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.
Uxin disclosed 80 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Uxin reported the most risks in the “Legal & Regulatory” category.
Risk Overview Q1, 2023
Risk Distribution
33% Legal & Regulatory
31% Finance & Corporate
11% Production
10% Macro & Political
9% Ability to Sell
6% 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
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Uxin 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 Q1, 2023
Main Risk Category
Legal & Regulatory
With 26 Risks
Legal & Regulatory
With 26 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
80
+1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
80
+1
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
1Risks added
0Risks removed
5Risks changed
Since Mar 2023
1Risks added
0Risks removed
5Risks changed
Since Mar 2023
Number of Risk Changed
5
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
5
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Uxin 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 80
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 26/80 (33%)Above Sector Average
Regulation18 | 22.5%
Regulation - Risk 1
If the PRC government determines that the historical contractual arrangements with the former VIEs structure did not comply with PRC regulation, or if these regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, our shares and/or ADSs may decline in value or become worthless if we are deemed to be unable to assert our contractual control rights over the assets of the former VIEs.
Uxin Limited is not a Chinese operating company but a Cayman Islands holding company with operations primarily conducted by its subsidiaries and, historically, through contractual arrangements with the former VIEs based in China. As a result, investors face unique risks associated with our holding company structure. The PRC regulatory authorities could disallow our holding company structure which could lead to a material change in our operations and/or a material change in the value of our ADSs, and could cause the value of our ADSs to significantly decline or become worthless. PRC laws and regulations restrict and impose conditions on foreign investment in value-added telecommunications services businesses, such as internet content provision services and online data processing and transaction processing businesses (operating e-commerce business). In order to comply with PRC regulatory requirements, in the past we primarily operate these businesses in China through the former VIEs.
In January 2015, Ministry of Industry & Information Technology announced the Notice of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Removing the Restrictions on Foreign-owned Shareholding Percentage in Online Data Processing and Transaction Processing (operating commerce) Business in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, or SHFTZ Notice. Pursuant to SHFTZ Notice, there are no restrictions on foreign investors maximum shareholding percentage in an enterprise established in Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone that conducts value-added telecommunications services in the scope of online data processing and transaction processing (Operating E-commerce). Therefore, our eligible PRC subsidiaries, Yougu and Youhan, have applied for and obtained approval from Shanghai Communications Administration to conduct e-commerce, and since then they have been operating our main online businesses instead of the former VIEs, Youxin Hulian and Yishouche.
In order to streamline our corporate structure and considering the changing regulatory environment, we have completed the Restructuring to terminate the contractual arrangements with both of the former VIEs which have become wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company. Pursuant to the Restructuring, our wholly owned subsidiaries that have contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their respective shareholders have purchased all equity interests held by such shareholders in the VIEs. Accordingly, all contractual arrangements that enabled such shareholders to direct the activities of the VIEs, receive substantially all of the economic benefits of the VIEs and have exclusive options to purchase all or part of the equity interests in the VIEs, were effectively terminated. As a result of the Restructuring, the VIEs have become our wholly owned subsidiaries and we currently operates our business in China directly through our subsidiaries, rather than through any variable interest entity.
We, through the former VIEs, had been historically subject to a series of contractual arrangements with the former VIEs and the shareholders of the former VIEs until March 31, 2022. Because of these contractual arrangements, we were considered as the primary beneficiary of the former VIEs in China and accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, the financial statements of the former VIEs are consolidated as part of our financial statements for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2021 and 2022 in this annual report.
Although we have completed the Restructuring in March 2022, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations, and rules relating to the agreements that established the former VIE structure for our operations in China, including potential future actions by the PRC government, which may retroactively affect the enforceability and legality of our historical contractual arrangements with the former VIEs and, consequently, affect the historical financial condition and results of operations of the former VIEs, and our ability to consolidate the results of the former VIEs into our consolidated financial statements for the periods prior to the completion of the Restructuring. No service fee was accrued or paid by the former VIEs according to the contractual agreements as the services provided were immaterial during the historical periods. The consideration for termination of the historical contractual arrangements with the former VIEs was the same as the loan amount under the contractual agreements, therefore, there was no cash transfer for the termination of the contractual arrangements. If the PRC government finds such agreements non-compliant with relevant PRC laws, regulations, and rules, or if these laws, regulations, and rules or the interpretation thereof change in the future, and such changes may be retroactively applied to our historical contractual arrangements, we could be subject to severe penalties and our control over the former VIEs may be rendered ineffective, which could result in potential restatement of our financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report. As a result, our shares and/or ADSs may decline in value or become worthless.
Regulation - Risk 2
Our business is susceptible to changes in government policies, including policies on automobile purchases, ownership, taxation, vehicle title transfers, and used car transactions across regions and provinces. Failure to adequately respond to such changes could adversely affect our business.
Government policies on automobile purchases and ownership may have a material impact on our business due to their influence on consumer behaviors. Since 2009, the PRC government has changed the vehicle purchase tax on automobiles with 1.6 liter or smaller engines several times. In addition, in August 2014, several PRC governmental authorities jointly announced that from September 2014 to December 2017, purchases of new energy automobiles designated on certain catalogs will be exempted from vehicle purchase taxes. In April 2015, several PRC governmental authorities also jointly announced that from 2016 to 2020, purchasers of new energy automobiles designated on certain catalogs will enjoy subsidies. In December 2016, relevant PRC governmental authorities further adjusted the subsidy policy for new energy automobiles. We cannot predict whether government subsidies will remain in the future or whether similar incentives will be introduced, and if they are, their impact on automobile retail transactions in China. It is possible that automobile retail transactions may decline significantly upon expiration of the existing government subsidies if consumers have become used to such incentives and postpone purchase decisions in the absence of new incentives. If automobile retail transactions indeed decline, our revenues and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People's Republic of China, as amended on August 29, 2015 and on October 26, 2018, advocate reasonable control over the number of fuel vehicles in accordance with urban planning. Some local governmental authorities issued regulations and implementation rules in order to control urban traffic and the number of automobiles within particular urban areas. Municipal authorities of Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Guiyang and Shenzhen adopted regulations and implemented rules to limit the total number of license plates issued to new automobile purchases. In addition to the quantity control of automobiles, some local governmental authorities have also adopted environmental protection policies and regulations in recent years, pursuant to which an automobile, failing to meet certain environmental protection requirements or standards, will not be able to obtain the license plate issued by relevant local governmental authorities.
As some used cars cannot meet the environmental protection standards required in some regions, the above policies and regulations may restrict or adversely impact the transactions of such used cars. Such regulatory developments, as well as other uncertainties, may adversely affect the growth prospects of China's automobile industry, which in turn may have a material adverse impact on our business.
Regulation - Risk 3
Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.
The PRC legal system is based on written statutes and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always consistent and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.
In particular, PRC laws and regulations concerning the used car e-commerce industry are developing and evolving. Although we have taken measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to our business operations and avoid conducting any activities that may be deemed as illegal under the current applicable laws and regulations, the PRC government authority may promulgate new laws and regulations regulating our industry and amend the existing laws and regulations in the future. See "-Risks Related to Our Business and Industry-Failure to obtain certain filings, approvals, licenses, permits and certificates for our business operations may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations." We cannot assure you that our practices would not be deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations. Moreover, developments in the used car service industry and online used car transaction industry may lead to changes in PRC laws, regulations and policies or in the interpretation and application of existing laws, regulations and policies that may limit or restrict e-commerce platform for used cars like us, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
In addition, we are required to satisfy various requirements by relevant authorities from time to time and we cannot assure you that we will comply with all those requirements within prescribed time. For example, some of our PRC subsidiaries have been included in the list of abnormal business operation by the local branch of the SAMR for reasons including delay in information disclosure and failure to be reached by the authority. Failure to do so may subject us to administrative penalties.
From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.
Furthermore, recently, certain PRC regulatory authorities issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities, which were available to the public on July 6, 2021 and further emphasized to strengthen the cross-board regulatory collaboration, to improve relevant laws and regulations on data security, cross-border data transmission, and confidential information management, and provided that efforts will be made to revise the regulations on strengthening the confidentiality and file management relating to the offering and listing of securities overseas, to implement the responsibility on information security of overseas listed companies, and to strengthen the standardized management of cross-border information provision mechanisms and procedures. However, these opinions were newly issued, and there were no further explanations or detailed rules or regulations with respect to such opinions, and there are still uncertainties regarding the interpretation and implementation of these opinions.
These and other similar legal and regulatory developments could lead to legal and economic uncertainty, affect how we design, market and sell solutions, how we operate our business, how our customers process and share data, how we process and use data, and how we transfer personal data from one jurisdiction to another, which could negatively impact demand for our solutions. We may incur substantial costs to comply with such laws and regulations, to meet the demands of our customers relating to their own compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and to establish and maintain internal compliance policies.
Regulation - Risk 4
The PRC government's oversight over our business operation could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our ADSs.
We historically conducted our business in China primarily through the former VIEs and their subsidiaries. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. The PRC government has oversight over the conduct of our business, and may intervene or influence our operations as the government deems appropriate to advance regulatory and social goals and policy positions. The PRC government deems appropriate to advance regulatory and social goals and policy positions. The PRC government has recently published new policies that significantly affected certain industries and we cannot rule out the possibility that it will in the future release regulations or policies that directly or indirectly affect our industry or require us to seek additional permission to continue our operations, which could result in a material adverse change in our operation and/or the value of our ADSs. In addition, any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer ADSs to investors and cause the value of our ADSs to significantly decline or become worthless. Therefore, investors of our company and our business face potential uncertainty from actions taken by the PRC government affecting our business.
Regulation - Risk 5
The approval and/or other requirements of the CSRC, the CAC, or other PRC governmental authorities may be required in connection with an offering under PRC rules, regulations or policies, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or how soon we will be able to obtain such approval, and, even if we obtain such approval, the approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or delay in obtaining such approval for this offering, or a rescission of obtained approval, would subject us to sanctions imposed by the CSRC or other PRC government authorities.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, purport to require offshore special purpose vehicles that are controlled by PRC companies or individuals and that have been formed for the purpose of seeking a public listing on an overseas stock exchange through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies or assets to obtain CSRC approval prior to any public securities offerings on an overseas stock exchange. The interpretation and application of the regulations remain unclear. If a governmental approval is required, it is uncertain how long it will take for us to obtain such approval, and, even if we obtain such approval, the approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or a delay in obtaining the requisite governmental approval for an offering, or a rescission of such CSRC approval if obtained by us, may subject us to sanctions imposed by the relevant PRC regulatory authority, which could include fines and penalties on our and the former VIEs' operations in China, restrictions or limitations on our ability to pay dividends outside of China, and other forms of sanctions that may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
JunHe LLP, our counsel regarding certain PRC legal matters, has advised us that, based on its understanding of the current PRC laws and regulations, we will not be required to submit an application to the CSRC for the approval under the M&A Rules for an offering because (i) the CSRC currently has not issued any definitive rule or interpretation concerning whether our offerings are subject to this regulation; and (ii) we are not required to file the application after consulting with the Ministry of Commerce through the Internet.
However, JunHe LLP, our counsel regarding certain PRC legal matters, has further advised us that there remains some uncertainty as to how the M&A Rules will be interpreted or implemented in the context of an overseas offering, and its opinions summarized above are subject to any new laws, rules and regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations in any form relating to the M&A Rules. We cannot assure you that relevant PRC governmental authorities, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion as our PRC legal counsel, and hence, we may face regulatory actions or other sanctions from them. Furthermore, relevant PRC governmental authorities promulgated the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities on July 6, 2021, which provided that the administration and supervision of overseas-listed China-based companies will be strengthened, and the special provisions of the State Council on overseas issuance and listing of shares by such companies will be revised, clarifying the responsibilities of domestic industry competent authorities and regulatory authorities. However, the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities were still leaving uncertainties regarding the interpretation and implementation of these opinions. It is possible that any new rules or regulations may impose additional requirements on us. Furthermore, the Review Measures required that, in addition to network products and services acquired by critical information infrastructure operators, online platform operators are also subject to cybersecurity review if they carry out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, and online platform operators listing in a foreign country with more than one million users' personal information data must apply for a cybersecurity review with the Cybersecurity Review Office. It is uncertain whether we would be deemed as a CIIO or an online platform operator which is under the censorship of the Review Measure in the future. In the event that we become under investigation or review by the CAC, we may have to substantially change our current business and our operations may be materially and adversely affected. If it is determined in the future that CSRC approval or other procedural requirements are required to be met for and prior to an offering, it is uncertain whether we can or how long it will take us to obtain such approval or complete such procedures and any such approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or delay in obtaining such approval or completing such procedures for an offering, or a rescission of any such approval, could subject us to sanctions by the relevant PRC governmental authorities. The PRC governmental authorities may impose restrictions and penalties on our operations in China, such as the suspension of our apps and services, revocation of our licenses, or shutting down part or all of our operations, limit our ability to pay dividends outside of China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from an offering into China or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, as well as the trading price of our ADSs. The PRC governmental authorities may also take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt an offering before settlement and delivery of the ADSs being offered. Consequently, if investors engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to settlement and delivery, they do so at the risk that settlement and delivery may not occur. In addition, if the PRC governmental authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals for filings, registrations or other kinds of authorizations for an offering, we cannot assure you that we can obtain the approval, authorizations, or complete required procedures or other requirements in a timely manner, or at all, or obtain a waiver of the requisite requirements if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC, as approved by the State Council, released the Overseas Listing Trial Measures. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures, domestic companies in the Chinese mainland that directly or indirectly offer or list their securities in an overseas market, are required to file with the CSRC. Specifically, the securities under the Trial Measures refer to stocks, depositary receipts, convertible corporate bonds, exchangeable bonds and other equity-linked securities to be issued and offered in overseas markets by domestic companies directly or indirectly, while a direct offering and listing refers to the overseas offering and listing of a joint-stock company incorporated in the Chinese mainland, and an indirect offering and listing refers to the overseas offering and listing of a domestic company which conducts its business operations primarily in the Chinese mainland, in the name of an offshore company and based on the underlying equities, assets, earnings or similar interests of the domestic company. In particular, the determination of an indirect offering and listing will be conducted on a "substance over form" basis, and an offering and listing should be considered as an indirect overseas offering and listing by a domestic company if the issuer meets both of the following conditions: (i) 50% or more of the issuer's revenue, profit, total assets or net assets as documented in the issuer's audited consolidated financial statements in the most recent financial year is accounted by domestic companies; and (ii) the majority of its business operations are conducted in the Chinese mainland or its principal place of business is located in the Chinese mainland, or the majority of senior management in charge of business operations are Chinese citizens or have domicile in the Chinese mainland. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures, an overseas offering and listing is prohibited under any of the following circumstances: (i) if the intended securities offering and listing is specifically prohibited by the laws, administrative regulations and relevant national provisions; (ii) if the intended securities offering and listing may constitute a threat to or endanger national security as reviewed and determined by competent authorities under the State Council in accordance with law; (iii) the domestic companies or their controlling shareholders or actual controllers have committed corruption, bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of property, or other criminal offenses disruptive to the order of the socialist market economy in the past three years; (iv) the domestic companies are currently under investigations in connection with suspicion of having committed criminal offenses or material violations of applicable laws and regulations, and there is still no explicit conclusion; or (v) there are material ownership disputes over the shareholdings held by the controlling shareholder or the shareholder under the control of the controlling shareholder or the actual controllers. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures, the issuer or its affiliated domestic company, as the case may be, is required to file with the CSRC (i) with respect to its initial public offering and listing and its subsequent securities offering in an overseas market different from the market where it has listed, within three business days after its submission of listing application documents to the relevant regulator in the place of intended listing, (ii) with respect to its follow-on offering in the same overseas market where it has listed (including issuance of any corporate convertible bonds, exchangeable bonds and other equity-linked securities, but excluding the offering for employees incentive, dividend distribution by shares and share split), within three business days after completion of such follow-on offering, (iii) with respect to listing by means of single or multiple acquisitions, share swap, transfers of shares and similar transactions, within three business days after its initial filing of the listing application or the first public announcement of the transaction, as case may be. Failure to comply with the filing requirements may result in an order of rectification, a warning and fines up to RMB10 million to the non-compliant domestic companies, and the directly responsible persons of the companies will be warned and fined between RMB500,000 and RMB5 million. Furthermore, if the controlling shareholder and the actual controller of the non-compliant companies organizes or instigates the breach, they will be fined between RMB1 million and RMB10 million. In addition to above filing requirements, the Filings Rules also requires an issuer to report to the CSRC within three business days after occurrence of any the following events: (i) its change of control; (ii) its being subject to investigation or sanctions by any overseas securities regulators or overseas authorities; (iii) its change of listing status or listing segment; (iv) voluntary or mandatory delisting; and (v) material change of its principal business operations to the extent that it ceases to be subject to the filing requirements of the Overseas Listing Trial Measures.
