Northrop Grumman (NOC) Risk Analysis

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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.

Northrop Grumman disclosed 21 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Northrop Grumman reported the most risks in the “Legal & Regulatory” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2025

Risk Distribution

24% Legal & Regulatory

24% Production

14% Finance & Corporate

14% Tech & Innovation

14% Macro & Political

10% Ability to Sell

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

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

Risk Change Over Time

2022

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

Northrop Grumman 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, 2025

Main Risk Category

Legal & Regulatory

With 5 Risks

Legal & Regulatory

With 5 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

0Risks added

0Risks removed

6Risks changed

Since Dec 2025

0Risks added

0Risks removed

6Risks changed

Since Dec 2025

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 Northrop Grumman 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 21

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 5/21 (24%)Above Sector Average

Regulation1 | 4.8%

Regulation - Risk 1

As a U.S. government contractor, we and our partners are subject to various procurement and other laws, regulations and contract terms applicable to our industry, as well as those more broadly applicable to industry, and changes in such laws, regulations or terms, any negative findings by the U.S. government as to our or our partners' compliance with them, and changes in our customers' business practices globally could affect our ability to compete and have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

U.S. government contractors (including their subcontractors and others with whom they do business) must comply with various specific procurement laws, regulations, rules and other legal requirements. If we are found to have violated any such requirements, or are found not to have acted responsibly, we may be subject to a wide array of actions, including contract modifications or termination, payment withholds, the loss of export/import privileges, administrative, civil or criminal judgments or penalties (including convictions, agreements, fines, damages and non-monetary relief), or suspension or debarment. Additionally, these various legal requirements, although sometimes customary in government contracting, increase costs and risks and have been and are evolving at a significant pace, which further increases costs and risks. The costs are not always fully recoverable. New laws or other requirements, or changes to existing ones (including, for example, related to cybersecurity, information and data protection, cost accounting, environment, sustainability, securities, competition, compensation costs, employment, taxes, counterfeit parts, pensions, use of certain non-US equipment or acquisitions more broadly), can significantly increase our costs (including compliance costs) and risks, create operational challenges, potentially limit our ability to return cash to shareholders, reduce our profitability and/or adversely affect our competitiveness. Such risks may increase as a result of new regulations or executive orders (such as the recent executive order applicable to government defense contractors, which seeks, among other things, to address underperformance and insufficient prioritization of government contracts, insufficient investment in production and production speed, as well as limit share repurchases and dividends by government defense contractors), different interpretations in how government agencies construe existing requirements, or government agencies taking positions that represent changes from historical practices. In addition, changes in priorities and government actions with respect to defense contracting have led to increased uncertainty regarding such risks, including as a result of uncertainty regarding the impact and implementation of recent executive orders. We operate in a highly regulated environment and are routinely audited and reviewed by the U.S. government and its agencies, such as the DCAA, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and the DoW Inspector General. These agencies review performance under our contracts, our cost structure and accounting, our compliance, and the adequacy of our systems in meeting government requirements. Costs ultimately found to be unallowable or improperly allocated are generally not reimbursed or require us to refund the customer. If an audit uncovers improper or illegal activities, we could be subject to possible civil and criminal penalties, sanctions, or suspension or debarment. Whether or not illegal activities are alleged, the U.S. government has the ability to decrease or withhold certain payments when it deems systems to be inadequate, with significant financial impact, regardless of the ultimate outcome. As a result of such actions, we may be subject to increased scrutiny, identified for enforcement action, and/or required to engage in remediation efforts, any or all of which could damage our reputation, increase our costs (including compliance costs) and risks, create operational challenges, and/or adversely affect our competitiveness. In addition, we risk serious reputational harm in situations involving allegations of impropriety made against us or our business partners. Our industry has experienced, and we expect it will continue to experience, significant changes to business practices globally, in part as a result of changes in the global security and threat environment and an increased focus on affordability, efficiencies, business systems, recovery of costs and a reprioritization of available defense funds. We have experienced and may continue to experience an increased number of audits and challenges to our claims and our business systems for current and past years, as well as longer periods to close audits, broader requests for information and an increased risk of withholdings of payments. The U.S. government has been pursuing and may continue to pursue policies that could negatively impact our profitability, including those that shift additional responsibility, cost and performance risks to the contractor.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 4.8%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

We are subject to various investigations, claims, disputes, enforcement actions, litigation, and other legal proceedings that could ultimately be resolved against us and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

The size, nature and complexity of our business make us particularly susceptible to investigations, claims, disputes, enforcement actions, prosecutions, litigation and other legal proceedings (collectively "legal proceedings"), particularly those involving governments, which may continue to increase. We are or may become subject to legal proceedings globally (including criminal, civil and administrative) and across a broad array of matters, including, but not limited to, government contracts; cost accounting; financial accounting and reporting; false statements or claims; cybersecurity; and pension accounting and other employee benefit plan matters. These matters can divert resources, result in administrative, civil or criminal fines, penalties or other sanctions (including judgments, convictions, consent or other voluntary decrees or agreements), compensatory, treble or other damages, non-monetary relief, or other liabilities, and otherwise harm our business and our ability to obtain and retain awards. Certain outcomes may lead to suspension or debarment from government contracts or suspension of export/import privileges for the company or one or more of its components. Suspension or debarment or criminal resolutions, in particular, could have a material adverse effect on the company because of our reliance on government contracts and export authorizations. Legal proceedings, even if pending or not ultimately resulting in adverse action, or even if fully indemnified or insured, can negatively impact our reputation among our customers, suppliers and the public, and make it substantially more difficult for us to compete effectively for business, obtain and retain awards, ensure adequate funding for our programs or obtain adequate supplies or insurance in the future. See Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding the company's investigations, claims and litigation.

Taxation & Government Incentives2 | 9.5%

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1

Unanticipated changes in our tax provisions or an increase in our tax liabilities, whether due to changes in applicable laws and regulations, the interpretation or application thereof, or a final determination of tax audits or litigation or agreements, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

We are subject to income and other taxes in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Changes in applicable tax laws and regulations, or their interpretation and application, including the possibility of retroactive effect, as well as measurement of benefit plan obligations, and revaluation of uncertain tax positions, have affected and could affect our tax expense, the timing of payments, or deferred tax assets. In addition, the final determination of any tax audits or related litigation, in particular with regard to our positions on research credits, could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. In addition, we may be subject to future tax audits and legal challenges involving OATK, which we acquired in 2018, or the spinoff of its then subsidiary Vista Outdoor, and we may be unable to obtain indemnification or we may be required to indemnify Vista.

