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.

Digatrade Financial disclosed 22 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Digatrade Financial reported the most risks in the “Tech & Innovation” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2020

Risk Distribution

45% Tech & Innovation

36% Finance & Corporate

9% Legal & Regulatory

9% Production

0% Ability to Sell

0% Macro & Political

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

Digatrade Financial 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 Q4, 2020

Main Risk Category

Tech & Innovation

With 10 Risks

Tech & Innovation

With 10 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

4Risks added

2Risks removed

1Risks changed

Since Dec 2020

4Risks added

2Risks removed

1Risks changed

Since Dec 2020

Number of Risk Changed

S&P 500 Average: 3

See the risk highlights of Digatrade Financial 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 22

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 10/22 (45%)Above Sector Average

Innovation / R&D1 | 4.5%

Innovation / R&D - Risk 1

Our entry into the development of a secure mobile application for card not present "CNP" transaction business may not be successful and there are risks attendant on these activities.

The Financial Technology "FinTech" business is extremely competitive. There are many companies, large and small entering the market with the capital to develop and create new innovative applications resulting in a highly competitive and fast-moving environment. Even with capital and technical expertise, industry, political and compliance risks are significant. Regulatory compliance and the overall ecosystem for secure online payments is extremely complex and not yet fully defined by governments and financial institutions worldwide. We may not be able to finance our business plan and marketing plan, there is no assurance that our entry into this business will be successful.

Trade Secrets4 | 18.2%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

Added

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, including those related to Securter technology, our competitive position could be harmed or we could be required to incur significant expenses to enforce our rights.

Our ability to compete effectively is dependent in part upon our ability to protect our proprietary technology. We rely on patents, trademarks, trade secret laws, confidentiality procedures and licensing arrangements to protect our intellectual property rights. There can be no assurance these protections will be available in all cases or will be adequate to prevent our competitors from copying, reverse engineering or otherwise obtaining and using our technology, proprietary rights or products. For example, the laws of certain countries in which our products may be licensed may not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of Canada or the United States. In addition, third parties may seek to challenge, invalidate or circumvent our intellectual property, or applications for same. There can be no assurance that our competitors will not independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our technology or design around our proprietary rights. In each case, our ability to compete could be significantly impaired. To prevent substantial unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights, it may be necessary to prosecute actions for infringement and/or misappropriation of our proprietary rights against third parties. Any such action could result in significant costs and diversion of our resources and management's attention, and there can be no assurance we will be successful in such action. Furthermore, many of our current and potential competitors have the ability to dedicate substantially greater resources to enforce their intellectual property rights than we do. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property.

Trade Secrets - Risk 2

Added

Intellectual property claims against us, and any resulting lawsuits, may result in our incurring significant expenses and could subject us to significant liability for damages and invalidate what we currently believe are our proprietary rights.

Our involvement in any patent dispute or other intellectual property dispute or action to protect trade secrets and know-how could have a material adverse effect on our business. Adverse determinations in any litigation could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties, require us to seek licenses from third parties and prevent us from developing and selling our products. Any of these situations could have a material adverse effect on our business. These claims, regardless of their merits or outcome, would likely be time consuming and expensive to resolve and could divert management's time and attention.

Trade Secrets - Risk 3

Added

We are generally obligated to indemnify our end-customers for certain expenses and liabilities resulting from intellectual property infringement claims regarding our software products, which could force us to incur substantial costs.

We have agreed, and expect to continue to agree, to indemnify our end-customers for certain intellectual property infringement claims regarding our software products. As a result, in the case of infringement claims against these end-customers, we could be required to indemnify them for losses resulting from such claims or to refund amounts they have paid to us. Our end-customers in the future may seek indemnification from us in connection with infringement claims brought against them. We will evaluate each such request on a case-by-case basis and we may not succeed in refuting all such claims. If an end-customer elects to invest resources in enforcing a claim for indemnification against us, we could incur significant costs disputing it. If we do not succeed in disputing it, we could face substantial liability.

Trade Secrets - Risk 4

Claims by others that we infringe their intellectual property rights could harm our business.