On February 24, 2023, the CSRC released the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Related to the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises, or, the Confidentiality Provisions, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Confidentiality Provisions, any future inspection or investigation conducted by overseas securities regulator or the relevant competent authorities on our PRC domestic companies with respect to our overseas issuance and listing shall be carried out in the manner in compliance with PRC laws and regulations.
As of the date of this annual report, we have not received any inquiry or notice or any objection in connection with our previous issuance of securities to foreign investors from the CSRC, the CAC or any other PRC governmental authorities that have jurisdiction over our operations. As advised by Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, our counsel as to certain PRC legal matters, we are not required to file an application for the cybersecurity review by CAC for our previous issuance of securities to foreign investors as of the date of this annual report because (i) the relevant regulations do not require network platform operators holding personal information of over one million users to file a supplementary application of cybersecurity review for their previous issuance of securities to foreign investors that occurred before the effective date of such regulations; and (ii) our securities have already been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market before such regulations became effective. Thus, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, our counsel as to certain PRC legal matters, does not expect that, as of the date of this annual report, we are required to file an application for the cybersecurity review by CAC for our previous issuance of securities to foreign investors.
Furthermore, as advised by Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, our counsel as to certain PRC legal matters, based on the facts that, (i) the Cybersecurity Review Measures were newly adopted and the Draft Regulations have not been formally adopted, and the implementation and interpretation of both are subject to uncertainties, and (ii) except as otherwise disclosed in the annual report, we have not been involved in any investigations on cyber security review made by the CAC on such basis, nor have we received any inquiries, notices, warnings, or sanctions from any competent PRC regulatory authorities related to cybersecurity, data security and personal data protection, we believe we are in material compliance with the existing PRC laws and regulations on cybersecurity, data security and personal data protection. However, given the current regulatory environment in the PRC, there remains uncertainty regarding the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws, which can change quickly with little notice in advance and subject to any future actions within the discretion of PRC authorities.
According to the New Overseas Listing Rules, PRC domestic companies that seek to offer and list securities in overseas markets, either in direct or indirect means, are required to complete the filing procedure with the CSRC and report relevant information. In addition, an overseas-listed company must also submit the filing with respect to its follow-on offerings, issuance of convertible corporate bonds and exchangeable bonds, and other equivalent offering activities, within the time frame specified the Overseas Listing Trial Measures. We have been closely monitoring regulatory developments in China regarding any necessary approvals, filings or reports from the CSRC, and we will take any and all actions necessary to complete the filing with the CSRC if required.
Regulation - Risk 6
PRC regulations on loans and direct investments by offshore holding companies to PRC entities may delay or prevent us from making loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC entities.
As an offshore holding company of our PRC subsidiaries, we may make loans to our PRC subsidiaries, or we may make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries. Such loans to our PRC subsidiaries in China and capital contributions are subject to PRC regulations and approvals or filing. For example, loans by us to our PRC subsidiaries cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with SAFE or its local branch. Information about capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries must be filed with the PRC Ministry of Commerce or its local counterpart. In addition, the PRC government also restricts the convertibility of foreign currencies into Renminbi and use of the proceeds. On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated Circular 19, which took effect and replaced certain previous SAFE regulations from June 1, 2015. SAFE further promulgated Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which, among other things, amend certain provisions of Circular 19. According to SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16, the flow and use of the Renminbi capital converted from foreign currency denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company is regulated such that Renminbi capital may not be used for business beyond its business scope or to provide loans to persons other than affiliates unless otherwise permitted under its business scope. On October 23, 2019, SAFE promulgated Circular 28, which stipulates that non-investment foreign-funded enterprises are allowed to make domestic equity investment with their capital funds on the premise that the Negative List is not violated and the projects invested thereby in China are true and compliant. Violations of the applicable circulars and rules may result in severe penalties, including substantial fines as set forth in the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations. If our variable interest entity requires financial support from us or our wholly owned subsidiaries in the future and we find it necessary to use foreign currency-denominated capital to provide such financial support, our ability to fund our variable interest entity's operations will be subject to statutory limits and restrictions, including those described above. The Circular Regarding Further Optimizing the Cross-border RMB Policy to Support the Stabilization of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment jointly promulgated by the PBOC, NDRC, the Ministry of Commerce, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and SAFE on December 31, 2020 and effective on February 4, 2021 allows the non-investment foreign-invested enterprises to make domestic reinvestment with RMB capital in accordance with the law on the premise that they comply with prevailing regulations and the invested projects in China are authentic and compliant. In addition, if a foreign-invested enterprise uses RMB income under capital accounts to conduct domestic reinvestment, the invested enterprise is not required to open a special deposit account for RMB capital.
The applicable foreign exchange circulars and rules may significantly limit our ability to convert, transfer and use the net proceeds from our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement of convertible notes or any offering of additional equity securities in China, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. As the foreign exchange related regulatory regime and practice are complex and still evolving and involve many uncertainties, we cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all applicable foreign exchange circulars and rules, or that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or filings on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans by us to our PRC subsidiaries or with respect to future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries. If we fail to complete such registrations or filings, our ability to contribute additional capital to fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could adversely and materially affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
Regulation - Risk 7
PRC rules on mergers and acquisitions may make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions.
The Anti-Monopoly Law, or the AML, promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which became effective in 2008 and last amended on June 24, 2022, requires that when a concentration of undertakings occurs and reaches statutory thresholds, the undertakings concerned shall file a prior notification with MOFCOM. Without the clearance from MOFCOM, no concentration of undertakings shall be implemented and effected. Mergers, acquisitions or contractual arrangements that allow one market player to take control of or to exert decisive impact on another market player must also be notified in advance to MOFCOM when the threshold under the Provisions on Thresholds for Prior Notification of Concentrations of Undertakings, revised in 2018, is triggered. If such prior notification is not obtained, MOFCOM may order the concentration to cease its operations, dispose of shares or assets, transfer the business of the concentration within a time limit, take any other necessary measures to restore the situation as it was before the concentration, and may impose administrative fines. The AML specifies that a fine of not more than 10% of its sales amount in the previous year shall be imposed if the concentration has or may have the effect of eliminating or restricting competition and a fine of not more than RMB5 million shall be imposed if the concentration has no effect of eliminating or restricting competition. The AML further specifies that the relevant authority may investigate a transaction where there is evidence that the concentration has or may have the effect of eliminating or restricting competition, even if such concentration does not reach the filing threshold. On February 7, 2021, the Anti-Monopoly Committee of the State Council promulgated the Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for the Internet Platform Economy Sector which stipulates that any concentration of undertakings involving variable interest entities (VIE) shall fall within the scope of anti-monopoly review. Furthermore, the Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms prohibits certain monopolistic acts of internet platforms so as to protect market competition and safeguard interests of users and undertakings participating in internet platform economy, including without limitation, prohibiting platforms with dominant position from abusing their market dominance (such as discriminating customers in terms of pricing and other transactional conditions using big data and analytics, coercing counterparties into exclusivity arrangements, using technology means to block competitors' interface, favorable positioning in search results of goods displays, using bundle services to sell services or products, compulsory collection of unnecessary user data). On August 17, 2021, the SAMR issued the Provisions on Prohibition of Unfair Competition on the Internet (Draft for Comments), which prohibits business operators from using data, algorithms and other technical means to commit traffic hijacking, interference, malicious incompatibility and other improprieties to influence user choices or hinder or damage the normal operation of network products or services offered by other business operators.
Also, the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. Such regulation requires, among other things, that MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor acquires control of a PRC domestic enterprise, if (i) it is concerned with certain industries, (ii) such transaction involves factors that have an impact on the national economic security, or (iii) such transaction may lead to a change in control of a domestic enterprise that holds a famous trademark or PRC time-honored brand. The approval from MOFCOM shall be obtained in circumstances where overseas companies established or controlled by PRC enterprises or residents acquire affiliated domestic companies.
In addition, PRC national security review rules, i.e. Provisions of Ministry of Commerce on Implementation of Security Review System for Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, which became effective in September 2011 and Notice of the General Office of State Council on Establishment of Security Review System Pertaining to Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, which became effective in March 2011, require acquisitions by foreign investors of PRC companies engaged in military related or certain other industries that are crucial to national security be subject to security review before consummation of any such acquisition. We believe that our business is not in an industry related to national security. However, we cannot preclude the possibility that MOFCOM or other government agencies may publish interpretations contrary to our understanding or broaden the scope of the security review in the future.
Moreover, the Administrative Measures for Enterprises' Overseas Investment, or the Overseas Investment Rules, adopted by the NDRC on December 26, 2017 and will become effective on March 1, 2018, stipulates that for local enterprises (enterprises that are not managed by the state government), if the amount of investment made by the Chinese investors is less than US$300 million and the target project is non-sensitive, then the overseas investment project will require filing, instead of approval, with the local branch of the CSRC where the enterprise itself is registered. Although the NDRC has deregulated on overseas investment to certain extent, we are still subject to the procedures required by the NDRC before any of our PRC subsidiaries can conduct any overseas investment activities. See "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Regulation-M&A Rules and Overseas Listings."
On December 19, 2020, the Measures for the Security Review for Foreign Investment was jointly issued by NDRC and MOFCOM and took effect from January 18, 2021. The Measures for the Security Review for Foreign Investment specified provisions concerning the security review mechanism on foreign investment, including the types of investments subject to review, review scopes and procedures, among others. As these measures are recently promulgated, designated office in charge of such security review has not yet issued official guidance. At this stage, the interpretation of those measures remains unclear in many aspects such as what would constitute "important information technology and internet services and products" and whether these measures may apply to foreign investment that is implemented or completed before the enactment of these new measures. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions. It is unclear whether our business would be deemed to be in an industry that raises "national defense and security" or "national security" concerns. However, MOFCOM, NDRC and other government agencies may publish explanations in the future determining that our business is in an industry subject to the security review, in which case our future acquisitions in the PRC, including those by way of entering into contractual control arrangements with target entities, may be closely scrutinized or prohibited. Our ability to expand our business or maintain or expand our market share through future acquisitions would as such be materially and adversely affected.
Regulation - Risk 8
Failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee share ownership plans or share option plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.
In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company, replacing earlier rules promulgated in 2007. Pursuant to these rules, PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year who participate in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a qualified PRC agent, which could be the PRC subsidiaries of such overseas-listed company, and complete certain other procedures. The PRC agent shall amend the SAFE registration within three months in the event that there is any material changes to the stock incentive plan, the PRC agent or the overseas entrusted institution or other material changes.
In addition, an overseas-entrusted institution must be retained to handle matters in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options and the purchase or sale of shares and interests. We and our executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who reside in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year and who have been granted options are subject to these regulations. However, we cannot assure you that the SAFE registrations for the grantees of our stock options could be completed and updated in a timely manner. Failure to complete SAFE registrations or to amend such registrations in time may subject us to fines of up to RMB300,000 for entities and up to RMB50,000 for individuals, and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiaries and limit our PRC subsidiaries' ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law. See "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Regulation-Regulations on Stock Incentive Plans."
Regulation - Risk 9
PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents and enterprises may increase our administrative burden and restrict our overseas and cross-border investment activities. If our PRC resident and enterprise shareholders fail to make any applications and filings required under these regulations, we may be unable to distribute profits to such shareholders and may become subject to liability under PRC law.
In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents' Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, to replace the previous SAFE Circular 75, which ceased to be effective upon the promulgation of SAFE Circular 37. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents (including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities) to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we may make in the future.
Under SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who make, or have prior to the implementation of SAFE Circular 37 made, direct or indirect investments in offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, are required to register such investments with SAFE or its local branches. In addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder of an SPV, is required to update its registration with the local branch of SAFE with respect to that SPV, to reflect any material change. Moreover, any subsidiary of such SPV in China is required to urge the PRC resident shareholders to update their registration with the local branch of SAFE to reflect any material change. If any PRC resident shareholder of such SPV fails to make the required registration or update the registration, the subsidiary of such SPV in China may be prohibited from distributing its profits or the proceeds from any capital reduction, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV, and the SPV may also be prohibited from making additional capital contributions into its subsidiaries in China. In February 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, must be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE. Qualified banks should examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of SAFE.
In April 2014, the National Development Reform Committee, or the NDRC, promulgated the Administrative Measures for the Approval and Filing of Overseas Investment Projects and MOFCOM promulgated the Measures for the Administration of Overseas Investment in September 2014. In December 2017, the NDRC further promulgated the Administrative Measures of Overseas Investment of Enterprises, which became effective in March 2018 and abolished the Administrative Measures for the Approval and Filing of Overseas Investment Projects. Pursuant to these regulations, any outbound investment of PRC enterprises in the area and industry that is not sensitive is required to be filed with MOFCOM and the NDRC or their local branch.
Mr. Kun Dai, who indirectly holds our shares through SPVs and who is known to us as a PRC resident, has completed the applicable foreign exchange registrations to the extent acceptable by SAFE in accordance with SAFE Circular 75 and SAFE Circular 37. We cannot assure you, however, that Mr. Kun Dai will continue to make required filings or updates in a timely manner, or at all. Moreover, we can provide no assurance that we are or will in the future continue to be informed of the identities of all PRC residents and PRC enterprises holding direct or indirect interest in our company, and even if we are aware of such shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents or PRC enterprises, we may not be able to compel them to comply with SAFE Circular 37 and outbound investment related regulations, and we may not even have any means to know whether they comply with these requirements. Any failure or inability by such individuals or enterprises to comply with SAFE and outbound investment related regulations may subject such individuals or the responsible officers of such enterprises to fines or legal sanctions, and may result in adverse impact on us, such as restrictions on our ability to distribute or pay dividends.
Furthermore, as these foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations are relatively new and their interpretation and implementation have been constantly evolving, it is uncertain how these regulations, and any future regulations concerning offshore or cross-border investments and transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Due to the complexity and constantly changing nature of the foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations as well as the uncertainties involved, we cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all applicable foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.
Regulation - Risk 10
We are subject to changing laws and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosure that have increased both our costs and the risk of non-compliance.
We are subject to rules and regulations promulgated by various governing bodies, including, for example, the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and the various regulatory authorities in China and the Cayman Islands, and to new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable laws. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities.
Moreover, because these laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices.
If we fail to address and comply with these regulations and any subsequent changes, we may be subject to penalty and our business may be harmed.
Regulation - Risk 11
Any failure by us or our third-party service providers to comply with applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations could damage our reputation.
Our financing partners and payment companies are subject to anti-money laundering obligations under applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations and are regulated in that respect by the People's Bank of China, or the PBOC. If any of our third-party service provides fail to comply with applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations, our reputation could suffer and we could become subject to regulatory intervention, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any negative perception of the industry, such as that arises from any failure of other loan facilitation service providers, consumer finance marketplaces or e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars to detect or prevent money laundering activities, even if factually incorrect or based on isolated incidents, could compromise our image or undermine the trust and credibility we have established.
Regulation - Risk 12
Changed
Our ADSs will be prohibited from trading in the United States under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, if the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely auditors located in China for two consecutive years. The delisting of our ADSs, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.
The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCAA, which was further amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 signed into law on December 29, 2022, states that if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the "PCAOB") for two consecutive years, the SEC shall prohibit our shares or ADSs from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States. On December 2, 2021, the SEC adopted final amendments implementing the disclosure and submission requirements of the HFCAA, pursuant to which the SEC will identify an issuer as a "Commission Identified Issuer" if the issuer has filed an annual report containing an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that the PCAOB has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate completely, and will then impose a trading prohibition on an issuer after it is identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer for two consecutive years. On August 29, 2022, the SEC conclusively listed Uxin Limited as a Commission-Identified Issuer under the HFCAA following the filing of our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. In accordance with the HFCAA, our securities will be prohibited from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States if the PCAOB, for two consecutive years, is unable to inspect or completely investigate PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China. As a result, the Nasdaq may determine to delist our securities.
Based on the above, trading in our securities on U.S. markets, including Nasdaq Global Select Market, would be prohibited under the HFCAA if the PCAOB determines that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor for two consecutive years. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued the HFCAA Determination Report, or the 2021 Determinations, to notify the SEC of its determinations that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong, including our auditor. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to conduct inspections and investigations completely of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong in 2022. Accordingly, the PCAOB vacated its previous 2021 Determinations. As a result, we do not expect to be identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer under the HFCAA for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 after we file our annual report on Form 20-F for such fiscal year. However, whether the PCAOB will continue to conduct inspections and investigations completely to its satisfaction of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our, and our auditor's, control, including positions taken by authorities of the PRC. The PCAOB is expected to continue to demand complete access to inspections and investigations regarding registered accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong in the future and states that it has already made plans to resume regular inspections in early 2023 and beyond. The PCAOB is required under the HFCAA to make its determination on an annual basis with regards to its ability to inspect and investigate completely registered accounting firms based in the mainland China and Hong Kong. The possibility of being a Commission-Identified Issuer and risk of delisting in the future could continue to adversely affect the trading price of our securities. If the PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate completely registered accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and we continue to use such accounting firm to conduct audit work, we would be identified as a "Commission-Identified Issuer" under the HFCAA following the filing of the annual report for the relevant fiscal year, and if we were so identified for two consecutive years, trading in our securities on U.S. markets would be prohibited.
