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Akso Health Group Sponsored ADR (AHG)
NASDAQ:AHG
US Market
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Akso Health Group Sponsored ADR (AHG) Risk Factors

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Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.

Akso Health Group Sponsored ADR disclosed 55 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Akso Health Group Sponsored ADR reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q1, 2023

Risk Distribution
55Risks
33% Finance & Corporate
29% Legal & Regulatory
11% Tech & Innovation
11% Production
11% Macro & Political
5% Ability to Sell
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Akso Health Group Sponsored ADR 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
Finance & Corporate
With 18 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 18 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
55
-38
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
55
-38
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
1Risks added
34Risks removed
1Risks changed
Since Mar 2023
1Risks added
34Risks removed
1Risks changed
Since Mar 2023
Number of Risk Changed
1
-7
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
1
-7
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Akso Health Group Sponsored ADR 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 55

Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 18/55 (33%)Above Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights10 | 18.2%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
The recent joint statement by the SEC, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and an act passed by the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies. These developments could add uncertainties to our business operations, share price and reputation.
U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity has centered on financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China, reiterating past SEC and PCAOB statements on matters including the difficulty associated with inspecting accounting firms and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets and the difficulty of bringing and enforcing SEC, Department of Justice and other U.S. regulatory actions, including in instances of fraud, in emerging markets generally. On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in a "Restrictive Market", (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or board of director for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company's auditors. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company's auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer's securities are prohibited to trade on a national exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On May 21, 2021, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in a "Restrictive Market", (ii) prohibit Restrictive Market companies from directly listing on Nasdaq Capital Market, and only permit them to list on Nasdaq Global Select or Nasdaq Global Market in connection with a direct listing and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company's auditors. As a result of these scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity will have on us, our business and our share price. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend our company. This situation will be costly and time consuming and distract our management from developing our growth. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, we and our business operations will be severely affected and you could sustain a significant decline in the value of our share.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
Changed
Although the audit report included in this annual report is prepared by an auditor who are currently inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the "PCAOB"), there is no guarantee that future audit reports will be prepared by auditors inspected by the PCAOB and, as such, in the future investors may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection. Furthermore, trading in our securities may be prohibited under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the "HFCA Act") if the SEC subsequently determines our audit work is performed by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely, and as a result, U.S. national securities exchanges, such as Nasdaq, may determine to delist our securities. Furthermore, on December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, was signed into law by President Biden. The Consolidated Appropriations Act contained, among other things, an identical provision to AHFCAA, which reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCA Act from three years to two.
As an auditor of companies that are registered with the SEC and publicly traded in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, our auditor is required under the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Although we operate part of of our business in mainland China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese government authorities, our auditor, OneStop Assurance PAC, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this annual report, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess our auditor's compliance with the applicable professional standards. Inspections of other auditors conducted by the PCAOB outside mainland China have at times identified deficiencies in those auditors' audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The lack of PCAOB inspections of audit work undertaken in mainland China prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating auditors' audits and their quality control procedures. As a result, if there is any component of our auditor's work papers become located in mainland China in the future, such work papers will not be subject to inspection by the PCAOB. As a result, investors would be deprived of such PCAOB inspections, which could result in limitations or restrictions to our access of the U.S. capital markets. As part of a continued regulatory focus in the United States on access to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular mainland China's, in June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of the U.S. Congress which, if passed, would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which PCAOB is not able to inspect or investigate the audit work performed by a foreign public accounting firm completely. The proposed Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges ("EQUITABLE") Act prescribes increased disclosure requirements for these issuers and, beginning in 2025, the delisting from U.S. national securities exchanges such as Nasdaq of issuers included on the SEC's list for three consecutive years. It is unclear if this proposed legislation will be enacted. Furthermore, there have been recent deliberations within the U.S. government regarding potentially limiting or restricting China-based companies from accessing U.S. capital markets. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the "HFCA Act"), which includes requirements for the SEC to identify issuers whose audit work is performed by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a restriction imposed by a non-U.S. authority in the auditor's local jurisdiction. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the HFCA Act on December 2, 2020, and the HFCA Act was signed into law on December 18, 2020. Additionally, in July 2020, the U.S. President's Working Group on Financial Markets issued recommendations for actions that can be taken by the executive branch, the SEC, the PCAOB or other federal agencies and department with respect to Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges and their audit firms, in an effort to protect investors in the United States. In response, on November 23, 2020, the SEC issued guidance highlighting certain risks (and their implications to U.S. investors) associated with investments in China-based issuers and summarizing enhanced disclosures the SEC recommends China-based issuers make regarding such risks. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCA Act. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a "non-inspection" year (as defined in the interim final rules) under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCA Act, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. Under the HFCA Act, our securities may be prohibited from trading on Nasdaq or other U.S. stock exchanges if our auditor is not inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, and this ultimately could result in our Ordinary Shares being delisted. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act ("AHFCAA"), which, if enacted, would amend the HFCA Act and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer's securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three and would reduce the time before our securities may be prohibited from trading or delisted. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the AHFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the AHFCAA, whether the Board is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On November 5, 2021, the SEC approved the PCAOB's Rule 6100, Board Determinations Under the HFCA Act. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1) mainland China of the PRC, and (2) Hong Kong. In addition, the PCAOB's report identified the specific registered public accounting firms which are subject to these determinations. On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, was signed into law by President Biden. The Consolidated Appropriations Act contained, among other things, an identical provision to AHFCAA, which reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCA Act from three years to two. Our auditor, OneStop Assurance PAC, is headquartered in Singapore, not mainland China or Hong Kong and was not identified in this report as a firm subject to the PCAOB's determination. Therefore, our auditor is not currently subject to the determinations announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021, and it is currently subject to the PCAOB inspections. While our auditor is based in the Singapore and is registered with the PCAOB and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis, in the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely our auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in the our securities to be prohibited under the HFCA Act, and ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist our securities. In addition, the recent developments would add uncertainties to the listing and trading of our Class A ordinary shares and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor's audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements. It remains unclear what the SEC's implementation process related to the above rules will entail or what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or Nasdaq will take to address these issues and what impact those actions will have on U.S. companies that have significant operations in the PRC and have securities listed on a U.S. stock exchange (including a national securities exchange or over-the-counter stock market). In addition, the above amendments and any additional actions, proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create some uncertainty for investors, the market price of our ADSs could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we and our auditor are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement or being required to engage a new audit firm, which would require significant expense and management time. On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol (the "SOP") Agreements with the CSRC and China's Ministry of Finance. The SOP Agreement, together with two protocol agreements (collectively, "SOP Agreements"), governs inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the SEC, the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB Board determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB's access in the future, the PCAOB Board will consider the need to issue a new determination. Delisting of our ADSs would force holders of our ADSs to sell their ADSs. The market price of our ADSs could be adversely affected as a result of anticipated negative impacts of these executive or legislative actions upon, as well as negative investor sentiment towards, companies with significant operations in China that are listed in the United States, regardless of whether these executive or legislative actions are implemented and regardless of our actual operating performance.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
The depositary for our ADSs will give us a discretionary proxy to vote the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs if you do not give proper or timely voting instructions to the depositary, except in limited circumstances, which could adversely affect your interests.
Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, if you do not give proper or timely voting instructions to the depositary, the depositary will give us a discretionary proxy to vote the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs at shareholders' meetings unless: - we have failed to timely provide the depositary with notice of meeting and related voting materials;- we have instructed the depositary that we do not wish a discretionary proxy to be given;- we have informed the depositary that there is substantial opposition as to a matter to be voted on at the meeting;- a matter to be voted on at the meeting would have a material adverse impact on shareholders; or - the voting at the meeting is to be made on a show of hands. The effect of the foregoing is that if you do not give proper or timely voting instructions to the depositary as to how to vote at shareholders' meetings, a discretionary proxy to vote the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs will be given to a person designated by us, except under the circumstances described above. This may make it more difficult for shareholders and holders of ADSs to influence the management of our company. Holders of our ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise any right to vote the ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs.
As a holder of our ADSs, you will only be able to direct the exercise of the voting rights attaching to the ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you must vote by giving voting instructions to the depositary. Upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will use its best endeavors to vote the ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs in accordance with your instructions. You will not be able to directly exercise any right to vote with respect to the shares represented by your ADSs unless you withdraw the shares from the ADR facility prior to the applicable share record date. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the minimum notice period required for convening a general meeting is ten calendar days. As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obliged by the Companies Act to call shareholders' annual general meetings. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we may, but are not obliged to, in each year hold a general meeting as our annual general meeting. When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice to withdraw the underlying shares represented by your ADSs to allow you to vote with respect to any specific resolution or matter to be considered and voted upon at such general meeting. If we give notice to our shareholders of any general meeting, the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. 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 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 vote 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 5
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 United States domestic public companies.
Because we are 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 of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC;- 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 non-public 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 periodically through press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ Global Market. 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, which would be made available to you, were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
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. Substantially all of our current operations are conducted in China. In addition, a majority of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. Substantially all of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. 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. There is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the federal or state courts of the United States (and the Cayman Islands are not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), a judgment obtained in such jurisdiction will be recognized and enforced in the courts of the Cayman Islands at common law, without any re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute, by an action commenced on the foreign judgment debt in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, provided such judgment (a) is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction, (b) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given, (c) is final, (d) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty, and (e) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands. However, the Cayman Islands courts are unlikely to enforce a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities law if such judgment is determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands to give rise to obligations to make payments that are penal or punitive in nature. Because such a determination has not yet been made by a court of the Cayman Islands, it is uncertain whether such civil liability judgments from U.S. courts would be enforceable in the Cayman Islands. 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 director 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.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
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 with limited liability. 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 the directors, actions by 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 register of members 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. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for companies incorporated in other jurisdictions such as the U.S. Currently, we rely on home country practices with respect to certain corporate governance matters, please see "Item 16.G-Corporate Governance." As a result, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by our management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that we expect to adopt contain anti-takeover provisions that could have a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.
We have adopted an amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contains provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions. 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. In addition, 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 ordinary shares underlying the ADSs. 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 our ADSs may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares underlying the ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
The trading price of our ADSs may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.
The trading price of our ADSs has ranged from US$0.2 to US$1.85 per ADS in fiacal year 2023. The trading prices of our ADSs are likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation in the market prices or the underperformance or deteriorating financial results of Internet or other companies based in China that have listed their securities in the United States in recent years. The securities of some of these companies have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings, including, in some cases, substantial decline in their trading prices. The trading performances of other Chinese companies' securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese companies listed in the United States, 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 us or other Chinese companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have conducted any inappropriate activities. In addition, securities markets may from time to time experience significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to our operating performance, such as the large decline in share prices in the United States, China and other jurisdictions in late 2008, early 2009, the second half of 2011, the third quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016, which may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our ADSs. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our ADSs may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following: - regulatory developments affecting us, our customers or our industry;- announcements of studies and reports relating to our products and service offerings or those of our competitors;- changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other social e-commerce platforms;- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and changes or revisions of our expected results;- changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;- conditions in the Internet and unsecured consumer finance industries;- announcements of new product, service and expansions by us or our competitors;- replacement of existing third-party service providers;- additions to or departures of our senior management;- detrimental negative publicity about us, our management or our industry;- fluctuations of exchange rates between the RMB and the U.S. dollar;- release or expiry of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding ordinary shares or ADSs; and - sales or perceived potential sales of additional ordinary shares or ADSs. Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our ADSs will trade.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our ADSs and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our ADSs will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If research analysts do not establish and maintain adequate research coverage or if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our ADSs or publish inaccurate or unfavourable research about our business, the market price for our ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analyst's cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which, in turn, could cause the market price or trading volume of our ADSs to decline.
Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 5.5%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
We cannot assure you that our existing dividend policy will not change in the future or the amount the dividends that you may receive, and as such, you must rely on price appreciation of our ADSs for return on your investment.
On July 19, 2018, our board of directors approved an annual dividend policy. Under this policy, annual dividends will be set at an amount equivalent to approximately 15-25% of our anticipated net income after tax in each year commencing from the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. On July 19, 2018, our board of directors also approved a special cash dividend of US$0.13 per ordinary share of our company (or US$0.13 per ADS), in addition to an annual dividend pursuant to the newly adopted annual dividend policy of US$0.27 per ordinary share (or US$0.27 per ADS), for a total dividend of US$0.40 per ordinary share (or US$0.40 per ADS). Our annual dividend policy is subject to change at any time at the discretion of our board of directors, and our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends in the future. If our board of directors decides to continue to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, 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. As such, the amount of dividends that you will receive is subject to change. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will not adjust our dividend policy in the future. Accordingly, you should not rely on an investment in our ADSs as a source for any future dividend income, and the return on your investment in our ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our ADSs. There is no guarantee that our 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 our ADSs and you may even lose your entire investment. Any declaration and payment, as well as the amount, of dividends will be subject to our constitutional documents and applicable Chinese and U.S. state and federal laws and regulations, including the approval from the shareholders of each subsidiary which intends to declare such dividends, if applicable.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
You may not receive dividends or other distributions on our ordinary shares and you may not receive any value for them if it is illegal or impracticable to make them available to you.
The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on ordinary shares or other deposited securities which are represented by your ADSs, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impracticable to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act but that are not properly registered or distributed under an applicable exemption from registration. The depositary may also determine that it is not practicable to distribute certain property through the mail. Additionally, the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impracticable for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may cause a material decline in the value of our ADSs.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
If our internal controls over financial reporting are insufficient or ineffective, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.
We are subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we include a management report on such company's internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. Our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of March 31, 2023. See "Item 15. Controls and Procedures." During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, we may identify weaknesses and deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, 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 our 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 from prior periods.
Debt & Financing2 | 3.6%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
If we do not find available sources of liquidity for capital and financing needs, our business and operations may be materially and adversely affected.
We may experience unexpected changes in business conditions, creating additional capital and financing needs. We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents, anticipated cash flows from operating activities, and the loans from third parties or our related parties will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital requirements and capital expenditures in the ordinary course of business for the next 12 months. However, we may need additional sources of liquidity if we find and wish to pursue opportunities for investment, acquisition, capital expenditure or otherwise. If our available cash and cash equivalents on hand are insufficient to cover our expected cash requirements, we may seek to issue equity or debt securities or obtain credit facilities. The issuance and sale of additional equity would result in dilution to our shareholders. We cannot guarantee that financing will be available to us under terms acceptable to us, or at all. - The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed obligations and could result in covenants restricting our operations. It could further lead to a number of risks that could adversely affect our operations or financial conditions;- default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenue is insufficient to repay debt obligations;- acceleration of obligations to repay the indebtedness (or other outstanding indebtedness), even if we make all principal and interest payments when due, if we breach any covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;- our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding;- diverting a substantial portion of cash flow to pay principal and interest on such debt, which would reduce the funds available for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes;- creating potential limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate; and - loss that might be incurred due to our overseas investment activities.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
You may be subject to limitations on 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, or on weekends and public holidays. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of our 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.
Corporate Activity and Growth3 | 5.5%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
We will incur significantly increased costs and devote substantial management time as a result of being a public company.
As a public company, we incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses as a public reporting company. For example, we will be required to comply with additional requirements of the rules and regulations of the SEC and requirements of the NASDAQ Global Market, including applicable corporate governance practices. We expect that compliance with these requirements will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costlier. In addition, we expect that our management and other personnel will need to divert attention from operational and other business matters to devote substantial time to these public company requirements. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time-consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management's time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may also initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be adversely affected. In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management's attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
Our innovative corporate culture is important to our business, if our culture changes our business and corporate objectives may be adversely affected.
Our corporate culture fosters innovation, a collegiate environment of team effort and encourages creativity, which is important to our business and development of our product pipeline and service upgrades. If we fail to maintain these valuable aspects of our culture during the course of our adaptation into a public company and building the relevant infrastructure, our future success and strategic goals may be affected. Furthermore, we may be unable to retain and attract talent, leading to a negative impact on our business and corporate objectives.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
Our growth plan includes the construction of cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers. If we cannot identify and seize growth opportunities in fast-changing markets, our future growth will face uncertainties.
We plan to build cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers on the east coast of the United States, the implementation process of which will be complex, time-consuming and subject to uncertainty. We are identifying suitable regions for self-operated cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers by considering a number of factors, including regional market size, existing competition and potential strategic partners. There are uncertainties regarding how successfully we can identify the suitable market, acquire required government approvals in a timely manner and control planned investments. In addition, we may face competition from our existing cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 16/55 (29%)Above Sector Average
Regulation12 | 21.8%
Regulation - Risk 1
The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOC be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the MOC shall be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOC that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise "national defense and security" concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise "national security" concerns are subject to strict review by the MOC, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. 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, including obtaining approval from the MOC or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.
