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.

RBC Bearings disclosed 26 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. RBC Bearings reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2024

Risk Distribution

27% Finance & Corporate

19% Production

19% Ability to Sell

15% Macro & Political

12% Legal & Regulatory

8% Tech & Innovation

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

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

Risk Change Over Time

2020

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

RBC Bearings Risk Factors

New Risk (0)

Risk Changed (0)

Risk Removed (0)

No changes from previous report

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

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

Risk Highlights Q3, 2024

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 7 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 7 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

0Risks changed

Since Sep 2024

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Sep 2024

Number of Risk Changed

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

See the risk highlights of RBC Bearings 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 26

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 7/26 (27%)Below Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights1 | 3.8%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

Provisions in our charter documents may prevent or hinder efforts to acquire a controlling interest in us.

Provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions that might benefit our stockholders or in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management. Pursuant to our charter documents, our Board of Directors (the "Board") consists of eight members serving staggered three-year terms and divided into three classes. As a result, two annual meetings are required to change a majority of the Board members. Our certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, with such designations, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Board, without stockholder approval. We utilized this authorization to issue 4,600,000 shares of 5.00% Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock ("MCPS") in fiscal 2022. Certain terms of the MCPS could make an attempt to acquire RBC more difficult or expensive. In the future the Board could authorize the issuance of some or all of the 5,400,000 remaining authorized shares of preferred stock with rights, preferences and privileges that rank equally with the MCPS, or that could have the effect of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of us, or that could impede our stockholders' ability to approve a transaction they consider in their best interests. Although we have no present intention to issue any additional preferred stock, no assurance can be given that we will not do so in the future. Holders of our common stock do not have preemptive rights to subscribe for a pro rata portion of preferred stock or any other capital stock that we may issue in the future.

Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 11.5%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

We do not expect to pay cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future and our ability to pay dividends on the MCPS is subject to various limitations.

Except for a $2.00 per common share special dividend paid in 2014, we have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock and we do not expect to pay cash dividends on the common stock in the foreseeable future. Instead, we plan to apply earnings and excess cash, if any, to the service of our debt, the payment of quarterly dividends on the MCPS, and the expansion and development of our business. Thus, any return on an investment in our common stock would depend solely on an increase, if any, in the market value of the common stock. Our ability to pay dividends on the MCPS depends on several factors including: - The amount of cash we have on hand and cash generated by our business;- Our anticipated financing needs, including our debt service obligations;- The ability of our subsidiaries to distribute cash to our parent company, which issued the MCPS;- Regulatory restrictions on our ability to pay dividends, including those under the Delaware General Corporation Law; and - Contractual restrictions on our ability to pay dividends, including under our bank credit agreement with Wells Fargo.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles comprise a significant portion of our total assets, and if we determine that goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles have become impaired in the future, our results of operations and financial condition in such years may be materially and adversely affected.

Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair market value of net assets acquired in business combinations. Indefinite-lived intangibles represent repair station certifications obtained in business combinations and assumed to have indefinite lives. As of March 30, 2024, we had $1,874.9 of goodwill and $24.3 of indefinite-lived intangibles, representing approximately 41% of our total assets. We review goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles at least annually for impairment and any excess in carrying value over the estimated fair value is charged to the results of operations. Our estimates of fair value are based on assumptions about the future operating cash flows, growth rates, discount rates applied to these cash flows, and current market estimates of value. If we are required to record a charge to earnings because of an impairment of goodwill or indefinite-lived intangibles, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3

The Company's failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could result in material misstatements in our financial statements and a failure to meet our reporting and financial obligations, each of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition and the trading price of our common stock.

A material weakness in a company's internal control over financial reporting is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of that company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, the Company's management identified a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting related to the design of our control to consider all relevant terms within executive employment agreements and the related application of relevant authoritative accounting guidance for stock-based compensation, a non-cash item. Management then re-evaluated its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and its disclosure controls and procedures and concluded that they were not effective as of April 2, 2022, making it necessary for the Company to restate the financial statements for fiscal years 2022, 2021 and 2020. Although we have remediated this material weakness, there can be no assurance that additional material weaknesses will not occur in the future. If the Company is unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, our ability to record, process and report financial information timely and accurately could be adversely affected, which could subject the Company to litigation or investigations, require management resources, increase costs, negatively affect investor confidence and adversely impact our stock price.