If our shares and ADSs are prohibited from trading in the United States, there is no certainty that we will be able to list on a non-U.S. exchange or that a market for our shares will develop outside of the United States. Such a prohibition would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our ADSs when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with delisting would have a negative impact on the price of our ADSs. Also, such a prohibition would significantly affect our ability to raise capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and prospects.
Regulation - Risk 13
You may be subject to limitations on the transfer of your ADSs.
Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may close its books from time to time for a number of reasons, including in connection with corporate events such as a rights offering, during which time the depositary needs to maintain an exact number of ADS holders on its books for a specified period. The depositary may also close its books in emergencies, and on weekends and public holidays. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of the ADSs generally when our share register or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary thinks it is advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.
Regulation - Risk 14
The enforcement of stricter advertisement laws and regulations in the PRC may adversely affect our business and our profitability.
In April 2015, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress promulgated the PRC Advertising Law, effective on September 1, 2015 and amended on October 26, 2018 and April 29, 2021. According to the Advertising Law, advertisements shall not have any false or misleading content, or defraud or mislead consumers. Furthermore, an advertisement will be deemed as a "false advertisement" if any of the following situations exist: (i) the advertised product or service does not exist; (ii) there is any inconsistency that has a material impact on the decision to purchase in what is included in the advertisement with the actual circumstances with respect to the product's performance, functions, place of production, uses, quality, specification, ingredient, price, producer, term of validity, sales condition, and honors received, among others, or the service's contents, provider, form, quality, price, sales condition, and honors received, among others, or any commitments, among others, made on the product or service; (iii) fabricated, forged or unverifiable scientific research results, statistical data, investigation results, excerpts, quotations, or other information have been used as supporting material; (iv) effect or results of using the good or receiving the service are fabricated; or (v) other circumstances where consumers are defrauded or misled by any false or misleading content. See "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Regulation-Regulations On Advertisement" for further details.
Our current marketing relies on advertising, via both online and offline channels. The laws and regulations of advertising are relatively new and evolving and there is substantial uncertainty as to the interpretation of "false advertisement" by the SAMR. If any of the advertisements that we publish is deemed to be a "false advertisement" by the SAMR or its local branch, we could be subject to various penalties, such as discontinuation of publishing the target advertisement, imposition of fines and obligations to eliminate any adverse effects incurred by such false advertisement. Some of our outdoor advertisements has historically been deemed as giving misstatement, resulting in fines by the local SAMR. The amount of the fine was not significant. We cannot assure you that the advertisement we publish in the future will not be subject to further penalties. And any such penalties may disrupt our business and our competition with competitors, which could affect our results of operations and financial conditions.
Regulation - Risk 15
We may be required to register our business premises outside of our registered residence addresses as branch offices under PRC law.
Under PRC law, a company doing business at a fixed venue outside its registered residence address is required to register with the local branch of the SAMR where the business premise is located to set it up as branch office and obtain business license. We have successfully registered and set up branch offices nationwide for all of our newly opened business premise. If the PRC regulatory authorities determine that we are in violation of the relevant laws and regulations, we may be subject to penalties, including fines, confiscation of income and suspension of operation and our business, results of operations and financial condition could thus be adversely affected.
Regulation - Risk 16
We may be deemed to have operated financing guarantee business by the PRC regulatory authorities.
In August 2017, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Administration of Financing Guarantee Companies, or the Financing Guarantee Rules, which became effective on October 1, 2017. Pursuant to the Financing Guarantee Rules, "financing guarantee" refers to the activities in which guarantors provide guarantee to the guaranteed parties as to loans, bonds or other types of debt financing, and "financing guarantee companies" refer to companies legally established and operating financing guarantee business. According to the Financing Guarantee Rules, the establishment of financing guarantee companies are subject to the approval by the relevant governmental authority, and unless otherwise stipulated, no entity may operate financing guarantee business without such approval. If any entity violates these regulations and operates financing guarantee business without approval, the entity may be subject to penalties including ban or suspension of business, fines of RMB500,000 to RMB1,000,000, confiscation of illegal gains if any, and criminal liability if the violation constitutes a criminal offense.
Prior to divesting our loan facilitation business to Golden Pacer as first announced in July 2019, we provided guarantees to our financing partners in connection with the historical consumer auto loans. We have ceased to provide loan facilitation related guarantee services since November 2019 as a result of the divestiture and have divested the guarantee liabilities in relation to our historically-facilitated loans for XW Bank. In addition, we settled our remaining guarantee liabilities associated with the historically-facilitated loans for WeBank in July 2020. As of March 31, 2023, we have no outstanding guarantee obligations in relation to our historically facilitated loans. We do not believe that the Financing Guarantee Rules apply to such guarantee obligations as the guarantees were not provided independently from our principal business. However, due to the lack of further interpretations, the exact definition and scope of "operating financing guarantee business" under the Financing Guarantee Rules is unclear. It is uncertain whether we would be deemed to operate financing guarantee business in violation of relevant PRC laws or regulations because of historical arrangements with certain financial institutions. If the relevant regulatory authorities determine that we were and/or are operating financing guarantee business, we may be required to obtain approval or license for financing guarantee business. In such cases, our business, results of operations and financial conditions could be adversely affected.
Regulation - Risk 17
Our historical loan facilitation services may subject us to regulatory risks, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Prior to the divestiture of our loan facilitation related business to Golden Pacer, or the Loan Facilitation Divestiture, we historically provided loan facilitation services in partnership with financial institutions who finance our customers' car purchases. As a result of the divestiture, we have ceased to provide loan facilitation services since November 2019.
According to the Financing Guarantee Circular 37 which was issued and became effective on October 9, 2019, entities shall be prohibited from providing financing guarantee services unless obtaining the approval from the relevant regulatory authorities and establishing financing guarantee companies. Those who have been engaged in financing guarantee services shall properly settle its existing business. The authorities shall intensify the crackdowns on the financing guarantee companies with illegal operation or those who committed serious infringement of consumer's (and guaranteed person's) rights and shall timely report such cases to the banks so as to work together to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the consumers. The Financing Guarantee Circular 37 also stipulates that, without prior approval, any institution which provides customer promotion, credit evaluation and other services for any lending institution shall be prohibited from providing financing guarantee services or doing so in a disguised form. Any entity operating the financing guarantee business without a financing guarantee business license shall be banned by the regulatory authorities. See "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Regulation-Regulations on Financing Guarantee." As we (i) no longer provide any additional loan facilitation related guarantee services since November 2019 and have divested the guarantee liabilities in relation to our historically-facilitated loans for XW Bank, which accounted for more than half of the total loans we historically facilitated, to Golden Pacer as a result of the Loan Facilitation Divestiture and (ii) have entered into a supplemental agreement with one of our major financing partners with regards to our historically-facilitated loans in July 2020, where we agreed to entirely settle all of our remaining guarantee liabilities associated with the historically-facilitated loans for this financing partner under the condition that we would pay the settlement amount in instalments from 2020 to 2025 based on an agreed schedule, we are no longer subject to any guarantee liabilities for the consumer auto loans we historically facilitated through our 2C business. It is required by the Financing Guarantee Circular 37 for us to properly settle our existing business and we plan to settle and gradually relieve our guarantee obligations from these historically facilitated loans along with the maturity of those remaining outstanding loans. However, we cannot assure you that our guarantee services in connection with such historical auto loans will be regarded as our "proper settlement" of our existing auto loan guarantee business by the relevant authority, or that our past practices in connection with our loan facilitation services would not be regarded as historical noncompliance. The imposition of any enforcement action would adversely affect our reputation and business, financial condition and results of operations.
Furthermore, PRC laws and regulations concerning financial services, including internet financial services, are evolving and the PRC government authorities may promulgate further laws and regulations in the future. We cannot assure you that our past or current practices would not be regarded as non-compliance, and imposition of any enforcement action would adversely affect our reputation and business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, under current regulations, the risk assets of a PRC entity that conducts finance leasing business must not exceed 10 times its total net assets. In addition, PRC regulations stipulate that the amount of auto loans should be capped at 80% of the purchase price for a self-use conventionally-powered new car, 85% for a self-use new energy vehicle, and 70% for a used car. Our financing partners were responsible for designing the financing products that we offered through our historical loan facilitation services and are responsible for the financing products we currently refer to consumers on our platform. The financing products provided by our financing partners on our platform may be deemed to exceed the stipulated cap on the loan amount relative to the car purchase price, in which case we may be required to make adjustments to our cooperation arrangements or cease to cooperate with these financing partners.
Regulation - Risk 18
Failure to obtain certain filings, approvals, licenses, permits and certificates required for our business operations may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Certain of our PRC subsidiaries used to engage in business activities that are not within their registered business scope. As of the date of this annual report, we are not aware of any action, claim, or investigation being conducted or threatened by the State Administration for Market Regulation (formerly known as the State Administration for Industry and Commerce), or the SAMR, or its local branches with respect to such business activities. While we have ceased conducting such business activities, we cannot rule out the possibility that our past practice could be interpreted by the SAMR as "doing business beyond the business scope" and subject us to enforcement actions such as confiscation of any illegal gains, or imposition of fines.
In addition, pursuant to relevant laws and regulations, as some of our PRC subsidiaries are regarded as operators of used car marketplaces and used car related business, these entities are required to complete filings with the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC, or the MOFCOM, at provincial level. These PRC subsidiaries have completed such required filings with the relevant authorities and we will strive to complete relevant filings if certain of our subsidiaries commence used car related business. However, there is no assurance we will be able to complete the filing in a timely manner, or at all. Failure to comply with the filing requirements may subject our business to restriction, which would have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
In addition, it is required by PRC laws and regulations for companies responsible for the construction projects to prepare environmental impact report, environmental impact statement, or environmental impact registration form based on the different level of potential environmental impact of the projects. The environmental impact reports (required if potentially serious environmental impact) and the environmental impact statements (required if potentially mild environmental impact) are subject to review and approval by the governmental authority and failure to satisfy such requirements may subject one to discontinuation of the construction projects, fines of 1% to 5% of the total investment in the projects or an order of restoration. The environmental impact registration forms (required if very little environmental impact where environmental impact assessment is not necessary) are required to be filed with competent authority and failure to satisfy such requirement may subject one to fines up to RMB50,000. We do not regularly conduct construction projects in the ordinary course of our business. However, some of our projects, including the building and overall decoration of our transaction centers from time to time, could be recognized as construction projects where a timely filing or submission for approval is required and failure to do so may subject us to fines and other enforcement actions as mentioned above.
In addition, certain of our PRC subsidiaries used to engage in Internet freight business temporarily, for which we might be required to obtain the Road Transportation Operation Permit and Value-added Telecommunications Business License that certain entities did not have. As of the date of this annual report, we are not aware of any action, claim, or investigation being conducted or threatened by the relevant authority. While we have ceased conducting such business activities, we cannot rule out the possibility that our past practice could be interpreted as "operating without a license" and subject us to enforcement actions such as confiscation of any illegal gains, or imposition of fines.
Considerable uncertainty exists regarding the interpretation and implementation of existing and future laws and regulations governing our business activities. Historically, some of our PRC subsidiaries have been fined due to late tax filings, although the amount of the fine was not significant. If we fail to complete, obtain, maintain or renew any of the required licenses or approvals or make the necessary filings, we may be subject to various penalties, such as confiscation of the illegal gains, imposition of fines and discontinuation or restriction of our operations. Any such penalties may disrupt our business operations and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities5 | 6.3%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
We may be held liable for information or content displayed on or linked to our platform, which may materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.
We may be held liable for inaccurate or incomplete information, including car listings, that is available through or linked to our platform. The data we collect and use for the car listings may be inaccurate or incomplete due to errors or on the part of our employees or third-party information providers, or frauds. Our failure to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our data, regardless of its source, could undermine customer trust, result in further administrative penalties and adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2
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You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions against us or our directors and management named in the annual report based on foreign laws.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. We conduct substantially all of our operations in China and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, to our best knowledge, as of the date of this annual report, other than two independent directors that reside in the United States, all of the remaining directors and senior executive officers, namely, Kun Dai, Bin Li, Erhai Liu, Rong Lu, Feng Lin, Zhitian Zhang and Wenbing Jing, reside within mainland China and Hong Kong for a significant portion of the time and are residents of mainland China or Hong Kong. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside mainland China and Hong Kong. It may also be difficult for you to enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors who reside in mainland China and Hong Kong and whose assets are located outside the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands or mainland China or Hong Kong would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state.
The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of reciprocity with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States. Furthermore, judgment of United States courts will not be directly enforced in Hong Kong. There are currently no treaties or other arrangements providing for reciprocal enforcement of foreign judgments between Hong Kong and the United States.
Shareholder claims that are common in the United States, including securities law class actions and fraud claims, generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. According to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC and no entities or individuals may provide documents or materials in connection with its securities activities to the overseas without proper authorization. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law have yet to be available, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China may further increase difficulties faced by investors in protecting your interests. See also "-Risks Relating to the ADSs and this Offering-You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law" for risks associated with investing in us as a Cayman Islands company.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 3
Allegations or lawsuits against us or our management and related negative publicity may harm our reputation and have a material and adverse impact on our business operations and the trading price of our ADSs.
We have been, and may become, subject to allegations or lawsuits brought by our competitors, customers, business partners, short sellers, investment research firms or other individuals or entities. For example, a report was published on April 16, 2019 making various allegations about us, and we responded publicly stating the allegations are unfounded. Any such allegation or lawsuit, with or without merit, or any perceived unfair, unethical, fraudulent or inappropriate business practice by us or perceived malfeasance by our management, or failure or perceived failure to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, alleged accounting or financial reporting irregularities, could harm our reputation and distract our management from our daily operations. Allegations or lawsuits against us or our management may also generate negative publicity that significantly harms our reputation, which may materially and adversely affect our ability to attract customers, third-party service providers and business partners and hence our business operations, and cause the trading price of our ADSs to decline and fluctuate significantly.
We may continue to be the target of adverse publicity and detrimental conduct against us, including complaints, anonymous or otherwise, to regulatory agencies regarding our operations, accounting, and regulatory compliance. We may be subject to government or regulatory investigation or inquiries, or shareholder lawsuits, as a result of such third-party conduct and may be required to incur significant time and substantial costs to defend ourselves, and there is no assurance that we will be able to conclusively refute each of the allegations within a reasonable period of time or at all. Our reputation may also be negatively affected as a result of the public dissemination of allegations or malicious statements about us, which in turn may materially and adversely affect the trading price of our ADSs.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 4
We may be subject to legal proceedings in the ordinary course of our business. If the outcomes of these proceedings are adverse to us, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
We may be subject to disputes with various counterparties with which we transact from time to time in the ordinary course of our business, such as service providers, customers, competitors and investors, which may lead to legal proceedings. These proceedings, if and when materialize, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Claims arising out of actual or alleged violations of law could also be asserted against us by consumers and businesses that utilize our services, by competitors, or by governmental entities in civil or criminal investigations and proceedings or by other entities. These claims could be asserted under a variety of laws, including but not limited to consumer finance laws, product liability laws, consumer protection laws, intellectual property laws, unfair competition laws, privacy laws, labor and employment laws, securities laws, real estate laws, tort laws, contract laws, property laws and employee benefit laws. We may also be subject to lawsuits due to actions by our third-party financing partners, or third-party providers of various services, including logistics and delivery service, title transfer service, car repair, car inspection equipment, loan servicing, car collateral repossession, and certain data services.
For example, we are subject to ongoing contractual disputes and other proceedings in the PRC. These cases are still ongoing, but we believe the claims are without merit and we will defend ourselves accordingly. We are unable, however, to predict the outcome of these cases, or reasonably estimate a range of possible loss, if any, given the current status of the proceedings. We have not recorded any accrual for expected loss payments with respect to these cases as of March 31, 2023 and do not believe that any of the intellectual property infringement claims is material to our overall business operations. There is no guarantee that we will be successful in defending ourselves in legal and administrative actions or in asserting our rights under various laws. Even if we are successful in our attempt to defend ourselves in legal and administrative actions or to assert our rights under various laws, enforcing our rights against the various parties involved may be expensive, time-consuming and ultimately futile. These actions could expose us to negative publicity and to substantial monetary damages and legal defense costs, injunctive relief and criminal and civil fines and penalties, including but not limited to suspension or revocation of licenses to conduct business. See "Item 8. Financial Information-A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information-Legal Proceedings."
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 5
We were named as a defendant in two putative shareholder class action lawsuits in the past that could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operation, cash flows and reputation.
