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.

Amtech Systems disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Amtech Systems reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2024

Risk Distribution

35% Finance & Corporate

16% Legal & Regulatory

13% Tech & Innovation

13% Production

13% Macro & Political

10% Ability to Sell

Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2020

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

Amtech Systems Risk Factors

New Risk (0)

Risk Changed (0)

Risk Removed (0)

No changes from previous report

The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q3, 2024

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 11 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 11 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

-1

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

-1

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

3Risks added

4Risks removed

1Risks changed

Since Sep 2024

3Risks added

4Risks removed

1Risks changed

Since Sep 2024

Number of Risk Changed

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

See the risk highlights of Amtech Systems in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 31

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 11/31 (35%)Below Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights5 | 16.1%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

Added

Continued changes in corporate governance requirements, policies and practices may impact our business.

Corporate governance, public disclosure and compliance practices continue to evolve based upon continuing legislative action, SEC rulemaking and policy positions taken by large institutional stockholders and proxy advisors. As a result, the number of rules, regulations and standards applicable to us may become more burdensome to comply with, could increase scrutiny of our practices and policies by these or other groups and increase our legal and financial compliance costs and the amount of time management must devote to governance and compliance activities. For example, the SEC has recently adopted rules requiring that issuers provide significantly increased disclosures concerning cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and incident reporting and adopt more stringent executive compensation clawback policies. Increasing regulatory burdens and corporate governance requirements could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our Board and qualified executive officers.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

Our stock price may be volatile.

Historically, our common stock has experienced substantial price volatility, particularly as a result of fluctuations in our revenue, earnings and margins over the past few years, and variations between our actual financial results and the published expectations of analysts. For example, during the two-year period ended September 30, 2024, the price of our common stock has ranged from $11.98 to $3.37. If our future operating results or margins are below the expectations of stock market analysts or our investors, our stock price will likely decline. Speculation and opinions in the press or investment community about our strategic position, financial condition, results of operations or significant transactions can also cause changes in our stock price. Competition in some of the markets we address such as the SiC industry, and the effect of tariffs or COVID-19 or other pandemics on our business, may have a dramatic effect on our stock price. Additional factors may affect our stock price, including sales of our common stock by us or our existing shareholders as well as changes to the coverage and/or rating of our stock by securities analysts.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3

Our officers, directors and largest shareholders could choose to act in their best interests and not necessarily those of our other shareholders.

Our directors, executive officers and holders of ten percent or more of our outstanding common stock and their affiliates represent a significant portion of our common stock held as of September 30, 2024, and, therefore, could have significant influence over our management and corporate policies. These shareholders have significant influence over all matters submitted to our shareholders, including the election of our directors and approval of business combinations, and could potentially initiate or delay, deter or prevent a change of control. Circumstances may occur in which the interests of these shareholders may conflict with the interests of Amtech or those of our other shareholders, and these shareholders may cause us to take actions that align with their interests. Should conflicts of interest arise, we can provide no assurance that these shareholders would act in the best interests of our other shareholders or that any conflicts of interest would be resolved in a manner favorable to our other shareholders. In addition, involvement of certain activist shareholders may impact our ability to recruit and retain talent or otherwise distract management or make decisions that we believe are in the long-term interest of all shareholders.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4

Shareholder activists could cause a disruption to our business.

An activist investor may indicate disagreement with our strategic direction or capital allocation policies and may seek representation on our Board of Directors. Our business, operating results or financial condition could be adversely affected and may result in, among other things: (a) increased operating costs, including increased legal expenses, insurance, administrative expenses and associated costs incurred in connection with director election contests; (b) uncertainties as to our future direction, which could result in the loss of potential business opportunities and could make it more difficult to attract, retain, or motivate qualified personnel, and strain relationships with investors and customers; and (c) reduction or delay in our ability to effectively execute our current business strategy and to implement new strategies.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5

There are provisions in our corporate governing documents that could make an acquisition of the Company more difficult and limit attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management.

Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, as well as Arizona law, contain provisions that may have the effect of deterring takeovers or delaying or preventing a change in control of us or changes in our management that a shareholder might deem to be in his or her best interest. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that: (a) authorize "blank check" preferred stock, which could be issued by our Board of Directors without shareholder approval and may contain voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to our common stock; (b) specify that special meetings of our shareholders can be called only by our Board of Directors, the Chairperson of our Board of Directors, our Chief Executive Officer, or a majority of the Board of Directors; (c) provide that vacancies on our Board of Directors may be filled only by a majority of directors then in office, though not less than a quorum; (d) specify that only our Board of Directors may change the size of our Board of Directors; (e) establish an advance notice procedure for shareholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of our shareholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our Board of Directors; and (f) expressly authorize our Board of Directors to modify, alter or repeal our bylaws. These provisions, alone or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in our management or our Board of Directors. In addition, because we are incorporated in the State of Arizona, we are governed by the provisions of the Arizona Revised Statutes Section 10-274, which prohibits certain business combinations between us and certain interested shareholders unless specified conditions are met. These provisions may also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of Amtech. Any provision of our amended and restated articles of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws or Arizona law that has the effect of delaying or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our shareholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

Accounting & Financial Operations1 | 3.2%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting which, if not remediated, could result in material misstatements in our financial statements.