Our industry is characterized by vigorous protection and pursuit of intellectual property rights, which has resulted in protracted and expensive litigation for many companies. Third parties may in the future assert claims of infringement of intellectual property rights against us or against our customers for which we may be liable. As the number of service providers and competitors in our market increases and overlaps occur, infringement claims may increase.

Cyber Security2 | 9.1%

Cyber Security - Risk 1

Added

Use of data and analytics in our internal audit may become more complex as metadata becomes increasingly important to our analyses.

It is not known whether the effect upon our internal practices of new analytics will remain permissible from the perspective of third-party audits occurring after-the-fact.

Cyber Security - Risk 2

Cybersecurity risks associated with the FinTech industry are becoming increasingly challenging and we may be unable to meet future regulatory requirements related to data protection and privacy.

Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly challenging with the growth in the number of hackers and financial stalkers seeking opportunities to disrupt operations and/or extort funds from persons or companies whose cybersecurity measures were unable to prevent malicious data harvesting and misuse. We cannot guarantee that all such attempts shall be defeated, nor that our intellectual property shall remain beyond the reach of parties seeking proprietary insights. Data protection and privacy is never absolute, regardless of method(s) used. Independent of any 3rd party malicious intent referred to above, there is a risk that despite best efforts our data protection and privacy shall not meet a future regulatory definition of a reasonable standard, if it is imposed or "expected" retroactively. Information at risk may or may not be financial in nature and may or may not be our own information. We do not have sufficient resources to evaluate all possible outcomes, or all possible measures that we could take now, or could have taken in the past, to attain an even higher level of diligence and care than we are taking presently.

Technology3 | 13.6%

Technology - Risk 1

Our use of Cloud computing, data storage and/or cloud collaboration may not conform to future operational "best practices.

Transitioning to and operating "in the cloud" is a matter whose risks and rewards are subject to conflicting strategies even amongst companies who otherwise are considered to have best practices, operationally. It is not knowable in advance whether our own policies regarding the use of cloud computing, cloud data storage or cloud collaboration in our use of information, our sharing of information and our design of proprietary information assets will conform to a future interpretation of "best practices", after cloud eco-system techniques and their implications are better understood.

Technology - Risk 2

We may be unable to meet growth Open Source technology trends which could have a detrimental impact on our business.

Open source software compliance and vulnerability management has become an area of risk due to the expanding scope of this realm of software. We cannot ensure that we will at all times fully understand the state-of-the-art standing of every aspect of our own development goals until such time that a sufficient expenditure of time, money and effort has been made to understand all open source material and trends, and their relevance to our own interests.

Technology - Risk 3

Customers may not adapt to our new technology which may affect our ability to generate revenues in the future.

Culture risk emerges when our organization interfaces with financial institutions as our customers. We do not know in advance whether all our customers will be willing to make changes, if necessary, to accommodate protocols that arise from the adoption of our technology, or incompatibility that may arise from the nature of our software development methods, including our approach to FinTech problem solving.

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 8/22 (36%)Below Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights4 | 18.2%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

Changed

If you are a United States investor, your legal recourse could be limited.

The Company is incorporated under the laws of British Columbia, Canada. Most of the assets now are located in Canada. Our directors and officers and the audit firm are residents of Canada. As a result, if any of our shareholders were to bring a lawsuit in the United States against the officers, directors or experts in the United States, it may be difficult to effect service of legal process on those people who reside in Canada, based on civil liability under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In addition, we have been advised that a judgment of a United States court based solely upon civil liability under these laws would probably be enforceable in Canada, but only if the U.S. court in which the judgment was obtained had a basis for jurisdiction in the matter. We also have been advised that there is substantial doubt whether an action could be brought successfully in Canada in the first instance on the basis of liability predicated solely upon the United States' securities laws.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

The market price of our shares may fluctuate significantly.