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2

Significant delays or reductions in appropriations for our programs or U.S. government funding more broadly, including a prolonged continuing resolution, government shutdown or breach of the debt ceiling, and future budget and program decisions can negatively impact our business and programs and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

U.S. government programs are subject to annual congressional budget authorization and appropriation processes. For many programs, Congress appropriates funds annually even though the program performance period may extend over several years. Programs are often partially funded initially, with additional funds committed incrementally over time as Congress makes further appropriations. When we or our subcontractors incur costs in excess of funds obligated on a contract, we are generally at risk for reimbursement unless and until additional funds are obligated to the contract. We cannot predict what funding will ultimately be approved for individual programs. In addition, certain changes in priorities and defense spending, the timing and substance of the appropriations process, use of continuing resolutions (which may carry restrictions, including on new contracts and program starts) and the federal debt limit (including a breach of the federal debt ceiling), have adversely affected and could in the future adversely affect the amount and timing of funding for individual programs and delay purchasing or payments by our customers. In the event government funding for our significant programs is reduced, delayed or unavailable, our contracts or subcontracts, or competitions for such programs, have at times been, and in the future may be, terminated or changed, including a reduction in orders. The U.S. continues to face a changing geopolitical environment, along with substantial fiscal, economic, political and security challenges, which affect funding and budgetary priorities. The budget and macroeconomic environment, global security environment, political instability, and uncertainty surrounding the appropriations processes and the debt ceiling, remain significant short and long-term risks for our business. See "Overview" in MD&A. Considerable uncertainty exists regarding how future budget and program decisions will unfold. We also have faced, and may in the future face, a prolonged government shutdown. A prolonged government shutdown could lead to program cancellations, disruptions and/or stop work orders and could limit the U.S. government's ability to progress programs and make timely payments. Such a shutdown could also limit our ability to perform on our contracts and/or successfully compete for, be awarded and/or begin new work. In addition, high deficit levels and high debt servicing costs could drive cuts to federal spending. If the statutory debt limit is reached and not increased adequately, we could be obligated to work without receiving timely payments, and a prolonged breach could have far-reaching adverse consequences.

Environmental / Social1 | 4.8%

Environmental / Social - Risk 1

Changed

Environmental matters, unforeseen costs associated with compliance and remediation efforts, and government and third-party claims, could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Our operations are subject to and affected by a variety of federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations, including as they may be expanded, otherwise changed or enforced differently over time. Compliance with these existing and evolving environmental laws and regulations requires, and is expected to continue to require, significant operating and capital costs. For example, some of these recently enacted laws and regulations prohibit the use of certain chemicals or other substances that are used in our business, which has, in some cases, required us to identify alternate sources, resulting in additional costs and/or otherwise impacting our business and operations. Environmental matters may significantly impact our business and operations and present evolving risks and challenges. New and evolving laws, regulations and rulemakings in different jurisdictions (inside and outside the United States) may impose different and at times more or less restrictive environmental requirements on our operations. Compliance with these laws and regulations could also require capital investments, could adversely impact our ongoing operations, and could require changes on a more accelerated time frame. We expect our suppliers to face similar challenges and incur additional compliance costs that may be passed on to us. These direct and indirect costs can adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition, and, if we are unable to comply with legislative and regulatory requirements, our reputation and ability to do business could be negatively impacted. Environmental impacts create short and long-term financial risks to our business globally. We have significant operations located in regions that have been, and may in the future be, exposed to significant weather events and other natural disasters. These events could damage our and our suppliers' facilities, products, and other assets, and cause disruptions to our business operations and supply chain as well as the operations of our customers, and require an increase in expenditures to improve climate resiliency. The costs of our efforts to develop and implement sustainability initiatives and comply with environmental regulations where we operate may be greater than expected, which could affect our ability to achieve our goals. Additionally, we may be the subject of criticism or other actions by government officials, private groups or influential individuals who disagree with our actions with respect to sustainability and/or environmental matters. We may be subject to substantial administrative, civil or criminal fines, penalties or other sanctions (including suspension, debarment or disqualification) for violations of environmental laws. If we are found to be in violation of the Federal Clean Air Act or the Clean Water Act, the facility or facilities involved in the violation could be placed by the Environmental Protection Agency on a list of facilities that generally cannot be used in performing on U.S. government contracts until the violation is corrected. We incur, and expect to continue to incur, substantial remediation costs related to the cleanup of pollutants previously released into the environment. Stricter or different remediation standards or enforcement of existing laws and regulations, new requirements, including regulation of new substances, discovery of previously unknown or more extensive contamination or new contaminants, imposition of fines, penalties, or damages (including natural resource damages), a determination that certain remediation or other costs are unallowable, rulings on allocation or insurance coverage, and/or the insolvency, inability or unwillingness of other parties to pay their share, could require us to incur material additional costs in excess of those anticipated. We are and may become a party to various legal proceedings and disputes involving government and private parties (including individual and class actions) relating to alleged impacts from pollutants released into the environment, including bodily injury and property damage. For example, please see Note 10 for a discussion of certain disputes and lawsuits related to legacy Bethpage environmental conditions. These matters could result in material compensatory or other damages, remediation costs, penalties, and non-monetary relief, and adverse determinations on allowability or insurance coverage. Government and private parties also seek to hold us responsible for liabilities or obligations related to former operations that have been divested or spun-off and/or for which we believe other parties have agreed to be responsible and/or to indemnify us. These rights may not be sufficient to protect us.