During the fourth quarter ended September 30, 2023, we identified a material weakness in internal control related to ineffective information technology general controls in the areas of user access, segregation of duties, and program change-management over information technology systems that support substantially all of the Company's financial reporting processes. This resulted in our inability to segregate user duties within the Company's business processes. A substantial portion of the Company's controls are dependent upon the information derived from the information technology systems and therefore the dependent controls were concluded to be ineffective. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Additionally, in the fourth quarter ended September 30, 2023, we identified a material weakness because we did not design and maintain adequate internal controls over non-routine and complex transactions, including the preparation and review of the third-party service provider valuation reports in the areas of goodwill and intangible assets. In fiscal 2024, our management, under the oversight of our Audit Committee, began designing and implementing measures designed to remediate the control deficiencies contributing to these material weaknesses. The material weaknesses are considered remediated once all necessary internal controls have been implemented, tested and determined to be operating effectively for a sufficient period of time, which we concluded occurred as of September 30, 2024. Notwithstanding the remediation of the control deficiencies, we cannot assure you that we will not identify additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. If we are unable to remediate the material weaknesses, our ability to record, process and report financial information accurately, and to prepare financial statements with the time periods specified by the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission, could be adversely affected. This failure could negatively affect the market price and trading liquidity of our common stock, cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, subject us to civil and criminal investigations and penalties and generally materially and adversely impact our business and financial condition.

Debt & Financing2 | 6.5%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

We maintain cash deposits in excess of federally insured limits. Adverse developments affecting financial institutions, including bank failures, could adversely affect our liquidity and financial performance.

We maintain domestic cash deposits in Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") insured banks that exceed the FDIC insurance limits. We also maintain cash deposits in foreign banks where we operate, some of which are not insured or are only partially insured by the FDIC or similar agencies. Bank failures, events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance, or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, or concerns or rumors about such events, may lead to liquidity constraints. The failure of a bank, or other adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets impacting financial institutions at which we maintain balances, could adversely impact our liquidity and financial performance. There can be no assurance that our deposits in excess of the FDIC or other comparable insurance limits will be backstopped by the U.S. or applicable foreign government, or that any bank or financial institution with which we do business will be able to obtain needed liquidity from other banks, government institutions, or by acquisition in the event of a failure or liquidity crisis.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flows or obtain access to external financing necessary to fund existing operations and our growth plan.

Our cash flows may be insufficient to provide adequate working capital in the future and we may require additional financing to fund existing operations as well as our growth plan. We paid off and terminated our existing credit facility with UMB Bank in September 2024. There is no assurance that we will be able to replace such facility or that any additional financing will be available if required, or, even if available, that it would not materially dilute the ownership percentage of our then existing shareholders, result in increased expenses or result in covenants or special rights that would restrict our operations.

Corporate Activity and Growth3 | 9.7%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

We may not be able to manage our business successfully through severe business cycles.

We may be unable to successfully expand or contract our business to meet fluctuating demands. Market fluctuations place significant strain on our management, personnel, systems, and resources. To successfully manage our growth through such market fluctuations, we believe we must effectively: (a) maintain the appropriate number and mix of permanent, part-time, temporary and contract employees to meet the fluctuating demand for our products; (b) train, integrate and manage personnel, particularly process engineers, field service engineers, sales and marketing personnel, and financial and information technology personnel to maintain and improve skills and morale; (c) retain key management and augment our management team, particularly if we lose key members; (d) continue to enhance our customer resource and manufacturing management systems to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction and efficiencies, including inventory control; (e) manage our existing contract manufacturers and those we engage in the future, (f) implement and improve existing and new administrative, financial and operations systems, procedures and controls; (g) expand and upgrade our technological capabilities; and (h) manage multiple relationships with our customers, suppliers and other third parties. We may encounter difficulties in effectively managing the budgeting, forecasting and other process control issues presented by rapidly changing business cycles. If we are unable to effectively manage our business through these cycles, we may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities, develop new technologies and other products, satisfy customer requirements, execute our business plan or respond to competitive pressures.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2

We may be unable to successfully acquire and integrate new operations, which could cause our business to suffer.

We continually evaluate potential acquisitions and consider acquisitions an important part of our future growth strategy. In the past, we have made acquisitions of, or significant investments in, other businesses with synergistic products, services and technologies and plan to continue to do so in the future. There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify suitable acquisition opportunities in the future or that we will be able to consummate any such transactions on terms and conditions acceptable to us. Additionally, we cannot predict if or when acquisitions will be completed, and we may face significant competition for acquisition targets. Acquisitions involve numerous risks, including: (a) difficulties in integrating the operations, technologies, management information systems, products and personnel of the acquired companies; (b) diversion of management's attention from normal daily operations of the business; (c) loss of key employees; (d) difficulties in entering markets in which we have no or limited prior experience and where our competitors in such markets have stronger market positions; (e) difficulties in complying with regulations, such as antitrust and environmental regulations, and managing risks related to an acquired business; (f) an inability to timely obtain financing, including any amendments required to our existing financing agreement; (g) an inability to implement uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies; (h) undiscovered and unknown problems, defects, liabilities or other issues related to any acquisition that become known to us only after the acquisition; and (i) loss of key customers or suppliers. Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows, particularly in the case of a large acquisition.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3

