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.

Associated Capital Group disclosed 18 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Associated Capital Group reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2018

Risk Distribution

33% Finance & Corporate

28% Legal & Regulatory

17% Production

11% Ability to Sell

6% Tech & Innovation

6% Macro & Political

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

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

Risk Change Over Time

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

Associated Capital Group Risk Factors

New Risk (0)

Risk Changed (0)

Risk Removed (0)

No changes from previous report

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

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

Risk Highlights Q3, 2018

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 6 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 6 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Sep 2018

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Sep 2018

Number of Risk Changed

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

See the risk highlights of Associated Capital Group 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 18

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 6/18 (33%)Below Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights2 | 11.1%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

Certain of our directors and officers may have actual or potential conflicts of interest because of their positions or relationships with GAMCO.

Mario J. Gabelli serves as our Executive Chairman and also continues to serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GAMCO. Douglas R. Jamieson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Associated Capital, continues his role as President and Chief Operating Officer of GAMCO Asset Management. Executive Vice President Agnes Mullady, who is responsible for the oversight of Associated Capital's UCITs offerings, also acts as Senior Vice President of GAMCO and President and Chief Operating Officer of the Gabelli Funds Division. Kevin Handwerker, Associated Capital's Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, also serves in the same capacities for GAMCO. In addition, some of our portfolio managers and employees are provided pursuant to the Transitional Services Agreement with GAMCO and are officers or employees of GAMCO. Such dual assignments could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest when our and GAMCO's officers and directors face decisions that could have different implications for the two companies. Associated Capital has renounced its rights to certain business opportunities, and our certificate of incorporation provides that no director or officer of Associated Capital will breach their fiduciary duty and therefore be liable to Associated Capital or its stockholders by reason of the fact that any such individual directs a corporate opportunity to another person or entity (including GAMCO) instead of Associated Capital, or does not refer or communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to Associated Capital, unless (x) such opportunity was expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of Associated Capital or as a director or officer of any of our subsidiaries, and (y) such opportunity relates to a line of business in which Associated Capital or any of its subsidiaries is then directly engaged; provided, however, if the conditions specified in the immediately preceding clauses (x) and (y) are satisfied, any officer or director of Associated Capital may pursue such corporate opportunity (or direct it to another person or entity) if either (i) Associated Capital renounces its interest in the potential business opportunity in writing or (ii) Associated Capital does not within a reasonable period of time, begin to pursue, or thereafter continue to pursue, such corporate opportunity diligently and in good faith. Our certificate of incorporation specifically provides that any person purchasing, receiving or otherwise becoming an owner of any shares of our capital stock, or any interest therein, will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the corporate opportunity policy contained in our certificate of incorporation. Also, some of our directors, executive officers, portfolio managers and teammates own shares of GAMCO common stock and GAMCO restricted stock awards ("RSAs") or other GAMCO equity awards. The ownership of this GAMCO common stock may create, or may create the appearance of, conflicts of interest. In addition, potential conflicts of interest could arise in connection with the resolution of any dispute that may arise between GAMCO and Associated Capital regarding the terms of the agreements governing the separation and the relationship thereafter between the companies. The executive officers and other personnel of GAMCO who serve as directors or executive management of Associated Capital may interpret these agreements in their capacity as GAMCO employees in a manner that would adversely affect the business of Associated Capital. Also, certain subsidiaries of GAMCO and GCIA are investment advisers. The executive officers and other personnel of GAMCO who also serve as directors or executive management of Associated Capital may be confronted with the possibility of making decisions in their GAMCO capacity that would adversely affect the business of Associated Capital. Associated Capital and GAMCO expect to be vigilant in attempting to identify and resolve any potential conflicts of interest, including but not limited to the types described above, at the earliest possible time. However, there can be no guarantee that the interests of Associated Capital may not be adversely affected at some point by such a conflict.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

Control by Mario J. Gabelli of a majority of the combined voting power of Associated Capital common stock may give rise to conflicts of interests.

