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TIAN RUIXIANG Holdings (TIRXF) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q3, 2022
Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Oct 31, 2022, filed Mar 15, 2023
Risk Change Over Time
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1Our shareholders are subject to greater uncertainties because we operate through a VIE structure even though the Insurance Brokerage Industry falls within the permitted category in accordance with the Catalogue and the Negative List.
Investment in the PRC by foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises must comply with the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries (the "Catalogue") (2022 Revision), which was last amended and issued by the PRC Ministry of Commerce, or the MOFCOM, and the PRC National Development and Reform Commission, or NDRC, on October 26, 2022 and became effective since January 1, 2023, and the Special Management Measures for Foreign Investment Access (2021 version), or the Negative List, which came into effect on January 1,2022. The Catalogue and the Negative List contain specific provisions guiding market access for foreign capital and stipulate in detail the industry sectors grouped under the categories of encouraged industries, restricted industries and prohibited industries. The VIE structure has been adopted by many PRC-based companies, to conduct business in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China, or are on the Negative List, due to the fact that direct foreign ownership of these companies are prohibited. Any industry not listed in the Negative List is a permitted industry unless otherwise prohibited or restricted by other PRC laws or regulations. Currently, the insurance brokerage industry falls within the permitted category in accordance with the Catalogue and the Negative List. However, according to the "Service Guide for the Establishment and Examination and Approval of Insurance Brokers", published by the CBIRC in August 2019, foreign shareholders of a Chinese Insurance Broker shall be (1) a foreign insurance brokers with more than 30 years of experience in establishing commercial institutions in WTO member countries; and (2) have total assets of more than US $200 million at the end of the year preceding the application of invest in a Chinese brokerage business. We did not meet the above requirements to obtain the necessary regulatory approval in order to become a foreign shareholder of TRZ ZJ; therefore, even though the insurance brokerage industry falls within the permitted category in accordance with the Catalogue and the Negative List, we opted for a VIE structure instead of direct ownership when we became a listed company on NASDAQ in June 2021. As a result, our corporate structure and the VIE Agreements may be subject to greater scrutiny and by various PRC government authorities, and subject our shareholders to greater uncertainty with regard to the legality of their control of TRX ZJ. On December 3, 2021, the above requirement was canceled by the "Notice of the General Office of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission on Clarifying Measures for the Opening-up of the Insurance Intermediary Market" (CBIRC [2021] No. 128). We believe that our corporate structure and the VIE Agreements comply with the current applicable PRC laws and regulations. Our PRC legal counsel, based on its understanding of the relevant laws and regulations, is of the opinion that each of the contracts among our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, the VIE and its shareholder is valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms. However, as there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that the PRC government authorities, such as the MOFCOM, or other authorities would agree that our corporate structure or any of the above VIE Agreements comply with PRC licensing, registration or other regulatory requirements, with existing policies or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. PRC laws and regulations governing the validity of these VIE Agreements are uncertain and the relevant government authorities have broad discretion in interpreting these laws and regulations.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2The recent joint statement by the SEC and the PCAOB, rule changes by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and related regulations, all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our continued listing or future offerings of our securities in the U.S.
On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets. On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply a minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in a "Restrictive Market," (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or the board of directors for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company's auditor. On October 4, 2021, the SEC approved Nasdaq's revised proposal for the rule changes. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company's auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer's securities are prohibited to trade on a national exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, whether the board of directors of a company is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On December 2, 2021, the SEC adopted amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report on its determinations that it was unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in the PRC and in Hong Kong because of positions taken by the PRC and Hong Kong authorities in those jurisdictions. On August 26, 2022, the CSRC, MOF, and the PCAOB signed the Protocol, governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in China and Hong Kong, taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the SEC, the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and vacated its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB's access in the future, the PCAOB may consider the need to issue a new determination. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, and on December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 was signed into law, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which reduces the number of consecutive non- inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act from three years to two. Our auditor, RBSM LLP, is an independent registered public accounting firm with the PCAOB, and as an auditor of publicly traded companies in the U.S., is subject to laws in the U.S., pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. The PCAOB currently has access to inspect the working papers of our auditor. However, the recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us since we are an emerging growth company and substantial all of our operations are conducting in China. Furthermore, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and related laws, which now require the SEC to prohibit an issuer's securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years, may result in the delisting of our Company or the prohibition of trading in our securities in the future if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our accounting firm at such future time. Delisting may cause a significant decrease in or a total loss of the value of our securities. Although a shareholder's ownership of our Company may not decrease directly from delisting, the ownership may become worth much less, or, in some cases, lose its entire value.