Added

We may be unable to implement certain business strategies and any issue with the pursuit of such business strategies could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We may from time to time determine to implement business strategies and restructuring initiatives in order to remain competitive. Because our strategies and restructuring activities may involve changes to many aspects of our business, including the location of our production facilities, the use of contract manufactures, and the potential exit of certain product lines and businesses, our ability to successfully do so depends on a number of factors, many of which are outside of our control. If we are not able to effectively manage or efficiently implement these strategies and/or restructuring initiatives for reasons within or outside of our control, then our business operations could be materially adversely affected. In addition, implementation of a business strategy may lead to the disruption of our existing business operations. For example, the contingent risks associated with outsourcing certain of our existing manufacturing operations to third parties, as is the case with our use of third party manufacturers, primarily in Canada and Mexico, could materially impact our financial condition or results of operations and/or could disrupt our existing operations, especially if a contract manufacturer is unable to meet its commitments under any agreements or encounters financial difficulty. Furthermore, our efforts to outsource certain of our manufacturing operations may require additional management time and effort to implement successfully, and lead to higher than anticipated capital expenditures. The failure to successfully and timely realize the anticipated benefits of these transactions or strategies could have a material adverse effect on our profitability, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, even if we fully execute and implement these activities, there may be other unforeseeable and unintended consequences that could materially adversely impact our profitability and business, including unintended employee attrition or harm to our competitive position. To the extent that we do not achieve the profitability enhancement or other anticipated benefits of strategy or restructuring initiatives, our results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 5/31 (16%)Below Sector Average

Regulation1 | 3.2%

Regulation - Risk 1

Changed

We are subject to expanded export control restrictions adopted by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security that could negatively impact our business in China.

The United States and certain other countries in which we do business maintain government controls that may restrict our ability to import or export our products and services or increase the cost of our operations through the imposition of tariffs, new controls, outright bans, or otherwise, that could harm our business and negatively impact our financial position and results of operations. For example, the U.S. Department of Commerce has added and continues to add numerous China-based entities to the U.S. Entity List, including many entities active in the semiconductor industry in China, restricting our ability to provide products and services to such entities without an export license. Even if we apply for licenses to sell our products or provide services to companies on the U.S. Entity List, there can be no assurance that licenses will be granted. In addition, the U.S. Department of Commerce has imposed new export licensing requirements on exports to China-based customers engaged in development or production in China of advanced semiconductors and supercomputers, military end uses, support for military end users, or where Commerce has determined there is a risk of diversion to a military end use, as well as requiring our customers to obtain export licenses when they use certain semiconductor capital equipment based on U.S. technology to manufacture products connected to certain entities on the U.S. Entity List. The U.S. Department of Commerce has also imposed restrictions on the activities of U.S. persons supporting or facilitating transactions with projects in China for the development or production of advanced semiconductors and supercomputers. To date, these new rules have not significantly impacted our operations, but we are continually monitoring their impact. If additional companies are added to the U.S. Entity List, or other licensing requirements or restrictions are imposed, thereby limiting our ability to sell our products or services to other customers in China, our business could be significantly harmed. Similar actions by the U.S. government or another country could impact our ability to provide our products and services to existing and potential customers.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 3.2%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

We face a risk of product liability claims or other litigation, which could be expensive and may divert management's attention from running our business.

Amtech and our subsidiaries are defendants from time to time in actions for matters arising out of our business operations. The manufacture and sale of our products, which, in our customers' operations, involve toxic materials and robotic machinery, involve the risk of product liability claims. In addition, a failure of one of our products at a customer site could interrupt the business operations of our customer. Our existing insurance coverage limits may not be adequate to protect us from all liabilities that we might incur in connection with the manufacture and sale of our products if a successful product liability claim or series of product liability claims were brought against us. As of September 30, 2024 and 2023, our accrued warranty costs amounted to $0.6 million and $1.0 million, respectively. Our assumptions regarding the durability and reliability of our products may not be accurate, and because our products have relatively long warranty periods, we cannot assure you that the amount of accrued warranty by us for our products will be adequate considering the actual performance of our products or that we won't experience higher than expected warranty claims. If we experience a significant increase in warranty claims, we may incur significant repair and replacement costs associated with such claims. Furthermore, widespread product underperformances or failures will damage our reputation and customer relationships and may cause our sales to decline, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We also may be involved in other legal proceedings or claims and experience threats of legal action from time to time in the ordinary course of our business. For example, securities class action litigation is often brought against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of its securities or in connection with strategic transactions. We may in the future be the target of securities litigation due to volatility in the market price of our common stock or for other reasons. Any securities litigation could result in substantial costs and could divert the attention and resources of our management. Where appropriate, we intend to vigorously defend all claims. However, any actual or threatened claims, even if not meritorious or material, could result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources. The continued defense of these claims and other types of lawsuits could divert management's attention away from running our business. In addition, amounts required to be paid in settlement of any claims, and the legal fees and other costs associated with their defense or settlement, cannot be estimated and could, individually or in the aggregate, materially harm our financial condition.

Taxation & Government Incentives1 | 3.2%

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1

Our income taxes are subject to variables beyond our control.

Our net income and cash flow may be adversely affected by conditions affecting income taxes which are outside our control. Examples of the potential uncontrollable circumstances that could affect our tax rate are as follows: - We sell and operate globally in the United States, Europe and Asia. Disagreement could occur on the jurisdiction of income and taxation among different governmental tax authorities. Potential areas of dispute may include transfer pricing, intercompany charges and intercompany balances. - We are subject to a Chinese withholding tax on certain non-tangible charges made under our transfer pricing agreements. The interpretation of what charges are subject to the tax and when the liability for the tax occurs has varied and could change in the future. - Tax rates may increase, or new tax rates may be implemented (i.e., a global minimum rate), and, therefore, have a material adverse effect on our earnings and cash flows.

Environmental / Social2 | 6.5%

Environmental / Social - Risk 1

We are subject to various laws and regulations, including recent pronouncements related to laws and regulations governing climate related disclosures, cybersecurity, privacy, anti-corruption and the environment. Obligations and liabilities under these laws and regulations may materially harm our business.