Debt & Financing2 | 7.7%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

Increases in interest rates would increase the cost of servicing our term loan and could reduce our profitability.

As of March 30, 2024, $400.0 of our term loan was subject to a fixed-rate interest swap but the remaining $275.0 balance of the term loan bears interest at a variable rate. Future increases in interest rates would increase the cost of servicing the portion of the term loan not subject to a swap, which could materially reduce our profitability and cash flows.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

We incurred substantial debt in order to complete the Dodge acquisition, which could constrain our business and exposes us to the risk of defaults under our debt instruments.

In fiscal 2022, we incurred $1,800.0 of total debt to finance the Dodge acquisition. As of March 30, 2024, our total debt was $1,191.9. This debt could or will have important consequences, including, but not limited to: - this debt requires us to make significant interest and principal payments in the future;- a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations will be used to repay the principal and interest on our debt, thereby reducing the funds available to us for other purposes including for strategic acquisitions, working capital, capital expenditures, and general corporate purposes;- our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business, the competitive landscape and the markets in which we operate may be limited; and - we may be placed at a competitive disadvantage relative to other companies in our industry with less debt or comparable debt on more favorable terms. Our ability to make scheduled payments on and to refinance our indebtedness depends on and is subject to our financial and operating performance and no assurance can be given that our business will generate sufficient cash flow to service our debt. Additionally, our ability to comply with the financial and other covenants contained in our debt instruments could be affected by, among other things, changes in our results of operations, the incurrence of additional indebtedness, the pricing of our products, our success at implementing cost reduction initiatives, our ability to successfully implement our overall business strategy, or changes in industry-specific or general economic conditions which are beyond our control. The breach of any of these covenants could result in a default or event of default under our debt instruments, which, if not cured or waived, could result in our being required to repay these borrowings before their due date. If we are forced to refinance these borrowings on less favorable terms or cannot refinance these borrowings, our prospects, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected and could cause us to become bankrupt or otherwise insolvent. In addition, these covenants may restrict our ability to engage in transactions that we believe would otherwise be in the best interests of our business and stockholders.

Corporate Activity and Growth1 | 3.8%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

We may not be able to continue to make the acquisitions necessary for us to realize our growth strategy.

The acquisition of businesses that complement or expand our operations is an important element of our business strategy. We frequently engage in evaluations of potential acquisitions and negotiations for possible acquisitions, some of which, if consummated, could be significant to us. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in identifying attractive acquisition candidates or completing acquisitions on favorable terms in the future. Our inability to acquire businesses, or to operate them profitably once acquired, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, cash flow and growth. Our ability to realize anticipated benefits and synergies from our acquisitions could be affected by a number of factors, including: the need for greater than expected cash or other financial resources or management time in order to implement or integrate acquisitions; increases in other expenses related to an acquisition, including restructuring and other exit costs; the timing and impact of purchase accounting adjustments; difficulties in employee or management integration, including labor disruptions or disputes; and unanticipated liabilities associated with acquired businesses. Any potential cost-saving opportunities may take several quarters following an acquisition to implement, and any results of these actions may not be realized for several quarters thereafter, if at all.

Production

Total Risks: 5/26 (19%)Below Sector Average

Manufacturing2 | 7.7%

Manufacturing - Risk 1

Unexpected equipment failures or catastrophic events could increase our costs and reduce our sales due to production curtailments or shutdowns.

Our manufacturing processes are dependent upon critical pieces of turning, milling, grinding, and electrical equipment, and this equipment could, on occasion, be out of service as a result of unanticipated failures. In addition to equipment failures, our facilities are also subject to the risk of catastrophic loss due to unanticipated events such as fires, explosions, earthquakes or violent weather conditions. In the future, we could experience material plant shutdowns or periods of reduced production as a result of these types of equipment failures or catastrophes. Interruptions in production capabilities would inevitably increase our production costs and reduce revenues, cash flows and profitability for the affected period.

Manufacturing - Risk 2

We may incur material losses for product liability and recall-related claims.