Regulation - Risk 2
Failure to comply with laws and regulations applicable to our business could subject us to fines and penalties and could also cause us to lose customers or otherwise harm our business.
Our business is subject to regulation by various governmental agencies in China, including agencies responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with various legal obligations, such as value-added telecommunication laws and regulations, privacy and data protection-related laws and regulations, intellectual property laws, employment and labor laws, workplace safety, environmental laws, consumer protection laws, governmental trade laws, import and export controls, anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, and tax laws and regulations. In certain jurisdictions, these regulatory requirements may be more stringent than in China. These laws and regulations impose added costs on our business. Noncompliance with applicable regulations or requirements could subject us to: - investigations, enforcement actions, and sanctions;- mandatory changes to our network and products;- disgorgement of profits, fines, and damages;- civil and criminal penalties or injunctions;- claims for damages by our customers or channel partners;- termination of contracts;- loss of intellectual property rights;- failure to obtain, maintain or renew certain licenses, approvals, permits, registrations or filings necessary to conduct our operations; and - temporary or permanent debarment from sales to public service organizations. If any governmental sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be adversely affected. In addition, responding to any action will likely result in a significant diversion of our management's attention and resources and an increase in professional fees. Enforcement actions and sanctions could materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Additionally, companies in the technology industry have recently experienced increased regulatory scrutiny. Any reviews by regulatory agencies or legislatures may result in substantial regulatory fines, changes to our business practices, and other penalties, which could negatively affect our business and results of operations. Changes in social, political, and regulatory conditions or in laws and policies governing a wide range of topics may cause us to change our business practices. Further, our expansion into a variety of new fields also could raise a number of new regulatory issues. These factors could negatively affect our business and results of operations in material ways. Moreover, we are exposed to the risk of misconduct, errors and failure to functions by our management, employees and parties that we collaborate with, who may from time to time be subject to litigation and regulatory investigations and proceedings or otherwise face potential liability and penalties in relation to noncompliance with applicable laws and regulations, which could harm our reputation and business.
Regulation - Risk 3
There may be changes in the regulations of PRC government bodies and agencies relating to VAT collection procedure and ACTCS business
PRC laws, regulations and policies concerning VAT collection procedures and ACTCS business are evolving and the PRC government authorities may promulgate new laws, regulations and policies in the future. We cannot assure you that our practices would not be deemed to violate any PRC laws, regulations or policies either now or in the future. Moreover, developments in the ACTCS service industry may lead to changes in PRC laws, regulations and policies or in the interpretation and application of existing laws, regulations and policies, which may limit or restrict the ACTCS hardware and services we offer. Furthermore, we cannot rule out the possibility that the PRC government will institute a new licensing regime covering services we provide in the future. If such a licensing regime were introduced, we cannot assure you that we would be able to obtain any newly required license in a timely manner, or at all, which could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.
Regulation - Risk 4
PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement to make loans to or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
Under PRC laws and regulations, we are permitted to utilize the proceeds from our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement to fund our PRC subsidiary by making loans to or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary, subject to applicable government registration and approval requirements. Any loans to our PRC subsidiary, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC laws, are subject to PRC regulations and foreign exchange loan registrations. For example, loans by us to our PRC subsidiary to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with the local counterpart of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE. According to the Interim Measures on the Management of Foreign Debts promulgated by SAFE, the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission, or the NDRC, on January 8, 2003, the statutory limit for the total amount of foreign debts of a foreign-invested company is the difference between the amount of total investment as approved by the MOC or its local counterpart and the amount of registered capital of such foreign-invested company, or two times of the net assets provided in the latest audited financial report of such PRC subsidiary, as applicable. According to the Circular of the People's Bank of China on Matters relating to the Comprehensive Macro-prudential Management of Cross-border Financing issued by the People's Bank of China in January 2017, or Circular 9, and Circular of the People's Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Adjusting the Macro-prudential Regulation Parameter for Full-covered Cross-border Financing in March 2020, or Circular 64, the maximum amounts of foreign debt that each company may borrow is determined by reference to its so-called risk-weighted balance of cross-border financing, which may not exceed two times its net assets as indicated in its latest audited financial report. The risk-weighted balance of cross-border financing of a company is calculated based on its outstanding amounts of Renminbi and foreign currency cross-border debt, multiplied by risk conversion factors corresponding to their respective remaining terms, loan categories and currency. However, for a one-year grace period starting from January 11, 2017, a foreign-invested company such as our PRC subsidiaries may elect to determine the maximum amount of its foreign debt in according with the rules in effect prior to Circular 9, or to comply with Circular 9. On the other hand, PRC domestic companies such as our consolidated variable interest entities must comply with Circular 9. Moreover, according to Notice of the National Development and Reform Commission on Promoting the Administrative Reform of the Recordation and Registration System for Enterprises' Issuance of Foreign Debts issued by the NDRC in September 2015, any loans we extend to our consolidated variable interest entities or other PRC operating companies that are domestic PRC entities for more than one year must be filed with the NDRC or its local counterpart and must also be registered with SAFE or its local branches. We may also decide to finance our PRC subsidiary by means of capital contributions. These capital contributions must be approved by the MOC or its local counterpart. In addition, SAFE issued a circular in September 2008, SAFE Circular 142, regulating the conversion by a foreign-invested enterprise of foreign currency registered capital into RMB by restricting how the converted RMB may be used. SAFE Circular 142 provides that the RMB capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise may only be used for purposes within the business scope approved by the applicable government authority and unless otherwise provided by law, may not be used for equity investments within the PRC. Although on July 4, 2014, the SAFE issued the Circular of the SAFE on Relevant Issues Concerning the Pilot Reform in Certain Areas of the Administrative Method of the Conversion of Foreign Exchange Funds by Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 36, which launched a pilot reform of the administration of the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of