Our operations are subject to an array of governmental regulations in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate, including taxation policies, governance and audit requirements, employment and labor laws, environmental regulations, transportation regulations, import and export regulations and tariffs, possible foreign exchange restrictions and international monetary fluctuations. Noncompliance with applicable regulations, implementation of new regulations or modifications to existing regulations may increase costs of compliance, require a termination of certain activities or otherwise materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Climate Disclosure, Cybersecurity and Other Pronouncements - Pronouncements by the SEC, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, and from the state of California, among others, related to antitrust, climate related disclosures, cybersecurity and privacy could have the impact of increasing Company compliance costs, increasing potential liability to the Company as a result of frivolous lawsuits, or place the Company in a position of not knowing when or if the laws are settled in a particular area in order for the Company to effectively comply. Anti-Corruption Laws and Regulations - We are a U.S.-based multinational company with extensive operations in Asia and elsewhere. We operate in several high-risk jurisdictions, including, but not limited to China. Various U.S. and certain non-U.S. anti-corruption/anti-bribery and other international trade laws and regulations apply to us and our businesses. These laws and regulations may include, among others, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the U.S. Travel Act, domestic anti-corruption laws such as 18 U.S.C. §201, the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, the USA PATRIOT Act, the U.S. Export Control Reform Act of 2018, the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. §§730 et seq.), U.S. sanctions contained in 31 C.F.R. Parts 500-599, the U.S. International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the U.S. Trading with the Enemy Act, the International Boycott Provisions (Section 999) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, the UK Bribery Act 2010, the UK Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and certain other anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-kickback, anti-fraud, anti-money laundering, anti-terrorist financing, anti-narcotics, anti-boycott, export control, sanctions, embargo, import control, customs, tax, insider trading, insurance, banking, false claims, anti-racketeering, and other laws, regulations, decrees, government or executive orders, or judicial or administrative decisions or determinations to the extent applicable. These laws and regulations are interpreted very broadly and will impact and raise legal compliance risks for our business in the various jurisdictions where we operate. Violations of any of these laws and regulations may result in substantial civil and/or criminal fines and penalties, imprisonment, the loss of export or import privileges, debarment, tax reassessments, breach of contract and fraud litigation, reputational harm, and other consequences. Anti-corruption/anti-bribery and the other laws and regulations referenced above are actively enforced by U.S. and other government agencies. Among various matters, anti-corruption/anti-bribery laws prohibit our companies, subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees, and business partners, as well as third parties acting for or on our behalf, from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting, or accepting, whether directly or indirectly, improper payments or anything else of value to or from recipients in the public or private sector. We may engage vendors and third-party business partners to sell our products or services and/or to obtain necessary permits, licenses, patent registrations, and other regulatory approvals. We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or government-affiliated organizations. These activities raise our anti-corruption/anti-bribery risk exposure. We can be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of our officers, directors, employees, and business partners, as well as the conduct of third parties acting for or on our behalf, even if we do not explicitly authorize or have actual knowledge of their misconduct. The application of these laws to us also may place us at a competitive disadvantage to foreign companies that are not subject to similar laws/regulations. Environmental Laws and Regulations - We are subject to a variety of national, state, regional and local environmental laws and regulations. Among other things, these laws and regulations impose limitations and prohibitions on the discharge and emission of, and establish standards for the use, disposal and management of, regulated materials and waste and impose liabilities for the costs of investigating and cleaning up, and damages resulting from, present and past spills, disposals or other releases of hazardous substances or materials. In the ordinary course of business, we use and generate substances that are regulated or may be hazardous under environmental laws. We have an inherent risk of liability under environmental laws and regulations, both with respect to ongoing operations and with respect to contamination that may have occurred in the past on our properties or as a result of our operations. While we endeavor to comply with all regulatory requirements, from time to time, our operations or conditions on properties that we have acquired have resulted in liabilities under these environmental laws. We may in the future incur material costs to comply with environmental laws or sustain material liabilities from claims concerning noncompliance or contamination. Under certain environmental laws, we could be held responsible for all the costs relating to any contamination at, or migration to or from, our or our predecessors' past or present facilities. These laws often impose liability even if the owner, operator or lessor did not know of, or was not responsible for, the release of such hazardous substances. While we maintain certain related insurance coverages, we have no reserves for any such liabilities. We are also required to obtain environmental permits from governmental authorities for certain of our operations. If we violate or fail to obtain or comply with these laws, regulations, or permits, we could be fined or otherwise sanctioned by regulators. We could also become liable if employees or other parties are improperly exposed to hazardous materials. We cannot predict what environmental legislation or regulations will be enacted in the future, how existing or future laws or regulations will be administered or interpreted, or what environmental conditions may be found to exist at our facilities or at third party sites for which we may be liable. Enactment of stricter laws or regulations, stricter interpretations of existing laws and regulations or the requirement to undertake the investigation or remediation of currently unknown environmental contamination at sites we own or third-party sites may require us to make additional expenditures, some of which could be material. Responding to governmental investigations or other actions may be both time-consuming and disruptive to our operations and could divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations. The impact of these and other investigations and lawsuits could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements.

Environmental / Social - Risk 2

Added

Social and environmental responsibility regulations, policies and provisions, as well as customer and investor demands, may make our supply chain more complex and may adversely affect our relationships with customers and investors.