We were named as a defendant in the two putative shareholder class action lawsuits described in "Item 8, Financial Information-A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information-Legal Proceedings." In May 2021, we have settled the two putative shareholder class action lawsuits for a total of US$9.5 million approved by court, out of which US$6.5 million were covered by our insurance policy and we made a contribution of US$3.0 million. Although the lawsuits were settled, the process lasted for over a year and utilized a significant portion of our resources and diverted management's attention from the day-to-day operations of our company, all of which could harm our business. We cannot assure you that similar class action claims will not occur in the future. We also may be subject to claims for indemnification related to these matters, and we cannot predict the impact that indemnification claims may have on our business or financial results.
Taxation & Government Incentives2 | 2.5%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Under the EIT Law, we may be classified as a "resident enterprise" of China; such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders and materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with "de facto management body" within the PRC is considered a "resident enterprise" and will be subject to the enterprise income tax on its global income at the rate of 25%. The implementation rules define the term "de facto management body" as the body that exercises full and substantial control and overall management over the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or SAT, issued a circular, known as SAT Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the "de facto management body" of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the SAT's general position on how the "de facto management body" text should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to SAT Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its "de facto management body" in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise's financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; (iii) the enterprise's primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in the PRC; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC.
We believe that Uxin Limited is not a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. See "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Regulation-Regulations Relating to Tax-Enterprise Income Tax." However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term "de facto management body." If the PRC tax authorities determine that Uxin Limited is a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, we may be required to withhold a 10% tax from dividends we pay to our shareholders that are nonresident enterprises, including the holders of the ADSs. In addition, non-resident enterprise shareholders (including our ADS holders) may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 10% on gains realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares, if such income is treated as sourced from within the PRC. Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid to our non-PRC individual shareholders (including our ADS holders) and any gain realized on the transfer of ADSs or ordinary shares by such shareholders may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 20% which in the case of dividends may be withheld at source. Any PRC tax liability may be reduced by an applicable tax treaty. However, it is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the ADSs or ordinary shares.
In addition to the uncertainty as to the application of the "resident enterprise" classification, we cannot assure you that the PRC Government will not amend or revise the taxation laws, rules, and regulations to impose stricter tax requirements, higher tax rates, or retroactively apply the EIT Law. If such changes occur or if such changes are applied retroactively, such changes could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial conditions.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
There can be no assurance that we will not be a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. holders of our ADSs or ordinary shares.
A non-U.S. corporation, such as our company, will be a passive foreign investment company (a "PFIC") for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year if either (i) 75% or more of its gross income for such year consists of passive income, or (ii) 50% or more of the value of its assets (generally based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets) during such year is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income (the "asset test"). Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, royalties, rents, and capital gains. For purposes of these calculations, a non-U.S. corporation will be treated as owning a proportionate share of the assets and earning a proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which it owns, directly or indirectly, 25% or more (by value) of the stock.
We do not believe that we were a PFIC for our taxable year ended March 31, 2023. However, because the determination of whether we have been or will become a PFIC is a fact-intensive inquiry made on an annual basis that depends, in part, upon the composition of our income and assets and the value of our assets from time to time, there can be no assurance that we have not been or will not be a PFIC in any taxable year. In prior Annual Reports on Form 20-F, we stated that we believed that we were a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our taxable year ended December 31, 2019, and that it is possible that one or more of our subsidiaries were also PFICs for such year for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Our PFIC status may depend on the average value of our goodwill. If the value of our assets (including our goodwill) is determined by reference to our market capitalization, fluctuations in the market price of our ADSs may result in us becoming a PFIC for the current or future taxable years. The market price of our ADSs may continue to fluctuate considerably and, consequently, we cannot assure you of our PFIC status for any taxable year. The composition of our income and assets may also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets. In addition, if our revenue from activities that produce passive income increases relative to our revenue from activities that produce non-passive income, our risk of becoming a PFIC may substantially increase.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (defined below) owns an ADS or an ordinary share, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to the U.S. Holder. Further, a U.S. Holder will generally be treated as holding an equity interest in a PFIC in the first taxable year of the U.S. Holder's holding period in which we are a PFIC and subsequent taxable years even if we cease to be a PFIC in subsequent taxable years. In particular, if we were a PFIC for our 2019 taxable year, we will generally continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to a U.S. Holder who owned our ADSs or ordinary shares during any portion of such year, even if we are not a PFIC for any other taxable year, unless the U.S. Holder made or makes a "deemed sale" election with respect to our ADSs or ordinary shares. See "Item 10. Additional Information-E. Taxation-United States Federal Income Taxation-Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations."
Environmental / Social1 | 1.3%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
Regulation and censorship of information disseminated over the internet in China may adversely affect our business, and we may be liable for information displayed on, retrieved from or linked to our websites and mobile apps.
China has enacted laws and regulations governing internet access and the distribution of information through the internet. The PRC government prohibits information that, among other things, violates PRC laws and regulations, impairs the national dignity of China or the public interest, contains terrorism or extremism content, or is reactionary, obscene, superstitious, fraudulent or defamatory, from being distributed through the internet. PRC laws also prohibit the use of the internet in ways which, among other things, result in a leakage of state secrets or the distribution of socially destabilizing content. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in sanctions or penalties such as revocation of licenses to provide internet content and other licenses, the shut-down of the concerned websites or mobile apps, and reputational harm. A website or mobile apps operator may also be held liable for censored information displayed on or linked to its website or mobile apps. We may be subject to potential liability for certain unlawful actions of users of our platform or for content we distribute that is deemed inappropriate. We may be required to delete content that violates PRC laws and report content that we suspect may violate PRC laws, which may reduce our consumer base. It may be difficult to determine the type of content that may result in liability for us, and if we are found to be liable, we may be prevented from operating our business or offering other services in China.
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 25/80 (31%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights15 | 18.8%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
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Certain of our leased property interests may be defective and we may be forced to relocate operations affected by such defects, which could cause a significant disruption to our business.
As to most of our leased properties, we are not provided with sufficient property title certificates or other supporting documents to prove the legitimate possession of the leased properties by the lessors. Our lease agreements therefore may not be enforceable, our rights as the lessee could be challenged by third parties and we may be forced to relocate if the lessors do not have legitimate rights upon the properties. We cannot assure you that such defects could be cured in time, or at all, and our business may be significantly disrupted with additional costs and expenses if we have to relocate.
Some of our leases have expired or will expire soon. We may not be able to successfully extend or renew such leases upon expiration of the current term on commercially reasonable terms or at all, and may therefore be forced to relocate our affected operations. This could disrupt our operations and result in significant relocation expenses, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, we compete with other businesses for premises at certain locations or of desirable sizes. As a result, even though we could extend or renew our leases, rental payments may significantly increase as a result of the high demand for the leased properties. In addition, we may not be able to locate desirable alternative sites for our facilities as our business continues to grow and failure in relocating our affected operations could adversely affect our business and operations.
We may in the future be involved in legal and administration proceedings initiated by government authorities, property owners or any other third parties regarding our leasehold interests in or use of such properties. We cannot assure you that we can successfully defend ourselves against those claims or that our use of such leased properties will not be challenged in the future. In the event that our use of properties is successfully challenged, we may be subject to fines and forced to relocate the affected operations. In addition, we may become involved in disputes with the property owners or third parties who otherwise have rights to or interests in our leased properties. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to find suitable replacement sites on terms acceptable to us on a timely basis, or at all, or that we will not be subject to material liability resulting from third parties' challenges on our use of such properties. As a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
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The PCAOB, in prior years, was unable to completely inspect and investigate registered independent accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, which includes our auditor. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections over our auditor has deprived our investors of the benefits of such inspections in prior years and may continue to deprive investors of such benefits in the future should the PCAOB not continue to have the ability to completely inspect and investigate registered accounting firms in China.
Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this annual report, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Since our auditor is located in mainland China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB has been unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities until 2022, our auditor was historically uninspected by PCAOB. However, on August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in China, which marks the first step toward providing access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in Mainland China and Hong Kong. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to conduct inspections and investigations completely of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong in 2022, and vacated its previous 2021 Determinations accordingly. This marks the first time that Chinese authorities allowed access for complete inspections and investigations meeting U.S. standards, as required under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
However, whether the PCAOB will continue to conduct inspections and investigations completely to its satisfaction of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our, and our auditor's, control, including positions taken by authorities of the PRC. The PCAOB is expected to continue to demand complete inspections and investigations against registered accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong in the future and states that it has already made plans to resume regular inspections in early 2023 and beyond. The PCAOB is required under the HFCAA to make its determination on an annual basis with regards to its ability to inspect and investigate completely registered accounting firms based in the mainland China and Hong Kong. The possibility of being a "Commission-Identified Issuer" and risk of delisting in the future could continue to adversely affect the trading price of our securities. If the PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate completely registered accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and we continue to use such accounting firm to conduct audit work, we would be identified as a "Commission-Identified Issuer" under the HFCAA following the filing of the annual report for the relevant fiscal year, and if we were so identified for two consecutive years, trading in our securities on U.S. markets would be prohibited.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
Our limited operating history in certain of our services and the rapid evolution of our business model make it difficult for investors to evaluate our business and prospects.
Our limited operating history in certain of our services and the rapid evolution of our business model mean that our historical growth is not necessarily indicative of our future performance. We cannot assure you that our new product and service offerings will achieve the expected results or we will be able to achieve similar results or grow at the same rate as we did in the past. As our business and China's used car industry continue to develop, we may adjust our product and service offerings or modify our business model. For example, we have shifted to an inventory-owning model since September 2020, when we build-up and sell our own inventory. In addition, our first IRC in Xi'an has been in operation in March 2021 and our second IRC in Hefei has been in operation since November 2021. In December 2022, we had completed the relocation and upgrade of our Xi'an IRC as well as our used car superstore. The upgraded IRC and superstore reopened for business as the largest fully self-owned used car marketplace in Northwest China with a showroom capacity of up to 3,000 vehicles to meet the used car consumption demand in the city of Xi'an and its surrounding areas.
Starting from early 2018, we have started to fulfill online used car transactions for consumers, which we previously referred to as "2C cross-regional business". With our online used-car-buying product and service offerings, we enable consumers to buy used cars online without the need to go to offline dealerships or see the actual car when making the purchase. In addition, we entered into a binding term sheet, definitive agreements and supplemental agreements, in July 2019, September 2019 and April 2020, respectively, with Golden Pacer to divest our loan facilitation related business. Pursuant to the series of agreements, we divested our entire 2C intra-regional business in which we facilitated offline used car transactions between consumers and dealers in local used car marketplaces, and ceased to provide loan facilitation related guarantee services in connection with our 2C online transaction business since November 2019. We also divested our salvage car related business to Boche in January 2020 as well as our 2B business to 58.com pursuant to definitive agreements we entered into in March 2020.
The transaction with Golden Pacer closed upon the signing of the supplemental agreements in April 2020, and the transactions with Boche and 58.com closed in January 2020 and April 2020, respectively. Such developments or adjustments may not achieve expected results and may have a material and adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
The trading price of the ADSs is likely to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.
The trading price of our ADSs has been volatile since our ADSs became listed on Nasdaq on June 27, 2018. The trading price of the ADSs could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, including the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with business operations located mainly in China that have listed their securities in the United States. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for the ADSs may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following:
- variations in our revenues, earnings and cash flow;- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations;- announcements of new investments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures by us or our competitors;- announcements of new service offerings, solutions and expansions by us or our competitors;- changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;- conditions in China's used car market and used car consumer financing market;- changes in the operating performance or market evaluations of other e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars;- detrimental adverse publicity about us, our services or our industry;- additions or departures of key personnel;- release of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding equity securities or sales of additional equity securities;- short seller reports that make allegations against us or our affiliates, even if unfounded;- potential litigation or regulatory investigations; and - general economic or political conditions in China or elsewhere in the world.
Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which the ADSs will trade.
In addition, the stock market in general, and the market prices for internet-related companies and companies with operations in China in particular, have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. The securities of some China-based companies that have listed their securities in the United States have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings in recent years, including, in some cases, substantial declines in the trading prices of their securities. The trading performances of these companies' securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies listed in the United States in general, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure or other matters of other Chinese companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities. In particular, the global financial crisis, the ensuing economic recessions and deterioration in the credit market in many countries have contributed and may continue to contribute to extreme volatility in the global stock markets. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our ADSs. Volatility or a lack of positive performance in our ADS price may also adversely affect our ability to retain key employees, most of whom have been granted options or other equity incentives.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
Our dual-class share structure with different voting rights will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.
We have a dual-class share structure such that our ordinary shares consists of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares with disparate voting powers. We have also issued senior convertible preferred shares, which have the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions set out in an Amended and Restated Certificate of Designation which has been approved by our board of directors. In respect of matters requiring the votes of shareholders, holders of Class A ordinary shares will be entitled to one vote per share, while holders of Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to ten votes per share based on our dual-class share structure, and each senior convertible preferred share is entitled to that number of votes equal to the largest number of whole Class A ordinary shares into which each such senior convertible preferred share could be converted. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof, while Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon (i) any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof or direct or indirect transfer or assignment of the voting power attached to such number of Class B ordinary shares through voting proxy or otherwise to any person or any entity which is not an affiliate of such holder, or (ii) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of a majority of the issued and outstanding voting securities of, or the direct or indirect transfer or assignment of the voting power attached to such voting securities through voting proxy or otherwise, or the direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of, a holder of Class B ordinary shares to any person that is not an affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares shall be automatically and immediately converted into the same number of Class A ordinary shares, or (iii) of Mr. Kun Dai ceases to be the ultimate beneficial owner of any outstanding Class B ordinary shares.
As of July 31, 2023, Mr. Kun Dai, the beneficial owner of all our issued Class B ordinary shares, beneficially owned 11.4% of the aggregate voting power of our company, assuming all the senior convertible preferred shares are converted into Class A ordinary shares at the currently applicable conversion price. See "Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees-E. Share Ownership" for details on ordinary shares beneficially owned by Kun Dai. As a result of the dual-class share structure and the concentration of ownership, holders of Class B ordinary shares will have considerable influence over matters such as decisions regarding mergers and consolidations, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. Such holders may take actions that are not in the best interest of us or our other shareholders. This concentration of ownership may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company, which could have the effect of depriving our other shareholders of the opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our company and may reduce the price of our ADSs. This concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions that holders of Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
The dual-class structure of our ordinary shares may adversely affect the trading market for our ADSs.
S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell have announced changes to their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500, to exclude companies with multiple classes of shares and companies whose public shareholders hold no more than 5% of total voting power from being added to such indices. In addition, several shareholder advisory firms have announced their opposition to the use of multiple class structures. As a result, the dual class structure of our ordinary shares may prevent the inclusion of our ADSs representing Class A ordinary shares in such indices and may cause shareholder advisory firms to publish negative commentary about our corporate governance practices or otherwise seek to cause us to change our capital structure. Any such exclusion from indices could result in a less active trading market for our ADSs. Any actions or publications by shareholder advisory firms critical of our corporate governance practices or capital structure could also adversely affect the value of our ADSs.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding the ADSs, the market price for the ADSs and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for the ADSs will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade our ADSs, the market price for the ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume for the ADSs to decline.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
Our memorandum and articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could have a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares and the ADSs.
Our memorandum and articles of association contain provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions, including a dual-class voting structure that gives disproportionate voting power to the Class B ordinary shares held by Xin Gao Group Limited, of which our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Mr. Kun Dai, is the sole shareholder and sole director. Through Xin Gao Group Limited and BOCOM International Supreme Investment Limited, Mr. Dai beneficially owned an aggregate of 11.9% of the total voting power of our company as of July 31, 2023, assuming all the outstanding senior convertible preferred shares are converted into Class A ordinary shares at the currently applicable conversion price. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction. Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our Class A ordinary shares, in the form of the ADS or otherwise. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the price of the ADSs may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A ordinary shares and the ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against our directors, actions by our minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.
Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies.
Our directors have discretion under our articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.
As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States. See "Item 16G. Corporate Governance" for a discussion of significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, to our best knowledge, as of the date of this annual report, other than two independent directors that reside in the United States, all of the remaining directors and senior executive officers, namely, Kun Dai, Bin Li, Erhai Liu, Rong Lu, Feng Lin, Zhitian Zhang and Wenbing Jing, reside within mainland China and Hong Kong for a significant portion of the time and are residents of mainland China or Hong Kong. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11
The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise your right to direct the voting of the Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADS.