foreign-invested enterprises in certain designated areas from August 4, 2014 and some of the restrictions under SAFE Circular 142 will not apply to the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of the foreign-invested enterprises established within the designate areas and such enterprises mainly engaging in investment are allowed to use its RMB capital converted from foreign exchange capitals to make equity investment, our PRC subsidiary is not established within the designated areas. On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated Circular 19, to expand the reform nationwide. Circular 19 came into force and replaced both Circular 142 and Circular 36 on June 1, 2015. Circular 19 allows foreign-invested enterprises to make equity investments by using RMB fund converted from foreign exchange capital. However, Circular 19 continues to prohibit foreign-invested enterprises from, among other things, using RMB fund converted from its foreign exchange capitals for expenditure beyond its business scope, providing entrusted loans or repaying loans between non-financial enterprises. On June 9, 2016, the SAFE promulgated Circular 16, which expands the application scope from only the capital of the foreign-invested enterprises to the capital, the foreign debt funds and the funds from oversea public offerings. Also, Circular 16 allows enterprises to use their foreign exchange capitals under their capital account as stipulated by the relevant laws and regulations. On October 23, 2019, the SAFE issued the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Facilitating Cross-border Trade and Investment, which, among other things, expanded the use of foreign exchange capital to domestic equity investments. Non-investment foreign-funded enterprises are allowed to lawfully make domestic equity investments by using capital funds, subject to the authenticity and compliance with the regulations of such domestic investment projects (including, among others, the compliance of special administrative measures for access of foreign investments (negative list)). If our consolidated variable interest entities need 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 consolidated variable interest entities' operations will be subject to statutory limits and restrictions, including those described above. In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans to our PRC subsidiary or future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiary. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds we expect to receive from our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement and to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
Regulation - Risk 5
We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of Internet-related businesses and companies, and any lack of requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to our business may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
The PRC government extensively regulates the Internet industry, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing and permit requirements pertaining to, companies in the Internet industry. These Internet-related laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations. We have only contractual control over our website. We do not directly own the website due to the restriction of foreign investment in businesses providing value-added telecommunication services in China, including Internet information provision services. This may significantly disrupt our business, subject us to sanctions, compromise enforceability of related contractual arrangements, or have other harmful effects on us. The evolving PRC regulatory system for the Internet industry may lead to the establishment of new regulatory agencies. For example, in May 2011, the State Council announced the establishment of a new department, the State Internet Information Office (with the involvement of the State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT, and the Ministry of Public Security). The primary role of this new agency is to facilitate the policy-making and legislative development in this field, to direct and coordinate with the relevant departments in connection with online content administration and to deal with cross-ministry regulatory matters in relation to the Internet industry.
Regulation - Risk 6
Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.
On March 15, 2019, the National People's Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since the Foreign Investment Law is relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. For instance, under the Foreign Investment Law, "foreign investment" refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in China. Although it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment via contractual arrangement would not be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activities under the definition in the future. In addition, the definition contains a catch-all provision which includes investments made by foreign investors through means stipulated in laws or administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. In any of these cases, it will be uncertain whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market access requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws and regulations. Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangements, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all. Failure to take timely and appropriate measures to cope with any of these or similar regulatory compliance challenges could materially and adversely affect our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.
Regulation - Risk 7
PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may impair our ability to operate profitable.
There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing our business and the enforcement and performance of our arrangements with customers in certain circumstances. The laws and regulations are sometimes vague and may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. The effectiveness and interpretation of newly enacted laws or regulations, including amendments to existing laws and regulations, may be delayed, and our business may be affected if we rely on laws and regulations which are subsequently adopted or interpreted in a manner different from our understanding of these laws and regulations. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. We have substantially operations conducted by our VIEs in China, which are governed by PRC laws, rules and regulations. Our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs are subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on our business. The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions under the civil law system may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. 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 uniform and the enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties. In 1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past three decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our ability to enforce our contractual rights or tort claims. In addition, the regulatory uncertainties may be exploited through unmerited or frivolous legal actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from us. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all and may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. 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, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations. Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the "Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance with the Law," or the Opinions, which was made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems will be taken to deal with the risks and incidents of China-concept overseas listed companies, and cybersecurity and data privacy protection requirements and similar matters. The Opinions and any related implementing rules to be enacted may subject us to compliance requirement in the future.
Regulation - Risk 8
Added
The approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, 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. As a result, both you and us fact uncertainty about future actions by the PRC government that could significantly affect our business, our listing on Nasdaq, financial condition and results of operations.
