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WF International Ltd. (WXM) 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. WF International Ltd. disclosed 61 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. WF International Ltd. reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2025

Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Sep 30, 2025, filed Jan 30, 2026

Risk Distribution
61Risks
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

WF International Ltd. disclosed risks per quarterNo. of Risks61Q3Showing: Q3, 2025
Risks removedRisks addedRisks changedWF International Ltd. Risk Factors
No changes from previous report

Risk Highlights Q3, 2025

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 29 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
61
S&P 500 Average: 32
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Sep 2025
Number of Risk Changed
0
S&P 500 Average: 1

Risk Word Cloud

prc regulation of loans to and direct investment in prc entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay us from using the proceeds of financings to make loans or additional capital contributions to our prc subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.governmental control of currency conversionprc regulations regarding acquisitions impose significant regulatory approval and review requirements, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions.acquisitions impose significant regulatory approvayou may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in china against us or our management named in the annual report based on foreign laws.effecting service of legal processover reliance on our major suppliers and subcontractors may adversely affect our business operation in the event of supply chain disruptions.event of supply chain disruptionserror or inaccurate estimation of project duration or costs may result in substantial loss or adversely affect our revenue and profitability.inaccurate estimation of project durationprc regulations relating to investments in offshore companies by prc residents may subject our prc-resident beneficial owners or our prc subsidiaries to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our prc subsidiaries or limit our prc subsidiaries' ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits.subject our prc-resident beneficial ownersfailure to maintain qualifications and standards for second-level professional contractor status will impact our business operations.second-level professional contractor statusour ordinary shares may be delisted under the hfca act if the pcaob is unable to inspect our auditor. the delisting of our ordinary shares, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.unable to inspect our auditorsome of our major customers require access to substantial financing. their failure to obtain adequate financing in a timely manner could severely adversely restrict their ability to complete existing projects, expand their business, or meet their payment obligations to us, thereby could affect our financial performance and condition.ability to complete existing projectswe may be liable to compensate our customers for losses and expenses incurred as a result of our failure to complete work on time.liable to compensate our customers

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 61

Share Price & Shareholder Rights19 | 31.1%
  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
    We will incur significantly increased costs and devote substantial management time as a result of the listing of our ordinary shares.

    We will incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses as a public reporting company, particularly after we cease to qualify as an emerging growth company. For example, we will be required to comply with the additional requirements of the rules and regulations of the SEC and the Nasdaq rules once listed, including applicable corporate governance practices. We expect that compliance with these requirements will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. In addition, we expect that our management and other personnel will need to divert attention from operational and other business matters to devote substantial time to these public company requirements. We cannot predict or estimate the number of additional costs we may incur as a result of becoming a public company or the timing of such costs. In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time-consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidelines are provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management's time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may also initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be adversely affected.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
    As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to rely on exemptions from certain Nasdaq corporate governance standards applicable to domestic U.S. issuers. This may afford less protection to holders of our securities.

    We are exempted from certain corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq Listing Rules by virtue of being a foreign private issuer. As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow the governance practices of our home country, the Cayman Islands, in lieu of certain corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. As result, the standards applicable to us are considerably different than the standards applied to domestic U.S. issuers. For instance, we are not required to: - have a majority of the board be independent (although all of the members of the audit committee must be independent under the Exchange Act);   - have a compensation committee and a nominating committee to be comprised solely of "independent directors"; or   - hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of our fiscal year. Although we do not currently intend to rely on these "home country" exemptions, we may rely on some of these exemptions in the future. As a result, our shareholders may not be provided with the benefits of certain corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
    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 United States domestic public companies.

    Because we are 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 of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC;- 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 share 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. In addition, we publish our results on a semi-annual basis through press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market. 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, which would be made available to you, were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
    We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act and may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements.

    We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, most significantly, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 for so long as we are an emerging growth company. The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company does not need to comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards until such date that a private company is otherwise required to comply with such new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an "emerging growth company" can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the extended transition period. As a result of this election, our future financial statements may not be comparable to other public companies that comply with the public company effective dates for these new or revised accounting standards.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
    Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.

    We are a Cayman Islands holding company and substantially all  of our assets are located outside of the United States. Substantially all of our current operations are conducted in the PRC. In addition, most of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. Substantially all of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. Specifically, Ms. Ke Chen, our Chief Executive Officer and director, Ms. Jing Zheng, our Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Ziyi Liu, our Chief Operating Officer, and our directors, Ms. Siqi Chen and Ms. Xiaoyuan Zhang are PRC nationals and all reside within mainland China. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of the PRC may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
    You may be unable to present proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by shareholders.