Production

Total Risks: 5/21 (24%)Above Sector Average

Manufacturing1 | 4.8%

Manufacturing - Risk 1

We provide products and services, including related to hazardous and high risk operations, which subjects us to various environmental, regulatory, financial, reputational and other risks, and if any of these risks were to materialize, it could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

We provide products and services related to hazardous and high risk operations. Among other such operations, our products and services are used in nuclear-related activities (including nuclear-powered platforms) and used in support of nuclear-related operations of third parties. In addition, certain of our products are provided with space and missile launches. We use and provide energetic materials, including in propulsion systems, which are highly explosive and flammable. We develop missile systems, and counter systems, including strategic deterrents, as well as subsystems and components. These and other activities subject us to various extraordinary risks, including those associated with (1) nuclear-related or non-nuclear launch activities and operations, including failed launches, (2) unintended release or initiation of energetic materials and explosions, whether in the development, test or use of such energetic materials, and (3) the storage, handling and disposal of radioactive and other hazardous or flammable materials and any changes in related regulations. We may be subject to potential liabilities, including for personal injury and harm to human health, property damage, environmental harm, and reputational harm arising out of such incidents or hazardous activities and operations, whether or not the cause was within our control, and insurance may not be reasonably available. Under some circumstances, the U.S. government and prime contractors may provide for certain indemnification and other protection, including pursuant to, or in connection with, Public Law 85-804, 10 U.S.C. 3861, the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act, the NASA Space Act, the Commercial Space Launch Act and the Terrorism Risk Insurance Reauthorization Act, for certain risks, but those protections may not be available or adequate. Certain of our products, such as medium and large caliber ammunition and propulsion systems, involve the use, manufacture and/or handling of a variety of explosive and flammable materials or other hazardous substances. These activities have resulted and may result in incidents that cause workplace injuries and fatalities, damage or destruction of property, the temporary shut down or other disruption of manufacturing, production delays, environmental harm and expense, fines and liabilities to third parties. We have safety and loss prevention programs, which provide for pre-construction reviews, along with safety audits of operations involving explosive materials, to attempt to avoid or mitigate such incidents, as well as potential insurance coverage and indemnification to address resulting liabilities, but they may not be successful. In addition, our customers, or others, may use, handle or test our products and services in ways that can be unusually hazardous or risky, or in ways that are not intended, not authorized or inconsistent with guidance and warnings, which may create potential liabilities for our company, as well as reputational harm.

Employment / Personnel3 | 14.3%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

Changed

Our earnings and profitability depend, in part, on the performance, financial viability, and compliance with regulatory requirements globally of our subcontractors and suppliers, as well as on the availability and pricing of highly skilled labor, raw materials, chemicals, parts, and components. The disruption of one or more of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

We rely on subcontractors and other suppliers (referred to collectively as suppliers) to provide raw materials, chemicals, parts, components and subsystems for our products, produce hardware elements and sub-assemblies, provide software and intellectual property, and perform some of the services we need for our operations or provide to our customers, and to do so efficiently and in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and contract terms, while maintaining strong values and cultures. Disruptions, performance problems or other issues with our suppliers, including unanticipated cost growth, failure to meet regulatory or contractual requirements, and/or unethical or illegal behavior, or a misalignment between our contractual obligations to our customers and our agreements with our suppliers, have had and may continue to have various adverse impacts on the company, including on our ability to meet our commitments to customers and financial expectations. Supply chain challenges, including risk of delays and disruptions continue to be heightened globally. Our ability to perform our obligations on time can be adversely affected if one or more of our suppliers is unable to provide the agreed-upon products, materials or intellectual property, or perform the agreed-upon services, in a timely, compliant and cost-effective manner. We have experienced, and may continue to experience, financial or other performance challenges if we are unable to use or obtain certain raw materials, chemicals, parts, components or other substances in a timely and/or cost-efficient manner due to laws or other regulations that restrict or prohibit the use or import of such items, or cause suppliers to be unwilling or unable to supply them, and we cannot obtain a reasonable substitute on a timely or cost-effective basis, including as a result of tariffs or other trade restrictions. Changes in political or economic conditions, including changes in demand, the macroeconomic environment (including inflation and labor and supply chain challenges), defense budgets and/or priorities, the global security environment, export/import restrictions, tariffs, sanctions and other trade-related activities, access to critical technology and materials (including metals and components), and/or evolving requirements, among others, have adversely affected and could adversely affect the financial stability of our suppliers and/or their ability to perform effectively. The inability of our suppliers to perform effectively has required and may require us to provide them additional support and/or to transition to alternate suppliers, if available, with additional costs and delays. We expect we will need to continue to provide additional resources to support certain of our suppliers in performing under our contracts. In addition, if we are unable to do that or if our suppliers are no longer able to perform due to financial difficulties, we may face additional losses and liabilities under our current contracts and adversely impact the prospects for certain new ones. In connection with our U.S. government contracts, we are required to procure certain raw materials, chemicals, components and parts from supply sources approved by the customer and/or are restricted from procuring products or services from certain sources. Because the identification and qualification of new or additional suppliers for certain products and services can take an extended period of time and can result in additional cost, supplier disruptions can have an adverse impact on our business. For example, we require access to certain microelectronics and our ability to produce and/or deliver products will be significantly impacted if the microelectronics manufacturing supply chain is cut off or significantly limited or delayed. This risk is increased for products and services that are single or sole source. For example, for some components, we may have had, or have, only one supplier, or one domestic supplier, that meets our needs. If that supplier cannot timely perform, or if we are unable to procure components from certain suppliers due to regulatory restrictions, we may be unable to find a suitable alternative and to meet our obligations. Additionally, we may be held responsible not only for our own compliance with legal, contractual and customer requirements, but that of our suppliers, including with respect to counterfeit, unauthorized or otherwise non-compliant parts or materials.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 2

The improper conduct of employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, business partners or joint ventures in which we participate can impact our reputation and our ability to do business, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

We face potential liability based on misconduct by employees, agents or others working with us or on our behalf that could violate the applicable laws of the jurisdictions in which we operate, including laws governing improper payments to government officials, the protection of export controlled or classified information, false claims, procurement integrity, cost accounting and billing, competition, information security and data privacy, intellectual property and contract terms. Improper actions by our employees, agents or others working with us or on our behalf also subject us to risk of administrative, civil or criminal investigations and enforcement actions, monetary and non-monetary penalties, liabilities, and the loss of privileges and other sanctions, including suspension and debarment. We have in the past experienced and may in the future experience misconduct committed by our employees, agents, suppliers, partners or others working with us or on our behalf. This risk of improper conduct increases as we continue to expand globally, with greater opportunities and demands to do more business with local and new partners, and in new environments. At the same time, law enforcement agencies are continuing to focus collaboratively on combating global corruption and other misconduct. We form and are members of joint ventures or other business arrangements and/or invest in third parties with whom we do business. We may be unable to prevent misconduct or violations of applicable laws by these joint ventures or our partners, including, in each case, their respective officers, directors and employees, and their actions may adversely impact us and our reputation.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 3

