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TROOPS (TROO) 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. TROOPS disclosed 46 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. TROOPS reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2023

Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Dec 31, 2023, filed Apr 29, 2024

Risk Distribution
46Risks
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

TROOPS disclosed risks per quarterNo. of Risks46Q4Q4Showing: Q4, 2022
Risks removedRisks addedRisks changedTROOPS Risk Factors
  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
    GFS, Giant Credit, 11 Hau Fook Street and Paris Sky have a limited operating history.

    Our operating subsidiaries, GFS, Giant Credit, 11 Hau Fook Street and Paris Sky, were acquired by us in January 31, 2020, December 22, 2017, March 8, 2018 and June 7, 2018, respectively. Our experience and operations in the industries that they respectively operate are relatively limited. As a result, there is limited historical information available upon which you can base your evaluation of our business prospects and future financial performance in such industries. There is no assurance that we can maintain our profitability and growth in the future. The limited financial results on the four subsidiaries should not be used as an indication of our business prospects and our performance in the future. Furthermore, we may encounter significant risks and difficulties frequently experienced by companies with early stage operations, and such risks and difficulties may be heightened in a rapidly developing market such as the fintech service and IT support service and the money lending and property investment markets in Hong Kong. Our future operating results depend upon a number of factors, including our ability to attract users, manage our growth, retain our customers as well as identify and attract new ones and to provide loan products at competitive rates which suit our customers' needs. If we are unable to successfully address the above issues, we may be unable to operate our business in the manner which we contemplate and generate revenues from such activities in the amounts and within the timeframes which we anticipate. If any of these events were to occur, it would have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operation and cash flow.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
    The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of ordinary shares could adversely affect their market price.

    Sales of substantial amounts of the ordinary shares in the public market after the completion of this offering, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of the ordinary shares and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. The ordinary shares sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, and shares held by our existing shareholders may also be sold in the public market in the future subject to the restrictions in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act and the applicable lockup agreements. There will be ordinary shares outstanding immediately after this offering, or ordinary shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase our shares in full. In connection with this offering, we, our directors and executive officers and the holders of 5% or more of our outstanding ordinary shares have agreed with the underwriter, subject to certain exceptions, not to sell, transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of ordinary shares or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for the ordinary shares for a period of 180 days after the date of this annual report. However, the underwriters may release these securities from these restrictions at any time. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other holders or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of the ordinary shares. See "Underwriting" and "Shares Eligible for Future Sale" for a more detailed description of the restrictions on selling our securities after this offering.

  • Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
    Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future after this offering, you must rely on a price appreciation of the ordinary shares for a return on your investment.

    We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings after this offering to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in the ordinary shares as a source for any future dividend income.

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Risk Highlights Q4, 2023

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 25 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
46
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 32
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Dec 2023
Number of Risk Changed
0
-3
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 1

Risk Word Cloud

faf and giant credit limited are subject to greater credit risks than larger lenders, which could adversely affect our results of operations.subject to greater credit risksregulatory scrutiny of privacy, data protection, and the collection, storage, use, and sharing of personal data is increasing around the world. there is uncertainty associated with the legal and regulatory environment relating to privacy and data protection laws, which continue to develop in ways gfs cannot predict, including with respect to evolving technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology.regulatory environment relating to privacythe recent joint statement by the sec and pcaob, proposed rule changes submitted by nasdaq, and the holding foreign companies accountable act 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.holding foreign companies accountable actwe may be required to record a significant charge to earnings if we are required to reassess our tangible and intangible assets.required to reassess our tangibleour revenue from our investment property portfolio depends on a number of factors, such as changes in market rental levels, competition for tenants and rental collection and renewal.our investment property portfolio dependswe have granted, and may continue to grant, stock options and restricted shares, which may result in increased share-based compensation expenses.increased share-based compensation expensesthe audit reports for prior reporting periods included in our annual reports have been prepared by predecessor auditors whose work may not be inspected fully by the public company accounting oversight board and, as such, you may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection.public company accounting oversight boardchanges in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the prc government may be quick with little advance notice and could have a significant impact upon our ability to operate profitably in the prc.our ability to operate profitablythe recent joint statement by the sec and pcaob, proposed rule changes submitted by nasdaq, and the holding foreign companies accountable act 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.applied to emerging market companiesgfs may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by its customers under the recently promulgated prc data security law.appropriation of personal information provided

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 46

Share Price & Shareholder Rights13 | 28.3%
  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
    We have granted, and may continue to grant, stock options and restricted shares, which may result in increased share-based compensation expenses.