    Cayman Islands law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. These rights, however, may be provided in a company's articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association allow our shareholders holding shares representing in aggregate not less than 30% of all votes attaching to the issued and outstanding shares of our company entitled to vote at general meetings, to requisition a general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our directors are obliged to call such meeting, and put the resolutions so requisitioned to vote at such meeting. Advance notice of at least 5 clear days is required for the convening of a general meeting. A quorum required for a general meeting is the holders of one-third of the issued and outstanding share capital being individuals present in person or by proxy or if a corporation or other non-natural person by its duly authorized representative or proxy. For these purposes, "clear days" means that period excluding (a) the day when the notice is given or deemed to be given and (b) the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect. However, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association do not provide our shareholders with any right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
    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.

    WF is a company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands with limited liability. Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some 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 the standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. Shareholders of Cayman Islands holding companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records (other than the memorandum and articles of association, the register of mortgages and charges and any special resolution passed by shareholders) or to obtain copies of the register of members of these companies. The Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands shall make available the list of the names of the current directors of the Company (and where applicable the current alternate directors of the Company) for inspection by any person upon payment of a fee by such person. Our directors have discretion under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for companies incorporated in other jurisdictions such as the U.S. Currently, we do not plan to rely on home country practice with respect to any corporate governance matter. However, if we choose to follow our home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by our management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
    Although we do not intend to rely on the "controlled company" exemption under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future and you will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements.

    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 is permitted to elect to rely, and may rely, on certain exemptions from corporate governance rules, including: - an exemption from the rule that a majority of our board of directors must be independent directors;- an exemption from the rule that the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer must be determined or recommended solely by independent directors; and - an exemption from the rule that our directors must be selected or recommended solely by independent directors. As a result, you will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements. Although we do not intend to rely on the "controlled company" exemption under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. If we elected to rely on the "controlled company" exemption, the investors will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements. Our status as a controlled company could cause our ordinary shares to look less attractive to certain investors or otherwise harm the trading price of our ordinary shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
    Our director and Chief Executive Officer has substantial influence over our company. Her interests may not be aligned with the interests of our other shareholders, and she could prevent or cause a change of control or other transactions.

    As of the date of this annual report, Ms. Ke Chen, our director and Chief Executive Officer, beneficially owns 3,850,000 ordinary shares, approximately 44.7% of our outstanding ordinary shares. Accordingly, Ms. Chen could have significant influence in determining the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to the shareholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations, the appointment of directors and other significant corporate actions. Ms. Chen will also have the power to prevent or cause a change in control. Without the consent of Ms. Chen, we may be prevented from entering into transactions that could be beneficial to us or our minority shareholders. In addition, Ms. Chen could violate her fiduciary duties by diverting business opportunities from us to herself or others. The interests of Ms. Chen may differ from the interests of our other shareholders. The concentration in the ownership of our ordinary shares may cause a material decline in the value of our ordinary shares. For more information regarding Ms. Chen and her affiliated entity, see "Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions."

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
    Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could have a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our ordinary shares.

    Some provisions of 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 provisions that authorize our board of directors to issue shares at such times and on such terms and conditions as the board of directors may decide without any further vote or action by our shareholders. Under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our articles of association for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company and for a proper purpose.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11
    The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our ordinary shares could adversely affect their market price.

    Sales of substantial amounts of our ordinary shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. The ordinary shares sold in our initial public offering are 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 under the Securities Act and the applicable lock-up agreements. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of our ordinary shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12
    If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding our ordinary shares, the market price for our ordinary shares and trading volume could decline.

    The trading market for our ordinary shares will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade our ordinary shares, the market price for our ordinary shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume of our ordinary shares to decline.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13
    Certain recent initial public offerings of companies with public floats comparable to ours have experienced extreme volatility that was seemingly unrelated to the underlying performance of the respective company. We may experience similar volatility, which may make it difficult for prospective investors to assess the value of our ordinary shares.