Risk Highlights Q3, 2022
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 58
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1ChangedOur shareholders are subject to greater uncertainties because we operate through a VIE structure even though the Insurance Brokerage Industry falls within the permitted category in accordance with the Catalogue and the Negative List.
Investment in the PRC by foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises must comply with the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries (the "Catalogue") (2022 Revision), which was last amended and issued by the PRC Ministry of Commerce, or the MOFCOM, and the PRC National Development and Reform Commission, or NDRC, on October 26, 2022 and became effective since January 1, 2023, and the Special Management Measures for Foreign Investment Access (2021 version), or the Negative List, which came into effect on January 1,2022. The Catalogue and the Negative List contain specific provisions guiding market access for foreign capital and stipulate in detail the industry sectors grouped under the categories of encouraged industries, restricted industries and prohibited industries. The VIE structure has been adopted by many PRC-based companies, to conduct business in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China, or are on the Negative List, due to the fact that direct foreign ownership of these companies are prohibited. Any industry not listed in the Negative List is a permitted industry unless otherwise prohibited or restricted by other PRC laws or regulations. Currently, the insurance brokerage industry falls within the permitted category in accordance with the Catalogue and the Negative List. However, according to the "Service Guide for the Establishment and Examination and Approval of Insurance Brokers", published by the CBIRC in August 2019, foreign shareholders of a Chinese Insurance Broker shall be (1) a foreign insurance brokers with more than 30 years of experience in establishing commercial institutions in WTO member countries; and (2) have total assets of more than US $200 million at the end of the year preceding the application of invest in a Chinese brokerage business. We did not meet the above requirements to obtain the necessary regulatory approval in order to become a foreign shareholder of TRZ ZJ; therefore, even though the insurance brokerage industry falls within the permitted category in accordance with the Catalogue and the Negative List, we opted for a VIE structure instead of direct ownership when we became a listed company on NASDAQ in June 2021. As a result, our corporate structure and the VIE Agreements may be subject to greater scrutiny and by various PRC government authorities, and subject our shareholders to greater uncertainty with regard to the legality of their control of TRX ZJ. On December 3, 2021, the above requirement was canceled by the "Notice of the General Office of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission on Clarifying Measures for the Opening-up of the Insurance Intermediary Market" (CBIRC [2021] No. 128). We believe that our corporate structure and the VIE Agreements comply with the current applicable PRC laws and regulations. Our PRC legal counsel, based on its understanding of the relevant laws and regulations, is of the opinion that each of the contracts among our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, the VIE and its shareholder is valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms. However, as there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that the PRC government authorities, such as the MOFCOM, or other authorities would agree that our corporate structure or any of the above VIE Agreements comply with PRC licensing, registration or other regulatory requirements, with existing policies or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. PRC laws and regulations governing the validity of these VIE Agreements are uncertain and the relevant government authorities have broad discretion in interpreting these laws and regulations.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2ChangedThe recent joint statement by the SEC and the PCAOB, rule changes by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and related regulations, all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our continued listing or future offerings of our securities in the U.S.
On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets. On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply a minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in a "Restrictive Market," (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or the board of directors for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company's auditor. On October 4, 2021, the SEC approved Nasdaq's revised proposal for the rule changes. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company's auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer's securities are prohibited to trade on a national exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, whether the board of directors of a company is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On December 2, 2021, the SEC adopted amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report on its determinations that it was unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in the PRC and in Hong Kong because of positions taken by the PRC and Hong Kong authorities in those jurisdictions. On August 26, 2022, the CSRC, MOF, and the PCAOB signed the Protocol, governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in China and Hong Kong, taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the SEC, the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and vacated its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB's access in the future, the PCAOB may consider the need to issue a new determination. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, and on December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 was signed into law, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which reduces the number of consecutive non- inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act from three years to two. Our auditor, RBSM LLP, is an independent registered public accounting firm with the PCAOB, and as an auditor of publicly traded companies in the U.S., is subject to laws in the U.S., pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. The PCAOB currently has access to inspect the working papers of our auditor. However, the recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us since we are an emerging growth company and substantial all of our operations are conducting in China. Furthermore, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and related laws, which now require the SEC to prohibit an issuer's securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years, may result in the delisting of our Company or the prohibition of trading in our securities in the future if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our accounting firm at such future time. Delisting may cause a significant decrease in or a total loss of the value of our securities. Although a shareholder's ownership of our Company may not decrease directly from delisting, the ownership may become worth much less, or, in some cases, lose its entire value.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3Any failure by the VIE or its shareholder to perform their obligations under the VIE Agreements would have a material adverse effect on our business.