On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the MOFCOM, the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, or the SASAC, the SAT, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, or the SAIC, the CSRC, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or the SAFE, jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, which came into effect on September 8, 2006 and were amended on June 22, 2009. The M&A Rules include, among other things, provisions that purport to require that an offshore special purpose vehicle that is controlled by PRC domestic companies or individuals and that has been formed for the purpose of an overseas listing of securities through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies or assets to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle's securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, the CSRC published on its official website procedures regarding its approval of overseas listings by special purpose vehicles. However, substantial uncertainty remains regarding the scope and applicability of the M&A Rules to offshore special purpose vehicles. While the application of the M&A Rules remains unclear, we believe, based on the advice of our PRC legal counsel, Hebei Changjun Law Firm that the CSRC approval is not required for the listing and trading our ADSs on the Nasdaq Capital Market because Qingdao Akso Health Management Co., Ltd., or our WFOE was incorporated as a foreign-invested enterprise by means of foreign direct investments rather than by merger with or acquisition of any PRC domestic companies as defined under the M&A Rules. There can be no assurance that the relevant PRC government agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion as our PRC legal counsel. If the CSRC or other PRC regulatory body subsequently determines that we need to obtain the CSRC's approval for our offering or if the CSRC or any other PRC government authorities promulgates any interpretation or implements rules that would require us to obtain CSRC or other governmental approvals for our offering, we may face adverse actions or sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies. In any such event, these regulatory agencies may impose fines and penalties on our operations in China, limit our operating privileges in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from our offerings into the PRC, restrictions on or prohibition of the payments or remittance of dividends by our subsidiaries in China, or other actions that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, as well as the trading price of the ADSs. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies may also take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt our offering before settlement and delivery of the Ordinary Shares that we are offering. Consequently, if you engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to settlement and delivery, you would be doing so at the risk that the settlement and delivery may not occur. In addition, if the CSRC or other regulatory agencies later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring us to obtain their approvals for our offering, we may be unable to obtain waivers of such approval requirements. Any uncertainties or negative publicity regarding such approval requirements could materially and adversely affect the trading price of our ADSs. As of the date of this annual report, as advised by our PRC counsel, Hebei Changjun Law Firm, we and our subsidiaries, (1) currently are not required to obtain permissions from any PRC authorities to list or trade our ADSs in foreign stock exchanges, (2) are not subject to permission requirements from the CSRC, CAC or any other entity that is required to approve of our PRC subsidiaries' operations, and (3) have not received or were denied such permissions by any PRC authorities. Nevertheless, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the "Opinions on Severely Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities According to Law," or the Opinions, which were made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Given the current PRC regulatory environment, it is uncertain when and whether we or our PRC subsidiaries, will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. We have been closely monitoring regulatory developments in China regarding any necessary approvals from the CSRC or other PRC governmental authorities required for overseas listings. As of the date of this annual report, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, sanctions or regulatory objection to this offering from the CSRC or other PRC governmental authorities. However, there remains significant uncertainty as to the enactment, interpretation and implementation of regulatory requirements related to overseas securities offerings and other capital markets activities. On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the "Trial Measures"), which will take effect on March 31, 2023. The Trial Measures clarified and emphasized several aspects, which include but are not limited to: (1) comprehensive determination of the "indirect overseas offering and listing by PRC domestic companies" in compliance with the principle of "substance over form" and particularly, an issuer will be required to go through the filing procedures under the Trial Measures if the following criteria are met at the same time: a) 50% or more of the issuer's operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year is accounted for by PRC domestic companies, and b) the main parts of the issuer's business activities are conducted in mainland China, or its main places of business are located in mainland China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in mainland China; (2) exemptions from immediate filing requirements for issuers that a) have already been listed or registered but not yet listed in foreign securities markets, including U.S. markets, prior to the effective date of the Trial Measures, and b) are not required to re-perform the regulatory procedures with the relevant overseas regulatory authority or the overseas stock exchange, c) whose such overseas securities offering or listing shall be completed before September 30, 2023, provided however that such issuers shall carry out filing procedures as required if they conduct refinancing or are involved in other circumstances that require filing with the CSRC; (3) a negative list of types of issuers banned from listing or offering overseas, such as (a) issuers whose listing or offering overseas have been recognized by the State Council of the PRC as possible threats to national security, (b) issuers whose affiliates have been recently convicted of bribery and corruption, (c) issuers under ongoing criminal investigations, and (d) issuers under major disputes regarding equity ownership; (4) issuers' compliance with web security, data security, and other national security laws and regulations; (5) issuers' filing and reporting obligations, such as obligation to file with the CSRC after it submits an application for initial public offering to overseas regulators, and obligation after offering or listing overseas to report to the CSRC material events including change of control or voluntary or forced delisting of the issuer; and (6) the CSRC's authority to fine both issuers and their shareholders between 1 and 10 million RMB for failure to comply with the Trial Measures, including failure to comply with filing obligations or committing fraud and misrepresentation.
Regulation - Risk 9
We conduct our business in a heavily regulated industry.
The operation of our cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers is subject to laws and regulations issued by a number of government agencies at the national and local levels. These rules and regulations relate mainly to the procurement of large medical equipment, the pricing of medical services, the operation of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging equipment, the licensing and operation of medical institutions, the licensing of medical staff and the prohibition on non-profit medical institutions from entering into cooperation agreements with third parties to set up for-profit centers that are not independent legal entities. In addition, our cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers will be subject to periodic license or permit renewal requirements and inspections by various government authorities at the provincial and municipal levels. We are also exposed to potential legal liabilities arising from claims relating to medical incidents, patient privacy, anti-corruption and anti-bribery, and environmental protection. Our growth prospects may be constrained by such rules and regulations, particularly those relating to the procurement of large medical equipment. Moreover, new laws and regulations applicable to our operations may be introduced in the future, or the current applicable ones may otherwise be amended or replaced to impose additional supervision and management requirements. Any changes in laws and regulations could require us to obtain additional licenses, permits or approvals, broaden the scope of our potential liabilities, increase our operating costs and expenses, or even result in the invalidation of our existing licenses. If we or our future partners fail to comply with such applicable laws and regulations, we could be required to make significant changes to our business or suffer fines or penalties, including the potential loss of our business licenses, the suspension from use of our medical equipment, and the suspension or cessation of operations at cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers in our network.
Regulation - Risk 10
We are no longer engaged in the online microlending business, but we cannot assure you that we would not be penalized under relevant regulations for the previous microlending business.