    We granted awards such as restricted shares to directors, executive officers, and employees. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we recorded $nil, $nil million and $0.26 million, respectively, in share-based compensation expenses. We believe the granting of restricted shares is of significant importance to our ability to attract and retain key personnel and employees, and we will continue to grant restricted shares to key personnel, employees, third-party consultants and business partners in the future. However, the share-based compensation expenses we incur will reduce our income from operations. We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, share-based compensation expenses, which may have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
    The audit reports for prior reporting periods included in our annual reports have been prepared by predecessor auditors whose work may not be inspected fully by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, you may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection.

    Our predecessor registered public accounting firm that issue the audit reports as included in our annual reports filed with the SEC as auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and firms registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or the PCAOB, are required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their respective compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Although our current auditors are PCAOB compliant, many other clients of our predecessor auditors have substantial operations within mainland China and Hong Kong, and the PCAOB has been unable to complete inspections of the work of our predecessor auditors without the approval of the Chinese authorities. Thus, our predecessor auditors and their audit work for the period up to December 2019 had not been inspected fully by the PCAOB. On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulation in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operation in China and Hong Kong. However, it remains unclear what further actions the SEC and PCAOB will take to address the problem. Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside mainland China and Hong Kong have identified deficiencies in those firms' audit procedures and quality control procedures, which can be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The lack of PCAOB inspections in mainland China and Hong Kong prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditors' audit procedures and quality control procedures as they relate to their work in mainland China and Hong Kong. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of such regular inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct full inspections of auditors in mainland China and Hong Kong makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our predecessor auditors' audit procedures and quality control procedures as compared to auditors who primarily work in jurisdictions where the PCAOB has full inspection access. Investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements. In addition, in June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of the U.S. Congress which, if passed, would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate an auditor report issued by a foreign public accounting firm. The proposed Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges ("EQUITABLE") Act prescribes increased disclosure requirements for these issuers and, beginning in 2025, the delisting from U.S. national securities exchanges of issuers included on the SEC's list for three consecutive years. Enactment of this legislation or other efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could cause investor uncertainty for affected issuers, including us, and the market price of our ordinary shares could be adversely affected. It is unclear if this proposed legislation will be enacted. Furthermore, there has been recent deliberations within the U.S. government regarding potentially limiting or restricting China-based companies from accessing U.S. capital markets. On April 21, 2020, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement reiterating the greater risk that disclosures will be insufficient in many emerging markets, including the PRC, compared to those made by U.S. domestic companies. In discussing the specific issues related to the greater risk, the statement again highlights the PCAOB's inability to inspect audit work paper and practices of accounting firms in the PRC, with respect to their audit work of U.S. reporting companies. However, it remains unclear what further actions, if any, the SEC and PCAOB will take to address the problem. There have been media reports on deliberations within the U.S. government regarding potentially limiting or restricting the PRC-based companies from accessing U.S. capital markets. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act ("HFCAA") 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 HFCAA. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements in the HFCA Act. On December 2, 2021, the SEC adopted amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a "non-inspection" year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The final amendments require any identified registrant to submit documentation to the SEC establishing that the registrant is not owned or controlled by a government entity in the public accounting firm's foreign jurisdiction, and also require, among other things, disclosure in the registrant's annual report regarding the audit arrangements of, and government influence on, such registrants. Under the HFCA Act, our securities may be prohibited from trading on the Nasdaq or other U.S. stock exchanges if our auditor is not inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, and this ultimately could result in our Ordinary Shares being delisted. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if enacted, would amend the HFCA Act and 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 instead of three, and thus, would reduce the time before our Ordinary Shares may be prohibited from trading or delisted. If any such policies or deliberations were to materialize, the resulting legislation, if it were to apply to us, would likely have a material adverse impact on our business and the price of our ordinary shares. Should the PCAOB determine that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our auditor for three consecutive years, an exchange may determine to delist our securities. 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 Mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions. The PCAOB made its determinations pursuant to PCAOB Rule 6100, which provides a framework for how the PCAOB fulfills its responsibilities under the HFCA Act. The report further listed in its Appendix A and Appendix B, Registered Public Accounting Firms Subject to the Mainland China Determination and Registered Public Accounting Firms Subject to the Hong Kong Determination, respectively. Our predecessor auditors for the audit period up to December 2022, Yu Certified Public Accountant, P.C., is headquartered in New York, and did not appear as part of the determination and was not listed under its appendix A or appendix B. Our current auditor, Audit Alliance LLP is headquartered in New York, and did not appear as part of the determination and was not listed under its appendix A or appendix B.On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate 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 will consider the need to issue a new determination. Our securities may be delisted or prohibited from trading if the PCAOB determines that it cannot inspect or investigate completely our auditor under the HFCAA. On December 29, 2022, a legislation entitled "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023" (the "Consolidated Appropriations Act") was signed into law by President Biden, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act by requiring 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 instead of three, thus reducing the time before our Ordinary Shares may be prohibited from trading or delisted. The delisting or the cessation of trading of our Ordinary Shares, or the threat of their being delisted or prohibited from being traded, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
    We may fail to meet continued listing requirements on the NASDAQ Capital Market

