Mad Catz Interactive (MCZAF) Risk Analysis

31 Followers

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.

Mad Catz Interactive disclosed 46 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Mad Catz Interactive reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2016

Risk Distribution

26% Finance & Corporate

26% Ability to Sell

17% Macro & Political

15% Tech & Innovation

11% Production

4% Legal & Regulatory

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

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

Mad Catz Interactive 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, 2016

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 12 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 12 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

1Risks added

0Risks removed

2Risks changed

Since Dec 2016

1Risks added

0Risks removed

2Risks changed

Since Dec 2016

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 Mad Catz Interactive 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 46

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 12/46 (26%)Below Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights3 | 6.5%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

Changed

If we do not meet the New York Stock MKT Exchange ("NYSE MKT") continued listing requirements, the NYSE MKT may delist our common stock.

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE MKT, which imposes both objective and subjective requirements for continued listing. Continued listing criteria include standards relating to minimum average market capitalization, stockholder equity, average trading stock price, operating results, and other issues of financial condition. On January 20, 2017, we received a notice from the NYSE MKT indicating that because our securities have been selling for a low price per share for a substantial period of time, pursuant to Section 1003(f)(v) of the NYSE MKT Company Guide (the "Company Guide"), the continued listing of our common stock on the NYSE MKT is predicated on us effecting a reverse stock split of our common stock or otherwise demonstrating sustained price improvement. The NYSE MKT indicated that we have until July 20, 2017, to gain compliance with the NYSE MKT and Section 1003(f)(v) of the Company Guide. However, if we determine to remedy the non-compliance by taking action that will require shareholder approval, we must obtain shareholder approval by no later than our next annual meeting, and implement such action promptly thereafter. At the present time, we anticipate that we will seek shareholder approval to effectuate a reverse stock split of our currently issued and outstanding common stock at our next annual meeting. In addition, if our common stock trades below $0.06 per share, the NYSE MKT will determine that our stock is no longer suitable for listing on the NYSE MKT and will halt trading in and commence proceedings to delist our stock from the NYSE MKT immediately. The Company may appeal the delisting, but our stock will continue to be suspended from trading on the NYSE MKT during the appeal process and the appeal may be unsuccessful. Further, the NYSE MKT also will consider suspending dealings in, or delisting, securities of an issuer that, among other criteria, has stockholders' equity of less than: (A) $2 million, if that issuer has sustained losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in two of the last three most recent fiscal years; (B) $4 million, if that issuer has sustained losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in three of the last four most recent fiscal years; or (C) $6 million, if that issuer has sustained losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in its five most recent fiscal years. The Company has had a loss from operations and net loss in three of its last four fiscal years and we expect to incur a loss from operations and net loss for fiscal 2017. Furthermore, as of December 31, 2016, the Company's stockholders' equity was a negative $2.67 million. Accordingly, in addition to the low selling price noted above (or any other failure to satisfy the various distribution or financial criteria set forth in the Company Guide), the NYSE MKT may determine that the Company is no longer suitable for listing and may commence delisting proceedings pursuant to one or more subsections of Section 1003(a) of the Company Guide. Thus, there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain compliance with NYSE MKT continued listing standards and/or policies. A delisting of our common stock from the NYSE MKT, and our inability to list or transfer the stock to an alternate exchange or trading market, could negatively impact us by: (i) reducing the liquidity and market price of our common stock; (ii) reducing the number of investors willing to hold or acquire our common stock, which could negatively impact our ability to raise equity financing; (iii) limiting our ability to use a registration statement to offer and sell freely tradable securities, thereby preventing us from accessing the public capital markets; and (iv) impairing our ability to provide equity incentives to our employees. While a delisting of our common stock would not constitute a specific event of default under the documents governing our credit facilities, our lenders could claim that a delisting would trigger a default under the material adverse change covenant or related provisions under such documents. Further, our ability to issue common stock is currently limited by the NYSE MKT's shareholder approval requirements. If our common stock is delisted from the NYSE MKT, we would no longer be subject to such shareholder approval requirements, and we could issue shares in acquisitions or financing transactions without shareholder approval. Any such issuance would dilute the ownership of our current stockholders. In addition, following a delisting of our common stock, we would no longer be subject to the NYSE MKT rules requiring us to meet certain corporate governance standards, which could decrease investor interest in our common stock.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

Penny stock rules may negatively impact the liquidity of our common stock.

Our common stock is subject to rules promulgated by the SEC relating to "penny stocks," which apply to certain companies whose shares trade at less than $5.00 per share and which do not meet certain other financial requirements specified by the SEC. These rules require brokers who sell "penny stocks" to persons other than established customers and "accredited investors" to complete certain documentation, make suitability inquiries of investors, and provide investors with certain information concerning the risks of trading in such penny stocks. These rules may discourage or restrict the ability of brokers to sell our common stock and may affect the secondary market for our common stock. These rules could also have a detrimental effect upon our ability to raise funds through an offering of our common stock.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3

There can be no assurance that the holders or purchasers of our common stock will be able to resell their shares at prices equal to or greater than their cost.

The market price of our common stock could be subject to significant fluctuations in response to quarterly variations in our operating results, announcements of technological innovations through new products by us or our competitors, changes in financial estimates by securities analysts or other events or factors, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, the stock markets have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have particularly affected the market prices of equity securities of many companies whose businesses are dependent on technology and that often have been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. There can be no assurance that the holders or purchasers of our common stock will be able to resell their shares at prices equal to or greater than their cost.

Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 6.5%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

Volatility of share price and absence of dividends.