In August 2017, we established Wusu Company, through which we started to conduct our online microlending business. We have engaged in online microlending business since then and have been continuing to contribute resources to our microlending business up to September 30, 2019, since when the principal business scope of Wusu Company has been changed to trading, provision of technological promotion services and import and export. Since May 2019, we have ceased to issue new loans through microlending businesses. The microlending industry is rapidly evolving with significant regulatory uncertainties, and our microlending business may be subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC with ambiguous and inconsistent application and interpretation. As a result, we cannot assure you that our investment and exploration in microlending would not be subject to legal risks. Since the change of Wusu Company's business scope, we cannot carry out any new microlending business without the proper business registration. However, for the loans which were issued prior to the change of the business scope, we are entitled to the credit right over such loans until their maturity. If, however, the authorities were to determine that our historical microlending business was in violation of the relevant PRC laws and regulations, we may be subject to fines and other administrative penalties imposed by the authorities and our business and reputation could be adversely affected.
Regulation - Risk 11
Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock incentive 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 March 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 domestic qualified agent, which could be the PRC subsidiary of such overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures. 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 have resided in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year and who have been granted options or other awards are subject to these regulations. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiary and limit our PRC subsidiary's 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 Relating to Foreign Exchange - Regulations on Stock Incentive Plans."
Regulation - Risk 12
PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiary's ability to increase its registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC law.
SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Relating to Domestic Resident's Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, in July 2014 that requires PRC residents or entities to register with SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing. In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle undergoes material events relating to any change of basic information (including change of such PRC citizens or residents, name and operation term), increases or decreases in investment amount, transfers or exchanges of shares, or mergers or divisions. SAFE Circular 37 is issued to replace the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for PRC Residents Engaging in Financing and Roundtrip Investments via Overseas Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 75. SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment in February 2015, which took effect on June 1, 2015. This notice has amended SAFE Circular 37 requiring PRC residents or entities to register with qualified banks rather than SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing. If our shareholders who are PRC residents or entities do not complete their registration as required, our PRC subsidiary may be prohibited from distributing its profits and proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to us, and we may be restricted in our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiary. Moreover, failure to comply with the SAFE registration described above could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions. All of our shareholders who directly or indirectly hold shares in our Cayman Islands holding company and who are known to us as being PRC residents have completed the foreign exchange registrations required in connection with our recent corporate restructuring. However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make or obtain any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiary, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our PRC subsidiary's ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.
Taxation & Government Incentives4 | 7.3%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Enhanced scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on potential acquisitions we may pursue in the future.
In connection with the EIT Law, the SAT issued the Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Enterprise Income Tax on Non-resident Enterprises' Equity Transfer Income, or Circular 698, which became effective as of January 1, 2008, the Notice on Issues Concerning Process of Enterprise Income Tax in Enterprise Restructuring Business, or Circular 59 on April 30, 2009, and the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Several Issues concerning the Enterprise Income Tax on the Indirect Transfers of Properties by Non-Resident Enterprises, or the SAT Announcement 7, on February 3, 2015. By promulgating and implementing the above, the PRC tax authorities have strengthened their scrutiny over the direct or indirect transfer of equity interest in a PRC resident enterprise by a non-PRC resident enterprise. Pursuant to SAT Announcement 7, if a non-resident enterprise, or referred to as a transferor, transfers its equity in an offshore enterprise which directly or indirectly owns PRC taxable assets, including ownership interest in PRC resident companies, or the Taxable Properties, without a "reasonable commercial purpose", such transfer shall be deemed as a direct transfer of such Taxable Properties. The payer, or referred as a transferee, in such transfer shall be the withholding agent, and is obligated to withhold and remit the enterprise income tax to the relevant PRC tax authority. If a transferor fails to declare for payment timely or in full of the tax due on proceeds from indirect transfer of PRC taxable assets and the withholding agent also fails to withhold such tax, the tax authority shall, in addition to supplementary collection of such tax, also charge for interest on a daily basis from the transferor according to the EIT Law and its implementation rules. Factors that may be taken into consideration when determining whether there is a reasonable commercial purpose include, among other factors, the value of the transferred equity, offshore taxable situation of the transaction, the offshore structure's economic essence and duration and trading fungibility. If an equity transfer transaction satisfies all the requirements mentioned above, such transaction will be considered an arrangement with reasonable commercial purpose. On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Bulletin of SAT on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or Bulletin 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017 and was amended in June 2018, which, among others, repeals certain rules stipulated in Circular 7. Bulletin 37 further details and clarifies the tax withholding methods in respect of the income of non-resident enterprises. Accordingly, we and non-resident enterprise investors 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. The PRC tax authorities may pursue such non-resident enterprises with respect to a filing or the transferees with respect to withholding obligation, and request our PRC subsidiaries to assist in the filing. As a result, we and non-resident enterprises in such transactions may become at risk of being subject to filing obligations or being taxed, under Circular 59, Circular 698, the SAT Announcement 7 and Bulletin 37, and we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with Circular 59, Circular 698, the SAT Announcement 7 and Bulletin 37 or to establish that we and our non-resident enterprises should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, the PRC tax authorities have the discretion under SAT Circular 59, Circular 698, the SAT Announcement 7 and Bulletin 37 to make adjustments to the taxable capital gains based on the difference between the fair value of the taxable assets transferred and the cost of investment. Although we currently have no plans to pursue any acquisitions in China or elsewhere in the world, we may pursue acquisitions in the future that may involve complex corporate structures. If we are considered a non-resident enterprise under the EIT Law and if the PRC tax authorities make adjustments to the taxable income of the transactions under SAT Circular 59, Circular 698, the SAT Announcement 7 and Bulletin 37, our income tax costs associated with such potential acquisitions will be increased, which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
We may not be able to obtain certain benefits under relevant tax treaty on dividends paid by our PRC subsidiary to us through our Hong Kong subsidiary.