    The Company received a notification letter dated May 18, 2021 from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. (the "Nasdaq") notifying that the Company is no longer in compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing due to its failure to timely file its annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Matter"). Under the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(2)(F)(i), the Company has until July 16, 2021 (that is, 60 calendar days from the date of the Deficiency Letter) to submit to Nasdaq a plan (the "Compliance Plan") to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Under the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(2)(F)(ii), if Nasdaq accepts the Compliance Plan, Nasdaq can grant the Company an exception until November 15, 2021 (that is, up to 180 calendar days from the extended due date of the annual report) to regain compliance. The Deficiency Letter has no immediate impact on the listing of the Company's ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market. On July 12, 2021, Nasdaq determined that the Company complies with Rule Listing Rule 5250(c)(l). As such, the matter closed on July 12, 2021. If our securities were to be delisted from NASDAQ, the trading of our securities could possibly be shifted to the OTC Bulletin Board or the Pink Sheets. But, that would make it more difficult to dispose of, or obtain accurate quotations for the price of, our securities. In addition, such a development would likely also reduce the already limited coverage of our Company by security analysts and the news media. Delisting and these other effects could cause the price of our securities to decline further. Further, the NASDAQ Capital Market also requires companies to fulfill specific requirements in order for their shares to continue to be listed. In order to qualify for continued listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market, we must meet the following criteria: - Our shareholders' equity must be at least $2,500,000; or the market value of our listed securities must be at least $35,000,000; or our net income from continuing operations in our last fiscal year (or two of the last three fiscal years) must have been at least $500,000;- The market value of our publicly held shares must be at least $1,000,000;- The minimum bid price for our shares must be at least $1.00 per share;- We must have at least 300 shareholders;- We must have at least 500,000 publicly held shares;- We must have at least 2 market makers; and - We must have adopted NASDAQ-mandated corporate governance measures, including a board of directors comprised of a majority of independent directors, an Audit Committee comprised solely of independent directors and the adoption of a code of ethics among other items. If our shares are listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market but are delisted from the NASDAQ Capital Market at some later date, our shareholders could find it difficult to sell our shares. In addition, if our ordinary shares are delisted from the NASDAQ Capital Market at some later date, we may apply to have our ordinary shares quoted on the Bulletin Board or in the "pink sheets" maintained by the National Quotation Bureau, Inc. The Bulletin Board and the "pink sheets" are generally considered to be less efficient markets than the NASDAQ Capital Market. In addition, if our ordinary shares are not so listed or are delisted at some later date, our ordinary shares may be subject to the "penny stock" regulations. These rules impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers that sell low-priced securities to persons other than established customers and institutional accredited investors and require the delivery of a disclosure schedule explaining the nature and risks of the penny stock market. As a result, the ability or willingness of broker-dealers to sell or make a market in our ordinary shares might decline. If our ordinary shares are not so listed or are delisted from the NASDAQ Capital Market at some later date or become subject to the penny stock regulations, it is likely that the price of our shares would decline and that our shareholders would find it difficult to sell their shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
    A large, active trading market for our securities may not develop and the trading price for our securities may fluctuate significantly.