We, through our wholly foreign-owned enterprise in the PRC, have entered into a series of VIE Agreements with the VIE and its shareholder. If the VIE or its shareholder fail to perform their respective obligations under the VIE Agreements, we may incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective under PRC laws. For example, if the shareholder of the VIE were to refuse to transfer its equity interests in the consolidated VIE to us or our designee when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to the VIE Agreements, or if it were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel it to perform its contractual obligations. The VIE Agreements are governed by PRC laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the U.S. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and formal guidelines as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a VIE should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal arbitration results in court unless such rulings are revoked or determined unenforceable by a competent court. If the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event that we are unable to enforce the VIE Agreements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these VIE Agreements, we may not be able to exert effective control over the VIE and relevant rights and licenses held by it which we require in order to operate our business, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected. See "Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China – PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations."
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4Our dual class share structure concentrates a majority of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding share capital in our Chief Executive Officer, who is the beneficial owner of all of our Class B Ordinary Shares.
Our Class B Ordinary Shares have 18 votes per share on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company, and our Class A Ordinary Shares have one vote per share on all matters subject to vote at general meetings of the Company. Because of the eighteen-to-one voting ratio between our Class B Ordinary Shares and Class A Ordinary Shares, the holders of our Class B Ordinary Shares could continue to control a majority of the aggregate voting power of our issued Ordinary Shares and therefore be able to control all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval. As of the date of this annual report, our CEO, Mr. Zhe Wang, beneficially owns 250,000 Class B Ordinary Shares and 246,500 Class A Ordinary Shares. Mr. Wang beneficially owns 63.08% of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding share capital, and this concentrated control may limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters for the foreseeable future, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other major corporate actions requiring shareholder approval. In addition, this may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our share capital that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our shareholders. Such concentration of voting power could also have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change of control or other business combination, which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares or prevent our shareholders from realizing a premium over the then-prevailing market price for their Class A Ordinary Shares.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5As a "controlled company" under the rules of the NASDAQ Market, we may choose to exempt our Company from certain corporate governance requirements that could have an adverse effect on our public shareholders.
Our CEO, Mr. Zhe Wang, beneficially owns a majority of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares. Under the NASDAQ Listing Rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a "controlled company" and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirement that a majority of our directors be independent, as defined in the NASDAQ Listing Rules, and the requirement that our compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees consist entirely of independent directors. Although we do not currently rely on the "controlled company" exemption under the NASDAQ Listing Rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. If we elect to rely on the "controlled company" exemption, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent directors and our nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees might not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, during any time while we remain a controlled company relying on the exemption and during any transition period following a time when we are no longer a controlled company, you would not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the NASDAQ Capital Market corporate governance requirements. Our status as a controlled company could cause our Class A Ordinary Share to look less attractive to certain investors or otherwise harm our trading price.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6The shareholder of the VIE may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
The shareholder of the VIE may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us. The sole shareholder may refuse to sign or breach, or cause the VIE to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing VIE Agreements with the VIE, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively control the VIE and receive economic benefits from it. For example, the shareholder may be able to cause the VIE Agreements to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the VIE Agreements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise the shareholder of the VIE will act in the best interests of our Company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor. Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between this shareholder and our Company. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and this shareholder, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7Because our business is conducted in RMB and the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares is quoted in United States dollars, changes in currency conversion rates may affect the value of your investments.
Our business is conducted in the PRC, our books and records are maintained in RMB, which is the currency of the PRC, and the financial statements that we file with the SEC and provide to our shareholders are presented in United States dollars. Changes in the exchange rate between the RMB and dollar affect the value of our assets and the results of our operations in United States dollars. The value of the RMB against the United States dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in the PRC's political and economic conditions and perceived changes in the economy of the PRC and the United States. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may materially and adversely affect our cash flows, revenue and financial condition. Further, our Class A Ordinary Shares offered by this annual report are denominated in United States dollars, we will need to convert the net proceeds we receive into RMB in order to use the funds for our business. Changes in the conversion rate between the United States dollar and the RMB will affect that amount of proceeds we will have available for our business.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8The disclosures in our reports and other filings with the SEC and our other public pronouncements are not subject to the scrutiny of any regulatory bodies in the PRC.