We are subject to a risk of product and recall-related liability in the event that the failure, use or misuse of any of our products results in personal injury, death or property damage or our products do not conform to our customers' specifications. In particular, our products are installed in a number of types of vehicle fleets, including airplanes, helicopters, trains, automobiles, heavy trucks and farm equipment, many of which may be subject to government-ordered recalls as well as voluntary recalls by the manufacturer. If one of our products is found to be defective, causes a fleet to be disabled or otherwise results in a product recall, significant claims may be brought against us. We currently maintain insurance coverage for product liability claims but not for recall-related claims. We cannot assure you that product liability claims, if made, would not exceed our insurance coverage limits. Claims that are not covered by insurance, or that exceed insurance coverage limits, could result in material losses. Claims that are covered by insurance could result in increased future insurance costs.

Employment / Personnel2 | 7.7%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

Work stoppages and other labor problems could materially reduce our ability to operate our business.

We currently have three collective bargaining agreements covering employees at our Plymouth, Indiana, Fairfield, Connecticut and West Trenton, New Jersey facilities, representing approximately 7% of our U.S.-based hourly employees as of March 30, 2024. While we believe our relations with our employees are satisfactory, the inability to satisfactorily negotiate and enter into new collective bargaining agreements upon expiration, or a lengthy strike or other work stoppage at any of our facilities, particularly at some of our larger facilities, could materially reduce our ability to operate our business. In addition, any attempt by our employees not currently represented by a union to join a union could result in additional expenses, including with respect to wages, benefits and pension obligations. In addition, work stoppages at one or more of our customers or suppliers (including suppliers of transportation services), many of which have large unionized workforces, could also cause disruptions to our business that we cannot control, and these disruptions could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 2

We depend heavily on our senior management and other key personnel, the loss of whom could materially affect our financial performance and prospects.

Our business is managed by a number of key personnel, including our CEO Dr. Michael J. Hartnett. Our future success will depend on, among other things, our ability to retain the services of these personnel and to hire their successors and other highly qualified employees at all levels.

Costs1 | 3.8%

Costs - Risk 1

Fluctuating supply and costs of subcomponents, raw materials and energy resources, or the imposition of import tariffs, could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Our business is dependent on the availability and costs of subcomponents, raw materials, particularly steel (generally in the form of stainless and chrome steel, which are commodity steel products), and energy resources. The availability and prices of subcomponents, raw materials and energy resources may be subject to change due to, among other things, new laws or regulations, economic inflation, suppliers' allocations to other purchasers, interruptions in production or deliveries by suppliers and changes in exchange rates and supplier costs and profit expectations. The United States has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and could impose tariffs on other items that we import, which could increase the cost of raw materials and decrease the available supply. Although we currently maintain alternative supply sources, our business is subject to the risk of price fluctuations and periodic delays in the delivery of certain subcomponents or raw materials. Disruptions in the supply of subcomponents, raw materials or energy resources could temporarily impair our ability to manufacture our products for our customers or require us to pay higher prices in order to obtain these items from other sources, which could thereby affect our net sales and profitability. Where our customer contracts permit us to do so, we seek to pass through a significant portion of our additional costs to our customers through steel surcharges or price increases. However, many of our contracts are fixed-price contracts under which we are not able to pass these additional costs on to our customers. Even where we are able to pass these steel surcharges or price increases to our customers, there may be a lag of several months between the time we experience a cost increase and the time we are able to implement surcharges or price increases, particularly for orders already in our backlog. Competitive pressures and the terms of certain of our long-term contracts may require us to absorb at least part of these cost increases. As a result, our gross margin percentage could decline. We cannot provide assurances that we will be able to continue to pass these additional costs on to our customers at all or on a timely basis or that our customers will not seek alternative sources of supply if there are significant or prolonged increases in the price of subcomponents or other raw materials or energy resources.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 5/26 (19%)Above Sector Average

Competition1 | 3.8%

Competition - Risk 1

The bearings, engineered components and essential systems industries are highly competitive, and competition could reduce our profitability or limit our ability to grow.