The market price of our common stock has been and is likely to be highly volatile. Many factors could have a significant adverse impact on the market price of our common stock, including: - our or our competitors' announcements of technological innovations or new products by us or our competitors;- governmental regulatory actions;- developments with our strategic alliances and collaborators;- developments concerning our proprietary rights or the proprietary rights of our competitors (including litigation);- period-to-period fluctuations in our operating results;- changes in estimates of our performance by securities analysts;- market conditions for consumer technology stocks in general; and - other factors not within our control. We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2

If we fail to maintain an adequate system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, which could cause current and potential shareholders to lose confidence in our financial reporting and in turn affect the trading price of our common stock.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the related regulations require the management of public companies in the United States to evaluate and report on the companies' systems of internal control over financial reporting. We have and will continue to incur significant expenses and management resources to comply with the requirements of Section 404 on an ongoing basis. We cannot be certain that the measures we have taken to assess, document, improve and validate through testing the adequacy of our internal control process over financial reporting will ensure that we maintain such adequate controls over our financial reporting process in the future. Failure to implement required new controls could cause us to fail to meet reporting obligations, which in turn could cause current and potential shareholders to lose confidence in our financial reporting. Inferior internal controls or the determination that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective might cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could cause volatility in the market price of our shares.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3

Accounts receivable represent a large portion of our assets, a considerable portion of which are owed by a few customers. If these accounts receivable are not paid, we could suffer a significant decline in cash flow and liquidity which, in turn, could limit our ability to pay liabilities and purchase an adequate amount of inventory.

Our accounts receivable represented 17%, 16%, and 21% of our total assets as of March 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. As a result of the substantial amount and concentration of our accounts receivable, if any of our major customers fails to timely pay us amounts owed, we could suffer a significant decline in cash flow and liquidity which could negatively affect our ability to make payments under our Loan and Facilities Agreements and which, in turn, could adversely affect our ability to borrow funds, to purchase inventory, to sustain or expand our current sales volume. Accordingly, if any of our major customers fails to timely pay us amounts owed, our sales and profitability may decline.

Debt & Financing4 | 8.7%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

Increases in interest rates may increase our interest expense and adversely affect our profitability and cash flow and our ability to service indebtedness.

We depend, in a significant part, on borrowings under the Loan and Facilities Agreements to finance our operations. Under the Loan Agreement, interest accrues on the daily outstanding balance at an interest rate of 4.5% plus 30-day LIBOR rate per annum, with a LIBOR floor of 1.0%. The variable rate debt outstanding under the Loan Agreement had a weighted average annual interest rate of approximately 5.5% for the year ended March 31, 2016. The variable rate debt outstanding under the Facilities Agreement had a weighted average annual interest rate of approximately 15% for the year ended March 31, 2016. Increases in the interest rate under the Loan or Facilities Agreements will increase our interest expense, which could harm our profitability and cash flow.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

Added

We believe it is unlikely that our available cash balances, anticipated cash flows from operations and available credit facilities will be sufficient to satisfy our operating needs for at least the next twelve months.

We have incurred recurring losses from operations in each of the years in the three-year period ended March 31, 2016 and generated negative cash flows from operations in the year ended March 31, 2016. We also generated a loss from operations in the nine months ended December 31, 2016 and have negative working capital and shareholders' equity as of December 31, 2016. We believe it is unlikely that our available cash balances, anticipated cash flows from operations and available credit facilities will be sufficient to satisfy our operating needs for at least the next twelve months. To meet our capital needs, we are considering multiple alternatives, including, but not limited to, equity sales under our "at-the-market" ("ATM") equity offering program, additional equity financings, debt financings and other funding transactions. There can be no assurance that we will be able to complete financing transactions on acceptable terms or otherwise. If we are unable to become cash-flow positive or to raise additional capital as and when needed, or upon acceptable terms, such failure would have a significant negative impact on our financial condition. We are also exploring other strategic alternatives including, but not limited to, the sale of the Company. We have not made a decision at this time to pursue any specific strategic transaction or other strategic alternatives and have not set a specific timetable for the process. As such, there can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in the sale of the Company or any other transaction.

Debt & Financing - Risk 3

Funding for our future growth may depend upon obtaining new financing, which may be difficult to obtain on terms that are acceptable to the Company.

To accommodate our expected future growth, we may need funding in addition to cash provided from current operations and continued availability under our Loan and Facilities Agreements provided by SNB and FGI. Our ability to obtain additional financing on terms that are acceptable to the Company may be constrained by economic conditions that affect global financial markets. If we are unable to obtain additional financing, we may be unable to take advantage of opportunities with potential business partners or new products, to finance our existing operations or to otherwise expand our business as planned. In addition, the debt under our Loan and Facility Agreements could make it more difficult to obtain other debt financing in the future, which could put us at a competitive disadvantage to competitors with less debt.

Debt & Financing - Risk 4

Changed

We depend upon the availability of capital under our loan agreements to finance our operations. Any additional financing that we may need may not be available on favorable terms, or at all.

In addition to cash flow generated from sales of our products, we finance our operations with a Loan and Security Agreement (the "Loan Agreement") provided to MCI by Sterling National Bank ("SNB"), formerly NewStar Business Credit LLC, an unrelated party and a Master Facilities Agreement (the "Facilities Agreement") provided to MCE by Faunus Group International, Inc. ("FGI"), an unrelated party. The Facilities Agreement has a three-year term, although FGI may terminate the facility at any time upon at least three months' notice. The Loan Agreement expires on June 30, 2018. The Loan Agreement contains financial and other covenants that we are obligated to maintain. If we violate any of these covenants, we will be in default under the Loan Agreement. If a default occurs and is not timely cured or waived by SNB, SNB could seek remedies against us, including: (1) penalty rates of interest, (2) immediate repayment of the debt or (3) foreclosure on assets securing the Loan Agreement. The Loan Agreement is asset based and can only be drawn down in an amount to which eligible collateral exists in North America, and can be negatively impacted by extended collection of accounts receivable, unexpectedly high product returns and slow moving inventory, among other factors. We are required to meet a monthly financial covenant based on a trailing twelve months' Adjusted EBITDA, as defined. The Company is required to meet a monthly financial covenant based on a trailing twelve months' adjusted earnings before income taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), as defined. Our trailing twelve months' Adjusted EBITDA as of November 30 and December 31, 2016 were lower than the required threshold and, accordingly, we were not in compliance with this covenant as of December 31, 2016. On January 31, 2017, we received confirmation from SNB that a forbearance will be issued for this non-compliance through April 28, 2017. Once finalized, if applicable, the material terms of the forbearance will be set forth and filed as a current report on SEC Form 8-K. There can be no assurance that we will be able to meet the covenants subsequent to December 31, 2016 or that we would be able to obtain a waiver or forbearance from SNB to the extent we are not in compliance with the covenants. We depend upon the availability of capital under our Loan and Facility Agreements to finance our operations. Compliance with the monthly Adjusted EBITDA covenants in fiscal 2017, which are tied closely to our internal forecasts, depends on our ability to increase net sales excluding Rock Band 4 products and reduce operating expenses. Also, we operate in a rapidly evolving and often unpredictable business environment that may change the timing or amount of expected future sales and expenses. If we are unable to comply with the Adjusted EBITDA covenants contained in the Loan Agreement, SNB may declare the outstanding borrowings under the agreement immediately due and payable. If we need to obtain additional funds as a result of the termination of the Loan or Facilities Agreement or the acceleration of amounts due thereunder, there can be no assurance that alternative financing can be obtained on substantially similar or acceptable terms, or at all. Our failure to promptly obtain alternate financing could limit our ability to implement our business plan and have an immediate, severe and adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. In the event that no alternative financing is available, we would be forced to drastically curtail operations, or dispose of assets, or cease operations altogether.