    In addition to the risks addressed above in "- The trading price of our ordinary shares may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors", our ordinary shares may be subject to extreme volatility that is seemingly unrelated to the underlying performance of our business. Recently, companies with comparable public floats and initial public offering sizes have experienced instances of extreme stock price run-ups followed by rapid price declines, and such stock price volatility was seemingly unrelated to the respective company's underlying performance. Although the specific cause of such volatility is unclear, our public float may amplify the impact the actions taken by a few shareholders have on the price of our ordinary shares, which may cause our share price to deviate, potentially significantly, from a price that better reflects the underlying performance of our business. Should our ordinary shares experience run-ups and declines that are seemingly unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, prospective investors may have difficulty assessing the rapidly changing value of our ordinary shares. In addition, investors in our ordinary shares may experience losses, which may be material, if the price of our ordinary shares declines or if such investors purchase shares of our ordinary shares prior to any price decline.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 14
    The trading price of our ordinary shares may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

    The trading price of our ordinary shares may be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of the broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with business operations located mainly in China that have listed their securities in the United States. A number of Chinese companies have listed or are in the process of listing their securities on U.S. stock markets. The securities of some of these companies have experienced significant volatility, including price declines in connection with their initial public offerings. The trading performance of these Chinese companies' securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese companies listed in the United States in general and consequently may impact the trading performance of our ordinary shares, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our ordinary shares may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following: - regulatory developments affecting us or our industry;- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and changes or revisions of our expected results;- changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;- conditions in the market for health and wellness products;- additions to or departures of our senior management;- fluctuations of exchange rates between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar;- release or expiry of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding shares; and - negative publicity regarding Chinese listed companies. - sales or perceived potential sales of additional ordinary shares. Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our 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 operations 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 have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 15
    Nasdaq may apply additional and more stringent criteria for our continued listing because we plan to have a small public offering and insiders will hold a large portion of our listed securities.

    Nasdaq Listing Rule 5101 provides Nasdaq with broad discretionary authority over the continued listing of securities in Nasdaq and Nasdaq may use such discretion to deny initial listing, apply additional or more stringent criteria for the initial or continued listing of particular securities, or suspend or delist particular securities based on any event, condition, or circumstance that exists or occurs that makes initial or continued listing of the securities on Nasdaq inadvisable or unwarranted in the opinion of Nasdaq, even though the securities meet all enumerated criteria for initial or continued listing on Nasdaq. In addition, Nasdaq has used its discretion to deny continued listing or to apply additional and more stringent criteria in the instances, including but not limited to: (i) where the company engaged an auditor that has not been subject to an inspection by PCAOB, an auditor that PCAOB cannot inspect, or an auditor that has not demonstrated sufficient resources, geographic reach, or experience to adequately perform the company's audit; (ii) where the company planned a small public offering, which would result in insiders holding a large portion of the company's listed securities. Nasdaq was concerned that the offering size was insufficient to establish the company's initial valuation, and there would not be sufficient liquidity to support a public market for the company; and (iii) where the company did not demonstrate sufficient nexus to the U.S. capital market, including having no U.S. shareholders, operations, or members of the board of directors or management.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 16
    The trading market for our ordinary shares is very new, and consistently robust and liquid trading market may not develop or be sustained over the long term.

    We only recently consummated our IPO in April 2025, and so the trading market for our ordinary shares is very new and unestablished. If a consistently robust and liquid trading market for our ordinary shares does not develop, you may not be able to sell your shares quickly or at the market price. Our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling our securities and our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using our securities as consideration may also be impaired.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 17
    Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq could result in a delisting of our ordinary shares.

    Our ordinary shares are listed on Nasdaq under the symbol "WXM." We cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on Nasdaq in the future. In order to continue listing our securities on Nasdaq, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. On December 24, 2025, we received written notice (the "Notice") from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC ("Nasdaq") notifying us that we are not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) requires listed securities to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share, and Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A) provides that a failure to meet the minimum bid price requirement exists if the deficiency continues for a period of 30 consecutive business days. The Notice does not impact the listing of our ordinary shares on Nasdaq at this time. In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we have 180 calendar days to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of our ordinary shares must be at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days before June 22, 2026. In the event that we do not regain compliance within this 180-day period, we may be eligible to seek an additional compliance period of 180 calendar days if we meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for The Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the minimum bid price requirement, and provide written notice to Nasdaq of our intent to cure the deficiency during this second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split if necessary. However, if it appears to the Nasdaq staff that we will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if we are otherwise not eligible, Nasdaq will provide notice to us that our ordinary shares will be subject to delisting. We are actively monitoring the closing bid price of our ordinary shares and evaluating available options to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. There can be no assurance that we will regain compliance with Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirements. If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, which would harm the value of the shareholders' investment, including: - a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;         - reduced liquidity for our securities;         - a determination that our ordinary shares come within the definition of "penny stock" which will require brokers trading in our ordinary shares to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;         - a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and         - a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as "covered securities." Because our ordinary shares have been approved for listing on Nasdaq, our ordinary shares will be covered securities. Although the states are pre-empted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 18
    Our ordinary shares may be delisted under the HFCA Act if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditor. The delisting of our ordinary shares, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

