in mainland China. As a result, the laws and regulations of the PRC do not currently have any material impact on YeeTah's business, financial condition and results of operations. However, as we operate in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, there is no guarantee that if certain existing or future laws of mainland China become applicable to a company such as us, it will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations and/or our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, any of which may cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. Except for the Basic Law, national laws of the PRC do not apply in Hong Kong unless they are listed in Annex III of the Basic Law and applied locally by promulgation or local legislation. National laws that may be listed in Annex III are currently limited under the Basic Law to those which fall within the scope of defense and foreign affairs as well as other matters outside the limits of the autonomy of Hong Kong. National laws and regulations relating to data protection, cybersecurity and the anti-monopoly have not been listed in Annex III and do not apply directly to Hong Kong. The laws and regulations in the PRC are evolving, and their enactment timetable, interpretation and implementation involve significant uncertainties. To the extent any mainland China laws and regulations become applicable to us, we may be subject to the risks and uncertainties associated with the legal system in the PRC, including with respect to the enforcement of laws and the possibility of changes of rules and regulations with little or no advance notice. We may also become subject to the laws and regulations of mainland China to the extent we commence business and customer facing operations in mainland China as a result of any future acquisition, expansion or organic growth.

  • Regulation - Risk 6Added
    If we fail to comply with Hong Kong regulations on referral arrangements and benchmark referral fees, we may be subject to regulatory sanctions, including suspension or revocation of our insurance broker license, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

    We rely on referrals as an important source of new clients, including visitors from Mainland China. As a licensed insurance broker company in Hong Kong, we are subject to the Insurance Ordinance (Cap. 41) and the supervision of the Insurance Authority (the "IA"), including its requirements on the use of referrers and on cross-border business. Under Hong Kong law and IA guidance, only licensed insurance intermediaries may carry on regulated activities such as advising on and arranging insurance policies. Business models that, in substance, shift selling or advisory activities to unlicensed persons or incentivize unlicensed selling are prohibited. On May 22, 2024, the IA issued a circular addressing non-compliant business models that incentivize unlicensed selling of long-term insurance policies to Mainland China visitors. The IA indicated that it will not tolerate licensed insurance intermediaries who rely on or have arrangements with unlicensed persons to conduct regulated activities for them. These business models have features including engaging unlicensed persons to source Mainland China clients, paying inordinately high, sales-contingent referral fees that absorb most of the commission, received by the licensed broker for selling the insurance policy, referrers paying prohibited rebates to clients to induce them to buy long-term insurance policies, licensed technical representatives who, due to insufficient time or resources, are unable to perform their responsibilities beyond a superficial form-filling exercise, effectively reducing their role to that of a "rubber stamp" and requiring or encouraging clients to provide inaccurate statements about who performed the regulated activities and where they took place. The IA expects licensed broker companies that rely on referrers to ensure that any referral model is consistent with the relevant principles and that all regulated activities are performed by licensed personnel. On September 1, 2025, the IA issued a further circular on referral fees in respect of certain participating policies. With effect from October 1, 2025, the IA adopted 50% of the total commission or other remuneration receivable by a licensed insurance broker company from an authorized insurer for introducing, arranging and servicing a participating policy as a benchmark for referral fees (the "Benchmark") paid by licensed insurance broker companies to referrers. Licensed insurance brokers that pay referral fees above the Benchmark are expected to provide enhanced disclosures and explanations, and will be subject to on-site inspections, and off-site reviews of their corporate governance and internal controls to inform the license renewal process. The IA will also evaluate the strength of the intermediary management oversight exercised by the authorized insurers in working with licensed insurance broker companies to ensure that the Benchmark has been taken into account during their due diligence process. Historically, including in the quarter ended September 30, 2025, we paid referral fees to certain referrers at rates exceeding 50% of the commissions or other remuneration we received in respect of underlying policies. We intend to lower referral fees paid to referrers to levels not exceeding the Benchmark with effect from October 1, 2025 and to strengthen our internal controls to ensure that all regulated activities are performed by our licensed technical representatives. We cannot assure you, however, that our past referral practices, including the payment of referral fees above the Benchmark and referral business involving Mainland China visitors, will not be subject to review, investigation or enforcement action by the IA, or that the IA will not take the view that aspects of our referral model have incentivized or facilitated unlicensed selling or otherwise failed to meet its expectations. If the IA determines that we have not complied with applicable laws, regulations or regulatory guidance relating to referral arrangements, the Benchmark or our internal controls and governance over referral business, it may require remedial measures or changes to our business model, issue public sanctions or impose pecuniary penalties, impose conditions or restrictions on our license, or suspend or revoke our insurance broker license, and may also take action against our responsible officers, senior management or licensed technical representatives. Any such action could result in significant legal and compliance costs, diversion of management attention, damage to our reputation with clients, referrers and insurers, and the termination or reduction of distribution relationships with authorized insurers. In the most serious case, suspension or revocation of our insurance broker license would prevent us from continuing to operate as a licensed insurance broker company in Hong Kong. In addition, any person who, without reasonable excuse, carries on regulated activities without the requisite license commits a criminal offence and is subject to criminal liability, including fines and imprisonment. In addition, our efforts to reduce referral fees and adjust our referral arrangements in order to comply with IA expectations may adversely affect the motivation and behavior of our referrers. Referrers may be less willing to refer clients to us, may divert business to competitors that offer more attractive economic arrangements (to the extent permitted) or may seek to renegotiate existing arrangements on terms that are less favorable to us. We may need to commit additional resources to developing alternative distribution channels, which may be costly and may not fully offset any loss of referral-based business. As a result, our revenue and profitability from referral-generated business, particularly business involving Mainland China visitors, could decline. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