Corporate Activity and Growth2 | 4.3%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

Our restructuring activities could result in management distractions, operational disruptions and other difficulties.

We have initiated a restructuring plan in an effort to lower operating costs, increase efficiencies and better align our workforce with the needs of the business. Any restructuring efforts could disrupt our ability to supply products to customers, detriment relationships with customers and other business partners, divert the attention of management away from other priorities, harm our reputation, expose us to increased risk of legal claims by terminated employees, increase the workload placed upon remaining employees and cause employees to lose confidence in our future performance and decide to leave. Further, employees whose positions were eliminated in connections with these restructuring activities or who otherwise determine to leave may seek employment with our competitors, customers or suppliers. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to realize the anticipated cost savings and other anticipated benefits from our restructuring plans.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2

We are constantly looking for opportunities to grow our business and diversify our product line. If we fail to successfully manage the expansion of our business, our sales may not increase commensurately with our capital investments, which would cause our profitability to decline.

The industry in which we compete is highly competitive. As a result, we look for opportunities to grow our business, including through the expansion of our product offerings. We plan to continue the diversification of our product line. Our new product offerings, including our complete lines of products for each of the console video game systems, have required and will continue to require significant resources and management's close attention. In offering new products, our resources are likely to be strained because we have less experience in the new product categories. Our failure to successfully manage our planned product expansion could result in our sales not increasing commensurately with our capital investments, causing a decline in our profitability.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 12/46 (26%)Above Sector Average

Competition1 | 2.2%

Competition - Risk 1

Competition for market acceptance and retail shelf space and pricing competition affects our revenue and profitability.

The video game console, PC and Mac computer and smart device accessories market is highly competitive and the barriers to entry are low. Only a small percentage of products introduced in the market achieve any degree of sustained market acceptance. If our products are not successful, our operations and profitability will be negatively impacted. Competition in the video game accessory industry is based primarily upon: - the availability of significant financial resources;- the quality of products;- reviews received for products from independent reviewers;- access to retail shelf space;- the success of the game console for which the products were developed;- the price at which the products are sold; and - the number of other competing products for the system for which the products were developed. Some of our competitors, particularly the first-party manufacturers, enjoy competitive advantages over us, such as longer operating histories, larger technical staffs, more established and larger sales and marketing organizations, significantly greater financial and other resources, the ability to respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements or ability to establish or strengthen cooperative relationships with retailers, distributors and other marketers. Increased competition from these and other sources could require us to respond to competitive pressures by establishing pricing, marketing and other programs or seeking out additional acquisitions that may be less favorable than what we could otherwise establish or obtain, and thus could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. No assurance can be given that we will be able to compete effectively in our markets.

Demand5 | 10.9%

Demand - Risk 1

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from a few large customers.

The vast majority of our sales are generated from a small number of large customers. In each of fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, one of our customers, GameStop, individually accounted for approximately 24%, 10% and 11% of our gross sales respectively, taking into account all of its U.S. and non-U.S. entities. In fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, one other customer, Amazon.com, individually accounted for approximately 16%, 14% and 13% of our gross sales, respectively, taking into account all of its U.S. and non-U.S. entities. Our top ten customers accounted for approximately 67% of gross sales in fiscal 2016 and 57% of gross sales in each of fiscal 2015 and 2014. We do not have long-term agreements with these or other significant customers and our agreements with these customers do not require them to purchase any specific number or amount of our products. As a result, agreements with respect to pricing, returns, cooperative advertising or special promotions, among other things, are subject to periodic negotiation with each customer. No assurance can be given that these or other customers will continue to do business with us or that they will maintain their historical levels of business. The loss of or a material reduction in sales to any of our significant customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. In addition, the uncertainty of product orders can make it difficult to forecast our sales and allocate our resources in a manner consistent with actual sales, and our expense levels are based in part on our expectations of future sales. If our expectations regarding future sales are inaccurate, we may be unable to reduce costs in a timely manner to adjust for sales shortfalls.

Demand - Risk 2

One or more of our largest customers may directly import or manufacture private-label products that are identical or very similar to our products. This could cause a significant decline in our sales and profitability.

Video game console, PC and Mac computer and smart device accessories are widely available from manufacturers and other suppliers around the world. Each of our largest customers has substantially greater resources than we do, and has the ability to directly import or manufacture private-label video game accessories from manufacturers and other suppliers, including from some of our own subcontract manufacturers and suppliers. Our customers may believe that higher profit margins can be achieved if they implement a direct import or private-label program, reducing sales of our products. As a consequence, our sales and profitability could decline significantly.

Demand - Risk 3

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from a few core product categories.