Mario J. Gabelli, through his control and majority ownership of GGCP, Inc. ("GGCP") and his individual ownership of Associated Capital common stock, will beneficially own a majority of our outstanding Associated Capital Class B Stock, representing approximately 98.6% voting control as of December 31, 2017. As long as Mario J. Gabelli indirectly beneficially owns a majority of the combined voting power of Associated Capital common stock, he will have the ability to elect all of the members of our Board and thereby control our management and affairs, including determinations with respect to acquisitions, dispositions, borrowings, issuances of common stock or other securities, and the declaration and payment of dividends on the Associated Capital common stock. In addition, Mario J. Gabelli will be able to determine the outcome of all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders for approval and will be able to cause or prevent a change in control of Associated Capital. As a result of Mario J. Gabelli's control, none of our agreements with Mario J. Gabelli and other companies controlled by him can be assumed to have been arrived at through "arm's-length" negotiations, although the parties endeavor to implement market-based terms. There can be no assurance that we would not have received more favorable terms, or offered less favorable terms to, an unaffiliated party. In addition, Mario J. Gabelli, through his control and majority ownership of GGCP, controls GAMCO, and he could take actions that favor GAMCO over Associated Capital.

Debt & Financing2 | 11.1%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

A decline in the prices of securities generally could lead to a decline in our AUM, revenues and earnings.

Substantially all of our revenues are directly related to both the amount of our AUM and the performance of our investment products. Under our investment advisory contracts, the investment advisory fees we receive are typically based on the market value of AUM. Accordingly, a decline in the prices of securities generally may cause our revenues and net income to decline by either causing the value of our AUM to decrease, which would result in lower investment advisory fees, or causing our clients to withdraw funds in favor of investments they perceive to offer greater opportunity or lower risk, which would also result in lower fees. The securities markets are highly volatile, and securities prices may increase or decrease for many reasons beyond our control, including but not limited to economic and political events, war (whether or not directly involving the United States), acts of terrorism, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates, interest rates, inflation rates, the yield curve, defaults by derivative counterparties, bond default risks, decreases in commodity prices, slowing growth in other countries, particularly China, the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and other factors that are difficult or impossible to predict or even to identify. If a decline in securities prices caused our revenues to decline, it could have a material adverse effect on our earnings.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

The soundness of other financial institutions could adversely affect our business.

Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty or other relationships. We and the investments we manage may have exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and we routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including: brokers and dealers, commercial banks, investment banks, clearing organizations, mutual and hedge funds and other institutions. Many of these transactions expose us and the accounts we manage to credit risk in the event of the counterparty's default. There is no assurance that any such losses would not materially and adversely impact Associated Capital's revenues and earnings.

Corporate Activity and Growth2 | 11.1%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

We may not achieve the benefits expected from our spin-off from GAMCO and may be more susceptible to adverse events.

We expect that, as a company independent from GAMCO, we will be able to grow organically and through acquisitions. Nonetheless, we may not be able to achieve either of these goals. Furthermore, by separating from GAMCO, there is a risk that we may be more susceptible to adverse events than we would have otherwise experienced as a subsidiary of GAMCO. As a subsidiary of GAMCO, we enjoyed certain benefits, including economies of scope and scale in costs, employees and business relationships. These benefits may not be as readily achievable as a smaller, stand-alone company.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2

The separation from GAMCO may adversely affect the level of our assets under management ("AUM").

Our revenues are dependent on the amount of our AUM as well as the performance of our products. Many investors may have invested assets in alternative investment products (the "Alternative Investments") in part because GCIA was a subsidiary of GAMCO. There can be no assurance that we will be able to attract investors to the Alternative Investments at the same rate as in prior years. In addition, we can make no assurance that current investors will not redeem their investments from the Alternative Investments as a result of our changed relationship with GAMCO. The occurrence of either of these events could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 5/18 (28%)Above Sector Average

Regulation2 | 11.1%

Regulation - Risk 1

Changes in laws or regulations or in governmental policies and compliance with existing laws or regulations could limit the sources and amounts of our revenues, increase our costs of doing business, decrease our profitability and materially and adversely affect our business.