The global bearings, engineered components and essential systems industries are highly competitive, and we compete with many U.S. and non-U.S. companies, some of which benefit from lower labor costs and fewer regulatory burdens than us. We compete primarily based on product qualifications, product line breadth, service and price. Certain competitors may be better able to manage costs than us or may have greater financial resources than we have. Due to the competitiveness in the bearings, engineered components and essential systems industries we may not be able to increase prices for our products to cover increases in our costs, and we may face pressure to reduce prices, which could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability. Competitive factors, including changes in market penetration, increased price competition and the introduction of new products and technology by existing and new competitors, could result in a material reduction in our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Demand3 | 11.5%

Demand - Risk 1

Weakness in any of the industries in which our customers operate, as well as the cyclical nature of our customers' businesses generally, could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

The mining and construction equipment and other diversified industrial industries to which we sell our products are, to varying degrees, cyclical and tend to decline in response to overall declines in industrial production. Margins in those industries are highly sensitive to demand cycles, and our customers (or our customers' customers) in those industries historically have tended to delay large capital purchases and projects, including expensive maintenance and upgrades, during economic downturns. As a result, our business is also cyclical, and the demand for our products by these customers depends, in part, on overall levels of industrial production, general economic conditions, and business confidence levels. Many of our customers have historically experienced periodic downturns, which often have had a negative effect on demand for our products. Future downward economic cycles or customer downturns could reduce sales of our products resulting in reductions in our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Demand - Risk 2

The loss of a major customer, or a material adverse change in a major customer's business, could result in a material reduction in our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Our top ten customers collectively accounted for approximately 44%, 41% and 36% of our net sales during fiscal 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Accordingly, the loss of one or more of those customers or a substantial decrease in those customers' purchases from us could result in a material reduction in our revenues, cash flows and profitability. If one of our major customers were to experience an adverse change in its business, that customer could reduce its purchases from us. The consolidation and combination of manufacturers could eliminate customers and/or put downward pricing pressures on sales of component parts. For example, the consolidation that has occurred in the defense industry in recent years has reduced the overall number of defense contractors. In addition, if one of our customers is acquired or merged with another entity, the new entity may discontinue using us as a supplier because of an existing business relationship between one of our competitors and the acquiring company, or because it may be more efficient to consolidate certain suppliers within the newly formed enterprise. The significance of the impact that such consolidations could have on our business is difficult to predict because we do not know when or if one or more of our customers will engage in merger or acquisition activity. However, if such activity involved our material customers it could materially impact our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Demand - Risk 3

The retirement of commercial aircraft could reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

We sell replacement parts used in the repair and overhaul of jet engine and aircraft components, as well as provide such repair and overhaul services ourselves. As aircraft or engines for which we offer replacement parts or repair and overhaul services are retired, demand for these parts and services could decline and could reduce our revenue, cash flows and profitability.

Sales & Marketing1 | 3.8%

Sales & Marketing - Risk 1

Cancellation of orders in our backlog could negatively impact our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

As of March 30, 2024, we had an order backlog of $821.5, including all orders from our Sargent marine and Sargent aerospace businesses. However, orders included in our backlog may be subject to cancellation, delay or other modifications by our customers and we cannot assure you that these orders will ultimately be fulfilled.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 4/26 (15%)Below Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment1 | 3.8%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

Future reductions or changes in U.S. government spending could negatively affect our business.

In fiscal 2024, approximately 2% of our net sales were made directly, and we estimate that approximately an additional 9% of our net sales were made indirectly, to the U.S. government to support military or other government projects. Our failure (or the failure of our customers that are prime contractors to the government) to obtain new government contracts, the cancellation of government contracts relating to our products, or reductions in federal budget appropriations for programs in which our products are used could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability. A reduction in federal budget appropriations relating to our products could result from a shift in government defense spending to other programs in which we are not involved or a reduction in U.S. government defense spending generally (due to budget reduction initiatives or a shift in government spending priorities).

International Operations1 | 3.8%

International Operations - Risk 1

Our international operations are subject to risks inherent in such activities.

We have operations in Australia, England, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the Peoples Republic of China, Poland and Switzerland. Of our 54 facilities in 11 countries, 19 are located outside the U.S., including 10 manufacturing facilities in four countries. In fiscal 2024, approximately 12% of our net sales were generated by our international operations. We expect that this proportion is likely to increase as we seek to increase our penetration of foreign markets, including through acquisitions. Our foreign operations are subject to the risks inherent in such activities such as: currency devaluations, logistical and communication challenges, costs of complying with a variety of foreign laws and regulations, greater difficulties in protecting and maintaining our rights to intellectual property, difficulty in staffing and managing geographically diverse operations, acts of terrorism or war or other acts that may cause social disruption which are difficult to quantify or predict, and general economic conditions in these foreign markets. Our international operations may be negatively impacted by changes in government policies, such as changes in laws and regulations, restrictions on imports and exports, sources of supply, duties or tariffs, the introduction of measures to control inflation, and changes in the rate or method of taxation. To date we have not experienced significant difficulties with the foregoing risks associated with our international operations.