If we are unable to attract and retain a qualified workforce necessary for our business, we may be unable to maintain our competitive position, meet the needs of our customers or achieve our results, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Our operating results and growth opportunities are heavily dependent upon our ability to attract and retain sufficient qualified personnel who are or can reasonably obtain requisite security clearances and program access, who have the requisite skills in multiple areas, including science, technology, engineering and math, and who share our values and are able to operate effectively consistent with our culture. Outside the U.S., it is increasingly important that we are also able to attract and retain personnel with relevant local qualifications and experience. We continue to face increased competition for talent with traditional defense companies, new entrants in our markets and commercial companies, globally, with increasing wage rates and, in some cases, greater flexibility around working conditions. Although we have realized benefits from extensive hiring and retention programs in recent years, the risk of insufficient personnel may increase, either broadly or with respect to select critical staffing requirements, including those with security clearances. If necessary qualified personnel are more scarce or more difficult to attract or retain under reasonable terms, or if we experience a high level of attrition, generally or in particular areas, or if such personnel are increasingly unable to obtain security clearances or program access on a timely basis or are unable to be timely and effectively trained, we would expect higher labor-related costs and we could face challenges performing on various of our programs and meeting financial expectations. In addition, the macroeconomic environment, including continued challenges in the global labor market, may further affect our ability to hire, develop and retain the necessary workforce. Separately, the recent executive order regarding executive salaries and incentive compensation metrics applicable to defense contractors could adversely impact our ability to attract or retain executive talent. Certain of our employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. We generally have been able to renegotiate renewals to expiring agreements without significant disruption of operating activities. However, other companies have experienced challenges in renewing labor agreements. If, for example, we also experience difficulties with renewals and renegotiations of existing collective bargaining agreements, or if our employees pursue new collective representation, we could incur additional expenses and impacts on operating efficiency and may be subject to work stoppages, production delays, increased labor costs and/or other labor-related disruptions. Any such expenses, stoppages or disruptions could adversely affect our performance and results.

Costs1 | 4.8%

Costs - Risk 1

Our insurance coverage, customer indemnifications or other liability protections may be unavailable or inadequate to cover our significant risks, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

We endeavor to obtain insurance from financially stable, responsible, highly rated counterparties in established markets to cover significant risks and liabilities (including, for example, natural disasters, space launches and on-orbit operations, cybersecurity, hazardous operations, energetics and products liability). Not every risk or liability can be insured, and insurance coverage is not always reasonably available. Further, policy limits and terms of coverage reasonably obtainable may not be sufficient to cover actual losses or liabilities. For example, the space insurance market is experiencing increased price volatility and capacity constraints. Due to recent increases in the frequency and severity of losses in the space market, insurers are decreasing limits, increasing pricing and some have exited the market. Even if insurance coverage is available, we are not always able to obtain it at a price or on terms acceptable to us or without increasing exclusions. For example, if any of our space missions, including launch and on-orbit operations, are partially or wholly uninsured, we will bear a portion or all the losses resulting from a mission failure. Disputes with insurance carriers over the availability of coverage, and the insolvency of one or more of our insurers has affected and may continue to affect the availability or timing of recovery, as well as our ability to obtain insurance coverage at reasonable rates in the future. In some circumstances we may be entitled to certain legal protections or indemnifications from our customers through contractual provisions, laws or otherwise. However, these protections are not always available, are difficult to negotiate and obtain, are typically subject to certain terms or limitations, including the availability of funds, and may not be sufficient to cover our losses or liabilities.

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 3/21 (14%)Below Sector Average

Accounting & Financial Operations2 | 9.5%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

We use estimates when accounting for contracts. Contract cost growth or changes in estimated contract revenues and costs can affect our profitability and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Contract accounting requires judgment, including in assessing risks, estimating contract revenues and costs, and predicting future performance. Given the size and nature of our contracts, estimating total revenues and costs at completion is complex and subject to many variables. When there is sufficient information to assess expected future performance, we consider performance-related incentives, awards and penalties, as well as the expected performance of our suppliers and the availability and cost of labor, materials and components in estimating contract revenue and profitability. Our operating income can be adversely affected when estimated contract costs increase, especially without comparable increases in revenue. There are many reasons estimated contract costs can increase, including inflation, labor challenges, supply chain challenges, shortages of raw materials, market and exchange rate volatility, delays or limitations in customer funding, design or other development challenges, production challenges (including from technical or quality issues and other performance concerns), inability to realize learning curves or expected cost savings, changes in laws or regulations, actions necessary for long-term customer satisfaction, and natural disasters or other environmental matters. We aim to mitigate this risk through contract terms, and we have submitted and may submit requests for equitable adjustment (REAs), engineering change proposals (ECPs) or other requests or claims to seek recovery in whole or in part for our increased costs. We have also sought, and will seek, other avenues, as appropriate, to compensate the company for certain unexpected cost increases. However, our contracts may not enable full recovery, and/or customers may disagree with our requests or may not have funding to cover them. Changes in underlying assumptions, circumstances or estimates, and the failure to recover on REAs, ECPs or other claims could have a material adverse effect on the profitability of one or more of our contracts. In addition, from time to time, we may begin performing on a contract prior to completing contract negotiations. Uncertainties in final contract terms, quantity and pricing or loss of negotiating leverage associated with long delays in finalizing contract terms could negatively affect our profitability on those contracts. Certain of our contracts also include options exercisable at the customer's discretion. The customer may decline to exercise an option, or the customer may exercise an option for which we may incur a loss or perform at a low margin, either of which could adversely affect our results of operations. Our risk varies by contract type. Fixed-price contracts tend to have more financial risk than cost-type contracts, including as a result of inflationary pressures, labor rates and shortages, challenges in estimating contract revenues and costs, and supplier challenges. In 2025, approximately half of our sales were derived from fixed-price contracts. We have entered into fixed-price contracts more often when costs can be more reasonably estimated based on actual experience, such as for mature production programs. However, our customers have sought, and may in the future seek, fixed-price contracts for development programs, combined development and production programs, or low-rate initial production programs, where the risks are greater. For example, fixed-price contracts for such programs have increased performance and financial risks due to a number of factors, including the following challenges: estimating costs required to complete such contracts, which are subject to significant variability, particularly with respect to development programs, starting and stabilizing manufacturing production and test lines while concurrently validating final design, and managing changes in requirements or capabilities requested by the customer. If we do not achieve our estimates or meet terms in our contracts, our profitability has at times been, and may be, reduced, and we have incurred and may incur losses. Under cost-type contracts, allowable costs are generally subject to reimbursement plus a fee. We often enter into cost-type contracts for development programs with complex design and technical challenges. These cost-type programs may have award or incentive fees that are uncertain and may be earned over extended periods or towards the end of the contract. In these cases, financial risks include profit recognition or program cancellation, including if cost, schedule, or technical performance issues arise. We also face additional financial risk when solicitations require us to bid on cost-type development work and fixed-price production lots and/or options in one submission, where we must estimate the cost of production before a product has been developed and tested, or cost-type development work requiring us to provide certain items at our expense or with little or no fee. Changes in macroeconomic conditions increase these risks. Because of the significance of management's judgments and estimation processes, and the difficulties inherent in estimating future costs, particularly in a challenging and dynamic macroeconomic environment, it is possible that our results could differ materially from our estimates. See "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" in MD&A and Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2