With the increasing focus on corporate social and environmental responsibility in the semiconductor industry, a number of our customers have adopted, or may adopt, procurement policies that include social and environmental responsibility provisions or requirements that their suppliers should comply with, or they may seek to include such provisions or requirements in their procurement terms and conditions. We may face difficulties in satisfying these customers' demands, which may harm our sales and operating results. Many investors also expect companies to disclose corporate social and environmental policies, practices and metrics under voluntary disclosure standards and frameworks. We periodically communicate our strategies, goals and targets related to our corporate social and environmental policies and programs. These strategies, goals and targets, and their underlying assumptions and projections, reflect our current plans and aspirations, but we may be unable to achieve them. It is also possible that our investors might not be satisfied with our policies, programs, goals, performance and related disclosures, or the speed of their adoption, implementation and measurable success, or that we have adopted such policies, programs and commitments at all. In addition, unfavorable ratings or assessment of our corporate social and environmental policies and programs, including our compliance with certain voluntary disclosure standards and frameworks, may lead to negative investor sentiment toward us, which could have a negative impact on our stock price and our access to and cost of capital.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 4/31 (13%)Below Sector Average

Trade Secrets2 | 6.5%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

Third parties may violate our proprietary rights, in which we have made significant investments, resulting in a loss of value of some of our intellectual property or costly litigation.

Our success is dependent in part on our technology and other proprietary rights. We own various U.S. and international patents and have additional pending patent applications relating to some of our products and technologies. Protecting and defending our patents domestically, and especially internationally, is costly. In addition, the process of seeking patent protection is lengthy and expensive. Therefore, we cannot be certain that pending or future applications will result in issued patents, or that issued patents will be of sufficient scope or strength to provide meaningful protection or commercial advantage to us. Other companies and individuals, including our larger competitors, may develop technologies that are similar or superior to our technology or design around the patents we own or license. In addition, the patent for the technology that we license and use in our manufacture of insert carriers has expired, which, along with the other risks related to our patents described above, may have the effect of diminishing or eliminating any competitive advantage we may have with respect to our manufacturing process. We also maintain trademarks on certain of our products and claim copyright protection for certain proprietary software and documentation. We can give no assurance, however, that our trademarks and copyrights will be upheld or will successfully deter infringement by third parties. We attempt to protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information through confidentiality agreements with our customers, suppliers, employees and consultants and through other security measures. We also maintain exclusive and non-exclusive licenses with third parties for the technology used in certain products. However, these employees, consultants and third parties may breach these agreements, and we may not have adequate remedies for wrongdoing. In addition, the laws of certain territories, such as China, in which we develop, manufacture or sell our products may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States.

Trade Secrets - Risk 2

We may face intellectual property infringement claims that could be time-consuming and costly to defend and could result in our loss of significant rights and the assessment of treble damages.

From time to time, we have received communications from other parties asserting the existence of patent rights or other intellectual property rights that they believe cover certain of our products, processes, technologies or information. Some of these claims may lead to litigation. We cannot assure that we will prevail in these actions, or that other actions alleging misappropriation or misuse by us of third-party trade secrets, infringement by us of third-party patents and trademarks or the validity of our patents, will not be asserted or prosecuted against us. If there is a successful claim of infringement against us, we may be required to pay substantial damages (including treble damages if we were to be found to have willfully infringed a third party's patent) to the party claiming infringement, incur costs to develop non-infringing technology, stop selling or using technology that contains the allegedly infringing intellectual property, or enter into royalty or license agreements that may not be available on acceptable or commercially practical terms, if at all. Intellectual property litigation, regardless of outcome, is expensive and time-consuming, and could divert management's attention from our business. Our failure to successfully defend against infringement claims, or to develop non-infringing technologies or license the proprietary rights on a timely basis, could have a material negative effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

Technology2 | 6.5%

Technology - Risk 1

We may not be able to keep pace with the rapid change in the technology needed to meet customer requirements.

Success in the semiconductor equipment industry depends, in part, on continual improvement of existing technologies and rapid innovation of new solutions. For example, the semiconductor industry continues to shrink the size of semiconductor devices. This trend and other evolving customer needs require us to continually respond with new product developments. Technical innovations are inherently complex and require long development cycles and appropriate professional staffing. Our future success depends on our ability to develop and introduce new products, or new uses for existing products, that successfully address changing customer needs and gain market acceptance. We also must manufacture these new products in a timely and cost-effective manner. To realize future growth through technical innovations in the semiconductor industry, we must acquire the technology through product development, merger and acquisition activity or through the licensing of products from our technology partners. Potential disruptive technologies could have a material adverse effect on our business if we do not successfully develop and introduce new products, technologies or uses for existing products in a timely manner and continually find ways of reducing the cost to produce them in response to changing market conditions or customer requirements.

Technology - Risk 2

There is ongoing volatility in the semiconductor equipment industry.

The semiconductor equipment industry is highly cyclical and volatile. As such, demand for, and the profitability of, our products can change significantly from period to period as a result of numerous factors, including the following: (a) changes in global and regional economic conditions; (b) the shift of semiconductor production to Asia, where there often is increased price competition; (c) tariffs, quotas and international trade barriers; (d) changes in capacity utilization and production volume of manufacturers of semiconductors, silicon wafers and MEMS; (e) the profitability and capital resources of those manufacturers; and (f) challenges associated with marketing and selling manufacturing equipment and services to a diverse and diffuse customer base. The purchasing decisions of our customers are highly dependent on their capacity utilization, which changes when new facilities are put into production and with the level of demand for our products, as well as our customers' capital expenditure budgets. Purchasing decisions are also impacted by changes in the economies of the countries served by our customers, as well as the state of the worldwide industries in which we operate or expect to operate in the future. The timing, length, and severity of the up-and-down cycles in the semiconductor equipment industry are difficult to predict. Additionally, we generally experience a one-to-two quarter lag between upturns/downturns experienced by larger equipment manufacturers. When cyclical fluctuations result in lower than expected revenue levels, our operating results are adversely affected. Cost reduction measures may be necessary for us to remain competitive and financially sound. During a down cycle, our operating results may be adversely affected if we are unable to make timely adjustments to our cost and expense structure to correspond to the prevailing market conditions, effectively manage our supply chain, and motivate and retain key employees. In addition, during periods of rapid growth, our operating results may be adversely affected if we are unable to increase manufacturing capacity and personnel and effectively manage our supply chain to meet customer demand, which may require additional liquidity. We can provide no assurance that we can timely and effectively respond to the industry cycles, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

Production

Total Risks: 4/31 (13%)Below Sector Average

Manufacturing1 | 3.2%

Manufacturing - Risk 1

Manufacturing interruptions or delays could affect our ability to meet customer demand and lead to higher costs.