We are dependent on a small number of core product categories to generate a significant proportion of our revenues. No assurance can be given that these or other products will continue to have consumer acceptance or that they will maintain their historical levels of sales. The loss of one or more of these products could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Demand - Risk 4

If we do not accurately forecast demand for particular products, we could incur additional costs or experience manufacturing delays, which would reduce our gross margins or cause us to lose sales.

Demand for our products depends on many factors such as consumer preferences and the introduction or adoption of game platforms and related content, and can be difficult to forecast. We expect that it will become more difficult to forecast demand for specific products as we introduce and support additional products, enter additional markets and as competition in our markets intensifies. If we misjudge the demand for our products, we could face the following problems in our operations, each of which could harm our operating results: - If our forecasts of demand are too high, we may accumulate excess inventories of products, which could lead to markdown allowances or write-offs affecting some or all of such excess inventories. We may also have to adjust the prices of our existing products to reduce such excess inventories. - If demand for specific products increases beyond what we forecast, our suppliers and third-party manufacturers may not be able to increase production rapidly enough to meet the demand. Our failure to meet market demand would lead to missed opportunities to increase our base of users, damage our relationships with retailers and harm our business. - Rapid increases in production levels to meet unanticipated demand could result in increased manufacturing errors, as well as higher component, manufacturing and shipping costs, including increased air freight, all of which could reduce our profit margins and harm our relationships with retailers and consumers.

Demand - Risk 5

Our business is seasonal and our financial results vary from period to period.

The video game console, PC and Mac computer and smart device accessories industry is highly seasonal and our operating results vary substantially from period to period. We generate a substantial portion of our sales during the holiday season. The high level of seasonality causes us to take significant risks in the purchase of inventory for the holiday season. There can be no guarantee that our customers or we will sell all of our inventories. Excess inventory at year-end may result in financial losses from obsolescence, reserves, returns and markdowns. Moreover, if expenses remain relatively fixed, but our revenues are less than anticipated in any quarter, our operating results would be adversely affected for that quarter. In addition, incurring unexpected expenses could adversely affect operating results for the period in which such expenses are incurred. Failure to achieve periodic revenue, earnings and other operating and financial results as anticipated by brokerage firms or industry analysts could result in an immediate and adverse effect on the market price of our common shares. We may not discover, or be able to confirm, revenue or earnings shortfalls until the end of a quarter, which could result in a greater immediate and adverse effect on the share price.

Sales & Marketing6 | 13.0%

Sales & Marketing - Risk 1

Volatility in the mass-market and consumer electronic retail sectors could have a material adverse effect on our sales.

We sell our products through a network of domestic and international mass-market and consumer electronics retailers, as well as some distributors, and our success depends on the continued viability and financial stability of these customers. The retail industry has historically been characterized by significant volatility, including periods of widespread financial difficulties and consolidations, and the emergence of alternative distribution channels. While we attempt to minimize the risks associated with this industry volatility, there is always a risk that one or more of our customers will experience economic difficulties or be acquired by competitors. If any of our customers cease doing business, it could have a material adverse effect on our sales and could significantly harm our business, financial condition and operating results.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 2

Our pricing and product return policies and other promotional activities may negatively impact our sales and profitability and harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

In the event a first-party manufacturer or other competitor reduces its prices, we could be forced to respond by lowering our prices to remain competitive. If we are forced to lower prices, we may be required to "price protect" the products that remain unsold in our customers' inventories at the time of the price reduction. Price protection results in us issuing a credit to our customers in the amount of the price reduction for each unsold unit in the customer's inventory. Our price protection policies, which are customary in the video game industry, can have a major impact on our sales and profitability if we are forced to reduce the price of products for which a large inventory exists. It is also likely that we will experience additional price competition, which may lead to price protection, as we continue to introduce new and enhanced products. To the extent we introduce new versions of products or change our product sales mix, the rate of product returns may also increase above historical levels. Although we establish allowances for anticipated product returns and believe our existing policies have resulted in allowances that are adequate, there can be no assurance that such product return obligations will not exceed our allowances in the future, which would have a material adverse effect on our future operating results and financial condition.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 3

The uncertainty regarding our ability to continue as a going concern may have an adverse effect on our customer and supplier relationships.

Our continuation as a going concern is dependent upon our attaining and maintaining profitable operations, generating continued cash payments from customers under new or existing relationships and/or raising additional capital. In addition, our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Our liquidity is highly dependent on our available financing facilities and our ability to improve our financial condition. Our failure to retain our existing financing or obtain new or additional financing could impair our ability to both serve our existing customer base and develop prospective customers and could result in our failure to continue to operate as a going concern. Our relationships with our existing and prospective customers and suppliers are predicated on the belief that we will continue to operate as a going concern. Certain of our existing customers may terminate their agreements with us and certain of our prospective customers may not enter into agreements with us if there is uncertainty regarding our ability to continue as a going concern. This may have an adverse effect on our ability to generate net sales growth in our core product lines, which is a key component of our plan to continue as a going concern. Current and future suppliers may be less likely to grant us credit which would result in a negative impact on our working capital and cash flows. Current and future suppliers may also stop shipping product to us if amounts payable to them are past due, which could result in our failure to continue to operate as a going concern.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 4

If our products are copied or "knocked-off," our sales of these products may be materially reduced and our profitability may be negatively affected.

Occasionally in the video game console, PC and Mac computer and smart device accessories industry, successful products are "knocked-off" or copied by competitors. While we strive to protect our intellectual property, we cannot guarantee that knock-offs will not occur or that they will not have a significant effect on our business. The costs incurred in protecting our intellectual property rights could be significant, and there is no assurance that we will be able to successfully protect our rights.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 5

The collectability of our receivables depends on the continued viability and financial stability of our retailers and distributors.