    We cannot assure that a liquid public market for the ordinary shares will develop. If a large, active public market for the ordinary shares does not develop, the market price and liquidity of the ordinary shares may be materially adversely affected. As a result, investors in our securities may experience a significant decrease in the value of the ordinary shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
    The trading price of the ordinary shares is likely to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

    The trading price of the ordinary shares is likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, including the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with operations located mainly in China that have listed their securities in the United States. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for the ordinary shares and/or Warrants may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following: - variations in our net revenue, earnings and cash flows;- announcements of new investments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures by us or our competitors;- announcements of new offerings and expansions by us or our competitors;- changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;- detrimental adverse publicity about us, our shareholders, affiliates, directors, officers or employees, our business model, our services or our industry;- announcements of new regulations, rules or policies relevant for our business;- additions or departures of key personnel;- release of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding equity securities or sales of additional equity securities; and - potential litigation or regulatory investigations. Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which the ordinary shares will trade. In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management's attention and other resources from our business and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
    Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of the ordinary shares.

    Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short seller's interest for the price of the security to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions regarding the relevant issuer and its prospects to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a security short. These short attacks have, in the past, led to selling of shares in the market. Public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of short selling. Much of the scrutiny and negative publicity has centered on allegations of a lack of effective internal control over financial reporting resulting in financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result, many of these companies are now conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations and, in the interim, are subject to shareholder lawsuits and/or SEC enforcement actions. It is not clear what effect such negative publicity could have on us. If we were to become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we could have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves. While we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short seller by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law or issues of commercial confidentiality. Such a situation could be costly and time-consuming, and could distract our management from growing our business. Even if such allegations are ultimately proven to be groundless, allegations against us could severely impact our business, and any investment in the ordinary shares could be greatly reduced or even rendered worthless.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
    If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for the ordinary shares and trading volume could decline.

    The trading market for the ordinary shares will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If research analysts do not establish and maintain adequate research coverage or if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades the ordinary shares or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for the ordinary shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of our company or fails to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which, in turn, could cause the market price or trading volume for the ordinary shares to decline.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
    Our memorandum and articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could materially adversely affect the rights of holders of our ordinary shares.

    We have adopted an amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that contains provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions. These provisions could deprive our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction. Our board of directors has the authority, subject to any resolution of the shareholders to the contrary, to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our ordinary shares. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the price of our ordinary shares may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares may be materially adversely affected.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
    We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to U.S. domestic public companies.

    Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, 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 nonpublic information under Regulation FD. We will be required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our results on a quarterly basis as press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. 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 10
    There can be no assurance we will not be a passive foreign investment company ("PFIC"), for any taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors in our ordinary shares or Warrants.

    In general, we will be treated as a PFIC for any taxable year in which either: 1.at least 75% of our gross income (looking through certain 25% or more-owned corporate subsidiaries) is passive income; or 2.at least 50% of the average value of our assets (looking through certain 25% or more-owned corporate subsidiaries) are attributable to assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. Passive income generally includes, without limitation, dividends, interest, rents, royalties, and gains from the disposition of passive assets. If we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. Holder of our ordinary shares, the U.S. Holder may be subject to increased U.S. federal income tax liability and may be subject to additional reporting requirements. Our actual PFIC status for any taxable year will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Accordingly, there can be no assurance as to our status as a PFIC for any taxable year. U.S. Holders of our ordinary shares are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules. If we were a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. investor owns our ordinary shares or Warrants, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. investor. See "Taxation - Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations - Passive Foreign Investment Company."