Our business depends on timely supply of parts, services and related products that meet the rapidly changing technical and volume requirements of our customers. Some key parts to our products are subject to long lead times and/or are obtainable only from a single supplier or limited group of suppliers. Cyclical industry conditions and the volatility of demand for manufacturing equipment increase capital, technical, operational and other risks for us and for companies throughout our supply chain. Further, these conditions may cause some suppliers to scale back operations, exit businesses, merge with other companies, file for bankruptcy protection or possibly cease operations. We also may experience significant interruptions of our manufacturing operations, delays in our ability to deliver products or services or increased costs as a result of any of the following: (a) the failure or inability of suppliers to deliver sufficient quantities of quality parts on a cost-effective and timely basis; (b) volatility in the availability and cost of materials, including rare earth elements; (c) difficulties or delays in obtaining required import or export approvals; (d) information technology or infrastructure failures; and (e) natural disasters or other events beyond our control (such as earthquakes, floods or storms, regional economic downturns, pandemics, social unrest, political instability, terrorism, or acts of war), particularly where we conduct manufacturing operations. We use third parties for certain of our manufacturing activities. If our contract manufacturers do not perform effectively, we may not be able to achieve the expected cost savings and may incur additional costs to correct errors or fulfill customer demand. Depending on the function involved, such errors may also lead to business disruption, processing inefficiencies, the loss of or damage to intellectual property through security breach, or an impact on employee morale. Our operations may also be negatively impacted if any of these contract manufacturers do not have the financial capability to meet our growing needs. There are also inherent execution risks in starting up a new factory or expanding production capacity, whether one of our own factories or that of our contract manufacturers, as well as risks to moving production to different contract manufacturers, which could increase costs and reduce our operating results. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, we opened a new SiC consumables facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina to complement our manufacturing facility in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. We are also working with contract manufacturing facilities in Canada and Mexico. The establishment and operation of new manufacturing facilities or contract manufacturing involves significant risks and challenges, some of which we have experienced and may experience in the future, including, but not limited to, the following: (a) design and construction delays and cost overruns; (b) issues in installing and qualifying new equipment and ramping production; (c) poor production process yields and reduced quality control; and (d) insufficient personnel with requisite expertise and experience to operate a manufacturing facility for the products we manufacture.

Employment / Personnel1 | 3.2%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

Our inability to attract, train and retain effective employees and management could harm our business.

Our success depends upon the continued contributions of our executive officers and certain other employees, many of whom have many years of experience with us and would be extremely difficult to replace. We must also attract and retain experienced and highly skilled engineering, sales and marketing and managerial personnel. Competition for qualified personnel is intense in our industry, and we may not be successful in hiring and retaining these people. If we lost the services of our executive officers or our other highly qualified and experienced employees or cannot attract and retain other qualified personnel, our business could suffer as a result of less effective management due to loss of accumulated knowledge of our business or through less successful products due to a reduced ability to design, manufacture and market our products.

Supply Chain1 | 3.2%

Supply Chain - Risk 1

Supplier capacity constraints, supplier production disruptions, supplier quality issues or price increases could increase our operating costs and adversely impact the competitive positions of our products.

We use numerous suppliers covering a wide range of materials and services in the production of our products including custom electronic and mechanical components. Key vendors include suppliers of controllers, quartz and silicon carbide for our diffusion systems, steel mills capable of producing the types of steel to the tolerances needed for our wafer carriers, an injection molding machine that molds plastic inserts into our steel carriers, an adhesive manufacturer that supplies the critical glue and a pad supplier that produces a unique material used in the manufacture of our polishing templates. We also rely on third parties for certain machined parts, steel frames and metal panels and other components used particularly in the assembly of our production equipment. Although we strive to ensure that parts are available from multiple suppliers, we procure some key parts from a single supplier or a limited number of suppliers. Thus, at times, certain parts may not be available in sufficient quantities, or on a timely and cost-efficient basis, to adequately meet our needs and the needs of our customers. In the event of supplier capacity constraints, production disruptions, or failure to meet our requirements concerning quality, cost or performance factors, we may seek to transfer our business to alternative sourcing which could lead to further delays, additional costs or other difficulties. If, in the future, we do not receive, in a timely and cost-effective manner, a sufficient quantity and quality of parts to meet our production requirements, our business, financial position and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Costs1 | 3.2%

Costs - Risk 1

If we fail to maintain optimal inventory levels, our inventory obsolescence costs could increase, our liquidity could be significantly reduced, or our revenue could decrease.