Capital Markets2 | 7.7%

Capital Markets - Risk 1

Currency translation risks may have a material impact on our results of operations.

The majority of our foreign operations utilize the local currency as their functional currency. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in earnings. Foreign currency transaction exposure arises primarily from the transfer of foreign currency from one subsidiary to another within the group and to foreign currency-denominated trade receivables. Unrealized currency translation gains and losses are recorded on the balance sheet upon translation of the foreign operations' functional currency to the reporting currency. Because our financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars, changes in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies used by our international operations have had, and will continue to have, an impact on our earnings. We periodically enter into derivative financial instruments such as forward exchange contracts to reduce the effect of fluctuations in exchange rates on certain third-party sales transactions denominated in non-functional currencies. Currency fluctuations may affect our financial performance in the future and we cannot predict the impact of future exchange rate fluctuations on our results of operations. See Part II, Item 7A. "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk-Foreign Currency Exchange Rates" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Capital Markets - Risk 2

Our results could be impacted by governmental trade policies and tariffs relating to our supplies imported from foreign vendors or our finished goods exported to other countries.

From time to time, the U.S. government has imposed tariffs on the importation of various products that we use to produce our finished goods, and various foreign countries, including the People's Republic of China, have or could impose retaliatory tariffs on our products exported to those countries. While this situation has not had a material adverse effect on our business in the past, future tariffs on our foreign-sourced supplies and/or our finished goods exported to other countries could adversely impact our operating costs or demand for our products.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 3/26 (12%)Below Sector Average

Regulation2 | 7.7%

Regulation - Risk 1

Some of our products and operations are subject to certain approvals and government regulations and the loss of such approvals, or our failure to comply with such regulations, could materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

Essential to servicing the aerospace market is the ability to obtain product approvals. We have a substantial number of product approvals, which enable us to provide products used in virtually all domestic aircraft platforms presently in production or operation. Product approvals are typically issued by the FAA to designated OEMs who are Production Approval Holders of FAA-approved aircraft. These Production Approval Holders provide quality control oversight and generally limit the number of suppliers directly servicing the commercial aerospace market. Regulations enacted by the FAA provide for an independent process (the PMA process) that enables suppliers who currently sell their products to the Production Approval Holders to also sell products to the aftermarket. Our foreign sales may be subject to similar approvals or U.S. export control restrictions. We cannot assure you that we will not lose approvals for our aerospace products in the future. The loss or suspension of product approvals could result in lost sales and materially reduce our revenues, cash flows and profitability. The repair and overhaul of aircraft parts and accessories throughout the world is highly regulated by government agencies, including the FAA. Our repair and overhaul operations are subject to certification pursuant to regulations established by the FAA and foreign government agencies, with regulations varying from country to country, although compliance with FAA requirements generally satisfies regulatory requirements in other countries. Our failure to comply with these regulations, or our compliance with new and more stringent government regulations, if enacted, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As a U.S. government contractor, we are subject to various procurement and other laws, regulations and contract terms applicable to our industry, including the FAR, the DFARS, the Truth in Negotiations Act, the False Claims Act, the Procurement Integrity Act, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations promulgated under the Arms Export Control Act, the Close the Contractor Fraud Loophole Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and CAS, and we could be adversely affected by any negative finding by the U.S. government as to our compliance with them, including suspension or debarment from future government contracting.

Regulation - Risk 2

Quarterly performance can be affected by the timing of government product inspections and approvals.

A portion of our revenue is associated with contracts with the U.S. government that require onsite inspection and approval of the products by government personnel before we may ship the products, and we have no control over the timing of those inspections and approvals. If products scheduled for delivery in one quarter are not inspected or approved until the following quarter, the delay would adversely affect our sales and profitability for the quarter in which the shipments were scheduled.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 3.8%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

Businesses that we acquire may have liabilities for which we are liable.