Holders of ADSs do not have the same rights as our registered shareholders. As a holder of the ADSs, you will not have any direct right to attend general meetings of our shareholders or to cast any votes at such meetings. You will only be able to exercise the voting rights which are attached to the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs indirectly by giving voting instructions to the depositary in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you may vote only by giving voting instructions to the depositary, as the holder of the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. Upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will try, as far as is practicable, to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs in accordance with your instructions. Where any matter is to be put to a vote at a general meeting, then upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will try to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares in accordance with these instructions. You will not be able to directly exercise your right to vote with respect to the underlying Class A ordinary shares unless you withdraw the shares, and become the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting. When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice of the meeting to withdraw the underlying shares represented by your ADSs and become the registered holder of such shares to allow you to attend the general meeting and to vote directly with respect to any specific matter or resolution to be considered and voted upon at the general meeting. In addition, under our memorandum and articles of association, for the purposes of determining those shareholders who are entitled to attend and vote at any general meeting, our directors may close our register of members and/or fix in advance a record date for such meeting, and such closure of our register of members or the setting of such a record date may prevent you from withdrawing the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs and becoming the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date, so that you would not be able to attend the general meeting or to vote directly. Where any matter is to be put to a vote at a general meeting, the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. Under our memorandum and articles of association, the minimum notice period required to be given by our company to our registered shareholders for convening a general meeting is seven days. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for their manner of carrying out your voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to direct how the underlying shares represented by your ADSs are voted and you may have no legal remedy if the underlying shares represented by your ADSs are not voted as you requested.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12
You may experience dilution of your holdings due to the inability to participate in rights offerings.
We may, from time to time, distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire securities. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not distribute rights to holders of ADSs unless the distribution and sale of rights and the securities to which these rights relate are either exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs, or are registered under the provisions of the Securities Act. The depositary may, but is not required to, attempt to sell these undistributed rights to third parties, and may allow the rights to lapse. We may be unable to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and we are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to these rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have a registration statement declared effective. Accordingly, holders of ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution of their holdings as a result.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13
We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to U.S. domestic public companies.
Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including:
- the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K;- the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act;- the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and - the selective disclosure rules by issuers of material nonpublic information under Regulation FD.
We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our results on a quarterly basis as press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be less extensive and less timely compared to that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same protections or information that would be made available to you were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 14
As a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards; these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards.
As a Cayman Islands exempted company listed on the Nasdaq, we are subject to the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. Currently, we rely on home country exemption for the requirement under Nasdaq Rule 5605(b)(1) that majority of the board of directors must be comprised of independent directors as defined under Nasdaq Rule 5605(a)(2). We also relied on home country practice in our transaction with NIO Capital and Joy Capital in June 2021 in which the issue price is less than the minimum price requirements stipulated by the Nasdaq Rule 5635(d) without seeking shareholder approval, in adopting our 2018 Second Amended and Restated Share Incentive Plan in November 2018 without seeking shareholder approval and did not hold an annual shareholders meeting for the fiscal year of 2023. In addition, in connection with the transaction with Alpha and Joy Capital in June 2023 regarding certain warrants initially issued by us to NIO Capital and Joy Capital in 2021, we have relied on home country practices in lieu of (i) Nasdaq's requirement that voting rights of existing shareholders of publicly traded common stock registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of the United States cannot be disparately reduced or restricted through any corporate action or issuance; (ii) Nasdaq's requirement that shareholder approval is required prior to the issuance of securities when the issuance or potential issuance will result in a change of control of the company and (iii) Nasdaq's requirement that shareholder approval is required prior to issuance at a price that is less than the minimum price requirements stipulated by the Nasdaq Rule 5635(d). Lastly, we have relied on home country practice and our board of directors does not consist of a majority of independent directors. If we continue to rely on these and other exemptions available to foreign private issuers in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they would otherwise enjoy under the Nasdaq governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 15
We have granted, and may continue to grant, options and other types of awards under our share incentive plan, which may result in increased share-based compensation expenses.
We adopted an amended and restated share incentive plan in February 2018, which was further amended in August 2018 and November 2018, referred to as the Amended and Restated Plan, in this annual report, for the purpose of granting share-based compensation awards to employees, directors and consultants to incentivize their performance and align their interests with ours. We recognize expenses in our consolidated statement of comprehensive loss in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The maximum aggregate number of ordinary shares which may be issued pursuant to all awards under the Amended and Restated Plan is 102,040,053 ordinary shares.
On September 22, 2019, our board of directors approved a reduction in the exercise price for outstanding options previously granted by our company with an exercise price higher than US$1.03 per ordinary share to US$1.03 per ordinary share, provided that any participating option holder agrees to the amendment in the number of shares subject to his or her option as determined by the plan administrator. We accounted for this reduction as a share option modification which required the premeasurement of these share options at the time of the modification. The total incremental cost as a result of the modification was US$4.1 million. The incremental cost related to vested options amounted to US$2.1 million and was recorded in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss during the year ended December 31, 2019. The incremental cost related to unvested options amounted to US$2.0 million and will be recorded over the remaining service period.
For the fiscal years ended March 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, we recorded an aggregate of negative RMB19.1 million, RMB26.5 million and RMB47.3 million (US$6.9 million), respectively, in share-based compensation expenses. As of March 31, 2023, our unrecognized share-based compensation expenses related to the share options and restricted share units amounted to RMB62.3 million (US$9.1 million). We believe the granting of share-based compensation is of significant importance to our ability to attract and retain key personnel and employees, and we will continue to grant share-based compensation to employees in the future. As a result, our expenses associated with share-based compensation may increase, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, the issuance of additional equity upon the exercise of options or other types of awards would result in further dilution to our shareholders.
Accounting & Financial Operations5 | 6.3%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
If we fail to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.
Prior to our initial public offering in June 2018, we were a private company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal control over financial reporting. In connection with the audits of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. As defined in the standards established by the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a "material weakness" is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The material weakness identified related to our lack of sufficient accounting staff and management resources with appropriate knowledge of U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting and compliance requirements. We are in the process of implementing a number of measures to remedy these control deficiencies. See "Item 15. Controls and Procedures-Internal Control Over Financial Reporting." However, the implementation of these measures may not fully address these deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting, and we cannot conclude that they have been fully remedied. Our failure to correct these control deficiencies or our failure to discover and address any other control deficiencies could result in inaccuracies in our financial statements and impair our ability to comply with applicable financial reporting requirements and related regulatory filings on a timely basis. Moreover, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could significantly hinder our ability to prevent fraud.
We are a public company in the United States subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, requires that we include a report of management on our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F. In addition, since we ceased to be an "emerging growth company" as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was ineffective for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. In addition, as we are a public company, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to timely complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation.
During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, we may identify other material weaknesses and deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to implement adequate measures to remediate our existing material weakness, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations, and lead to a decline in the trading price of the ADSs. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our financial statements for prior periods.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
Our business is subject to quarterly fluctuations and unexpected interruptions.
We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, quarterly fluctuations in our revenues and results of operations. Our revenue trends are a reflection of consumers' car purchase patterns. The holiday period following the Chinese New Year is usually in the first quarter of each year, which may contribute to lower activity levels in that quarter of each year. As a result, our revenues may vary from quarter to quarter and our quarterly results may not be comparable to the corresponding periods of prior years. Our actual results may differ significantly from our targets or estimated quarterly results. The quarterly fluctuations in our revenues and results of operations could result in volatility and cause the price of our shares to fall.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on a price appreciation of the ADSs for return on your investment
We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in the ADSs as a source for any future dividend income.
Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to certain requirements of Cayman Islands law. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Under Cayman Islands law, a Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in the ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of the ADSs. There is no guarantee that the ADSs will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which you purchased the ADSs. You may not realize a return on your investment in the ADSs and you may even lose your entire investment in the ADSs.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 4
Dividends we may receive from our subsidiaries located in the PRC may be subject to PRC withholding tax, which could materially and adversely affect the amount of dividends, if any, we may pay our shareholders.
The PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, classifies enterprises as resident enterprises and non-resident enterprises. The EIT Law provides that an income tax rate of 20% may be applicable to dividends payable to non-resident investors, which (i) do not have an establishment or place of business in the PRC or (ii) have an establishment or place of business in the PRC but the relevant income is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business, to the extent such dividends are derived from sources within the PRC. The State Council of the PRC reduced such rate to 10% through the implementation regulations of the EIT Law. Further, pursuant to the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement between Hong Kong and Mainland China and the Notice on Certain Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend Provisions in Tax Treaties issued in February 2009 by the State Administration of Taxation ("SAT"), if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns more than 25% of the equity interest in a company in China at all times during the 12-month period immediately prior to obtaining a dividend from such company, the 10% withholding tax on dividends is reduced to 5% provided certain other conditions and requirements under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement between Hong Kong and Mainland China and other applicable PRC laws are satisfied at the discretion of relevant PRC tax authority.
We are a Cayman Islands holding company and we have three Cayman Islands subsidiaries, three British Virgin Islands subsidiaries, and six Hong Kong subsidiaries which in turn hold controlling equity interests in 49 PRC subsidiaries as of the date of this annual report. If we and our Cayman Islands and Hong Kong subsidiaries are considered as non-resident enterprises and each of our Hong Kong subsidiaries is considered as a Hong Kong resident enterprise under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement and is determined by the competent PRC tax authority to have satisfied relevant conditions and requirements, then the dividends paid to our Hong Kong subsidiaries by its PRC subsidiaries may be subject to the reduced income tax rate of 5% under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement. However, based on the Notice on Certain Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend Provisions in Tax Treaties, if the relevant PRC tax authorities determine, in their discretion, that a company benefits from such reduced income tax rate due to a structure or arrangement that is primarily tax-driven, such PRC tax authorities may adjust the preferential tax treatment; and based on the Notice on the Comprehension and
Recognition of Beneficial Owner in Tax Treaties issued in October 2009 by the SAT, conduit companies, which are established for the purpose of evading or reducing tax, transferring or accumulating profits, shall not be recognized as beneficial owner and thus are not entitled to the abovementioned reduced income tax rate of 5% under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement. If we are required under the EIT Law to pay income tax for any dividends we receive from our subsidiaries in China, or if any of our Hong Kong subsidiaries is determined by PRC government authority as receiving benefits from reduced income tax rate due to a structure or arrangement that is primarily tax-driven, it would materially and adversely affect the amount of dividends, if any, we may pay to our shareholders.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 5
We are not profitable and have negative cash flows from operations, which may continue in the future.
We have not been profitable since our inception in 2011. We incurred net losses from continuing operations of RMB717.0 million, RMB143.2 million and RMB137.2 million (US$20.0 million) in the fiscal years ended March 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively. In addition, we had negative cash flow from operating activities of RMB1,122.3 million, RMB845.0 million and RMB251.1 million (US$36.6 million) in the fiscal years ended March 31, 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Our ability to continue as a going concern is heavily dependent on our ability to successfully execute our business plans in order to decrease operating cash outflows, including increasing retail sales volume, and continuing to control and optimize operating costs and expenses, which primarily include vehicle acquisition costs, customer acquisition costs and labor costs. To execute these business plans, we will continue to gain reputation among customers and brand recognition through offering high-quality and value-for-money used cars and pre-and-after sales services, which may also boost our market share in both offline and online used car markets. Meanwhile, we will continue to optimize our cost and expense structure to improve the capital and operating efficiency of our business. In order to boost our gross margin, greater proportion of cars will be acquired directly from individual car owners, since such acquisition channel is the most cost-effective. For the purpose of raising sales conversion rate, we will apply precision marketing, and continually strive for stronger brand image, consolidating our reputability through the most cost-effective marketing methods. In addition, we will enhance supply chain automation, and further invest in and improve our digitalized systems backed by big data such as pricing system, vehicle selection system and vehicle deployment system. We believe these measures will greatly facilitate our operational efficiency, thus effectively controlling and reducing operating costs. We will also will further preserve liquidity and manage cash flows by reducing discretionary expenditure such as general and administrative expenses.
We have been taking a number of actions to improve our liquidity and cash position. We expect to improve our gross margin on automobile sales and optimize our cost structure to reduce expenses, and to reduce cash outflows including those related to future lease payments through ongoing negotiations with the lessor of the new IRC in Hefei. In March 2023, we obtained an aggregated facility amount of RMB250 million (equivalent to approximately US$36.4 million) from two reputable banks in the PRC, enabling us to utilize inventories as collateral for financing our future purchases of used car inventories. Furthermore, we obtained a working capital facility of RMB50 million from China Merchants Bank ("CMB") on November 7, 2022, and as of the date of this report, RMB20 million had been drawn down. The remaining RMB30 million can be utilized upon our request within one year from the date of the facility agreement. We plan to seek renewal of this facility when it becomes due in November 2023. In April 2023, we and NIO Capital entered into additional agreements, pursuant to which the outstanding purchase price of US$81.6 million was partially offset by the cancellation and discharge by NIO Capital of our obligations under the 2024 Notes totaling US$61.6 million. The remaining US$18.4 million obligations are due to be received from NIO Capital by December 31, 2023. Pursuant to the assignment and amendment agreement dated June 30, 2023, Alpha acquired from NIO Capital and Joy Capital the warrants which provide the right to purchase up to 261,810,806 senior convertible preferred shares of the Company at a modified exercise price of US$0.0457 per share (equivalent to US$1.37 per ADS). Joy Capital only assigned a portion of its warrants under this amended agreement. Alpha and Joy Capital (either together or separately) are entitled, at their discretion, to exercise the respective warrants in full to subscribe for a total of 480,629,186 senior convertible preferred shares of the Company in an aggregate amount of US$21,964,754 no later than September 30, 2023. With respect to the warrants that are not exercised by September 30, 2023, the amendment agreement may be terminated,and the exercise price for such warrants will resume to US$0.3433 per share (equivalent to US$10.3 per ADS). However, our plan includes significant, subjective assumptions that are subject to uncertainty. These assumptions include increasing demand for used cars over the next twelve months, renewing the inventory-pledging and working capital loan facilities and achieving the planned profit improvement, as well as our ability to satisfactorily negotiate final lease terms (relating to Hefei IRC) that help facilitate our intention to reduce costs and reduce cash outflows from operations. In addition, financing from the exercise of warrants that is not already contractually committed may not be available at terms that are favorable to us, or in amounts that are not sufficient to meet our needs over the next twelve months. Due to these uncertainties, and the related potential unfavorable financial impact to us, as discussed in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report, management of the Company has concluded that there is substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern.
However, we may need to continue to invest heavily in various aspects of our operations, such as labor, infrastructure, sales and marketing, to facilitate the expansion of the offline regional markets in the future. These investments may not lead to revenue increase or generate positive cash flow in time, or at all. In addition, we may not be able to execute the aforementioned plans to improve the liquidity status noted above.
We may incur additional losses and negative cash flow in the future for a number of reasons, including decreasing demand or slower than expected increase in demand for used cars and our services, increasing competition, weakness in the automotive retail industry in general, as well as other risks discussed herein, and we may incur unforeseen expenses, or encounter difficulties, complications and delays in generating revenue or achieving profitability. If our revenues decrease, we may not be able to reduce our costs and expenses proportionally in a timely manner because many of our costs and expenses are fixed. In addition, if we reduce our costs and expenses, we may limit our ability to acquire customers and grow our revenues. Accordingly, we may not be able to achieve profitability and we may continue to incur additional losses in the future.
Debt & Financing2 | 2.5%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC shareholders.
In February 2015, the SAT issued a Public Notice Regarding Certain Corporate Income Tax Matters on Indirect Transfer of Properties by Non-Tax Resident Enterprises, or SAT Public Notice 7. SAT Public Notice 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to transactions involving transfer of other taxable assets through offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. In addition, SAT Public Notice 7 provides clear criteria for assessment of reasonable commercial purposes and has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. SAT Public Notice 7 also brings challenges to both foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of taxable assets. In October 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Bulletin 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017 and was amended on June 15, 2018. The Bulletin 37 further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of nonresident enterprise income tax. Where a non-resident enterprise transfers taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, which is an indirect transfer, the non-resident enterprise as either transferor or transferee, or the PRC entity that directly owns the taxable assets, may report such Indirect Transfer to the relevant tax authority. Using a "substance over form" principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer other than transfer of Shares of ADSs acquired and sold on public markets may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. Both the transferor and the transferee may be subject to penalties under PRC tax laws if the transferee fails to withhold the taxes and the transferor fails to pay the taxes.
We face uncertainties as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions that involve PRC taxable assets, such as offshore restructuring, sale of the shares in our offshore subsidiaries and investments. Our company may be subject to filing obligations or taxed if our company is transferor in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if our company is transferee in such transactions, under SAT Public Notice 7 or Bulletin 37, or both. We have not filed certain filings under SAT Notice 7 filings for some of our historical share transfers and restructurings. For transfer of shares in our company by investors who are non-PRC resident enterprises, our PRC subsidiaries may be requested to assist in the filing under SAT Public Notice 7 and Bulletin 37. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with SAT Public Notice 7 and Bulletin 37, or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that our company should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
In October 2017, the SAT released the Public Notice Regarding Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Public Notice 37, effective from December 2017. STA Public Notice 37 replaced a series of important circulars, including but not limited to SAT Circular 698, and revised the rules governing the administration of withholding tax on China-source income derived by a nonresident enterprise. SAT Public Notice 37 provides for certain key changes to the previous withholding regime. For example, the withholding obligation for a non-resident enterprise deriving dividend arises on the date on which the payment is actually made rather than on the date of the resolution that declared the dividends.