Our business is subject to extensive regulation in the United States, primarily at the federal level, including regulation by the SEC under the Advisers Act as well as other securities laws, by the Department of Labor under ERISA, and regulation by FINRA and state regulators. The Advisers Act imposes numerous obligations on investment advisors, including record-keeping, advertising and operating requirements, fiduciary and disclosure obligations, custodial requirements and prohibitions on fraudulent activities. In addition, our businesses are also subject to regulation by the FCA in the United Kingdom, and we are also subject to the laws of other non-U.S. jurisdictions and non-U.S. regulatory agencies or bodies. Our failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations could result in fines, censure, suspensions of personnel or other sanctions, including revocation of our subsidiaries' registrations as an investment advisor or broker-dealer. Industry regulations are designed to protect our clients and investors in our funds and other third parties who deal with us and to ensure the integrity of the financial markets. Our industry is frequently altered by new laws or regulations and by revisions to, and evolving interpretations of, existing laws and regulations, both in the United States and in other nations. Changes in laws or regulations or in governmental policies could limit the sources and amounts of our revenues, increase our costs of doing business, decrease our profitability and materially and adversely affect our business.

Regulation - Risk 2

We are subject to extensive and pervasive regulation around the world.

Our business is subject to extensive regulation around the world. These regulations subject our business activities to a pervasive array of increasingly detailed operational requirements, compliance with which is costly, time-consuming and complex. We may be adversely affected by our failure to comply with current laws and regulations or by changes in the interpretation or enforcement of existing laws and regulations. Challenges associated with interpreting regulations issued in numerous countries in a globally consistent manner may add to such risks if regulators in different jurisdictions have inconsistent views or provide only limited regulatory guidance. In particular, violation of applicable laws or regulations could result in fines, temporary or permanent prohibition of certain activities, reputational harm and related client terminations, suspensions of employees or revocation of their licenses, suspension or termination of investment adviser, broker-dealer or other registrations or other sanctions, which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation or business and may cause our AUM, revenue and earnings to decline.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 5.6%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

In connection with the spin-off, GAMCO has indemnified us for certain liabilities. There can be no assurance that the indemnity will be sufficient to insure us against the full amount of such liabilities, or that GAMCO's ability to satisfy its indemnification obligations will not be impaired in the future.

Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, GAMCO will agree to indemnify us from certain liabilities. Third parties could seek to hold us responsible for any of the liabilities that GAMCO has agreed to retain, and there can be no assurance that the indemnity from GAMCO will be sufficient to protect us against the full amount of such liabilities or that GAMCO will be able to fully satisfy its indemnification obligations. Moreover, even if we ultimately succeed in recovering from GAMCO any amounts for which we are held liable, we may be temporarily required to bear those losses until such recovery. Each of these risks could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Taxation & Government Incentives2 | 11.1%

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1

Our business and financial condition may be materially adversely impacted by the highly variable nature of our revenues, results of operations and cash flows. In a typical year, a substantial portion of our incentive allocation income is determined and recorded in the fourth quarter of each year, which means that our interim results are not expected to be indicative of our results for a full year.

Our revenues are influenced by the combination of the amount of AUM and the investment performance of our products. Asset flows, whether inflows or outflows, can be highly variable from month to month and quarter to quarter. Furthermore, our products' investment performance, which affects the amount of AUM, can be volatile due to, among other things, general market and economic conditions. Accordingly, our revenues, results of operations and cash flows may be highly variable. This variability is exacerbated during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, primarily due to the fact that a substantial portion of our revenues historically have been, and we expect will continue to be, derived from incentive allocation income from our products. Incentive allocation income is contingent on the investment performance of the products as of the relevant measurement period, which generally is as of the end of each calendar year. We may also experience fluctuations in our results from quarter to quarter due to a number of other factors, including changes in management fees resulting from changes in the value of our products' investments, other changes in the amount of AUM, changes in our operating expenses, unexpected business developments and initiatives and, as discussed above, general economic and market conditions. Such variability and unpredictability may lead to volatility or declines in the price of the our stock and cause our results for a particular period not to be indicative of our performance in a future period or meaningful as a basis of comparison against results for a prior period. The amount of incentive allocation income that may be generated by our products is uncertain until it is determined and realized at a particular point in time. We generally do not record incentive allocation income in our interim financial statements other than incentive allocation income earned as a result of investor redemptions during the period. As a result of these and other factors, our interim results may not be indicative of historical performance or the results that may be expected for a full year. In addition, a substantial portion of our products' AUM have "high-water marks." This means that if an investor experiences losses in a given year, we will not be able to earn incentive allocation income with respect to such investor's investment unless and until our investment performance surpasses the high-water mark. The incentive allocation income we earn is therefore dependent on the net asset value of each investor's investment in our products. As of December 31, 2017, approximately 21.6% of our AUM was below a high-water mark. We can make no assurances that our investors will not experience losses in future years and, as a result, we may not earn incentive allocation income in those or subsequent years until such losses are earned back.