In order to complete an acquisition, it may be necessary for us to assume the liabilities of the acquired business. These liabilities may be known at the time of the acquisition, but could be underestimated by us, or they may not be known to us until after the acquisition. In the case of an acquisition in which we do not assume all the liabilities of the acquired business, we typically obtain indemnification from the seller against the unassumed liabilities, although no assurance can be given that such indemnification will be sufficient in amount, scope or duration to fully offset the risk of the unassumed liabilities. Liabilities of acquired businesses that ultimately are borne by us (either because we assume them or our indemnification right proves to be insufficient or unenforceable) could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, after we complete an acquisition we may learn of other matters that adversely affect us, such as issues relating to the acquired business's compliance with applicable laws, or issues relating to its supply chain, customer relationships or order demand.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 2/26 (8%)Below Sector Average

Trade Secrets1 | 3.8%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

Our intellectual property and proprietary information are valuable, and any inability to protect them could adversely affect our business and results of operations; in addition, we may be subject to infringement claims by third parties.

Our ability to compete effectively is dependent upon our ability to protect and preserve the intellectual property and proprietary information owned, licensed or otherwise used by us. We have numerous U.S. and foreign trademark registrations and patents. We also have U.S. and foreign trademark and patent applications pending. We cannot assure you that our pending trademark and patent applications will result in trademark registrations and issued patents, and our failure to secure rights under these applications may limit our ability to protect the intellectual property rights that these applications were intended to cover. Although we have attempted to protect our intellectual property and proprietary information both in the United States and in foreign countries through a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection, and non-disclosure agreements, these steps may be insufficient to prevent unauthorized use of our intellectual property and proprietary information, particularly in foreign countries where the protection available for such intellectual property and proprietary information may be limited. We cannot assure you that any of our intellectual property rights will not be infringed upon or that our trade secrets will not be misappropriated or otherwise become known to or independently developed by competitors. We may not have adequate remedies available for any such infringement or other unauthorized use. We cannot assure you that any infringement claims asserted by us will not result in our intellectual property being challenged or invalidated, that our intellectual property will be held to be of adequate scope to protect our business, or that we will be able to deter current and former employees, contractors or other parties from breaching confidentiality obligations and misappropriating trade secrets. We could become subject to litigation claiming that our intellectual property or proprietary information infringes the rights of a third party. In that event, we could incur substantial defense costs and, if such litigation is successful, we could be required to pay the claimant damages for our past use of such intellectual property or proprietary information, and we could either be required to pay royalties for our use of it in the future or be prohibited from using it in the future. Our inability to use our intellectual property and proprietary information on a cost-effective basis in the future could have a material adverse effect on our revenue, cash flow and profitability. See Part I, Item 1. "Business-Intellectual Property" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Technology1 | 3.8%

Technology - Risk 1

Risks associated with utilizing information technology systems could adversely affect our operations.

We rely upon our information technology ("IT") systems to process, transmit and store electronic information to manage and operate our business. Further, in the ordinary course of business we store sensitive data, including intellectual property, on our networks. The secure maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our business operations. We may face cyber events and other IT security threats, including malware, ransomware, phishing and other intrusions, to our IT infrastructure, attempts to gain unauthorized access to proprietary, classified or confidential information, and threats to the physical security of our IT systems. As a U.S. government contractor, our risk of cyber events may be greater than the risk faced by other companies that are not government contractors. In addition to security threats, our IT systems may also be subject to network, software or hardware failures. The unavailability of our IT systems, the failure of these systems to perform as anticipated, or any significant breach of data security could cause loss of data, disrupt our operations, require significant management attention and resources, subject us to liability to third parties or regulatory actions or contract termination, and negatively impact our reputation among our customers and the public, which could have a negative impact on our financial and competitive position, results of operations and liquidity. In addition, our business with our customers and vendors could be impacted by cyber events on their IT systems. To address the risk to our IT systems and data, we maintain an IT security program designed to resist cyber events and to mitigate the damage from successful events. Refer to Part I, Item 1C of this Annual Report for details regarding our data protection and cybersecurity risk management program.

See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?

Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.

They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.

It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.

How do companies disclose their risk factors?

Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.

Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.

Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.

According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.

How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?

Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.

You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.

Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.

A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.

What are all the risk factor categories?

TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.

1. Financial & Corporate

Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.

2. Legal & Regulatory

Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.

3. Production

Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.

4. Technology & Innovation

Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.

5. Ability to Sell

Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.

6. Macro & Political

Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.

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