Under SAT Public Notice 7 and SAT Public Notice 37, the entities or individuals obligated to pay the transfer price to the transferor are the withholding agents and must withhold the PRC income tax from the transfer price if the indirect transfer is subject to the PRC enterprise income tax. If the withholding agent fails to do so, the transferor should report to and pay the tax to the PRC tax authorities. In the event that neither the withholding agent nor the transferor fulfills their obligations under SAT Public Notice 7 and SAT Public Notice 37, according to the applicable law, apart from imposing penalties such as late payment interest on the transferor, the tax authority may also hold the withholding agent liable and impose a penalty of 50% to 300% of the unpaid tax on the withholding agent. The penalty imposed on the withholding agent may be reduced or waived if the withholding agent has submitted the relevant materials in connection with the indirect transfer to the PRC tax authorities in accordance with SAT Public Notice 7.
However, as there is a lack of clear statutory interpretation, we face uncertainties on the reporting and consequences on future private equity financing transactions, share exchange or other transactions involving the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, or sale or purchase of shares in other non-PRC resident companies or other taxable assets by us. Our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group may be subject to filing obligations or being taxed if our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group are transferors in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group are transferees in such transactions. For the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, our PRC subsidiaries may be requested to assist in the filing under the rules and notices. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with these rules and notices or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply, or to establish that our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group should not be taxed under these rules and notices, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. There is no assurance that the tax authorities will not apply the rules and notices to our offshore restructuring transactions where non-PRC residents were involved if any of such transactions were determined by the tax authorities to lack reasonable commercial purpose. As a result, we and our non-PRC resident investors may be at risk of being taxed under these rules and notices and may be required to comply with or to establish that we should not be taxed under such rules and notices, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations or such non-PRC resident investors' investments in us. We have conducted acquisition transactions in the past and may conduct additional acquisition transactions in the future. We cannot assure you that the PRC tax authorities will not, at their discretion, adjust any capital gains and impose tax return filing obligations on us or require us to provide assistance for the investigation of PRC tax authorities with respect thereto. Heightened scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on potential acquisitions we may pursue in the future.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
Changed
We may need additional capital to achieve our business targets and respond to market opportunities. If we could not obtain sufficient capital through either debt or equity financing, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially harmed, and your ownership may be diluted.
Since our inception, we have raised substantial financing to support the growth of our business. We may require additional capital to pursue our business objectives and respond to business opportunities, challenges or unforeseen circumstances, including to improve our brand awareness, build and maintain our offline network, develop new products or services or further improve existing products and services, and acquire complementary businesses and technologies. We issued convertible notes in the total principal amount of US$280 million in 2019, of which US$50 million and US$69 million in principal amount were converted into Class A ordinary shares on July 23, 2020 and July 12, 2021, respectively. In October 2020, we completed private placements with GIC and Wells Fargo for subscription of our Class A ordinary shares for an aggregate amount of US$25 million. In addition, we entered into definitive agreements with NIO Capital and Joy Capital in June 2021 for the subscription of senior convertible preferred shares, or the 2021 Subscription Agreement, to raise an aggregate amount of up to US$315 million. The first closing for US$100 million was completed on July 12, 2021 and the second closing for the amounts of US$27.5 million, US$10 million and US$7.5 million were completed in November 2021, March 2022 and June 2022, respectively. In July 2022, NIO Capital assigned its rights and obligations to subscribe for 14,564,520 senior convertible preferred shares under the second closing for the total price of US$5 million to an independent third party. On the same day, the Company issued 14,564,520 senior convertible preferred shares to the third party and the second closing of the transaction was completed. The two investors have also purchased warrants to purchase 480,629,186 senior convertible preferred shares for an aggregate amount of US$165 million. In January 2022, we entered into a definitive agreement with NIO Capital and Joy Capital to extend the expiration date of aforementioned warrants from January 12, 2023 to January 12, 2024. In addition, we entered into definitive agreements with NIO Capital in June 2022 for the subscription of 714,285,714 senior convertible preferred shares for an aggregate amount of US$100 million, which are payable in multiple installments. In April 2023, we and NIO Capital entered into additional agreements regarding the settlement of then outstanding amount of US$81.6 million of the foregoing purchase price. Pursuant to these agreements: (i) the payment method of such outstanding purchase price was modified to permit a combination of cash payment and cancellation of indebtedness of us to NIO Capital; and (ii) such outstanding purchase price of US$81.6 million was partially offset by the cancellation and discharge by NIO Capital of our obligations under the 2024 Notes totaling US$61.6 million that NIO Capital assigned from Redrock Holding Investments Limited, TPG Growth III SF Pte. Ltd. and Magic Carpet International Limited in April 2023. For a detailed description of the terms of the 2024 Notes, see "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects-B. Liquidity and Capital Resources-Cash flows and working capital." As a result of and immediately following the foregoing transactions, NIO Capital had fulfilled its obligation in an aggregate amount of US$80 million of the outstanding purchase price for its subscription of our senior convertible preferred shares. As of the date of this annual report, NIO Capital has fulfilled its obligation in an aggregate amount of US$81.6 million of the outstanding purchase price and we and NIO Capital have reached an agreement regarding the outstanding purchase price of US$18.4 million pursuant to the definitive agreements we entered into with NIO Capital in June 2022, under which NIO Capital agreed to fulfil its payment obligations by December 31, 2023. Meanwhile, we also fulfilled all of our obligations under the 2024 Notes of US$61.6 million. In June 2023, we have entered into a definitive agreement with Alpha and Joy Capital, regarding the warrants issued by the Company to NIO Capital and Joy Capital in 2021. Pursuant to the foregoing definitive agreement and certain assignments of warrants among Alpha, NIO Capital and Joy Capital, Alpha acquired from NIO Capital and Joy Capital warrants which provide the right to purchase up to 261,810,806 senior convertible preferred shares of the Company at a modified exercise price of US$0.0457 per share (equivalent to US$1.37 per ADS). Joy Capital only assigned a portion of its warrants under this amended agreement. Alpha and Joy Capital (either together or separately) are entitled to, at their discretion, exercise their respective warrants in full to subscribe for a total of 480,629,186 senior convertible preferred shares of the Company in an aggregate amount of US$21,964,754 no later than September 30, 2023. With respect to the warrants that were not exercised by September 30, 2023, the amendment agreement may be terminated and the exercise price for such warrants will resume to US$0.3433 per share (equivalent to US$10.3 per ADS). Despite our historical financing activities, we cannot guarantee that additional funds to support our business will be available on reasonable terms, or at all when we need them.
If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing shareholders could suffer significant dilution. Specifically, pursuant to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Designation and Preferred Shares, if, at any time while any senior convertible preferred shares are outstanding, we or any of our subsidiaries, as applicable, sells or grants any option to purchase or sells or grants any right to reprice, or otherwise disposes of or issues (or announces any sale, grant or any option to purchase or other disposition), any (a) ordinary shares, or (b) any rights, options or warrants to acquire ordinary shares and any depositary shares (including, without limitation, the ADSs), notes, debentures, preference shares or other equity securities or rights, which are ultimately convertible or exercisable into, or exchangeable for, ordinary shares entitling any person to acquire ordinary shares or ADSs at an effective price per share that is lower than the then applicable Conversion Price (such lower price, the "Base Conversion Price" and such issuances, collectively, a "Dilutive Issuance") of such senior convertible preferred share, then simultaneously with the consummation (or, if earlier, the announcement) of each Dilutive Issuance, the applicable Conversion Price for such senior convertible preferred shares shall be reduced to equal the Base Conversion Price, subject to certain exceptions, in which case the number of ordinary shares convertible from the foregoing such senior convertible preferred share will correspondingly increase. For more information, see "Item 10. Additional Information-B. Memorandum and Articles of Association-Amended and Restated Certificate of Designation and Preferred Shares-Subsequent Equity Sales and Anti-Dilution Adjustments."
Additionally, any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our ordinary shares. Our ability to retain our existing financial resources and obtain additional financing on acceptable terms is subject to a variety of uncertainties, including but not limited to:
- economic, political and other conditions in China;- PRC governmental policies relating to bank loans and other credit facilities;- PRC governmental regulations of foreign investment and the automobile industry in China;- conditions of capital markets in which we may seek to raise funds; and - our future results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on satisfactory terms, our ability to continue to pursue our business objectives and to respond to business opportunities, challenges or unforeseen circumstances could be significantly limited, and our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects could be adversely affected.
Corporate Activity and Growth3 | 3.8%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
We will incur increased costs as a result of being a public company, particularly since we have ceased to qualify as an "emerging growth company."
As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq Global Select Market, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, in the assessment of the emerging growth company's internal control over financial reporting. The JOBS Act also permits an emerging growth company to delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies.
Since we have ceased to be an "emerging growth company," we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC. For example, as a result of becoming a public company, we will need to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. Operating as a public company also makes it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. In addition, we incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
If we are unable to effectively manage our growth or implement our business strategies, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
Our business and prospects depend in part on our ability to effectively manage our growth or implement our growth strategies. As part of our business strategies, we intend to increase our penetration in existing markets and expand into new geographic markets. Our experience in the markets in which we currently operate may not be applicable to other parts of China. We may not be able to leverage our experience to expand into new geographic markets in China. As a result, our expansion and monetization strategies, including sales and marketing efforts designed to attract more consumers and businesses, may not be successful. Furthermore, expanding into new geographical markets will require us to hire additional employees to cover these markets. We will incur additional compensation and benefit costs, office rental expenses and other costs, as well as experience additional strain on our managerial resources. If we are unable to successfully expand and generate sufficient revenues to cover our increased costs and expenses, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Moreover, our business upgrade and expansion may lead to new challenges and risks. As a result, we need to continuously expand and enhance our infrastructure and technology, and improve our operational and financial systems, procedures and internal controls. We also need to train, manage and motivate our employees. In addition, we need to maintain and expand our relationships with our customers, third-party service providers and other third parties. We cannot assure you that our personnel, infrastructure, systems, procedures and controls will be adequate to support our operations. Effectively managing our growth is dependent on a number of other factors, including our ability to:
- providing high-quality and value-for-money used vehicles;- continue to improve our existing full-range car purchasing service and customer's satisfaction;- launch new services and develop cross-selling opportunities;- stabilize our costs and expenses and enhance our efficiency;- achieve success with our Inspection and Reconditioning Centers, or IRCs, in Xi'an and Hefei, respectively;- recruit and retain skilled and experienced employees;- strengthen relationships with our business partners;- enhance our risk management and internal control;- upgrade our technology and continue to innovate; and - maintain and enhance the network effects of our platform.
If we fail to effectively manage our growth or implement our business strategies, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
Acquisitions, strategic alliances and investments could be costly, difficult to integrate, disrupt our business and adversely affect our results of operations and the value of your investment.
As we continue to expand our operations, we have and may in the future enter into strategic alliances or to acquire substantial asset or equities from a pool of candidates that fit our criteria. We are not certain that we will be able to consummate any such transactions in the future or identify those candidates that would result in the most successful combinations, or that future acquisitions will be able to be consummated at reasonable prices and terms. In addition, increased competition for acquisition candidates could result in fewer acquisition opportunities for us and higher acquisition prices. Strategic investments or acquisitions will involve risks commonly encountered in business relationships, including:
- lack of suitable acquisition candidates;- intense competition with other auction groups or new industry consolidators for suitable acquisitions;- deterioration of our financial capabilities;- difficulties in assimilating and integrating the operations, personnel, systems, data, technologies, products and services of the acquired business;- inability of the acquired technologies, products or businesses to achieve expected levels of revenue, profitability, productivity or other benefits;- difficulties in retaining, training, motivating and integrating key personnel;- diversion of management's time and resources from our normal daily operations;- difficulties in successfully incorporating licensed or acquired technology and rights into our platform and service offerings;- difficulties in maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies within the combined organizations;- difficulties in retaining relationships with customers, employees and third-party service providers of the acquired business;- risks of entering markets in which we have limited or no prior experience;- regulatory risks, including remaining in good standing with existing regulatory bodies or receiving any necessary pre-closing or post-closing approvals, as well as being subject to new regulators with oversight over an acquired business;- assumption of contractual obligations that contain terms that are not beneficial to us, require us to license or waive intellectual property rights or increase our risk for liability;- failure to successfully further develop the acquired technology or maintain acquired facilities;- liability for activities of the acquired business before the acquisition, including intellectual property infringement claims, violations of laws, commercial disputes, tax liabilities and other known and unknown liabilities;- potential disruptions to our ongoing businesses; and - unexpected costs and unknown risks and liabilities associated with strategic investments or acquisitions.
We may not make any investments or acquisitions, or any future investments or acquisitions may not be successful, may not benefit our business strategy, may not generate sufficient revenues to offset the associated acquisition costs or may not otherwise result in the intended benefits. In addition, we cannot assure you that any future investment in or acquisition of new businesses or technology will lead to the successful development of new or enhanced service offerings and that any new or enhanced technology or services, if developed or offered, will achieve market acceptance or prove to be profitable.
Production
Total Risks: 9/80 (11%)Below Sector Average
Employment / Personnel3 | 3.8%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
Increases in labor costs and enforcement of stricter labor laws and regulations in the PRC may adversely affect our business and our profitability.
China's overall economy and the average wage in China have increased in recent years and are expected to continue to grow. The average wage level for our employees has also increased in recent years. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. Unless we are able to pass on these increased labor costs to those who pay for our services, our profitability and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
In addition, we have been subject to stricter regulatory requirements in terms of entering into labor contracts with our employees and paying various statutory employee benefits, including pensions, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. Pursuant to the PRC Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules, employers are subject to stricter requirements in terms of signing labor contracts, minimum wages, paying remuneration, determining the term of employees' probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. In the event that we decide to terminate some of our employees or otherwise change our employment or labor practices, the PRC Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules may limit our ability to effect those changes in a desirable or cost-effective manner, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
In October 2010, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress promulgated the PRC Social Insurance Law, effective on July 1, 2011 and amended on December 29, 2018. On April 3, 1999, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Funds, which was amended on March 24, 2019. Companies registered and operating in China are required under the Social Insurance Law and the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Funds to, apply for social insurance registration and housing fund deposit registration within 30 days of their establishment and, to pay for their employees different social insurance including pension insurance, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to the extent required by law. However, certain of our PRC subsidiaries that do not hire any employees and are not a party to any employment agreement, have not applied for and obtained such registration, and instead of paying the social insurance payment on their own for their employees, certain of our PRC subsidiaries use third-party agencies to pay in the name of such agency. We could be subject to orders by the competent labor authorities for rectification and failure to comply with the orders may further subject us to administrative fines.
As the interpretation and implementation of labor-related laws and regulations are still evolving, we cannot assure you that our employment practices do not and will not violate labor-related laws and regulations in China, which may subject us to labor disputes or government investigations. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all labor-related law and regulations regarding including those relating to obligations to make social insurance payments and contribute to the housing provident funds. If we are deemed to have violated relevant labor laws and regulations, we could be required to provide additional compensation to our employees and our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
Our business is susceptible to employee misconduct, improper business practices and other fraudulent conduct by or between our employees and third parties.
We rely on our employees to carry out our operating objectives and are exposed to many types of operational risks, including the risk of misconduct and errors by our employees. Our business depends on our employees to interact with potential customers, conduct car inspection, process large numbers of transactions and provide support for other key aspects of our business, all of which involve the use and disclosure of personal information and are susceptible to human errors on the part of our employees.
We could be materially and adversely affected if transactions were redirected, misappropriated or otherwise improperly executed, if personal information was disclosed to unintended recipients or if an operational breakdown or failure occurred when processing transactions, whether as a result of human error, purposeful sabotage or fraudulent manipulation of our operations or systems.
Although we provide periodic and solid trainings to all our employees, it is not always possible to identify, deter or prevent misconduct or errors by employees, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent potential misconducts and human errors may not be completely effective in controlling risks or losses. If any of our employees takes, converts or misuses funds, documents or data or fails to follow protocols when interacting with customers or among themselves, we could be liable for damages and subject to regulatory actions and penalties. We could also be perceived to have facilitated or participated in the illegal misappropriation of funds, documents or data, or failed to follow applicable protocols, and therefore be subject to civil or criminal liability. Our employees may also engage in improper business practices and other fraudulent conduct with third parties. As a result of these potentially damaging activities, we could incur significant losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 3
We depend heavily on our management team and other key personnel to manage our business. If we fail to retain their employment or services or fail to attract talents, our ability to run and grow our business could be severely impaired.