While we must maintain sufficient inventory levels to operate our business successfully, meet our customers' demands, and mitigate the possible impact of supply chain issues, accumulating excess inventory may have a significant unfavorable impact on our operating results and financial condition. Changing customer demands, supplier lead times and uncertainty surrounding new product launches expose us to risks associated with excess inventory or shortages. Our products are manufactured using a wide variety of purchased parts and raw materials and we must maintain sufficient inventory levels to meet the demand for the products we sell, which can change rapidly and unexpectedly. During peak years of our business, increases in demand for capital equipment result in longer lead times for many important system components. Future increases in demand could cause delays in meeting the shipment requirements or expectations of our customers. Because of the variability and uniqueness of customer orders, we seek to avoid maintaining an extensive inventory of materials for manufacturing. However, long lead times for important system components during industry upturns sometimes require us to carry higher levels of inventory and make larger purchase commitments than we otherwise would make. We may be unable to sell sufficient quantities of products if market demand changes, resulting in increased risk of excess inventory that could lead to obsolescence or reduced liquidity as we fulfill our purchase commitments. Conversely, if we do not have a sufficient inventory of a product to fulfill customer orders, we may lose orders or customers, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may not be able to accurately predict market demand to avoid inventory shortages or build inventories and issue purchase commitments in excess of our current requirements.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 4/31 (13%)Above Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment1 | 3.2%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

We are exposed to risks associated with an uncertain global economy.

Uncertain global economic conditions and slowing growth in China, Europe and the United States, along with difficulties in the financial markets, national debt concerns and government austerity measures in certain regions, pose challenges to the industries in which we operate. Related factors, including unemployment, inflation and fuel prices, exacerbate negative trends in business and consumer spending and may cause our customers to delay, cancel, or refrain from placing orders for equipment or services. These actions may, in turn, reduce our net sales, reduce backlog, and negatively affect our ability to convert backlog to sales. Uncertain market conditions, difficulties in obtaining capital, or reduced profitability also may cause some customers to scale back operations, exit businesses, merge with other manufacturers, or file for bankruptcy protection and potentially cease operations, which can result in lower sales and/or additional inventory or bad debt expense for us. These conditions may similarly affect key suppliers, impairing their ability to deliver parts and potentially causing delays or added costs for delivery of our products. In addition, these conditions may lead to strategic alliances by, or consolidation of, other equipment manufacturers, which could adversely affect our ability to compete effectively. Uncertainty about future economic and industry conditions also makes it more challenging for us to forecast our operating results, make business decisions, and identify and prioritize the risks that may affect our businesses, sources and uses of cash, financial condition and results of operations. We may be required to implement additional cost reduction efforts, including restructuring activities, and/or modify our business model, which may adversely affect our ability to capitalize on opportunities in a market recovery. If we do not timely and appropriately adapt to changes resulting from these uncertain macroeconomic and industry conditions, or to difficulties in the financial markets, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 3.2%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

Natural disasters, outbreaks of infectious diseases, terrorist attacks, wars and threats of war may negatively impact our operations, revenue, costs, and stock price.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, severe weather conditions, outbreaks of infectious diseases in addition to COVID-19 or other catastrophic events may severely affect our operations or those of our suppliers and customers. Acts of terrorism, as well as events occurring in response or connection to them, including potential future terrorist attacks, rumors or threats of war, actual military conflicts or trade disruptions impacting our domestic or foreign customers or suppliers, may negatively impact our operations by causing, among other things, delays, or losses in the delivery of supplies or finished goods and decreased sales of our products. More generally, any of these events could cause consumer confidence and spending to decrease and/or result in increased volatility in the worldwide financial markets and economy. They also could result in economic recession either globally or in the markets in which we operate. Any of these occurrences could have a significant adverse impact on our business, financial position and results of operations.

Capital Markets2 | 6.5%

Capital Markets - Risk 1

The United States could withdraw from or materially modify certain international trade agreements, or change tariff, trade, or tax provisions related to the global manufacturing and sales of our products in ways that we currently cannot predict.

A portion of our business activities are conducted in foreign countries, including China, Malaysia and Taiwan. Our business benefits from free trade agreements, and we also rely on various U.S. corporate tax provisions related to international commerce as we build, market and sell our products globally. Changes in U.S. or international social, political, regulatory and economic conditions could impact our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations. Political and economic instability, geopolitical conflicts, political unrest, civil strife, terrorist activity, acts of war, public corruption, expropriation, nationalism and other economic or political uncertainties in the United States or internationally could interrupt and negatively affect the sale of our products or other business operations. Any negative sentiment toward the United States as a result of any such changes could also adversely affect our business. In addition, changes in laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, development and investment in the territories or countries where we currently sell our products or conduct our business could adversely affect our business. U.S. presidential administrations have instituted or proposed changes in trade policies that include the negotiation or termination of trade agreements, the imposition of higher tariffs on imports into the U.S., economic sanctions on individuals, corporations or countries, and other government regulations affecting trade between the U.S. and other countries where we conduct our business. It may be time-consuming and expensive for us to alter our business operations to adapt to or comply with any such changes. Changes or proposed changes in U.S. or other countries' trade policies may result in restrictions and economic disincentives on international trade. Tariffs and other changes in U.S. trade policy have in the past and could in the future trigger retaliatory actions by affected countries, and certain foreign governments have instituted or are considering imposing retaliatory measures on certain U.S. goods. Further, any emerging protectionist or nationalist trends either in the United States or in other countries could affect the trade environment. Amtech, like many other multinational corporations, does a significant amount of business that would be impacted by changes to the trade policies of the United States and foreign countries (including governmental action related to tariffs, international trade agreements, or economic sanctions). Such changes have the potential to adversely impact the U.S. economy or certain sectors thereof or the economy of another country in which we conduct operations, our industry and the global demand for our products, and as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We are continuing to evaluate the impact of the announced and other proposed tariffs on products that we import from China, and we may experience a material increase in the cost of our products, which may result in our products becoming less attractive relative to products offered by our competitors. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the United States. Any of these factors, or any changes to U.S. corporate tax policies related to international commerce, could depress economic activity and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Capital Markets - Risk 2

Our business may be adversely affected by significant exchange rate fluctuations.