Business investments and/or recorded goodwill and other long-lived assets may become impaired, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and/or results of operations.

Goodwill is an intangible asset that we recognize in connection with acquisitions of third-party businesses. Goodwill accounts for approximately 34 percent of our total assets as of December 31, 2025. Other long-lived assets principally comprise property, plant and equipment (PP&E) used in operating our business. The cost of PP&E utilized in support of our commercial business, including approximately $600 million of PP&E in our commercial space business, is not allocable to government contracts and is therefore subject to greater recoverability risk than PP&E utilized in support of our U.S. government contracts. Although the fair value of our reporting units and the net realizable value of our other long-lived assets currently exceed their respective carrying values, changes in business conditions, the market-based inputs used in our goodwill impairment test, or our assumptions related to the recoverability of our long-lived assets, could result in significant write-offs of goodwill or other long-lived assets.

Debt & Financing1 | 4.8%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

Changed

Depending upon the investment performance of plan assets, changes in actuarial assumptions, and legislative or other regulatory actions, pension and other postretirement benefit (OPB) obligations and related expenses and funding requirements may fluctuate significantly and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

The company's pension and OPB obligations and related expenses are dependent upon the investment performance of plan assets and various assumptions, including discount and interest rates, mortality and the estimated long-term rates of return on plan assets. Changes in assumptions associated with our pension and OPB plans, the investment performance of plan assets, and gains or losses associated with changes in valuation of marketable securities related to our non-qualified plans and other non-operating assets could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. Funding requirements for our pension plans, including Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation premiums, are subject to legislative and other government regulatory actions. In accordance with government regulations, pension plan cost recoveries under our U.S. government contracts may occur in different periods from when they are recognized for financial statement purposes or when pension funding is made. These timing differences, as well as government challenges to pension and OPB cost recovery, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 3/21 (14%)Above Sector Average

Innovation / R&D1 | 4.8%

Innovation / R&D - Risk 1

Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to innovate, develop new products and technologies, progress and benefit from digital transformation and maintain technologies, facilities and equipment to win new competitions and meet the needs of our customers. Failure to do so or meet our contractual obligations that require innovative design could adversely affect our profitability, reputation and future prospects and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and/or cash flows.

We design, develop and manufacture technologically advanced and innovative products and services, which are applied by our customers in a variety of environments, including highly demanding operating conditions, to accomplish challenging missions. Our success depends upon our ability to develop technologically advanced, innovative and cost-effective products and services, produce products at scale, and market these products and services to our customers globally. Our ability to develop such products depends on the talent of our workforce, continued funding for, and investment in, research and development, continued access to assured suppliers of important technologies and components, our ability to effectively compete, and our ability to provide the people, technologies, facilities, equipment and financial capacity needed to develop and deliver those products and services with maximum efficiency. To perform on our contracts and to win new business, we also depend increasingly on our ability to progress successfully on our digital transformation strategy. To meet evolving customer requirements, it is increasingly necessary to differentiate our offerings and to achieve efficiencies in our operations through digital based solutions, including artificial intelligence. Leveraging artificial intelligence in our business processes and operations can enhance our performance and enable our workforce to meet the needs of the customer. Our business may be adversely affected if we cannot continue to successfully integrate artificial intelligence into our business processes, products and services in a cost-effective, efficient, compliant and responsible manner. In addition, the advancement and integration of artificial intelligence technologies into our business are transforming the nature of work and the skills required within our workforce and may lead to workforce displacement. This could require us to invest in additional employee training, manage impacts on morale and retention and compete for candidates who possess more advanced technological skills. If we are unsuccessful in managing such risks to our workforce, it could negatively impact our operations. Additionally, emerging and potential regulations governing the use of artificial intelligence could impose additional requirements that may increase our costs or adversely impact our speed of delivery. Further, improper use of, or failure to adequately integrate, artificial intelligence could increase costs and lead to data breaches, reputational risks and otherwise negatively impact our business. If we are unable to continue to develop new products and technologies in a timely fashion, and progress successfully to identify, develop and integrate new technologies and effect digital solutions and transformation, or if we fail to achieve market acceptance and scale production more rapidly than our competitors, we may be unable to maintain our competitive position and our future success could be materially adversely affected. Problems and delays that could limit the successful development and delivery of our solutions, prevent us from meeting requirements and/or create risk and liabilities include issues with design, technology, operations or digital transformation, inability to achieve learning curve assumptions, inability to integrate emerging and rapidly developing technologies like artificial intelligence, manufacturing materials or components, or subcontractor (or other supplier) performance. Similarly, failures to perform on schedule or otherwise to fulfill our contractual obligations can negatively impact our financial position, reputation and ability to win future business. In addition, our products cannot be tested and proven in all situations and are otherwise subject to unforeseen problems that can negatively affect revenue, schedule and profitability, and result in loss of life or property. They include loss on launch or flight of spacecraft, loss of aviation platforms, premature failure of products that cannot be accessed for repair or replacement, unintended explosions, problems with design, quality and workmanship, country of origin of procured materials, inadequate supplier components and degradation of product performance. Certain contracts, primarily involving space satellite systems, contain provisions that entitle the customer to recover payments and/or fees in the event of failure of the system or other performance challenges upon launch or subsequent deployment for less than a specified period of time. Under such terms, we are generally required to forfeit fees previously recognized and/or collected.