The market price and liquidity of the market for shares may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. Some of the factors that could negatively affect the market price of our shares include: - our actual or projected operating results, financial condition, cash flows and liquidity, or changes in business strategy or prospects;- equity issuances by us, or share resales by our stockholders, or the perception that such issuances or resales may occur;- loss of a major funding source;- actual or anticipated accounting problems;- changes in market valuations of similar companies;- adverse market reaction to any indebtedness we incur in the future;- speculation in the press or investment community;- price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;- general market and economic conditions, and trends including inflationary concerns, the current state of the credit and capital markets;- significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of companies in our sector, which are not necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies;- changes in law, regulatory policies or tax guidelines, or interpretations thereof;- operating performance of companies comparable to us; and - short-selling pressure with respect to shares of our shares generally. As noted above, market factors unrelated to our performance could also negatively impact the market price of our shares. One of the factors that investors may consider in deciding whether to buy or sell our shares is our distribution rate as a percentage of our share price relative to market interest rates. If market interest rates increase, prospective investors may demand a higher distribution rate or seek alternative investments paying higher dividends or interest. As a result, interest rate fluctuations and conditions in the capital markets can affect the market value of our shares. For instance, if interest rates rise, it is likely that the market price of our shares will decrease as market rates on interest-bearing securities increase.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3

If the market for our common stock is illiquid in the future, you could encounter difficulty if you try to sell your stock.

Our stock trades on the OTC "Pink" Marketplace but it is not actively traded. If there is no active trading market, you may not be able to resell your shares at any price, if at all. It is possible that the trading market in the future will continue to be "thin" or "illiquid," which could result in increased price volatility. Prices may be influenced by investors' perceptions of us and general economic conditions, as well as the market for energy generally. Until our financial performance indicates substantial success in executing our business plan, it is unlikely that there will be coverage by stock market analysts will be extended. Without such coverage, institutional investors are not likely to buy the stock. Until such time, if ever, as such coverage by analysts and wider market interest develops, the market may have a limited capacity to absorb significant amounts of trading. As the stock is a "penny stock," there are additional constraints on the development of an active trading market – see the next risk factor.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4

The penny stock rule operates to limit the range of customers to whom broker-dealers may sell our stock in the market.

In general, "penny stock" (as defined in the SEC's rule 3a51-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) includes securities of companies which are not listed on the principal stock exchanges, or the Nasdaq National Market or the Nasdaq Capital Market, and which have a bid price in the market of less than US$5.00; and companies with net tangible assets of less than $2 million ($5 million if the issuer has been in continuous operation for less than three years), or which has recorded revenues of less than $6 million in the last three years. As a "penny stock" our stock therefore is subject to the SEC's rule 15g-9, which imposes additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers which sell such securities to persons other than established customers and "accredited investors" (generally, individuals with net worth in excess of US$1 million or annual incomes exceeding US$200,000, or US$300,000 together with their spouses, or individuals who are the officers or directors of the issuer of the securities). For transactions covered by rule 15g-9, a broker-dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and have received the purchaser's written consent to the transaction prior to sale. This rule may adversely affect the ability of broker-dealers to sell our stock, and therefore may adversely affect our stockholders' ability to sell the stock in the public market.

Accounting & Financial Operations2 | 9.1%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

We cannot predict when or if we will produce revenues.

We have not generated any revenue to date from operations. In order for us to continue with our plans and open our business, we must raise capital. The timing of the completion of the milestones needed to commence operations and generate revenues is contingent on the success of this raise. There can be no assurance that we will generate revenues or that revenues will be sufficient to maintain our business.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2

FinTech is an emerging industry that may be subject to changes in accounting standards in the future the adoption of which may require time for our business to adjust.

New accounting standards in the category of FinTech sector businesses may be introduced over time and have a bearing on our planning, execution and reporting in respect of issues that have hitherto been satisfactory and understood but may require a period of transition to grasp implications at the strategic level and communicate same to shareholders effectively.