Due to the concentration of our sales to large high-volume customers, we maintain significant accounts receivable balances with these customers. As of March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015, our 10 largest accounts receivable balances accounted for approximately 73% and 68%, respectively, of total accounts receivable in each period. We generally do not require any collateral from our customers to secure payment of these accounts receivable. However, we do seek to control credit risk through ongoing credit evaluations of our customers' financial condition and by purchasing credit insurance on certain accounts receivable balances. If any of our major customers were to default in the payment of their obligations to us, our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows could be adversely affected.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 6

Changes to current game platforms or introductions of new game platforms may result in our products becoming inoperable or less desirable on some game platforms and/or for some games, which would reduce sales of our products and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

A significant proportion of our revenues are derived from products that are reverse engineered. First-party manufacturers continually update their game platforms to enhance features and to correct problems in the operating systems and reduce costs. These manufacturers also expend significant resources to create new game platforms. During the development of such product updates and new game platforms, manufacturers may implement changes to the design of the game platforms that render our products inoperable and/or less desirable for playing certain games. If our products become inoperable on one or more game platforms, or if platform system enhancements make our products less desirable, our sales may be significantly reduced. Moreover, we may have excess inventories of products that do not operate properly with new game platforms, which would limit our growth and harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 8/46 (17%)Above Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment2 | 4.3%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

Our manufacturing relationships in China may be adversely affected by changes in the political, economic and legal environment in China.

We maintain offices in Hong Kong and in China. The success of our operations in Hong Kong and China is highly dependent on the Chinese government's continued support of economic policies that encourage private investment, and particularly foreign private investment. A change in these policies by the Chinese government could adversely affect us by, among other things, imposing confiscatory taxation, restricting currency conversion, imports and sources of supplies, prohibiting us from manufacturing our products in China, or restricting our ability to ship products from China into Hong Kong, or to ship finished products out of Hong Kong, or otherwise shutting down our offices in Hong Kong and China. Although the Chinese government has chosen economic reform policies to date, no assurance can be given that it will continue to pursue such policies or that such policies will not be significantly altered, especially in the event of a change in leadership or other social or political disruption. Our sources of manufacturing and distribution capabilities could be adversely affected by ongoing tensions between the Chinese and Taiwanese governments. The Chinese government has threatened military action against Taiwan unless Taiwan adopts a plan for unifying with China. As of yet, Taiwan has not indicated that it intends to propose or adopt a reunification plan. Any military action on the part of China could lead to sanctions or military action by the United States and/or European countries, which could materially affect our sales to those countries and our operations in China. There are also uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of laws, rules and policies in China. The Chinese legal system is based on written statutes, and prior court decisions have limited precedential value. In addition, many laws and regulations are relatively new, and the Chinese legal system is still evolving, resulting in sporadic and inconsistent enforcement and interpretation. The Chinese judiciary is relatively inexperienced in enforcing the laws that exist, leading to additional uncertainty as to the outcome of any litigation. Even where adequate laws exist in China, it may be impossible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of such laws, or to obtain enforcement of a judgment by a court in a different jurisdiction. The Chinese tax system is subject to substantial uncertainties and has been subject to recently enacted changes, the interpretation and enforcement of which are also uncertain. There can be no assurance that changes in Chinese tax laws or their interpretation or their application will not subject us to substantial Chinese taxes in the future.

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2

Difficult economic, political and market conditions may adversely affect our revenue growth and operating results.

Our revenue and profitability are affected by global business and economic conditions, particularly in the United States and Europe. Downturns in the global economy could have a significant impact on demand for our products. In an uncertain economic environment, there is a greater likelihood that more of our customers could become delinquent on their obligations to us or go bankrupt, which, in turn, could result in a higher level of charge-offs and provision for credit losses, all of which would adversely affect our earnings. Uncertainty created by the long-term effects of volatile oil prices, terrorist activities, potential pandemics, natural disasters and related uncertainties and risks and other geopolitical issues may impact the purchasing decisions of current or potential customers. Because of these factors, we believe the level of demand for our products and services, and projections of future revenue and operating results, will continue to be difficult to predict.

International Operations2 | 4.3%

International Operations - Risk 1

There are numerous risks associated with our international operations, any number of which could harm our business.

We have offices and sales throughout the world. Our registered office is in Canada. Our operational headquarters is in San Diego, California. We also have offices in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, China and Hong Kong. Approximately 34% of our gross sales in fiscal year 2016 were generated by customers whose retail locations are outside of North America, and a substantial majority of our products are manufactured by third parties in China. The geographical distances between our operations create a number of logistical and communications challenges. These challenges include managing operations across multiple time zones, directing the manufacture and delivery of products across long distances, coordinating procurement of components and raw materials and their delivery to multiple locations, and coordinating the activities and decisions of the management team, which is based in a number of different countries. In addition, there are other risks inherent in international operations, which could result in disruption or termination of supply of our products available for sale. These risks include: - unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, taxes, trade laws and tariffs;- political instability and the potential reversal of current favorable policies encouraging foreign investment or foreign trade by host countries;- differences in labor laws, labor unrest and difficulties in staffing and managing international operations;- longer payment cycles;- fluctuations in currency exchange rates;- potential adverse tax consequences;- limitations on imports or exports of components or assembled products, or other travel restrictions;- differing intellectual property rights and protections;- delays from doing business with customs brokers and governmental agencies; and - higher costs of operations. These factors could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.

International Operations - Risk 2

Any disruption of shipping and product delivery operations globally could harm our business.

We rely on contract ocean carriers to ship virtually all of our products from China to our primary distribution centers in the United States and the United Kingdom. Customers that take delivery of our products in China rely on a variety of carriers to ship those products to their distribution centers and retail outlets. We also rely on a number of sources of ground transportation to deliver our products from our primary distribution centers in the United States and the United Kingdom to our retail customers' and distributors' distribution centers and retail outlets. Any disruption or delay in the importation of our products, in the operation of our distribution centers or in the delivery of our products from our primary distribution centers to our retail customers' and distributors' distribution centers and retail outlets for any reason, including labor strikes or other labor disputes, terrorism, international incidents or lack of available shipping containers or vehicles, could significantly harm our business and reputation.