  • Regulation - Risk 7
    Our Hong Kong subsidiaries may be subject to restrictions on paying dividends or making other payments to us, which may restrict its ability to satisfy liquidity requirements, conduct business and pay dividends to holders of our common stock. Dividends payable to our foreign investors and gains on the sale of our shares of common stock by our foreign investors may become subject to tax by the PRC.

    QDM is a holding company incorporated in Florida with its operating subsidiary located in Hong Kong. Accordingly, most of our cash is maintained in Hong Kong Dollars. We conduct no other business and, as a result, we depend entirely upon our Hong Kong operating subsidiary's earnings and cash flow. If we decide in the future to pay dividends, as a holding company, our ability to pay dividends and meet other obligations depends upon the receipt of dividends or other payments from our Hong Kong operating subsidiary. There are currently no restrictions of transferring funds between our Florida holding company and our operating subsidiary in Hong Kong or limitations on the ability of our Hong Kong subsidiaries to issue dividends or other distributions to its overseas shareholders. However, we cannot assure you that the oversight of the PRC government will not be extended to companies operating in Hong Kong like our Hong Kong operating subsidiary. There is a possibility that the PRC government could prevent our cash maintained in Hong Kong from leaving or the PRC could restrict the deployment of the cash into our business or for the payment of dividends. Any such controls or restrictions may adversely affect our ability to finance our cash requirements, service debt or make dividend or other distributions to our shareholders and could result in a material adverse change to our business operations, our prospects, financial condition, and results of operations, and could cause our common stock to significantly decline in value or become worthless.

  • Regulation - Risk 8
    You may face significant restrictions on the resale of your shares due to state "blue sky" laws.

    Each state has its own securities laws, often called "blue sky" laws, which (i) limit sales of securities to a state's residents unless the securities are registered in that state or qualify for an exemption from registration, and (ii) govern the reporting requirements for broker-dealers doing business directly or indirectly in the state. Before a security is sold in a state, there must be a registration in place to cover the transaction, or it must be exempt from registration. The applicable broker-dealer must also be registered in that state. We do not know whether our securities will be registered or exempt from registration under the laws of any state. A determination regarding registration will be made by those broker-dealers, if any, who agree to serve as market makers for our common stock. We have not yet applied to have our securities registered in any state and will not do so until we receive expressions of interest from investors resident in specific states after they have viewed this Report. There may be significant state blue sky law restrictions on the ability of investors to sell, and on purchasers to buy, our securities. You should therefore consider the resale market for our common stock to be limited, as you may be unable to resell your shares without the significant expense of state registration or qualification.

  • Regulation - Risk 9
    FINRA sales practice requirements may also limit your ability to buy and sell our common stock, which could depress the price of our shares.

    FINRA rules require broker-dealers to have reasonable grounds for believing that an investment is suitable for a customer before recommending that investment to the customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer's financial status, tax status and investment objectives, among other things. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability such speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our shares, have an adverse effect on the market for our shares, and thereby depress our share price.