Trade Secrets1 | 4.8%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

We may not be able to adequately protect and fully exploit our intellectual property rights or obtain necessary rights to intellectual property of others, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to compete and perform on contracts, and have a material adverse effect on our reputation and our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

To perform on our contracts and to win new business, we depend on our ability to develop, protect and exploit our intellectual property and use the intellectual property of others. Increasing demands from our customers to access and obtain rights in our intellectual property, and positions taken by our suppliers and competitors, challenge our ability to protect and exploit intellectual property. We own many forms of intellectual property, including trade secrets, U.S. and foreign patents, trademarks, and copyrights, and we license or otherwise obtain access to various intellectual property rights of third parties. The U.S. government and certain foreign governments hold licenses or other rights to certain intellectual property that we develop in performance of government contracts, and at times seek to use or authorize others to use such intellectual property, including in competition with us. Governments continue to increase efforts to obtain more extensive rights in contractors' intellectual property, including where we do not believe they are entitled to do so under current law. This could reduce our ability to develop, protect and exploit certain of our intellectual property rights and to compete. Our products and services embody valuable trade secrets, proprietary information and know-how. We typically seek to protect this information by entering into confidentiality and intellectual property agreements with our employees and third parties such as consultants, collaborators and suppliers. These agreements and other measures may not provide adequate protection for our trade secrets and other proprietary information. In the event of misuse, theft or misappropriation of such intellectual property rights or breach of confidentiality obligations, we may not have adequate legal remedies. In addition, our trade secrets or other proprietary information may otherwise become known or be independently developed by competitors. In some instances, our ability to win or perform contracts requires us to use third party intellectual property. This may require the government or our customer to provide rights to such third party intellectual property or for us to negotiate directly with third parties to obtain necessary rights on reasonable terms, which may not be practicable. Our intellectual property is subject to challenge, invalidation, or circumvention by third parties. Our access to and use of intellectual property licensed or otherwise obtained from third parties is also subject to challenges. Litigation to determine the scope of intellectual property rights, even if ultimately successful, has been and could in the future be costly. Moreover, the legal framework concerning intellectual property rights varies among countries and the protections under foreign laws and courts may not be favorable and are subject to change.

Cyber Security1 | 4.8%

Cyber Security - Risk 1

Cyber and other security threats or disruptions could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

We face significant cyber and other security threats. They include, among other things, attempts to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or otherwise compromise the integrity, confidentiality and/or availability of our systems, hardware and networks, and the information on them, insider threats, ransomware, threats to the safety of our directors, officers and employees, threats to our facilities, infrastructure, products (we produce and use), and subcontractors or other suppliers (referred to inclusively as suppliers), and threats from terrorist acts, espionage, civil unrest and other acts of aggression. We are also subject to increasing government, customer and other cyber and security requirements, including disclosure obligations. Cyber threats, both on premises and in the cloud, are complex, continuous and evolving and include, but are not limited to: malicious software, destructive malware, ransomware, targeting by more advanced and persistent adversaries, including nation states and other actors, zero-day attacks, attempts to gain unauthorized access to systems or data, disruption to operations, critical systems or denial of service attacks, unauthorized release of confidential, personal or other protected information (ours or that of our employees, customers or partners), corruption of data, networks or systems, harm to individuals, and loss of assets. We have been and could be impacted by cyber threats or other disruptions or vulnerabilities found in products or services we use or in our internal, partners' or customers' systems that are used in connection with our business. Further, artificial intelligence techniques to automate and enhance cyber attacks pose an evolving and increased level of risk to our information systems. We have experienced cyber attacks and, due to the evolving threat landscape, expect we will continue to experience additional attacks in the future. The various measures and controls we have implemented to monitor and mitigate risks associated with these threats and to increase the cyber resiliency of our infrastructure and products may not always be sufficient or fully effective, particularly against previously unknown vulnerabilities, including those that could go undetected for an extended period, which may inhibit our ability to provide prompt, full, and reliable information about such incidents to our customers, regulators, and the public. For further discussion of our cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance, see "Cybersecurity." Cyber events have caused and could cause us harm and require us to undertake remedial actions. Successful attacks can lead to losses or misuse of sensitive information or capabilities, theft or corruption of data, harm to personnel, infrastructure or products, protracted disruptions in our operations and performance, and the misuse of our products. They can also damage our reputation, impact our ability to obtain adequate insurance coverage, and lead to loss of business, regulatory actions, and costs, liabilities or other financial losses for which we may not have adequate sources of recovery. Our customers, suppliers and partners to whom we entrust confidential data, and on whom we rely to provide products and services, face similar threats and growing requirements. We depend on our customers, suppliers, and other business partners to implement and verify adequate controls and safeguards to protect against and report cyber incidents. When they fail to deter, detect, remediate or report cyber incidents in a timely manner, or fail to implement applicable requirements, we suffer, and may in the future suffer, financial and other harm, including to our information, operations, performance, employees and reputation. Further, the systems, products and services that we provide to customers may not be able to detect or deter threats, or effectively to mitigate resulting losses. These losses could adversely affect our customers and our company. We also face increasing and evolving disclosure obligations related to cybersecurity events and the risk of failing to meet all our existing or future disclosure obligations and/or having our disclosures misinterpreted. National security or public safety considerations may also affect, delay or in limited instances prevent, our public disclosure of a cybersecurity incident. We also face threats to our physical security, including to our facilities and the safety and well-being of our people, including senior executives. These threats could involve terrorism, insider threats, targeted threats against senior executives, workplace violence, or civil unrest, which could adversely affect our company. Our customers and suppliers face similar risks that, if realized, could also adversely impact our operations. Such acts could cause delays, manufacturing downtime, or other impacts that could detrimentally impact our ability to perform our operations. We could also incur unanticipated costs to remediate impacts and lost business.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 3/21 (14%)Above Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment1 | 4.8%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

