Arq Inc (ARQ) Risk Factors

The continuation of geopolitical conflicts in 2023 has continued to disrupt supply chains, resulting in cost increases for commodities, goods and services in many parts of the world. Disruptions of supply chains and higher costs may continue into 2024 and beyond. The economic effects from these events over longer terms could negatively impact our business and results of operations. The manufacturing and processing of our consumable products requires significant amounts of raw materials. The price and availability of those raw materials can be impacted by factors beyond our control. Our consumable products, exclusive of lignite coal, use a variety of additives. Significant movements or volatility in the costs of additives could have an adverse effect on our working capital or results of operations. Additionally, we purchase certain raw materials from selected key suppliers. While we have inventory of such raw materials, if any of these suppliers are unable to meet their obligations with us on a timely basis or at an acceptable price, we may be forced to incur higher costs to obtain the necessary raw materials or be unable to obtain the materials. We may attempt to offset the increase in raw material costs or challenges in the supply of raw materials with price increases allowed in our contractual relationships, or through cost reduction efforts. If we are unable to fully offset the increased cost of raw materials through price increases, it could significantly impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our ability to bring new products to the market will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to, solving potential technical or manufacturing difficulties, competition and market acceptance, which may hinder the timeliness and cost to bring such products to production. Further, there can be no assurance that costs incurred to develop new products will result in an increase in revenue. These factors or delays could affect our future operating results.

We rely on information technology ("IT") to manage and conduct business, both internally and externally, with our customers, suppliers and other third parties. Internet transactions involve the transmission and storage of data including customer and supplier business information. Therefore, maintaining the security of computers and other electronic devices, computer networks and data storage resources is a critical issue for us and our customers and suppliers because security breaches could result in reduced or lost ability to carry on our business and loss of, and/or unauthorized access to, confidential information. We have limited personnel and other resources to address information technology reliability and security of our computer networks, and to respond to known security incidents to minimize potential adverse impact. Experienced hackers, cybercriminals and perpetrators of threats may be able to penetrate our network security and misappropriate or compromise our confidential information or that of third parties, create system disruptions or cause shutdowns. These perpetrators of cyberattacks also may be able to develop and deploy viruses, worms, malware and other malicious software programs that attack our information and networks or otherwise exploit any security vulnerabilities of our information and networks. Techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to or sabotage systems change frequently and often are not recognized until after they are launched against a target, and we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. A breach of our IT systems and security measures or those of our third party partners as a result of third party action, malware, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise could materially adversely impact our business and results of operations and expose us to customer, supplier and other third party liabilities.