Our future success is highly dependent on the ongoing efforts of our senior management and key personnel. We rely on our management team for their extensive knowledge of and experience in China's automobile and internet industries as well as their deep understanding of the automobile market, business environment and regulatory regime in China. The loss of the services of one or more of our senior executives or key personnel may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Competition for senior management and key personnel is intense and the pool of suitable candidates is very limited. Hence, we may not be able to retain the employment or services of our senior executives or key personnel, or attract and retain senior executives or key personnel in the future. If we fail to retain our senior management, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, if any members of our senior management or any of our key personnel join a competitor or form a competing company, we may not be able to replace them easily and we may lose customers, business partners and key staff members.
Supply Chain2 | 2.5%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We work with third-party service providers and business partners. Actions of third parties are outside of our control and could materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
We work with third-party service providers to serve customers and fulfill the transactions made on our platform, such as auto financing, car delivery, title transfers, and other after-sales services. We carefully select our third-party service providers and business partners, but we are not able to control their actions. If these third parties fail to perform as we expect, experience difficulty meeting our requirements or standards, fail to conduct their business ethically, fail to provide satisfactory services to our customers, receive negative press coverage, violate applicable laws or regulations, breach the agreements with us, or if the agreements we have entered into with the third parties are terminated or not renewed, our business and reputation could be damaged. In addition, if such third-party service providers cease operations, temporarily or permanently, face financial distress or other business disruptions, increase their fees, or if our relationships with them deteriorate, we could suffer from increased costs, be involved in legal or administrative proceedings with or against our third-party service providers and experience delays in providing customers with similar services until we find or develop a suitable alternative. In addition, if we are not successful in identifying high-quality partners, or establishing cost-effective relationships with them, or effectively managing these relationships, our business and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.
Supply Chain - Risk 2
We depend on our proprietary technology for critical functions of our business. Failure to properly maintain or promptly upgrade our technology may result in disruptions to or lower quality of our services, and our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
We rely on our proprietary technology, including websites and mobile apps, car inspection system and AI algorithms for critical functions of our businesses. See "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Technology." Maintaining and upgrading our technology carry certain risks, including the risk of disruptions caused by significant design or deployment errors, delays or deficiencies, which has made and may continue to make our platform and services unavailable. We may also implement additional or enhanced technology in the future to accommodate our growth and to provide additional capabilities and functionalities. The implementation of new or enhanced technologies may be disruptive to our business and can be time-consuming and expensive, and may increase management responsibilities and divert management attention. Additionally, our proprietary AI algorithms are based on data-driven analytics. If we do not have a large amount of data or the quality of data available to us for analysis is unsatisfactory, or if our algorithms have deficiencies, our proprietary AI algorithms may fail to perform effectively. If we fail to properly maintain or promptly upgrade our technology, our services may be disrupted or become of lower quality or unprofitable, and our results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
Costs4 | 5.0%
Costs - Risk 1
The price of used cars sold on our platform and the fees we charge may fluctuate or decline in the future, and any material decrease in such price and fees would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Since the built up of our own inventory since September 2020, most of our revenues are derived from vehicle sales. Before we built our own inventory, most of our revenues were derived from the fees we charged from transactions on our platform, such as commission fee and value-added service fee from our 2C business. Prior to the divestiture of our 2B business, we also generated transaction facilitation service fee from the 2B business. Maintaining and growing our revenues depends on a number of factors, including:
- our ability to offer high-quality and value-for-money used cars to our customers;- our ability to deliver satisfactory online used car transaction experience to our customers;- our ability to attract consumers to our platform;- the average unit price of used cars sold on our platform, which may decrease if we adjust down the price range of used cars available on our platform or enter into lower-tier city markets, or as a result of declining selling prices of new cars;- our ability to foster relationships with third-party service providers to provide services through our platform at attractive terms and prices to us and our customers; and - fluctuation in other macro-economic changes.
Any failure to adequately and promptly address any of these risks and uncertainties would materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Costs - Risk 2
Failure to acquire attractive inventory, whether due to supply, competition, or other factors, may have a material adverse effect on our business, sales, and results of operations.
Since September 2020, we have shifted to an inventory-owning model where we build-up and sell our own inventory of used cars. By switching to and adopting the inventory-owning model, our vehicle supply channels are expanded to include consumers who intend to sell their existing cars, 4S shops, corporate clients and auction platforms. The transformation of our business model has enabled us to obtain better control over order flow and supply chain management, which further strengthens our ability to maximize customer value through our dedicated approach: offering high-quality and value-for-money used cars alongside best-in-class purchasing services. However, there can be no assurance that the supply of high-quality and value-for-money used vehicles will be sufficient to meet our needs. A reduction in the availability of or access to sources of desirable inventory could have a material adverse effect on our business, sales and results of operations.
Additionally, we evaluate and predict mechanical soundness, consumer desirability and relative value as prospective inventory. If we fail to properly assess vehicle condition before we purchase them, it could adversely affect our ability to acquire desirable inventory. Our ability to source vehicles could also be affected by fierce competition in our industry, both from e-commerce platform for used-car trading directly and through other used vehicle dealers directly. In addition, we remain dependent on others to sell us used vehicles, and there can be no assurance of an adequate supply of such vehicles on terms that are attractive to us.
Costs - Risk 3
Failure to expeditiously sell our inventory could have a material adverse effect on our business, sales, and results of operations.
Our purchases of used vehicles for building our own inventory are largely based on projected demand, which was primarily determined based on the then existing market condition. If our projections turn out to be inaccurate or actual sales are materially less than our forecasts, we may experience an over-supply of used vehicle inventory, which will generally cause downward pressure on our sales prices and margins and increase our average days to sale. If we have excess inventory or our average days to sale increases, we may be unable to liquidate such inventory at prices that allow us to meet margin targets or to recover our costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Costs - Risk 4
We have limited business, disruption or litigation insurance coverage.
The insurance industry in China is still at an early stage of development. Insurance companies in China offer limited business insurance products and are, to our knowledge, not well-developed in the field of business liability insurance. While business disruption insurance is available to a limited extent in China, we have determined that the risks of disruption, cost of such insurance and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. As a result, except for limited property insurance coverage, we do not maintain general business liability, disruption or litigation insurance coverage for our operations in China. We consider our insurance coverage to be reasonable in light of the nature of our business, but we cannot assure you that our insurance coverage is sufficient to prevent us from any loss or that we will be able to successfully claim our losses under our current insurance policies on a timely basis, or at all.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 8/80 (10%)Below Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment4 | 5.0%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
The trade war between the U.S. and China may dampen economic growth in China and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In 2018 and 2019, the U.S. government imposed additional tariffs on specified products imported from China. In response, China has also imposed additional tariffs on specified products imported from the U.S. The U.S. and the Chinese governments are continuing to conduct negotiations on trade matters. We cannot assure you that the negotiations will result in an agreement between the two countries, or that the proposed tariffs will not be imposed even if an agreement will be reached.
Although we are not currently subject to any of these tariff measures, the proposed tariffs may adversely affect the economic growth in China and the financial condition of our customers. With the potential decrease in the spending powers of our target customers, we cannot guarantee that there will be no negative impact on our operations. In addition, the current and future actions or escalations by either the U.S. or China that affect trade relations may result in global economic turmoil, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
A severe or prolonged downturn in the Chinese or global economy could materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
COVID-19 has had a severe and negative impact on the Chinese and the global economy since early 2020. Whether this will lead to a prolonged downturn in the economy is still unknown, especially considering the multiple recent outbreaks in various countries and regions as well as the uncertainties brought by the newly launched vaccination programs. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the global macroeconomic environment was facing numerous challenges. The growth rate of the Chinese economy had already been slowing since 2010. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies which had been adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world's leading economies, including the United States and China, even before 2020. The war in Ukraine and the imposition of broad economic sanctions on Russia could raise energy prices and disrupt global markets. Unrest, terrorist threats and the potential for war in the Middle East and elsewhere may increase market volatility across the globe. There have also been concerns about the relationship between China and other countries, including the surrounding Asian countries, which may potentially have economic effects. In particular, there is significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and China with respect to trade policies, treaties, government regulations and tariffs. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions, as well as changes in domestic economic and political policies and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in China. Any severe or prolonged slowdown in the global or Chinese economy may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. See "-We may need additional capital to achieve our business targets and respond to market opportunities. If we could not obtain sufficient capital through either debt or equity, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially harmed."
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 3
Changes in international trade policies and rising political tensions, particularly between the U.S. and China, may adversely impact our business and operating results.
Recently there have been changes in international trade policies and rising political tensions, particularly between the U.S. and China, but also as a result of the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. The U.S. government has made statements and taken certain actions that may lead to potential changes to U.S. and international trade policies towards China. The progress of trade talks between U.S. and China is subject to uncertainties, and there can be no assurance as to whether the United States will maintain or reduce tariffs, or impose additional tariffs on Chinese products in the near future. The United States may take further actions to eliminate perceived unfair competitive advantages created by alleged manipulating actions. Changes to national trade or investment policies, treaties and tariffs, fluctuations in exchange rates or the perception that these changes could occur, and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition..
While cross-border business currently may not be an area of our focus, if we plan to expand our business internationally in the future or list imported vehicles and other products on our platforms, any unfavorable government policies on international trade, such as capital controls or tariffs, may affect the consumer demands, our ability to provide certain products on our platforms or our ability to provide services in certain countries. In particular, if any new tariffs, legislation and/or regulations are implemented, or if existing trade agreements are renegotiated or, especially, if the U.S. government takes retaliatory trade actions due to the recent U.S.-China trade and political tension, such changes could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our results of operations could be adversely affected if any such tensions or unfavorable government trade policies harm the Chinese economy or the global economy in general.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 4
Changes in China's economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
Substantially all of our operations are located in China. Accordingly, our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.
The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China are still owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China's economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.
While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. The growth rate of the Chinese economy has gradually slowed since 2010, and the COVID-19 also had some impact on the Chinese economy in the past two years. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for our products and services and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Natural and Human Disruptions2 | 2.5%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
We face risks related to natural disasters, health epidemics and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operation.
In addition to the impact of COVID-19, our business could be adversely affected by the effects of other epidemics such as Ebola virus disease, H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, avian flu, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. Our business operations could be disrupted if any of our employees is suspected of having Ebola virus disease, H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, avian flu, SARS, or other epidemics, since it could require our employees to be quarantined and/or our offices to be disinfected. In addition, our results of operations could be adversely affected to the extent that any of these epidemics harms the Chinese and global economy in general.
We are also vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities. Fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks or similar events may give rise to server interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures or internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our ability to provide products and services on our platform.
In addition, our results of operations could be adversely affected to the extent that any health epidemic, natural disaster or other calamities harms the Chinese and global economies in general. Our headquarters are located in Beijing, where most of our management and employees currently reside. Most of our system hardware and back-up systems are hosted in facilities located in Beijing. Consequently, if any natural disasters, health epidemics or other public safety concerns were to affect Beijing, our operation may experience material disruptions, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 2
Changed
Our business, operating results and financial condition have been and may continue to be adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 has had a severe and negative impact on the Chinese and the global economy since 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the used car industry with disruptions impacting the industry's infrastructure and supply chains since January 2020. Throughout February and early March 2020, the majority of local used car markets and dealerships in China were closed and unable to resume operations. Logistics and delivery of used cars were also impacted by the closure of roads and highways in many regions across China. Title transfers were also hindered as local vehicle registration and management bureaus either remained closed or yet to resume full operations. All of these factors created considerable barriers to used car purchase and fulfillment, which has severely disrupted our business operations during the first quarter of 2020 and continued to weigh on our results until the date of this annual report.
As China began to relax its "zero-COVID" policy at the end of 2022, most of the travel restrictions and quarantine requirements were lifted in December 2022. As a result of the policy shift, a significant portion of our business faced challenges in resuming normal operations due to the surges in COVID-19 cases in China. For instance, our Xi'an IRC's operations were disrupted by COVID-19 countermeasures. Nonetheless, as COVID-19 control measures eases and regulators continue to implement industry-boosting policies across the nation, we do not believe the COVID-19 pandemic has had a material adverse impact on our overall business, financial condition and results of operations. The impacts of COVID-19 on our future results of operations will depend on future developments, which cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19, among others.
In addition, to the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this section entitled "Risk Factors," such as those relating to our ability to provide a differentiated and superior customer experience, expand the size of our customer base and the number of transactions on our platform. The impact of the pandemic may continue to create significant challenges and uncertainties for the market environment as the COVID-19 pandemic is still evolving and its full impact will depend on future developments.
Capital Markets2 | 2.5%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Fluctuations in exchange rates of the Renminbi could materially affect our reported results of operations.
The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, is based on rates set by the PBOC. The Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. The value of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies is affected by changes in China's political and economic conditions and by China's foreign exchange policies, among other things. We cannot assure you that Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future.
Any significant appreciation or depreciation of Renminbi may materially and adversely affect our revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADSs in U.S. dollars. To the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us.
Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. As of the date of this annual report, we have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into foreign currency or to convert foreign currency into Renminbi.
Capital Markets - Risk 2
Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.
The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in Renminbi. Under our current corporate structure, our Cayman Islands holding company primarily relies on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval of SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. Specifically, under the existing exchange restrictions, without prior approval of SAFE, cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries in China may be used to pay dividends to our company. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owed to entities outside China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside China in a currency other than Renminbi. The PRC government may at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to utilize cash held in mainland China or generated by a PRC entity to fund our operations outside of mainland China or pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our ADSs. There is no assurance the PRC government will not intervene in or impose restrictions on us and our subsidiaries to transfer cash. Although currently there are no equivalent or similar restrictions or limitations in Hong Kong on cash transfers in, or out of, our Hong Kong entities (including currency conversion), if certain restrictions or limitations in mainland China were to become applicable to cash transfers in and out of Hong Kong entities (including currency conversion) in the future, the funds in our Hong Kong entities, likewise, may not be available to meet our currency demand. See "Item 3. Key Information-Cash and Asset Flows through Our Organization."
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 7/80 (9%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 1.3%
Competition - Risk 1
We face intense competition, which may lead to loss of market share, reduced service fees and revenue, increased expenses, departures of qualified employees, and disputes with competitors.
We face intense competition in the used car industry both online and offline. Our competitors may have significantly more resources than we do, including financial, technological, marketing and others and may be able to devote greater resources to the development and promotion of their platforms and services. As a result, they may have deeper relationships with auto financing partners and other third-party service providers than we do. This could allow them to develop new services, adapt more quickly to changes in technology and to undertake more extensive marketing campaigns, which may render our platform less attractive to customers and businesses and cause us to lose market share. Moreover, intense competition in the markets we operate in may reduce our gross profit margin for vehicle sales, lower our service fees, increase our operating expenses and capital expenditures, and lead to departures of our qualified employees. We may also be harmed by negative publicity instigated by our competitors, regardless of its validity. We encountered and may in the future continue to encounter various disputes with our competitors, including lawsuits involving claims asserted under intellectual property laws, unfair competition laws and defamation which may adversely affect our business and reputation. Failure to compete with current and potential competitors could materially harm our business, financial condition and our results of operations.
Sales & Marketing4 | 5.0%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
We rely, in part, on our marketing efforts for customer acquisition and achieving higher level of brand recognition. If we fail to conduct our marketing activities effectively and efficiently, our business could be harmed.
We may continue to invest substantial financial and other resources in marketing initiatives to grow our customer base. We currently carry out our marketing activities mainly by acquiring traffic through new media platforms with the goal of attracting more visitors to our platform. We face intense competition from our competitors who may have greater marketing resources than we do. If we fail to conduct our marketing activities effectively and efficiently, or if our traffic acquisition efforts and marketing campaigns are not successful, our growth, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
If we fail to provide a differentiated and superior customer experience, the size of our customer base and the number of transactions on our platform could decline, and our business would be materially and adversely affected.
Providing a differentiated and superior online used car transaction experience for our customers, including both consumers and businesses, is critical to our business. Our ability to provide a high-quality customer experience depends on a number of factors, including:
- our ability to provide customers with high-quality used cars and other related products;- our ability to improve our existing service offerings and upgrade our platform;- our ability to meet the diverse needs of our customers with ongoing innovation and new service offerings;- our ability to maintain and improve operating efficiency, customer experience of online transactions and service quality of our offline networks and personnel;- our ability to leverage technology and data to improve our services;- our ability to adequately train and manage our employees; and - our ability to effectively ensure the quality of services provided by our third-party service providers on our platform.
We cannot guarantee that we can provide a differentiated and superior experience to our customers as our business continues to evolve. Our failure to do so would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 3
The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of the ADSs could adversely affect their market price.