The global macroeconomic environment has negatively impacted and could in the future negatively impact our business, and if we are unable to mitigate such challenges, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Our business, financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows have been and may in the future be adversely impacted by the global macroeconomic environment, which impacts have included and may in the future include high rates of inflation, increased interest rates, tight credit conditions in financial markets, widespread disruptions in supply chains, workforce challenges, including labor shortages, changes in trade policies, such as tariffs, and market volatility, including exchange rate volatility, all of which may affect material costs and supplier pricing. These and other macroeconomic challenges have led and can lead to increased costs, labor and supply shortages, and delays and disruption in performance, as well as competing demands for scarce resources, which in turn have adversely impacted and may continue to adversely impact our customers, our industry, our company, our suppliers and others with whom we do business. We work proactively to mitigate the challenges caused by the macroeconomic environment, including, in some cases, hedging foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity price risk, and seeking the inclusion of economic price adjustment clauses or seeking to recover on REAs, ECPs or other claims, but the impacts of these challenges are uncertain and our efforts to mitigate them may not be successful.

International Operations1 | 4.8%

International Operations - Risk 1

Changed

Our international business exposes us to additional risks, including risks related to geopolitical and economic factors, laws and regulations, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Sales to customers outside the U.S. are an important component of our business and strategy. Our international business is subject to numerous political and economic factors, legal requirements, cross-cultural considerations and other risks associated with doing business globally. These risks differ in some respects from those associated with our U.S. business and our exposure to such risks is expected to increase if and as our international business continues to grow. Our international business is generally subject to regulations and practices of the United States and other countries in which we do business. Failure by us, our employees, partners or others with whom we work to comply with applicable laws and regulations could result in administrative, civil, commercial or criminal liabilities, including suspension or debarment from government contracts or suspension of export/import privileges. Additionally, failure to comply with local practices can adversely impact our ability to win business and/or perform work. New regulations and requirements, or changes to existing ones, in countries in which we operate can significantly increase our costs and risks of doing business internationally. Our customers outside of the U.S. also often have the ability to terminate contracts for convenience as well as for default of contract terms. If such a termination were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, our ability to compete for other contracts and our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. Changes in laws, political leadership and environment, and/or security risks may dramatically affect our ability to conduct or continue to conduct business in international markets. Our international business is impacted by changes in U.S. and non-U.S. national policies and priorities, and geopolitical relationships, any of which may be influenced by changes in the global threat environment, political leadership, geopolitical and economic uncertainties, trade policies, such as tariffs, world events, government budgets, inflationary pressures, trade sanctions, and economic and political factors more generally. For example, one of the ways in which our business sells our products and services internationally is through the United States Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Changes to the U.S. government's policies regarding FMS could significantly impact our international business. Additionally, the U.S. and its allies and security partners continue to face a global security environment of heightened tensions and instability, threats from state and non-state actors, including major global powers, as well as terrorist organizations, emerging nuclear tensions, and diverse regional security concerns. These factors have impacted and may in the future impact demand for our products and services, the competitive position of our products and services, funding for programs, our ability to perform, our supply chain, export authorizations, purchasing decisions or customer payments. Global macroeconomic conditions, as well as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and credit, are also likely to further impact our business. Our contracts with non-U.S. customers in some cases include terms and reflect legal requirements that create additional risks. Such terms include, in some cases, requirements to hire, invest, manufacture or purchase locally, or specific financial obligations, including offset obligations, and provisions that impose significant penalties if we fail to meet our requirements. We have also been required to enter into letters of credit, performance bonds, bank guarantees or other financial arrangements in certain cases. If we are dependent on certain suppliers, as in the U.S., we face risks related to their failure to perform in accordance with legal requirements, particularly where we rely on a sole source supplier. Our ability to sell products globally could be adversely affected if we are unable to design our products on a cost-effective basis or to obtain and retain all necessary export authorizations, which the U.S. government can deny, change or revoke for reasons outside our control. We also partner with non-U.S. companies, including through joint ventures and other forms of collaboration, which subjects us to risks related to the ability to identify and negotiate appropriate arrangements with qualified and acceptable local partners, potential exposure for their actions, and the ability effectively to terminate these arrangements. Such risks are complicated further when we partner with government-affiliated entities. The products and services we provide, including those provided by suppliers and joint ventures, are sometimes in countries with unstable governments, economic or fiscal challenges, military or political conflicts, different business practices and/or developing legal systems. This may increase the risk to our employees, suppliers or other third parties, including for their safety, and increase our risk to a wide range of financial consequences and other liabilities, as well as loss of property or damage to our products.

Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 4.8%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

Our business is subject to significant disruptions caused by natural disasters or other events outside of our control, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

We have significant operations, including centers of excellence, located in regions that have been, and may in the future be, exposed to hurricanes, earthquakes, water levels, fires, windstorms, heat waves, other extreme weather conditions, acts of terrorism, power shortages and blackouts, telecommunications failures, epidemics, pandemics, and similar outbreaks, and other significant disruptions. We expect our facilities, operations, employees and communities to continue to be at risk for future natural disasters or other weather events, particularly at facilities prone to extreme weather events, such as in Florida and California. Climate related changes can impact weather patterns (e.g., increased frequency and severity of significant weather events), natural hazards (e.g., increased fire risk), mean temperature and sea levels, and long-term precipitation patterns (e.g., increased risk of drought, desertification, water scarcity and/or poor water quality). Such natural disasters and other significant disruptions can interrupt our operations, impact our employees, and result in significant costs and adversely affect our performance. Our subcontractors and other suppliers have also been, and may in the future be, subject to natural disasters or other significant disruptions that could delay or otherwise affect their ability to deliver or perform. Disruptions also impact the availability and cost of materials needed for manufacturing and can increase insurance and other operating costs, or result in a lack of available coverage. Although we take steps to mitigate these risks, including considering them in determining where to put new businesses, the damage, disruption, delay and other adverse effects of natural disasters may be significant.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 2/21 (10%)Below Sector Average