  • Regulation - Risk 10
    There may be risks and uncertainties regarding the interpretation, application, and enforcement of current and future PRC laws, rules and regulations.

    Because substantially all of our operations are based in Hong Kong, we are subject to the regulations and rules of the Hong Kong government as well as the influence of the Chinese government. The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in Hong Kong may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties. As such, the Company's business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. The Company could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. The Company may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. The Company's operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry. Given that the Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time with little to no advanced notice, it could result in a material change in our operation and the value of our common stock. Given recent statements by the Chinese government indicating an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas, any such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. Furthermore, it is uncertain when and whether the Company will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government for our current quotation on the OTCQB or any future application to have our securities list on a U.S. stock exchange, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Although the Company is currently not required to obtain permission from any PRC regulatory authorities and has not received any denial to list on the U.S. exchange, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry. As a result, our common stock may decline in value dramatically or even become worthless should we become subject to new requirement to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchange in the future. The General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Severe and Lawful Crackdown on Illegal Securities Activities, which were available to the public on July 6, 2021. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies. These opinions proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, to deal with the risks and incidents facing China-based overseas-listed companies and the demand for cybersecurity and data privacy protection. Moreover, the State Internet Information Office issued the Measures of Cybersecurity Review (Revised Draft for Comments, not yet effective) on July 10, 2021, which require operators with personal information of more than 1 million users who want to list abroad to file a cybersecurity review with the Office of Cybersecurity Review. On December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the "CAC") jointly with the relevant authorities formally published Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) which took effect on February 15, 2022, replacing the former Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2020) issued on July 10, 2021. Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) stipulates that operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services, and online platform operators (together with the operators of critical information infrastructure, the "Operators") carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, shall conduct a cybersecurity review, and any online platform operator who controls more than one million users' personal information must undergo a cybersecurity. On July 7, 2022, the CAC issued the Measures for the Security Assessment of Cross-border Transfer of Data, which stipulates that data processor who provides overseas the important data collected and generated during operations within the PRC and personal information that shall be subject to security assessment shall conduct a security assessment. Furthermore, if the data processor provides data overseas and meets one of the following circumstances, it shall declare the security assessment: (i) where a data processor provides critical data abroad; (ii) where a key information infrastructure operator or a data processor processing the personal information of more than one million people provides personal information abroad; (iii) where a data processor has provided personal information of 100,000 people or sensitive personal information of 10,000 people in total abroad since January 1 of the previous year; and (iv) other circumstances prescribed by the CAC for which declaration for security assessment for outbound data transfers is required. On February 17, 2023, with the approval of the State Council, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Trial Measures, and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, (i) domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, shall complete filing procedures with the CSRC pursuant to the requirements of the Trial Measures within three working days following their submission of initial public offerings or listing applications. If a domestic company fails to complete the required filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties, such as an order to rectify, warnings and fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines; (ii) if the issuer meets both of the following criteria, the overseas offering and listing conducted by such issuer shall be deemed an indirect overseas offering and listing by a PRC domestic company: (A) 50% or more of any of the issuer's operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent fiscal year were derived from PRC domestic companies; and (B) the majority of the issuer's business activities are carried out in mainland China, or its main place(s) of business are located in mainland China, or the majority of its senior management team in charge of its business operations and management are PRC citizens or have their usual place(s) of residence located in mainland China. In such circumstances, where a PRC domestic company is seeking an indirect overseas offering and listing in an overseas market, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity responsible for all filing procedures with the CSRC, and where an issuer makes an application for an initial public offering or listing in an overseas market, the issuer shall submit filings with the CSRC within three business days after such application is submitted. On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China, revised the Provisions issued by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China in 2009. The revised Provisions were issued under the title the "Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies," and became effective on March 31, 2023 together with the Trial Measures. One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect overseas offering and listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures. The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals or entities, including securities companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any documents and materials that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level; and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities, including securities companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations. On March 22, 2024, the CAC issued the Provisions on Promoting and Regulating Cross-border Data Flows, which stipulates that a data handler providing personal information abroad may be exempted from declaring security assessment for data to be provided abroad, concluding a standard contract for personal information to be provided abroad or passing authentication for protection of personal information if it satisfies certain conditions. In addition, to provide the data collected and generated in such activities as international trade, cross-border transport, academic cooperation, transnational manufacturing and marketing, which do not contain personal information or important data, to overseas parties is exempted from all these procedures aforementioned. The aforementioned policies and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. While we believe that our operations are not affected by this, as these opinions were recently issued, official guidance and interpretation of the opinions remain unclear in several respects at this time. Therefore, we cannot assure you that we will remain fully compliant with all new regulatory requirements of these opinions or any future implementation rules on a timely basis, or at all.