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2

New tax legislation or changes in U.S. and foreign tax laws and regulations or challenges to Associated Capital's historical taxation practices may adversely affect Associated Capital's effective tax rate, business and overall financial condition.

Our businesses may be affected by new tax legislation or regulations, or the modification of existing tax laws and regulations, by U.S. or non-U.S. authorities. In particular, FATCA has introduced expansive new investor onboarding, withholding and reporting rules aimed at ensuring U.S. persons with financial assets outside of the United States pay appropriate taxes. The OECD has developed CRS to address the issue of offshore tax evasion on a global basis. Aimed at maximizing efficiency and reducing cost for financial institutions, the CRS provides a common standard for due diligence, reporting and exchange of financial account information. The FATCA and CRS rules will impact both U.S. and non-U.S. Investment Partnerships and separately managed accounts and subject Associated Capital to extensive additional administrative burdens. Certain of our FATCA and CRS compliance are done by third parties, and we cannot be certain that they will always comply with applicable FATCA and CRS rules. We also manage significant assets in products and accounts that have specific tax and after-tax related objectives, which could be adversely impacted by changes in tax policy. Additionally, any new legislation or amendments to or modification of the interpretation of tax laws could impact Associated Capital's corporate tax position. The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in December 2017 made significant changes to the corporate and individual tax rates, available income tax deductions and the treatment of other tax attributes. Many provisions of this legislation may be subject to further technical corrections and the adoption of implementing regulations. The application of complex tax regulations involves numerous uncertainties and in the normal course of business, U.S. and non-U.S. tax authorities may review and challenge Associated Capital's historical tax positions. These challenges may result in adjustments to Associated Capital's tax position, or impact the timing or amount of, taxable income, deductions or other tax allocations, which may adversely affect Associated Capital's effective tax rate and overall financial condition.

Production

Total Risks: 3/18 (17%)Above Sector Average

Employment / Personnel2 | 11.1%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

Concerns about our prospects as a stand-alone company could affect our ability to attract and retain employees or individuals whom we are attempting to recruit as employees.

Our employees or individuals whom we are attempting to recruit as employees may have concerns about our prospects as a stand-alone company, including our ability to maintain our independence and our inability to continue our current reliance on GAMCO's resources. If we are not successful in assuring our employees or individuals whom we are attempting to recruit as employees of our prospects as an independent company, our employees or recruits may seek or accept other employment, which could adversely affect our business and our results of operations.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 2

The loss of the services of Mario J. Gabelli and other key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are dependent on the efforts of Mario J. Gabelli, our Executive Chairman. The loss of the services of Mario J. Gabelli could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Supply Chain1 | 5.6%

Supply Chain - Risk 1

We may have been able to receive better terms from unaffiliated third parties than the terms provided in our agreements with GAMCO.

The agreements related to our separation from GAMCO, including, but not limited to, the Separation Agreement, the Transitional Services Agreement and the Service Mark and Name License Agreement, were negotiated in the context of our separation from GAMCO while Associated Capital was still majority-owned by GAMCO. Accordingly, they may not reflect terms that would have been reached between unaffiliated parties. The terms of the agreements we negotiated in the context of our separation related to, among other things, indemnities and other obligations between GAMCO and us. Had these agreements been negotiated with unaffiliated third parties, they might have been more favorable to us.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 2/18 (11%)Above Sector Average

Competition2 | 11.1%

Competition - Risk 1

To the extent we are forced to compete on the basis of price, we may not be able to maintain our current fee structure.