Competition1 | 4.8%

Competition - Risk 1

Changed

Competitive dynamics within our markets may affect our ability to win new contracts and result in reduced revenues, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

We operate in highly competitive markets and our competitors may have more financial capacity or more extensive or specialized engineering, technical, manufacturing, marketing or servicing capabilities. They may be willing to accept more risk or lower profitability in competing for contracts. We have seen, and anticipate we will continue to see, increased competition, including in some of our core markets, especially as a result of our customers' budget pressures and their focus on speed, affordability and competition. The U.S. government's continued emphasis on reforming its acquisition processes, including procuring commercial products and services and utilizing non-Federal Acquisition Regulation-based procurement methods, such as Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements and other contract types, has facilitated, and may continue to facilitate, participation by new and emerging market entrants, which has increased and may in the future further increase competition for the programs we pursue, which could result in reduced contract opportunities, increased pricing pressure, and/or demands to accept less favorable terms. In certain circumstances, these alternative contracting models may place increased risk on the contractor, such as the potential for greater assumption of development costs or for limited reimbursement recourse in certain situations. Further, certain non-Federal Acquisition Regulation-based procurement methods, such as OTA awards, are not subject to all of the procurement requirements that typically apply to DoW contracts and rights to protest such awards may be more limited than for other contracts. Our customers are increasingly working with commercial contractors as well as newer entrants and startups in the defense industry for some products and services. Such contractors may have lower cost, more agile operating structures and access to capital and talent, a greater ability to leverage changes in the customer's acquisition strategies (e.g., multiple awardees, short lifecycles) or be more inclined to take on increased risk. In addition, some customers continue to utilize small business contractors or determine to source work internally. Our success in competing depends, in part, on our ability to remain price- and cost-competitive, respond to changes in customer acquisition strategies and preferences, accurately anticipate our customers' needs, successfully effect our digital transformation strategy and identify, adopt and integrate new digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, into our manufacturing, operations, business processes, products and services. We expect that the increasing competition in the U.S. and outside the U.S. from U.S., foreign and multinational firms, including new entrants, could further increase due to mergers or acquisitions within our industry and could limit our access to certain suppliers, absent appropriate remedies to protect our interests. We are also facing increasing competition for, and more limited access to, various critical products, services and other supplies. Additionally, in some instances, companies both inside and outside the U.S. may receive loans, investments, subsidies, preferential treatment and other assistance from their governments or customers that may not be provided or available to other companies. Such assistance may increase the competitiveness of such companies in certain opportunities. Certain foreign companies may also be subject to fewer restrictions on technology transfer. In addition, U.S. government procurement and certain other countries' laws permit legal challenges to the terms of a contract solicitation or award, sometimes referred to as a bid protest. Bid protests can result in award decisions being reversed and loss of the contract award. Even where a bid protest does not result in such a loss, it can result in significant expenses and delay the start of contract activities and revenue or result in contract modifications.

Demand1 | 4.8%

Demand - Risk 1

Changed

We depend heavily on a single customer, the U.S. government, for a substantial portion of our business. Changes in this customer's strategies, priorities, preferences and spending could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Our primary customer is the U.S. government, from which we derived 84 percent of our sales in 2025. We have a number of large programs with the DoW, in particular. The U.S. government has the ability to delay, modify or cancel ongoing competitions, procurements and programs, and change its acquisition strategies. Potential changes in the threat and global security environment; defense spending levels; government and budgetary priorities; political leadership; procurement laws, practices and strategy; inflation and other macroeconomic trends; military strategy, including changes in DoW priorities, preferences or regulations; or broader changes in social, economic, security or political demands and priorities could adversely affect existing, follow-on, replacement or future programs. Such impacts could include contract cancellations, modifications, disruptions and/or stop work orders, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. The U.S. government has the ability to terminate contracts, in whole or in part, for its convenience or for default of contract terms. In the event of termination for convenience, contractors are generally protected by provisions covering reimbursement for costs incurred and profit on those costs up to the amount authorized under the contract, but not the anticipated profit that would have been earned. However, to the extent insufficient funds have been appropriated by the U.S. government, the U.S. government may assert that it is not required to provide additional funding for such costs. In the event of termination due to default, contractors may be required to pay damages, including paying for re-procurement costs in excess of the original contract price, net of the value of work accepted from the original contract. Termination due to our default (or that of a teammate) could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, our ability to compete for other contracts and our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. The U.S. government also has the ability to stop work under a contract for a limited period of time for its convenience. The U.S. government has stopped work in the past and could stop work across a limited or broad number of contracts. In the event of a stop work order, contractors are typically protected by provisions covering reimbursement for costs incurred to the date of the order and for costs associated with the temporary stoppage of work plus a reasonable fee. However, such temporary stoppages often introduce inefficiencies and result in financial and other damages for which contractors may not be able to obtain full recovery. In some cases, they have also ultimately resulted and could result in termination of a contract for convenience or reduced future orders. Additionally, if program costs exceed certain thresholds, or if programs are behind schedule, our U.S. government customer has been, and may in the future be, required to provide congressional notification of significant or critical cost increases or noncompliance with contractual cost or schedule provisions under the Nunn-McCurdy Act, which, in some circumstances, could result in program restructure or termination. Certain of our programs have been, and in the future, one or more of our programs could be, subject to notification under the Nunn-McCurdy Act, and if we are unable to achieve certification for continuance, or if the cost of such efforts exceeds our expectations, it could have a material adverse effect on such program and/or our reputation, financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. The U.S. government can also introduce new contract terms that could impact and/or restrict our capital deployment strategy under certain circumstances related to contractor underperformance, noncompliance, insufficient prioritization of a particular contract, insufficient investment or insufficient production speed. If our contracts with the U.S. government include such terms and we are determined to have triggered any of the foregoing circumstances, we may be prohibited from engaging in share repurchases or dividends for a period of time.

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.