Sales of substantial amounts of the ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of the ADSs and materially impair our ability to raise capital through offerings of equity or equity linked securities in the future. To our knowledge, certain of our shareholders, including those affiliated with Mr. Kun Dai, our chairman and chief executive officer, had pledged a total of 14,764,090 Class A ordinary shares held by record of BOCOM International Supreme Investment Limited, that represent approximately 0.5% of our outstanding share capital as of July 31, 2023 in favor of third-party note subscribers in connection with certain notes. Most of the proceeds from such notes were used to fund the purchase of shares in our company in the latest rounds of pre-IPO equity financings. The notes became due in December 2019. See "Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees-E. Share Ownership." If any note subscriber enforces its security interests in such pledged shares upon an event of default or any borrower needs to use the pledged shares to repay the note, the pledged shares may be sold on the public market. On September 2, 2020, one of the third-party note subscriber issued a notice to BOCOM International Supreme Investment Limited declaring that an event of default had occurred and such note subscriber exercised its call option accordingly. As of the date of this annual report, BOCOM International Supreme Investment Limited was in discussion with such note subscriber on the details and mechanisms of the potential share transfer. Furthermore, in connection with a loan in the principal amount of US$150.0 million under a facility agreement entered into between Kingkey New Era Auto Industry Limited as borrower and China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd. Hong Kong Branch and Huangpu Investment Holding Limited as lenders, Huangpu Investment Holding Limited enforced its security interests in shares pledged by Kingkey New Era Auto Industry Limited and as a result, 61,129,800 Class A ordinary shares were transferred to Huangpu Investment Holding Limited on May 17, 2021. Huangpu Investment Holding Limited disposed of these securities in December 2021. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of the ADSs.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 4
Our business is subject to risks related to China's online used car transaction industry, including industry-wide and macroeconomic risks.
We operate as a leading used car retailer for buying and selling used cars in China. We cannot assure you that this market will continue to grow rapidly in the future. Furthermore, the growth of China's used car industry could be affected by many factors, including:
- general economic conditions in China and around the world;- the growth of disposable household income and the availability and cost of credit available to finance used car purchases;- the growth of China's automobile industry;- the growth of China's auto financing industry;- consumer acceptance of used cars and willingness to purchase used cars online;- consumer acceptance of financing car purchases;- taxes and other incentives or disincentives related to used car purchases and ownership;- COVID-19 pandemic or any other serious contagious diseases;- environmental concerns and measures taken to address these concerns;- the cost of energy, including gasoline prices, and the cost of car license plates in various cities with license plate lottery or auction systems;- the improvement of highway system and availability of parking facilities;- other government policies relating to used cars and auto financing in China;- fluctuations in the sales and price of new and used cars;- ride sharing, transportation networks, and other fundamental changes in transportation pattern; and - other industry-wide issues, including supply and demand for used cars, age distribution of cars, and supply chain challenges.
Any adverse change to these factors could reduce demand for used cars and hence demand for our services, and our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Brand / Reputation2 | 2.5%
Brand / Reputation - Risk 1
Failure to maintain or enhance customer trust in us could damage our reputation, reduce or slowdown the growth of our customer base, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our reputation as a trusted leading e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars in China is critical to our success. If we fail to maintain a high level of customer trust in our goods and services, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We work with third-party service providers to serve customers and fulfill the transactions made on our platform, such as car delivery, title transfer and warranty services, which are the key to earn customer trust. If we fail to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction or fail to properly manage these services, our business, financial condition and results of the operations would be adversely affected. We provide trainings to our third-party service providers and require them to act in line with our operating and customer servicing standards. However, if these third-party service providers fail to maintain a high level of performance consistent with our requirements, the level of customer satisfaction and trust we enjoy may be harmed, and our business, financial condition and results of the operations may be adversely affected.
We have received in the past, and we may continue to receive in the future, communications or complaints alleging that cars listed on our platform or sold by us are defective or inconsistent with the information provided on our platform, or the services provided by our third-party service providers are unsatisfactory to our customers. The information we include in our car listings is collected and maintained by us, which may not be accurate or complete due to human error, technological issues or misconduct.
Brand / Reputation - Risk 2
Negative media coverage related to our business, regardless of its validity, could adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations.
Negative news or media coverage of our business, our employees, our third-party service providers and business partners, our directors and management or our shareholders, including, without limitation, alleged failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, alleged fraudulent car listings, alleged misrepresentation by our sales consultants or third-party service providers, breach of data security, failure to protect user privacy, inappropriate business practices, disclosure of inaccurate operating data, negative information on blogs and social media websites, regardless of their validity, could damage our reputation. If we fail to correct or mitigate misinformation or negative information about us, including information spread through social media or traditional media channels, customer trust in us may be undermined, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 5/80 (6%)Below Sector Average
Trade Secrets2 | 2.5%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
We have been and may continue to be subject to intellectual property infringement claims or other allegations by third parties, which may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and prospects.
We depend to a large extent on our ability to develop and maintain the intellectual property rights relating to our technology and online businesses. We have devoted considerable resources to the development and improvement of our car inspection technology, big data and AI capabilities, mobile applications, mobile sites and websites and information technology systems. We cannot be certain that third parties will not claim that our business infringes upon or otherwise violates patents, trademarks, copyrights or other intellectual property rights that they hold. Companies operating online businesses and provide technology-based services are frequently involved in litigation related to allegations of infringement of intellectual property rights. The validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property rights, particularly in China, are still evolving. We were subject to several trademark claims in the past and may in the future be subject to intellectual property infringement claims from time to time. As we face increasing competition and as litigation becomes a more common method for resolving commercial disputes in China, we face a higher risk of being the subject of intellectual property infringement claims.
Defending against intellectual property claims is costly and can impose a significant burden on our management attention and resources, and favorable final outcomes may not be obtained in all cases. Such claims, even if they do not result in liability, may harm our reputation. Any resulting liability or expenses, or changes required to our services to reduce the risk of future liability, may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and prospects.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
Failure to adequately protect our intellectual property and proprietary information could materially harm our business and operating results.
We believe our patents, trademarks, software copyrights, trade secrets, our brand and other intellectual property rights and proprietary information are critical to our success. Any unauthorized use of intellectual property rights and proprietary information could harm our business, reputation and competitive advantages. We rely on a combination of patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright law, our internal control mechanism, and contractual arrangements to protect our intellectual property.
Legal protection may not always be effective. Infringement of intellectual property rights continues to pose a serious risk in doing business in China. Monitoring and preventing unauthorized use is difficult. Furthermore, the application of laws governing intellectual property rights in China is uncertain and evolving, and could involve substantial risks to us. The practice of intellectual property rights enforcement action by Chinese regulatory authorities is in its early stage of development. In the event that we have to resort to litigation and other legal proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights, such action, litigation or other legal proceedings could result in substantial costs and diversion of our management's attention and resources and could disrupt our business. There is no assurance that we will be able to enforce our intellectual property rights effectively or otherwise prevent others from the unauthorized use of our intellectual property.
We try, to the extent possible, to protect our intellectual property, technology, and confidential information by requiring our employees, third-party service providers, and consultants to enter into confidentiality and assignment of inventions agreements. Due to potential willful or unintentional conduct of personnel who have access to our confidential and proprietary information, these agreements and control measures may not effectively prevent unauthorized disclosure or use of our confidential information, unauthorized use of our intellectual property or technology and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of such unauthorized disclosure or use. The enforceability of confidentiality agreements may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Failure to obtain or maintain trade secrets and/or confidential know-how protection could adversely affect our competitive position.
Competitors may adopt service names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby harming our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to user confusion. Our competitors may independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and may even apply for patent protection. If successful in obtaining such patent protection, our competitors could limit our use of our trade secrets and confidential know-how, and our financial position and operating results would be adversely affected.
Cyber Security2 | 2.5%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
Any breaches to our security measures, including unauthorized access, computer viruses and "hacking" may adversely affect our database and reduce use of our services and damage our reputation and brand names.
The massive data that we have processed and stored makes us or third-party service providers who host our servers an easy target and potentially vulnerable to cyber-attacks, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins, or similar disruptions. Breaches to our security measures, including computer viruses and hacking, may result in significant damage to our hardware and software systems and database, disruptions to our business activities, inadvertent disclosure of confidential or sensitive information, interruptions in access to our platform, and other material adverse effects on our operations, during transfer of data or at any time, and result in persons obtaining unauthorized access to our systems and data. Our systems may be subject to infiltration as a result of any third-party action, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise. While we have taken reasonable steps to protect the confidential information that we have access to, techniques used to sabotage or obtain unauthorized access to systems change frequently and generally are not recognized until they are launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. Any accidental or willful security breaches or other unauthorized access to our platform could cause confidential customer and investor information to be stolen and used for criminal purposes. Security breaches or unauthorized access to confidential information could also expose us to liability related to the loss of the information, time-consuming and expensive litigation and negative publicity. If security measures are breached because of any third-party action, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise, or if design flaws in our technology infrastructure are exposed and exploited, our relationships with customers and investors could be severely damaged, we could incur significant liability and our business and operations could be adversely affected.
Cyber Security - Risk 2
Our business generates and processes a large amount of data, and we are required to comply with PRC and other applicable laws relating to privacy and cybersecurity. The improper use or disclosure of data could have a material and adverse effect on our business and prospects.
Our business generates and processes a large quantity of data. We face risks inherent in handling and protecting large volume of data. In particular, we face a number of challenges relating to data from transactions and other activities on our platforms, including:
- protecting the data in and hosted on our system, including against attacks on our system by outside parties or fraudulent behavior or improper use by our employees;- addressing concerns related to privacy and sharing, safety, security and other factors; and - complying with applicable laws, rules and regulations relating to the collection, use, storage, transfer, disclosure and security of personal information, including any requests from regulatory and government authorities relating to these data.
In general, we expect that data security and data protection compliance will receive greater attention and focus from regulators, both domestically and globally, as well as attract continued or greater public scrutiny and attention going forward, which could increase our compliance costs and subject us to heightened risks and challenges associated with data security and protection. If we are unable to manage these risks, we could become subject to penalties, including fines, suspension of business and revocation of required licenses, and our reputation and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
The PRC regulatory and enforcement regime with regard to data security and data protection is evolving and may be subject to different interpretations or significant changes. Moreover, different PRC regulatory bodies, including the Standing Committee of the NPC, the MIIT, the CAC, the Ministry of Public Security and the SAMR, have enforced data privacy and protections laws and regulations with varying standards and applications. See "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Regulation-Regulations on Information Security and Privacy Protection." The following are examples of certain recent PRC regulatory activities in this area:
Data Security - In June 2021, the Standing Committee of the NPC promulgated the Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The Data Security Law, among other things, provides for security review procedure for data-related activities that may affect national security. In July 2021, the state council promulgated the Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, which became effective on September 1, 2021. Pursuant to this regulation, critical information infrastructure means key network facilities or information systems of critical industries or sectors, such as public communication and information service, energy, transportation, water conservation, finance, public services, e-government affairs and national defense science, the damage, malfunction or data leakage of which may endanger national security, people's livelihoods and the public interest. In December 2021, the CAC, together with other authorities, jointly promulgated the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which became effective on February 15, 2022 and replaces its predecessor regulation. Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, critical information infrastructure operators that procure internet products and services must be subject to the cybersecurity review if their activities affect or may affect national security. The Cybersecurity Review Measures further stipulates that critical information infrastructure operators or network platform operators that hold personal information of over one million users shall apply with the Cybersecurity Review Office for a cybersecurity review before any public offering at a foreign stock exchange. The competent regulatory authorities for each of the critical industries and sectors shall be responsible for formulating eligibility criteria and determining the identity of critical information infrastructure operator in such industry or sector. As of the date of this annual report, no detailed rules or implementation rules have been issued by any authority and we have not been informed that we are a critical information infrastructure operator by any government authorities. Furthermore, the exact scope of "critical information infrastructure operators" under the current regulatory regime remains unclear, and the PRC government authorities may have wide discretion in the interpretation and enforcement of the applicable laws. Therefore, it is uncertain whether we would be deemed to be a critical information infrastructure operator under PRC law. If we are deemed to be a critical information infrastructure operator under the PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations, we may be subject to obligations in addition to what we have fulfilled under the PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations.
- In November 2021, the CAC released the Regulations on the Network Data Security (Draft for Comments), or the Draft Regulations. The Draft Regulations provide that data processors refer to individuals or organizations that, during their data processing activities such as data collection, storage, utilization, transmission, publication and deletion, have autonomy over the purpose and the manner of data processing. In accordance with the Draft Regulations, data processors shall apply for a cybersecurity review for certain activities, including, among other things, (i) the listing abroad of data processors that process the personal information of more than one million users and (ii) any data processing activity that affects or may affect national security. However, there have been no clarifications from the relevant authorities as of the date of this annual report as to the standards for determining whether an activity is one that "affects or may affect national security." In addition, the Draft Regulations requires that data processors that process "important data" or are listed overseas must conduct an annual data security assessment by itself or commission a data security service provider to do so, and submit the assessment report of the preceding year to the municipal cybersecurity department by the end of January each year. If we are not able to comply with the cybersecurity and network data security requirements in a timely manner, or at all, we may be subject to government enforcement actions and investigations, fines, penalties, suspension of our non-compliant operations, or removal of our app from the relevant application stores, among other sanctions, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. As of the date of this annual report, the Draft Regulations was released for public comment only, and their respective provisions and anticipated adoption or effective date may be subject to change with substantial uncertainty. The Draft Regulation remains unclear on whether the relevant requirements will be applicable to companies that have been listed in the United States, including our company.
Personal Information and Privacy - The Anti-monopoly Guidelines for the Platform Economy Sector published by the Anti-monopoly Committee of the State Council, effective on February 7, 2021, prohibits collection of user information through coercive means by online platforms operators.
- In August 2021, the Standing Committee of the NPC promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law, which integrates the scattered rules with respect to personal information rights and privacy protection and took effect on November 1, 2021. We update our privacy policies from time to time to meet the latest regulatory requirements of PRC government authorities and adopt technical measures to protect data and ensure cybersecurity in a systematic way. Nonetheless, the Personal Information Protection Law elevates the protection requirements for personal information processing, and many specific requirements of this law remain to be clarified by the CAC, other regulatory authorities, and courts in practice. We may be required to make further adjustments to our business practices to comply with the personal information protection laws and regulations.
Many of the data-related legislations are relatively new and certain concepts thereunder remain subject to interpretation by the regulators. If any data that we possess belongs to data categories that are subject to heightened scrutiny, we may be required to adopt stricter measures for protection and management of such data. The Cybersecurity Review Measures and the Draft Regulations remain unclear on whether the relevant requirements will be applicable to companies that are already listed in the United States, such as us. We cannot predict the impact of the Cybersecurity Review Measures and the Draft Regulations, if any, at this stage, and we will closely monitor and assess any development in the rule-making process. If the Cybersecurity Review Measures and the enacted version of the Draft Regulations mandate clearance of cybersecurity review and other specific actions to be taken by issuers like us, we face uncertainties as to whether these additional procedures can be completed by us timely, or at all, which may subject us to government enforcement actions and investigations, fines, penalties, suspension of our non-compliant operations, or removal of our app from the relevant application stores, and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. As of the date of this annual report, we have not been involved in any formal investigations on cybersecurity review made by the CAC on such basis.
In general, compliance with the existing PRC laws and regulations, as well as additional laws and regulations that PRC regulatory bodies may enact in the future, related to data security and personal information protection, may be costly and result in additional expenses to us, and subject us to negative publicity, which could harm our reputation and business operations. There are also uncertainties with respect to how such laws and regulations will be implemented and interpreted in practice.
In addition, regulatory authorities around the world have adopted or are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection. These legislative and regulatory proposals, if adopted, and the uncertain interpretations and application thereof could, in addition to the possibility of fines, result in an order requiring that we change our data practices and policies, which could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. The European Union General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR, which came into effect on May 25, 2018, includes operational requirements for companies that receive or process personal data of residents of the European Economic Area. The GDPR establishes new requirements applicable to the processing of personal data, affords new data protection rights to individuals and imposes penalties for serious data breaches. Individuals also have a right to compensation under the GDPR for financial or non-financial losses. Although we do not conduct any business in the European Economic Area, in the event that residents of the European Economic Area access our website or our mobile platform and input protected information, we may become subject to provisions of the GDPR.
Technology1 | 1.3%
Technology - Risk 1
Our business is dependent on the performance of the internet and mobile internet infrastructure and telecommunications networks in China, which may not be able to support the demands associated with our growth.
Our internet businesses are heavily dependent on the performance and reliability of China's internet infrastructure, the continual accessibility of bandwidth and servers to our service providers' networks, and the continuing performance, reliability and availability of our technology platform. We use the internet to deliver services to our customers, who access our websites and mobile apps on the internet.
We rely on major Chinese telecommunication companies to provide us with bandwidth for our services, and we may not have any access to comparable alternative networks or services in the event of disruptions, failures or other problems.
Internet access may not be available in certain areas due to national disasters, such as earthquakes, or local government decisions. Surges in internet traffic on our platform, regardless of the cause, may seriously disrupt services we provide through our platform and in-store or cause our technology systems and our platform to shut down. If we experience technical problems in delivering our services over the internet either at national or regional level or system shut downs, we could experience reduced demand for our services, lower revenues and increased costs. Consequently, our business, results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected.
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.