The investment management business is highly competitive and has relatively low barriers to entry. To the extent we are forced to compete on the basis of price, we may not be able to maintain our current fee structure. Although our investment management fees vary from product to product, historically we have competed primarily on the performance of our products and not on the level of our investment management fees relative to those of our competitors. In recent years, however, there has been a trend toward lower fees in the investment management industry. In order to maintain our fee structure in a competitive environment, we must be able to continue to provide clients with investment returns and service that make investors willing to pay our fees. We cannot be assured that we will succeed in providing investment returns and service that will allow us to maintain our current fee structure. Fee reductions on existing or new business could have an adverse effect on our profit margins and results of operations.

Competition - Risk 2

We may compete with GAMCO for clients and investment opportunities.

Although our business is expected to focus primarily on alternative investment management and institutional research services, while GAMCO is expected to focus primarily on its mutual fund and institutional and private wealth management businesses, situations may arise where we find ourselves directly competing with GAMCO for investment clients and opportunities. For example, it is possible that a potential investor might consider investing in Associated Capital and GAMCO investment products and that such potential investor will have to choose between our investment products and those offered by GAMCO. In addition, Associated Capital and GAMCO could pursue the same investment opportunities in the future.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 1/18 (6%)Below Sector Average

Innovation / R&D1 | 5.6%

Innovation / R&D - Risk 1

Investors in our products have the right to redeem their investments in our products on a regular basis and could redeem a significant amount of AUM during any given quarterly period, which would result in significantly decreased revenues.

Subject to any specific redemption provisions applicable to a product, investors may generally redeem their investments in our products on an annual or quarterly basis following the expiration of a specified period of time. In a declining market, the pace of redemptions and consequent reduction in our AUM potentially could accelerate. Furthermore, investors in our products may also invest in products managed by other alternative asset managers that have restricted or suspended redemptions or may in the future do so. Such investors may redeem capital from our products, even if our performance is superior to such other alternative asset managers' performance, if they are restricted or prevented from redeeming capital from those other managers. The decrease in revenues that would result from significant redemptions in our products could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and business. In 2009, due to factors related to the financial crisis, investors redeemed approximately $62 million invested in Associated Capital's products which represented approximately 20% of Associated Capital's AUM at that time. If economic and market conditions remain uncertain or worsen, we may once again experience significant redemptions.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 1/18 (6%)Below Sector Average

Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 5.6%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

Catastrophic and unpredictable events could have a material adverse effect on our business.

A terrorist attack, political unrest, war (whether or not directly involving the United States), power failure, cyber-attack, technology failure, natural disaster or many other possible catastrophic or unpredictable events could adversely affect our future revenues, expenses and earnings by, among other things: causing disruptions in United States, regional or global economic conditions; interrupting our normal business operations; inflicting employee casualties, including loss of our key executives; requiring substantial expenditures and expenses to repair, replace and restore normal business operations; and reducing investor confidence. Pursuant to the Transitional Services Agreement with GAMCO, we have a disaster recovery plan to address certain contingencies, but we cannot assure you that this plan will be effective or sufficient in responding to, eliminating or ameliorating the effects of all disaster scenarios. If our employees or vendors we rely upon for support in a catastrophic event are unable to respond adequately or in a timely manner, we may lose clients resulting in a decrease in AUM which may have a material adverse effect on revenues and net income.

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

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?

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

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

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

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

How do companies disclose their risk factors?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.

What are all the risk factor categories?

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

1. Financial & Corporate

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

2. Legal & Regulatory

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

3. Production

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

4. Technology & Innovation

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

5. Ability to Sell

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

6. Macro & Political

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

Become an Expert with TipRanks Premium

What am I Missing?

Make informed decisions based on Top Analysts' activity

Know what industry insiders are buying

Get actionable alerts from top Wall Street Analysts

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

Get powerful stock screeners & detailed portfolio analysis

Subscribe Now See Plans & Pricing