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11
    You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

    We are an exempt company incorporated under Cayman Islands' laws. Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act, Cap. 22 (Act 3 of 1961, as consolidated and revised) of the Cayman Islands and Cayman Islands' common law. Shareholders' rights to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands' law are largely governed by Cayman Islands' common law. It is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands and from England's common law. English court decisions, however, are persuasive but not binding on a Cayman Islands' court. Our shareholders' rights and our directors' fiduciary responsibilities under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under the statutes or case law in most U.S. jurisdictions. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the U.S. Many U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in U.S. federal courts. The Cayman Islands' courts are also not likely: 1.to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the U.S. based on civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws; and 2.to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, based on civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature. There is no statutory recognition in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the U.S. but the Cayman Islands' courts will in certain circumstances recognize and enforce a non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits subject to certain conditions. Based on the above, shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests against actions taken by management, members of the Board of Directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the U.S.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12
    As a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we can adopt certain home country practices regarding corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the NASDAQ Stock Market corporate governance listing standards. These practices may provide less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the NASDAQ Stock Market corporate governance listing standards.

    As a Cayman Islands company listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, we are subject to the NASDAQ Stock Market corporate governance listing standards. But, NASDAQ Stock Market rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the NASDAQ Stock Market corporate governance listing standards. For example, the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands does not require a majority of our directors to be independent. Therefore, we could include non-independent directors as members of our compensation committee and (if we chose to have one) our nominating committee. Finally, our independent directors would not necessarily hold regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present. In addition, while NASDAQ Stock Market rules require that an issuer listing common stock hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of the issuer's fiscal year-end, the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands does not require an exempted company to hold it (though the articles of association of an exempted company may provide otherwise). If we choose to follow home country practice, our shareholders may receive less protection than they otherwise would under the NASDAQ Stock Market corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13
    The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act 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.

    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 minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in "Restrictive Market", (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or board of director 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 auditors. 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 securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S. 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. In June 2021, the Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if signed into law, would reduce the time period for the delisting under the HFCA Act to two years, instead of three years. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements in the HFCA Act. On December 2, 2021, the SEC adopted amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a "non-inspection" year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The final amendments require any identified registrant to submit documentation to the SEC establishing that the registrant is not owned or controlled by a government entity in the public accounting firm's foreign jurisdiction, and also require, among other things, disclosure in the registrant's annual report regarding the audit arrangements of, and government influence on, such registrants. Under the HFCA Act, our securities may be prohibited from trading on the Nasdaq or other U.S. stock exchanges if our auditor is not inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, and this ultimately could result in our Ordinary Shares being delisted. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if enacted, would amend the HFCA Act and 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 instead of three, and thus, would reduce the time before our Ordinary Shares may be prohibited from trading or delisted. If any such policies or deliberations were to materialize, the resulting legislation, if it were to apply to us, would likely have a material adverse impact on our business and the price of our ordinary shares. Should the PCAOB determine that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our auditor for three consecutive years, an exchange may determine to delist our securities. 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 Mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions. The PCAOB made its determinations pursuant to PCAOB Rule 6100, which provides a framework for how the PCAOB fulfills its responsibilities under the HFCA Act. The report further listed in its Appendix A and Appendix B, Registered Public Accounting Firms Subject to the Mainland China Determination and Registered Public Accounting Firms Subject to the Hong Kong Determination, respectively. Our predecessor auditors for the audit period up to December 2022, Yu Certified Public Accountant, P.C., is headquartered in New York, and did not appear as part of the determination and was not listed under its appendix A or appendix B. Our current auditor, Audit Alliance LLP is headquartered in New York, and did not appear as part of the determination and was not listed under its appendix A or appendix B. However, we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor's audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements. In addition, the December 2, 2021 amendments and any additional actions, proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create some uncertainty for investors, the market price of our ordinary shares could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we and our auditor are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement or being required to engage a new audit firm, which would require significant expense and management time. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate 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 will consider the need to issue a new determination. Our securities may be delisted or prohibited from trading if the PCAOB determines that it cannot inspect or investigate completely our auditor under the HFCAA. On December 29, 2022, a legislation entitled "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023" (the "Consolidated Appropriations Act") was signed into law by President Biden, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act by requiring 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 instead of three, thus reducing the time before our Ordinary Shares may be prohibited from trading or delisted. The delisting or the cessation of trading of our Ordinary Shares, or the threat of their being delisted or prohibited from being traded, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

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.