We are regulated by the SEC and our reports and other filings with the SEC are subject to SEC review in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Our SEC reports and other disclosures and public pronouncements are not subject to the review or scrutiny of any PRC regulatory authority. For example, the disclosure in our SEC reports and other filings are not subject to the review by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, a PRC regulator that is responsible for oversight of the capital markets in China. Accordingly, you should review our SEC reports, filings and our other public pronouncements with the understanding that no local regulator has done any review of our Company, our SEC reports, other filings or any of our other public pronouncements.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they publish a negative report regarding our Class A Ordinary Shares, the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our Class A Ordinary Shares may depend in part on the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade us, the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our Company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price of our Class A Ordinary Shares and the trading volume to decline.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10The market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance, and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the initial public offering price.
The market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including: - actual or anticipated fluctuations in our revenue and other operating results;- the financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in these projections or our failure to meet these projections;- actions of securities analysts who initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our Company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;- announcements by us or our competitors of significant products or features, technical innovations, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital commitments;- price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole;- lawsuits threatened or filed against us; and - other events or factors, including those resulting from war or incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events. In addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. Stock prices of many companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. In the past, shareholders have filed securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, and adversely affect our business.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11As a foreign private issuer, we are not subject to certain U.S. securities law disclosure requirements that apply to a domestic U.S. issuer, and are exempt from certain Nasdaq corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers, which may limit the information publicly available to our investors and afford them less protection than if we were an U.S. issuer.
Nasdaq listing rules require listed companies to have, among other things, a majority of its board members be independent. As a foreign private issuer, however, under Nasdaq listing rule 5615(a)(3), we are permitted to, and we may follow home country practice in lieu of the above requirements, or we may choose to comply with the above requirement within one year of listing. The corporate governance practice in our home country, the Cayman Islands, does not require a majority of our board to consist of independent directors. Thus, although a director must act in the best interests of the Company, it is possible that fewer board members will be exercising independent judgment and the level of board oversight on the management of our Company may decrease as a result. In addition, Nasdaq listing rules also require U.S. domestic issuers to have a compensation committee, a nominating/corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors, and an audit committee with a minimum of three members. Furthermore, Cayman law does not require that we obtain shareholder approval to issue 20% or more of our outstanding Ordinary Shares in a private offering. As a foreign private issuer we are not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and therefore there may be less publicly available information about us than if we were a U.S. domestic issuer. We are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including: - the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K;- the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act;- the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and the selective disclosure rules by issuers of material non-public information under Regulation FD. We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be less extensive and less timely compared to that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same protections or information that would be made available to you were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12Anti-takeover provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control.
Some provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our Company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including, among other things, the following: - provisions that permit our board of directors by resolution to create and issue classes of shares with preferred, deferred or other special rights or restrictions as the board of directors determine in their discretion, without any further vote or action by our shareholders. If issued, the rights, preferences, designations and limitations of any class of preferred shares would be set by the board of directors as they may from time to time determine and could operate to the disadvantage of the outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares the holders of which would not have any pre-emption rights in respect of such an issue of preferred shares. Such terms could include, among others, preferences as to dividends and distributions on liquidation, or could be used to prevent possible corporate takeovers; and - provisions that restrict the ability of our shareholders holding in aggregate less than one-tenth of the paid-up capital in our Company as at the date of the requisition carries the right of voting at general meetings to convene a general meeting.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13The Nasdaq Capital Market imposes listing standards on our Class A Ordinary Shares that we may not be able to fulfill, thereby leading to a possible delisting of our Ordinary Shares. We are currently facing such risk.
As a listed Nasdaq Capital Market company, we are subject to rules covering, among other things, certain major corporate transactions, the composition of our Board of Directors and committees thereof, minimum bid price of our common stock and minimum shareholder' equity. The failure to meet the Nasdaq Capital Market requirements may result in the de-listing of our Ordinary Shares from the Nasdaq Capital Market, which could adversely affect the liquidity and market price thereof. If our Class A Ordinary Shares were to be de-listed, selling our Ordinary Shares could be more difficult because smaller quantities of shares would likely be bought and sold, transactions could be delayed, and security analysts' coverage of us may be reduced. In addition, in the event our Class A Ordinary Shares are de-listed, broker-dealers have certain regulatory requirements imposed upon them, which may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our Class A Ordinary Shares, further limiting the liquidity thereof. These factors could result in lower prices for our Class A Ordinary Shares and/or limit an investor's ability to execute a transaction. In addition delisting from Nasdaq could also greatly impair our ability to raise additional necessary capital through equity or debt financing, and could lead to significant dilution to our shareholders caused by our issuing equity in financing or other transactions at a price per share significantly below the then market price.
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