    The HFCA Act was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCA Act states if the SEC determines that a company has filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit shares of such company from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCA Act. A company will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a "non-inspection" year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCA Act, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCA Act, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCA Act, whether the PCAOB 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 issued 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 completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (i) China, and (ii) Hong Kong. Our auditor, ZH CPA, LLC, is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and is neither headquartered in China nor Hong Kong. Additionally, it was not identified in this annual report as a firm subject to the PCAOB's determination. On August 26, 2022, the CSRC, the MOF, and the PCAOB signed the Protocol, governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based 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 Board 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 Board will consider the need to issue a new determination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, trading in our ordinary shares may be prohibited under the HFCA Act if the PCAOB later determines that it cannot inspect or investigate our auditor completely, and as a result Nasdaq may determine to delist our ordinary shares. In addition, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was enacted on December 29, 2022, amends the HFCA Act by decreasing the number of non-inspection years from three years to two. Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this annual report, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is currently subject to PCAOB inspections. The PCAOB currently has access to inspect the working papers of our auditor. 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. Furthermore, various equity-based research organizations have recently published reports on China-based companies after examining their corporate governance practices, related party transactions, sales practices and financial statements, and these reports have led to special investigations and listing suspensions on U.S. national exchanges. Any similar scrutiny on us, regardless of its lack of merit, could cause the market price of our ordinary shares to fall, divert management resources and energy, cause us to incur expenses in defending ourselves against rumors, and increase the premiums we pay for director and officer insurance. The SEC may propose additional rules or guidance that could impact us if our auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspection. For example, on August 6, 2020, the President's Working Group on Financial Markets, or the PWG, issued the Report on Protecting United States Investors from Significant Risks from Chinese Companies to the then President of the United States. This annual report recommended the SEC implement five recommendations to address companies from jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfil its statutory mandate. Some of the concepts of these recommendations were implemented with the enactment of the HFCA Act. However, some of the recommendations were more stringent than the HFCA Act. For example, if a company's auditor was not subject to PCAOB inspection, the report recommended that the transition period before a company would be delisted would end on January 1, 2022. The SEC has announced that the SEC staff is preparing a consolidated proposal for the rules regarding the implementation of the HFCA Act and to address the recommendations in the PWG report. It is unclear when the SEC will complete its rulemaking and when such rules will become effective and what, if any, of the PWG recommendations will be adopted. The implications of this possible regulation in addition to the requirements of the HFCA Act are uncertain. While we understand that there has been dialogue among the CSRC, the SEC and the PCAOB regarding the inspection of PCAOB-registered accounting firms in China, there can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with requirements imposed by U.S. regulators. Such uncertainty could cause the market price of our ordinary shares to be materially and adversely affected, and our securities could be delisted and prohibited from being traded on the national securities exchange earlier than would be required by the HFCA Act. If our securities are unable to be listed on another securities exchange by then, such a delisting would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our ordinary shares when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with a potential delisting would have a negative impact on the price of our ordinary shares. Further, new laws and regulations or changes in laws and regulations in both the United States and China could affect our ability to list our ordinary shares on Nasdaq, which could materially impair the market for and market price of our ordinary shares.

  • Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 19
    Dividends payable to our foreign investors and gains on the sale of our ordinary shares by our foreign investors may be subject to PRC tax.

    Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation regulations issued by the State Council, a 10% PRC withholding tax is applicable to dividends payable to investors that are non-resident enterprises, which do not have an establishment or place of business in the PRC or which have such establishment or place of business but the dividends are not effectively connected with such establishment or place of business, to the extent such dividends are derived from sources within the PRC. Any gain realized on the transfer of shares by such investors is also subject to PRC tax at a current rate of 10% which in the case of dividends will be withheld at source if such gain is regarded as income derived from sources within the PRC. If we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid on our ordinary shares, and any gain realized from the transfer of our ordinary shares, may be treated as income derived from sources within the PRC and may as a result be subject to PRC taxation. See "Item 4. Information on the Company - A. History and development of the company-Regulations- Regulations Relating to Taxation." Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends payable to individual investors who are non-PRC residents and any gain realized on the transfer of shares by such investors may be subject to PRC tax at a current rate of 20%. Any PRC tax liability may be reduced under applicable tax treaties. However, it is unclear whether holders of our ordinary shares would be able to claim the benefit of income tax treaties or agreements entered into between China and other countries or areas if we are considered a PRC resident enterprise. If dividends payable to our non-PRC investors, or gains from the transfer of our ordinary shares by such investors are subject to PRC tax, the value of your investment in our ordinary shares may decline significantly.

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.