Though our business has not been materially affected in the past by currency fluctuations, there is a risk that it may be materially adversely affected in the future. Such risk includes possible losses due to currency exchange rate fluctuations, future prohibitions against repatriation of earnings, or proceeds from disposition of investments.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 3/31 (10%)Below Sector Average

Competition1 | 3.2%

Competition - Risk 1

The semiconductor equipment industry is highly competitive and, because we are relatively small and have fewer financial and other resources compared to our competitors, we may not be able to compete successfully with them.

Our industry includes large manufacturers with substantial resources to support customers worldwide. Our future performance depends, in part, upon our ability to continue to compete successfully in these markets. Some of our competitors are diversified companies with extensive financial resources and research, engineering, manufacturing, marketing and customer service and support capabilities that are greater than ours. We face competition from companies whose strategy is to provide a broad array of products, some of which compete with the products and services we offer. These competitors may bundle their products in a manner that discourages customers from purchasing our products. In addition, we face competition from emerging semiconductor equipment companies whose strategy is to provide a portion of the products and services that we offer often at a lower price than ours and use innovative technology to sell products into specialized markets. We also face competition from Chinese equipment manufacturers that may receive greater support than we do from Chinese customers and governmental agencies because they are locally based. In addition, our local Chinese competitors may offer lower prices and more liberal payment terms than ours. Loss of our competitive position due to any of these factors could impair our prices, customer orders, revenue, gross margin, and market share, any of which would negatively affect our business, financial position and results of operations.

Demand1 | 3.2%

Demand - Risk 1

Because we depend on revenue from international customers, our business may be adversely affected by changes in the economies and policies of the countries or regions in which we do business.

In 2024, 59% of our net revenue came from customers outside of North America as follows: Asia - 43% (including China - 20%, Malaysia - 12% and Taiwan - 8%); and Europe - 16% (including Germany - 6% and Czech Republic - 3%). Each geographic region in which we, our customers, and our suppliers operate exhibits unique characteristics that can cause capital equipment investment patterns to vary significantly from period to period. Our business and results of operations could be negatively affected by periodic local or international economic downturns, trade balance issues and political, social and military instability in countries such as China, Russia, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine and possibly elsewhere. In addition, we face competition from a number of suppliers based in Asia that have certain advantages over suppliers from outside of Asia. These advantages include lower operating, shipping and regulatory costs, proximity to customers, favorable tariffs and other government policies that favor local suppliers. Additionally, the marketing and sale of our products to international markets expose us to a number of risks, including the following: (a) increased costs associated with maintaining the ability to understand the local markets and follow their trends and customs, as well as developing and maintaining an effective marketing and distributing presence; (b) limitations on our ability to require advance payments from our customers; (c) difficulty in providing customer service and support in local markets; (d) difficulty in staffing and managing overseas operations; (e) longer sales cycles and collection periods; (f) fewer or weaker legal protections for our intellectual property rights; (g) failure to develop appropriate risk management and internal control structures tailored to overseas operations; (h) difficulty and costs relating to compliance with the different or changing commercial and legal requirements of our overseas markets; (i) fluctuations in foreign currency exchange and interest rates; (j) failure to obtain or maintain certifications for our products or services in these markets; and (k) international trade barriers such as export requirements, tariffs, taxes and other restrictions and expenses.

Sales & Marketing1 | 3.2%

Sales & Marketing - Risk 1

Our reliance on sales to a few major customers, often on credit terms, places us at financial risk.

We currently sell to a relatively small number of customers and expect to do so for the foreseeable future. Therefore, our operating results depend on the ability of these customers to sell products that require our equipment in their manufacturing operations. Many of our customer relationships have developed over a short period of time and certain ones are in the early stages of development. The loss of sales to any of these customers would have a significant negative impact on our business. Additionally, our customers may cancel their agreements or orders with us if we fail to meet certain product specifications, materially breach agreements or encounter insolvency or bankruptcy. Any such cancellations may result in inventory that we may not be able to quickly resell. They also may seek to renegotiate the terms of current agreements or renewals. We cannot be certain our existing customers will generate significant revenue for us in the future or that these new customer relationships will be maintained or continue to develop. If we are unable to maintain or expand our customer base, we may not be able to maintain or increase our revenue. In addition to having a relatively limited number of customers, we manufacture a limited number of products for each of our customers. If we lose any of our largest customers (as we have in the past from time to time), experience a significant reduction in sales to any such customers or no longer manufacture a particular product line for one of our largest customers, we will experience a significant reduction in our revenue. As of September 30, 2024, one Thermal Processing Solutions customer represented 12% of our accounts receivable. A concentration of our receivables from one or a small number of customers places us at risk. A significant change in the liquidity or financial position of any of our customers that purchase large systems could have a material impact on the collectability of our accounts receivable and our future operating results. We attempt to manage this credit risk by requiring significant partial payments prior to shipment, where appropriate, and by actively monitoring collections. We also require letters of credit from certain customers depending on the size of the order, type of customer or its creditworthiness and its country of domicile. Our major customers may seek and, on occasion, may receive pricing, payment or other commercial terms that are less favorable to us than the current terms we customarily obtain. If any one or more of our major customers were to seek to re-negotiate their agreements on more favorable terms, or not pay us or continue business with us, it could adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations.

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.

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