Tinuum Group, LCC ("Tinuum Group"), of which we hold a 42.5% ownership interest, indemnifies certain utilities and lessees of RC facilities for particular risks associated with the operations and tax treatment of those facilities. We have provided limited, joint and several guarantees of Tinuum Group's obligations under those leases. To date, we have not been required to make any payments under such guarantees and are not aware of any actual or threatened requests or claims for payment under such guarantees. Nevertheless, if any such obligations are triggered in the future, any substantial payments made under such guarantees could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In general, under IRC Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, ("IRC') a corporation that undergoes an "ownership change" is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change net operating losses ("NOLs") and tax credits to offset future taxable income. In general, an ownership change occurs if the aggregate stock ownership of certain stockholders (generally 5% stockholders (as defined in IRC Section 382), applying certain look-through rules) increases by more than 50 percentage points during the testing period (generally a three-year lookback period). An entity that experiences an ownership change generally is subject to an annual limitation on its pre-ownership change tax asset carryforwards. The annual limitation is increased each year to the extent that there is an unused limitation in a prior year. We acquired certain tax assets (the "Legacy Arq Tax Assets") in the Arq Acquisition, totaling approximately $12.5 million. The Legacy Arq Tax Assets are comprised of NOL carryforwards, of which $8.8 million were incurred in the U.S. Further, as of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $86.1 million of general business credit carryforwards (the "Tax Credits"), totaling approximately 77% of consolidated tax assets. Under the IRC and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS, we may carry forward or otherwise utilize our NOLs and Tax Credits (collectively, "Tax Assets") in certain circumstances to offset current and future federal income tax liabilities, subject to certain requirements and restrictions. However, our ability to use our Tax Assets to offset future federal income tax liability is limited if Legacy Arq or Arq, or both, experience an "ownership change" as discussed above. To the extent that the Tax Assets do not otherwise become limited, we believe that we will have available a significant amount of Tax Assets in future years, and therefore the Tax Assets could be a substantial asset to us. In connection with the Arq Acquisition and PIPE Investment, we issued additional shares of our common stock. We performed an IRC Section 382 analysis as of the Acquisition Date and determined that we had not experienced an "ownership change" as of that date. If we were to experience an "ownership change," it is possible that a significant portion of our Tax Assets could expire before we would be able to use them to offset future federal income tax liability. Prior to the Acquisition Date, Legacy Arq completed numerous equity offerings that resulted in ownership changes. We have not completed a formal IRC Section 382 analysis of Legacy Arq equity changes from its inception through the Acquisition Date, however, we believe that one or more "ownership changes" occurred during this time period as defined under Sections 382 and 383 and that a portion or all the Legacy Arq Tax Assets may subject to an annual limitation. To mitigate the risk of an "ownership change," on May 5, 2017, our board of directors (the "Board") approved the Tax Asset Protection Plan (the "TAPP") and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (each, a "Right") for each outstanding share of our common stock. The TAPP was adopted in an effort to protect stockholder value by attempting to diminish the risk that our ability to use the ADES Tax Credits to reduce potential future federal income tax obligations may become substantially limited (the "Protection Plan"). During the years 2018-2023, we executed amendments to the TAPP (the "TAPP Amendments"), which amended the definition of "Final Expiration Date" under the TAPP to extend the duration of the TAPP and makes associated changes in connection therewith. The most recent TAPP Amendment was approved at our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders and extended the Final Expiration Date to the close of business on December 31, 2024. The TAPP, as amended, is intended to act as a deterrent to any person acquiring beneficial ownership of 4.99% or more of our outstanding common stock without the approval of the Board. Stockholders who beneficially owned 4.99% or more of our outstanding common stock upon execution of the Protection Plan will not trigger the Protection Plan so long as they do not acquire beneficial ownership of additional shares of our common stock. The Board may, in its sole discretion, also exempt any person from triggering the Protection Plan. In connection with the Arq Acquisition and PIPE Investment, we granted a waiver under the TAPP for certain shareholders to acquire more shares of our stock in the future, provided that such acquisition is not expected to, and does not, effect an "ownership change" under IRC Sections 382 and 383. Despite the TAPP, our projections of what will effect an ownership change could be wrong, and with a waiver in place for certain shareholders, there is a risk that we experience an ownership change for purposes of IRC Sections 382 and 383 because of future acquisitions of our common stock.

We operate in a highly competitive marketplace. Our ability to compete successfully depends in part upon our ability to maintain a production cost advantage, competitive technological capabilities and to continue to identify, develop and commercialize new and innovative products for existing and future customers. We may face increased competition from existing or newly developed products offered by industry competitors or other companies whose products offer a similar functionality as our products and could be substituted for our products, which may negatively affect demand for our products. In addition, market competition could negatively impact our ability to maintain or raise prices or maintain or grow our market position. Additionally, our competitors are significantly larger and/or more established companies in the market for consumables and other products that provide mercury emissions reduction, water treatment and air purification.

Uncertain geopolitical conditions, including the conflicts in the Middle East, the invasion of Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and other potential impacts on the world economy and currencies may cause disruptions in our business. These include logistics delays or shortages in producing and shipping certain of our raw materials, increases in energy prices that could increase costs of certain of our raw materials, increases in transportation costs from overall higher gasoline prices and cyber-attacks targeted at U.S. power infrastructure that could impact demand for our products.

Our business faces competition in the U.S. from low-priced imports of AC products. If the volumes of these low-priced imports increase, especially if they are sold at less than fair value, our sales of competing products could decline, which could have an adverse effect our earnings. In addition, sales of these low-priced imports may negatively impact our pricing. To limit these activities, regulators in the U.S. have enacted an anti-dumping duty order on steam AC products from China. In November 2023, the order was extended for an additional five years. The amount of anti-dumping duties collected on imports of steam AC from China is reviewed annually by the U.S. Department of Commerce. To the extent the anti-dumping margins do not adequately address the degree to which imports are unfairly traded, the anti-dumping order may be less effective in reducing the volume of these low-priced AC imports in the U.S., which could negatively affect demand and/or pricing for our products.