  • Regulation - Risk 11
    It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China.

    Shareholder claims or regulatory investigation that are common in the United States generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in the PRC, there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside the PRC or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although the authorities in the PRC may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with its counterparts of another country or region to monitor and oversee cross-border securities activities, such regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the United States may not be efficient in the absence of a practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or "Article 177," which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigations or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. Article 177 further provides that Chinese entities and individuals are not allowed to provide documents or materials related to securities business activities to foreign agencies without prior consent from the securities regulatory authority of the State Council and the competent departments of the State Council. While detailed interpretation of or implementing rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the PRC may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests.

  • Regulation - Risk 12
    We may not maintain the qualification for OTCQB inclusion, and therefore you may be unable to sell your shares.

    Our common stock is eligible for quotation on the OTCQB. However, trading of our common stock could be suspended. If for any reason our common stock does not become eligible or maintain eligibility for quotation on the OTCQB or a public trading market does not develop, purchasers of shares of our common stock may have difficulty selling their shares should they desire to do so. If we are unable to satisfy the requirements for quotation on the OTCQB, any quotation in our common stock could be conducted in the "pink sheets" market. As a result, a purchaser of our common stock may find it more difficult to dispose of, or to obtain accurate quotations as to the price of their shares. This would materially and adversely affect the liquidity of our securities.

  • Regulation - Risk 13
    Failure to obtain, renew, or retain licenses, permits or approvals may affect our ability to conduct or expand our business.

    We are required to obtain applicable licenses, permits and approvals from different Hong Kong regulatory authorities in order to conduct or expand our business. The Insurance Authority of Hong Kong ("IA") has promulgated various regulations on the insurance business, including regulations requiring an insurance broker company license. We obtained, renewed and maintained our insurance broker company license as required by the IA. However, there is no assurance that the IA will not issue new regulations governing the insurance product and service industry that might require us to obtain additional licenses, permits or approvals for our current or future business operations. Our failure to obtain any such additional licenses, permits or approvals may adversely affect our business operations and financial condition.

  • Regulation - Risk 14
    Compliance with changing regulation of corporate governance and public disclosure as a public company in the U.S., and our management's limited experiences with such regulations, may result in additional expenses and create an increased risk of non-compliance.

    Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related SEC regulations, have created uncertainty for public companies and significantly increased the costs and risks associated with accessing the public markets and public reporting. Our management team will need to invest significant management time and financial resources to comply with both existing and evolving standards for public companies, which will lead to increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue generating activities to compliance activities. In addition, our management members who are located Hong Kong have limited experience with compliance with U.S. laws (including securities laws). This inexperience may cause us to fall out of compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, which could lead to enforcement action against us and a negative impact on our stock price.

  • Regulation - Risk 15
    We are subject to extensive regulations for our insurance brokerage business and operations.

    We conduct our business primarily in Hong Kong as a licensed insurance broker, and our business operations are subject to vigorous regulations in Hong Kong applicable to licensed insurance brokers. Any failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations could result in fines, censure, suspensions of personnel or other sanctions, including revocation of our license as an insurance broker. In addition, we are a registered MPF intermediary and subject to the relevant laws and regulations. Even if a sanction imposed against us or our personnel is small in monetary amount, the adverse publicity arising from the imposition of sanctions against us by regulators could harm our reputation and impede our ability to retain customers and develop new customer relationships, which may reduce our revenues. The regulatory landscape in the insurance industry in Hong Kong is subject to constant evolution and changes. We face the risk of significant intervention by regulatory authorities from time to time, including increased registered capital requirements, extended training of the insurance agencies' personnel, and adoption of restrictive new regulations that can incur substantial costs on the Company. If any such new regulations and rules become effective and applicable to our business, these regulations may materially limit our business activities and operational profitability.

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.