Natural and Human Disruptions2 | 4.3%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

Natural disasters or other events outside of our control may damage our facilities or the facilities of third parties on which we depend for the manufacture and distribution of our products.

Our North American distribution center and operational headquarters are located in California near major earthquake faults that have experienced earthquakes in the past. All of our facilities may be subject to a variety of natural or man-made disasters. An earthquake or other event outside our control, such as power shortages, floods, fires, monsoons, other severe weather conditions, terrorism or other similar events, could disrupt our operations or damage or destroy our facilities. Any of these disruptions could impair the manufacture or distribution of products, damage inventory, interrupt critical functions or otherwise affect our business negatively, harming our business operations and future financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. In addition, if the facilities of our third-party product manufacturers are affected by similar activities beyond our control, our ability to obtain sufficient manufactured products could suffer or be impaired.

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 2

Any future terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war may affect the demand for video game console, PC and Mac computer and smart device accessories, which may negatively affect our operations and financial results.

The continued threat of terrorism within the United States, Europe and the Middle East and the military action and heightened security measures in response to such threat may cause significant disruption to commerce throughout the world. To the extent that such disruptions result in delays or cancellations of customer orders, a general decrease in the demand for video game accessories, or our inability to effectively market our products, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. We are unable to predict whether the threat of terrorism or the responses thereto will result in any long-term commercial disruptions or if such activities or responses will have a long-term material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Capital Markets2 | 4.3%

Capital Markets - Risk 1

Any loss of China's Normal Trade Relations ("NTR") with the United States, or any changes in tariffs or trade policies, could increase our manufacturing expenses and make it more difficult for us to manufacture our products in China, if at all.

The majority of our products are manufactured in China and exported from Hong Kong and China to the United States and worldwide. As a result of opposition to policies of the Chinese government and China's growing trade surpluses with the United States, there has been, and in the future may be, opposition to the extension of NTR status for China. The loss of NTR status for China, changes in current tariff structures, or adoption in the United States of other trade policies adverse to China could increase our manufacturing expenses and make it more difficult for us to manufacture our products in China, if at all. This could also apply to our business in Europe as well.

Capital Markets - Risk 2

Our operating results are exposed to changes in exchange rates.

We have net monetary asset and liability balances in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, including the Pound Sterling, the Euro, the Canadian dollar, the Hong Kong dollar, the Japanese yen, and the Chinese Yuan Renminbi ("CNY"). International sales primarily are generated by our subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada, and are denominated typically in their local currency. The expenses incurred by these subsidiaries are also denominated in the local currency. As a result, our operating results are exposed to changes in exchange rates between any of these currencies, and we do not currently hedge our foreign exchange risk. We will continue to monitor our exposure to currency fluctuations, and, where appropriate, may use financial hedging techniques in the future to minimize the effect of these fluctuations, which may be significant from time to time.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 7/46 (15%)Below Sector Average

Innovation / R&D2 | 4.3%

Innovation / R&D - Risk 1

New game platforms and development for multiple consoles and smart devices create additional technical and business model uncertainties that could impact our business.

A significant portion of our revenues are derived from the sale of video game accessories for use with proprietary video game platforms, such as the Microsoft Xbox One and the Sony PlayStation 4 and proprietary smart devices, designed to work on the Apple and Android operating systems. The success of our products is significantly affected by commercial acceptance of such video game and smart device platforms and the life cycle of older platforms. In addition, we anticipate that the research and development expenses incurred to develop compatible accessories for new and updated video game and smart device platforms may impact our profitability. If first-party manufacturers choose to design PC and Mac computer, console or smart device gaming systems that do not operate with third-party accessories and are successful in implementing technological barriers that prevent us from developing, manufacturing, marketing and distributing products for these new game platforms, our ability to continue our current business would be severely limited and our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity would be harmed.

Innovation / R&D - Risk 2

Our financial results are dependent on timely introduction of new products, and any failure or delay in the introduction of new products to the marketplace may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. Our product mix constantly changes.

We generate our revenues from a number of frequently updated and enhanced "active products." We define active products as products that have maintained a minimum level of average gross sales per quarter. Each product may be configured and sold in a number of different stock keeping units ("SKUs"). We typically introduce new products and discontinue a similar number of products each year to maintain an optimal number of active products that we believe best supports our customers and the market. If we do not introduce new products in a timely and efficient manner and in accordance with our operating plans, our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity could be negatively and materially affected. There are numerous steps required to develop a product from conception to commercial introduction and to ensure timely shipment to retail customers, including designing, sourcing and testing the electronic components, receiving approval of hardware and other third-party licensors, factory availability and manufacturing and designing the graphics and packaging. Any difficulties or delays in the product development process will likely result in delays in the contemplated product introduction schedule. It is common in new product introductions or product updates to encounter technical and other difficulties affecting manufacturing efficiency and, at times, the ability to manufacture the product at all. Although these difficulties can be corrected or improved over time with continued manufacturing experience and engineering efforts, if one or more aspects necessary for the introduction of products are not completed as scheduled, or if technical difficulties take longer than anticipated to overcome, the product introductions will be delayed, or in some cases may be terminated. No assurances can be given that products will be introduced in a timely fashion, and if new products are delayed, our sales and profitability may be limited or impaired. Some of our products have been only recently introduced and although they may experience strong initial market acceptance, no assurance can be given that any initial acceptance will result in future sales. As a general matter, we expect that sales of these products will decline over the product's life cycle. We cannot predict the length of the life cycle for any particular product. In order to control costs, and take advantage of the limited shelf space provided to us, we periodically discontinue some of our product offerings. Our long-term operating results will therefore depend largely upon our continued ability to conceive, develop and introduce new appealing products at competitive prices.

Trade Secrets4 | 8.7%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

We may not be able to comply with the terms of our license agreements, which may result in the loss of one or more of the licenses.