Debt & Financing2 | 9.1%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

We have a history of operating losses and need additional capital to implement our business plan.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded a net comprehensive loss of $2,839,260 as compared to a net comprehensive loss of $2,252,324 for the year ended December 31, 2019. The financial statements have been prepared using IFRS principles applicable to a going concern. However, as shown in note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, our ability to continue operations is uncertain. We continue to incur operating losses and have a consolidated deficit of $10,505,204 as at December 31, 2020. Operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 have been funded primarily from the issuance of share capital, debt financing and the continued support of creditors. Historically, we have met working capital needs primarily by selling equity to Canadian residents, raising debt finance and from loans (including loans from relatives of principal shareholders). We estimate that we will require at least US$500,000 to further expand in South America and fund the marketing and distribution of the proprietary, patent-pending credit card payment platform to significantly increase the security of online credit card payment processing, reducing financial losses being experienced by financial institutions and merchants from fraudulent credit card use, while also better protecting cardholder privacy. A full implementation of our business plan will be delayed until the necessary capital is raised.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

If we have to raise capital by selling securities in the future, your rights and the value of your investment in the Company could be reduced.

If we issue debt securities, the lenders would have a claim to our assets that would be superior to the stockholder rights. Interest on the debt would increase costs and negatively impact operating results. If we issue more common stock or any preferred stock, your percentage ownership will decrease and your stock may experience additional dilution, and the holders of preferred stock (called preference securities in Canada) may have rights, preferences and privileges which are superior to (more favorable) the rights of holders of the common stock. It is likely the Company will sell securities in the future. The terms of such future transactions presently are not determinable.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 2/22 (9%)Below Sector Average

Regulation2 | 9.1%

Regulation - Risk 1

Reliance on systems governance on third party transactions may risk compliance issues.

Governance for intelligent automation is of increasing importance in business activity that is characterized by a large number of small-dollar-value transactions. Our revenue model requires sharing of transaction fees for commerce that, in aggregate, may represent millions or even hundreds of millions of consumer transactions. We may therefore need to rely upon systems-governance more than individual situational oversight where third party transactions are concerned. This may mean that non-compliance of some type may come to light too late to remedy in the immediate tense and may therefore only be correctable with systemic adjustment for the future.

Regulation - Risk 2

Regulatory compliance in the FinTech sector is evolving.

We are unable to guarantee that we will be able to proceed with all desired plans if the regulatory environment changes in a manner that undermines existing business plans. Such regulations have an impact in every country in which we will be deriving revenue from licensing or by any other commercial mechanism.

Production

Total Risks: 2/22 (9%)Below Sector Average

Employment / Personnel1 | 4.5%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

The loss of key personnel or the inability of replacements to quickly and successfully perform in their new roles could adversely affect our business.

We depend on the leadership and experience of our key executive and chairman, Brad Moynes. Mr. Moynes functions as our chairman and executive officer, and as such, we are heavily dependent upon him to conduct our operations. In 2018, the Company added two additional directors which now brings the board to four directors. We do not have key man insurance. If Mr. Moynes resigns or dies, there could be a substantial negative impact upon our operations. If that should occur, until we find other qualified candidates to become officers and/or directors to conduct our operations, we may have to suspend our operations or cease operating entirely. In that event, it is possible you could lose your entire investment.

Supply Chain1 | 4.5%

Supply Chain - Risk 1

We rely on third party service providers which we may not be able to control. This subjects us to risks for failure of performance in development of our business plan.

We will at all times in the pursuit of our goals rely on at least some expertise that is external to our company. Despite best efforts to vet the competency of service providers, it will not be possible to fully appreciate the quality of their contribution until after-the-fact, which may in some instances require second attempts, corrections or new directions. We shall always seek to mitigate our risk and liability arising from any failures of performance that may arise; however, it is not possible to quantify this in financial terms or predict it in operational terms. The risk in our development work is inherently high and does not diminish over time as we will continually focus on customer problems that require new solutions yet to be created.

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.

Become an Expert with TipRanks Premium

What am I Missing?

Make informed decisions based on Top Analysts' activity

Know what industry insiders are buying

Get actionable alerts from top Wall Street Analysts

Find out before anyone else which stock is going to shoot up

Get powerful stock screeners & detailed portfolio analysis

Subscribe Now See Plans & Pricing