We have license and royalty agreements with various parties in which we pay fees in exchange for rights to use product inventions or trademarked names, shapes and likenesses in our products. The agreements often include minimum fee guarantees based on a reasonable expectation of the product sales to be generated throughout the life of the agreement. We cannot assure that we will be able to meet these expectations and may be obligated to pay unearned fees as a result. Some of our license agreements also contain stringent requirements regarding the use of the licensor's trademarks. Our license and royalty agreements are for fixed terms. We cannot assure that we will be able to comply with all of the requirements contained in our licenses or that we will be able to maintain or extend the rights to our existing licenses.

Trade Secrets - Risk 2

Some of our license agreements with video game console developers have expired or may expire within the next fiscal year, which could limit our product offerings and significantly reduce our revenues.

Historically, a majority of our revenues have come from the sale of video game accessories for use with video game consoles sold by first-party manufacturers. Some of these products have been produced under license agreements with these first-party manufacturers. Some of these licenses are necessary in order for us to actually produce and sell the products ("license dependent products"), while other licenses have some perceived or actual marketing or sales benefit, but do not dictate whether we can produce the product ("marketing licenses"). Some of these license agreements have expired and others may expire, which could limit our product offerings and significantly reduce our revenues. We are parties to various license agreements with Microsoft Corporation ("Xbox Agreement") under which we have the right to manufacture (through third party manufacturers), market and sell certain peripheral products for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One video game consoles. The products produced pursuant to the Xbox Agreement are license-dependent products. The Xbox Agreements are evergreen agreements that will automatically be extended unless either party provides written notice of its intention to terminate the license at least 90 days prior to the end of the then-current term. Should the Xbox Agreement expire, be terminated for cause, or fail to be renewed, our product offerings may be limited thereby significantly reducing our revenues.

Trade Secrets - Risk 3

We may be faced with legal challenges related to our products, including that our products infringe third parties' intellectual property rights. These challenges could cause us to incur significant litigation or licensing expenses or could prohibit us from producing or marketing some or all of our products entirely.

Although we do not believe that our products infringe the proprietary rights of any third parties, there can be no assurance that infringement or other legal claims will not be asserted against us or that any such claims will not materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Regardless of their validity or success, such claims may result in costly litigation, divert management's time and attention, cause product shipment delays or require us to enter into royalty or licensing agreements, which may not be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all. If licensing arrangements are required but unavailable, we may be prohibited from marketing and distributing these products. In addition, we could also incur substantial costs to redesign our products to comply with legal orders or contractual arrangements. Any of these costs or outcomes could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. In recent years, it has been more common for companies inside and outside (so called non-practicing entities) our industry to use patents to aggressively challenge the rights of other companies to prevent the marketing of new products. Companies that obtain patents for products or processes that are necessary for or useful to the development of our products may bring legal actions against us claiming infringement and at any given time, we may be involved as both a plaintiff and/or a defendant in a number of patent infringement and other intellectual property-related actions. Defending intellectual property litigation is expensive and complex and outcomes are difficult to predict. Any pending or future patent litigation may result in significant royalty or other payments or injunctions that can prevent the sale of products and may cause a significant diversion of the efforts of our technical and management personnel. While we intend to defend any such lawsuits vigorously, we cannot be certain that we will be successful. In the event that our right to market any of our products is successfully challenged or if we fail to obtain a required license or are unable to design around a patent, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Trade Secrets - Risk 4

Our intellectual property rights may not prevent our competitors from using our technologies or similar technologies to develop competing products, which could weaken our competitive position and harm our financial results.

Our success depends in part on the use of proprietary technologies. We rely, and plan to continue to rely, on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, confidentiality provisions and licensing arrangements to establish and protect our proprietary rights. We have entered into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and nondisclosure agreements with selected parties with whom we conduct business to limit access to and disclosure of our proprietary information. These contractual arrangements and the other steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property may not prevent misappropriation of that intellectual property or deter independent third-party development of similar technologies. Monitoring the unauthorized use of proprietary technology and trademarks is costly, and any dispute or other litigation, regardless of outcome, may be costly and time consuming and may divert our management and key personnel from our business operations. The steps taken by us may not prevent unauthorized use of our proprietary technology or trademarks. Many features of our products are not protected by patents; and as a consequence, we may not have the legal right to prevent others from reverse engineering or otherwise copying and using these features in competitive products. If we fail to protect or to enforce our intellectual property rights successfully, our competitive position could suffer, which could adversely affect our financial results.

Technology1 | 2.2%

Technology - Risk 1

Our operations are vulnerable because we have limited redundancy and backup systems. Any failure of our data information systems could negatively impact our financial results.

Our internal order, inventory and product data management system is an electronic system through which we manage customer orders and product pricing, shipment, and returns, among other matters. The continued and uninterrupted performance of our information systems is critical to our day-to-day business operations. Despite our precautions, unanticipated interruptions in our computer and telecommunications systems have, in the past, caused problems or stoppages in this electronic system. These interruptions, and resulting problems, could occur in the future. We have extremely limited ability and personnel to process purchase orders and manage product pricing and other matters in any manner other than through this electronic system. Any interruption or delay in the operation of this electronic system could cause a significant decline in our sales and profitability.

Production

Total Risks: 5/46 (11%)Below Sector Average

Manufacturing1 | 2.2%

Manufacturing - Risk 1

Errors or defects contained in our products, failure to comply with applicable safety standards or a product recall could result in delayed shipments or rejection of our products, damage to our reputation and expose us to regulatory or other legal action.

Any defects or errors in the operation of our products may result in delays in their introduction. In addition, errors or defects may be uncovered after commercial shipments have begun, which could result in the rejection of our products by our customers, damage to our reputation, lost sales, diverted development resources and increased customer service and support costs and warranty claims, any of which could harm our business. Adults and children could sustain injuries from our products, and we may be subject to claims or lawsuits resulting from such injuries. There is a risk that these claims or liabilities may exceed, or fall outside the scope of, our insurance coverage. We may also be unable to obtain adequate liability insurance in the future. Because we are a small company, a product recall would be particularly harmful to us because we have limited financial and administrative resources to effectively manage a product recall and it would detract management's attention from implementing our core business strategies. A significant product defect or product recall could materially and adversely affect our brand image, causing a decline in our sales, and could reduce or deplete our financial resources.

Employment / Personnel1 | 2.2%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

Failure to attract, retain and motivate skilled personnel would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

Our ability to achieve our revenue and operating performance objectives will depend in large part on our ability to attract and retain qualified and highly skilled sales, marketing, operations, logistics, management, engineering and finance personnel. We compete for our personnel with other companies, and competition for such personnel is intense and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future, particularly for those with relevant technical expertise. Failure to retain and expand our key employee population could adversely affect our business and operating results. We are heavily dependent upon our senior management team. The continued availability of this team will be a major contributing factor to our future growth. In the event that any member of senior management becomes unavailable for any reason, we could be materially and adversely affected. We do not maintain key-man life insurance on our senior management.

Supply Chain2 | 4.3%

Supply Chain - Risk 1

The manufacture and supply of our products are dependent upon a limited number of third parties, and our success is dependent upon the ability of these parties to manufacture and supply us with sufficient quantities of our products and on the continued viability and financial stability of these third-party suppliers.

We rely on a limited number of manufacturers and suppliers for our products. There can be no assurance that these manufacturers and suppliers will be able to manufacture or supply us with sufficient quantities of products to ensure consumer availability. In addition, these parties may not be able to obtain the raw materials, energy or oil supply required to manufacture sufficient quantities of our products. Moreover, there can be no assurance that such manufacturers and suppliers will not refuse to supply us with products, and independently market their own competing products in the future, or will not otherwise discontinue their relationships with or support of our Company. Our failure to maintain our existing manufacturing and supplier relationships, or to establish new relationships in the future, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. If our suppliers are unable or unwilling for any reason to supply us with a sufficient quantity of our products, our business, revenues, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity would be materially adversely affected. If any of our key suppliers became financially unstable, our access to these products might be jeopardized, thereby adversely affecting our business, cash flow, financial condition and operational results.

Supply Chain - Risk 2

We depend upon third parties to develop products and video games.

Our business is dependent upon the continued development of new and enhanced video game platforms by first-party manufacturers and video games by publishers. Our business could suffer if any of these parties fail to develop new or enhanced video game platforms or popular game and entertainment titles for current or future generation platforms. If a platform is withdrawn from the market or fails to sell, we may be forced to liquidate our inventories of related products or accept returns resulting in significant losses. Historically, the video game industry has been cyclical with many consumers delaying the purchase of new video game systems for one to two years following the launch of a new system. This transition period creates a challenging sales environment for the video game industry and for our products designed for use with video game platforms. The general decline in the video game industry that typically occurs during these transition periods may adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and if the decline is longer or deeper than expected, the impact on our business will be more severe.

Costs1 | 2.2%

Costs - Risk 1

We face substantial inventory risk, particularly with respect to inventory related to the Rock Band 4 video game.

We value inventories at the lower of cost or market value. If the estimated market value is determined to be less than the recorded cost of the inventory, a provision is made to reduce the carrying amount of the inventory item to the lower market value determination. Determination of the market value may be complex, and therefore, requires management to make assumptions and to apply a high degree of judgment. In order for management to make the appropriate determination of market value, the following items are commonly considered: inventory turnover statistics, inventory quantities on hand in our facilities and customer inventories, unfilled customer order quantities, forecasted consumer demand, current retail prices, competitive pricing, seasonality factors, consumer trends and performance of similar products or accessories. Subsequent changes in facts or circumstances do not result in the reversal of previously recorded write-downs. For example, we built substantial inventory of our Rock Band 4 products in advance of the Rock Band 4 product launch in October 2015 and in anticipation of seasonal and holiday demands. On May 4, 2016, our agreement with Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. ("Harmonix") to co-publish and manufacture hardware for the Rock Band 4 video game was terminated. Due to lower than expected demand for Rock Band 4 and the termination of the underlying contract with Harmonix, which precludes us from selling products designed for the Rock Band 4 video game after September 6, 2016, we recorded a $4.0 million inventory write-down to reduce the remaining inventory of products designed for the Rock Bank video game to its estimated market value of $8.3 million as of March 31, 2016. If our estimates regarding market value are inaccurate, including our estimates regarding our Rock Band 4 inventory, or changes in consumer demand affect specific products in an unforeseen manner, we may be exposed to additional write-downs of our inventory that could be material.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 2/46 (4%)Below Sector Average

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 2.2%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

Investors may not be able to secure foreign enforcement of civil liabilities against management.

The enforcement by investors of civil liabilities under the federal securities laws of the United States may be adversely affected by the fact that we are organized under the laws of Canada, that some of our officers and directors are residents of a foreign country and that all, or a substantial portion, of such persons' assets are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for holders of our common stock to affect service of process on such persons within the United States or to realize in the United States upon judgments rendered against them.

Environmental / Social1 | 2.2%

Environmental / Social - Risk 1

We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations that could impose substantial costs upon us and may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our operations and some of our products are regulated under various federal, state, local and international environmental laws. In addition, regulatory bodies in many of the jurisdictions in which we operate propose, enact and amend environmental laws and regulations on a regular basis. The laws and regulations applying to our business include those governing the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the management, disposal and labeling of, and exposure to, hazardous substances and wastes and the cleanup of contaminated sites. We incur additional costs to comply with such regulations and may incur fines and civil or criminal sanctions, third-party property damage or personal injury claims, or could be required to incur substantial investigation or remediation costs, if we were to violate or become liable under environmental laws. Liability under environmental laws can be joint and several and without regard to comparative fault. The ultimate costs under environmental laws and the timing of these costs are difficult to predict. Although we cannot predict the ultimate impact of any new laws and regulations, they will likely result in additional costs or decreased revenue, and could require that we redesign or change how we manufacture our products, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. To the extent that our competitors choose not to abide by these environmental laws and regulations, we will be at a cost disadvantage, thereby hindering our ability to effectively compete in the marketplace.

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.