We are a holding company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and as such rely on dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiary to satisfy part of our liquidity requirements. Pursuant to the EIT Law, a withholding tax rate of 10% currently applies to dividends paid by a PRC "resident enterprise" to a foreign enterprise investor, unless any such foreign investor's jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for preferential tax treatment. Pursuant to the Arrangement between the Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, such withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns at least 25% of a PRC enterprise. Pursuant to the Notice of the State Administration of Taxation on the Issues concerning the Application of the Dividend Clauses of Tax Agreements, or Circular 81, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply and certain requirements must be satisfied, including without limitation that (a) the Hong Kong enterprise must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong enterprise must directly hold at least 25% share ownership in the PRC enterprise during the 12 consecutive months preceding its receipt of the dividends. However, a transaction or arrangement entered into for the primary purpose of enjoying a favorable tax treatment should not be a reason for the application of the favorable tax treatment under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement. If a taxpayer inappropriately is entitled to such favorable tax treatment, the competent tax authority has the power to make appropriate adjustments. In August 2015, the State Administration of Taxation promulgated the Administrative Measures for Non-Resident Taxpayers to Enjoy Treatments under Tax Treaties, or Circular 60, which became effective on November 1, 2015. Circular 60 provides that non-resident enterprises are not required to obtain pre-approval from the relevant tax authority in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax rate. Instead, non-resident enterprises and their withholding agents may, by self-assessment and on confirmation that the prescribed criteria to enjoy the tax treaty benefits are met, directly apply the reduced withholding tax rate, and file necessary forms and supporting documents when performing tax filings, which will be subject to post-tax filing examinations by the relevant tax authorities. However, if a competent tax authority finds out that it is necessary to apply the general anti-tax avoidance rules, it may start general investigation procedures for anti-tax avoidance and adopt corresponding measures for subsequent administration. Accordingly, Hexindai Hong Kong Limited, or Hexindai HK, our Hong Kong subsidiary, may be able to enjoy the 5% withholding tax rate for the dividends they receive from Hexin Yongheng, our PRC subsidiary, if it satisfies the conditions prescribed under Circular 81 and other relevant tax rules and regulations. However, according to Circular 81 and Circular 60, if the relevant tax authorities consider the transactions or arrangements we have are for the primary purpose of enjoying a favorable tax treatment, the relevant tax authorities may adjust the favorable withholding tax in the future.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 3
If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.
Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with a "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 over and overall management of the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In April 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or the SAT, issued a circular, known as 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 like us, the criteria set forth in Circular 82 may reflect the SAT's general position on how the "de facto management body" test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to 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 none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. See "Item 10. Additional Information-E. Taxation-People's Republic of China Taxation." 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." As substantially all of our management members are based in China, it remains unclear how the tax residency rule will apply to our case. If the PRC tax authorities determine that we or any of our subsidiaries outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, then we or such subsidiary could be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 25% on its world-wide income, which could materially reduce our net income. In addition, we will also be subject to PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. Furthermore, if the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, dividends we pay to non-PRC holders may be subject to PRC withholding tax, and gains realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares may be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty), if such dividends or gains are deemed to be from PRC sources. 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.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 4
We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders of our ADSs or ordinary shares.
Depending upon the value of our assets, which is determined in part by the market value of our ADSs or ordinary shares, and the composition of our assets and income over time, we could be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Based on the projected composition of our assets and income, we do not believe that we were a PFIC for our taxable year ended March 31, 2023 and we do not anticipate becoming a PFIC in the foreseeable future. While we do not anticipate becoming a PFIC, fluctuations in the market price of our ADSs or ordinary shares may cause us to become a PFIC for the current or any subsequent taxable year. A non-U.S. corporation, such as our company, will be classified as 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 certain types of "passive" income or (ii) 50% or more of the value of its assets (determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year produce or are held for the production of passive income. Whether we are a PFIC is a factual determination and we must make a separate determination each taxable year as to whether we are a PFIC (after the close of each taxable year). Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will not be a PFIC for our taxable year ending March 31, 2023 or any future taxable year. If we were to be classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (as defined in "Item 10. Additional Information-E. Taxation-U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations") holds an ADS or an ordinary share, such U.S. Holder would generally be subject to reporting requirements and might incur significantly increased U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on the sale or other disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares and on the receipt of distributions on the ADSs or ordinary shares to the extent such gain or distribution is treated as an "excess distribution" under the applicable U.S. federal income tax rules. Further, if we were to be classified as a PFIC for any year during which a U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or ordinary shares, we generally would continue to be treated as a PFIC for all succeeding years during which such U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or ordinary shares even if we cease to qualify as a PFIC under the rules set forth above. You are urged to consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences of acquiring, holding, and disposing of ADSs or ordinary shares if we were to be classified as a PFIC. For more information, see "Item 10. Additional Information-E. Taxation-U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations-PFIC Rules."
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 6/55 (11%)Below Sector Average
Innovation / R&D3 | 5.5%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
Our development of new cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers could result in fluctuations in our short-term financial performance, and newly opened cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers and clinics may not achieve timely profitability, or at all.
New cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers generally have lower income and higher operating costs during the initial stages of their operations. We will also incur substantial expenses before opening new cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers such as labor costs, construction expenditures, renovation costs, rental expenses and equipment costs. Based on our research, it generally takes years for new cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers to achieve monthly breakeven and much longer to recover the initial investment. Accordingly, the timing of new cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers openings may have a significant impact on our future profitability. As a result, our results of operations may fluctuate significantly from period to period, which renders the period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations to be not meaningful in predicting our future performance. Moreover, we may not be successful in recruiting qualified medical professionals to effectively provide the services that we intend to offer in our new cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers. It could also take significant lead time for newly opened cancer hospitals and clinics to achieve a utilization rate that is profitable, due to factors such as time needed to build patient awareness in the local community. In addition, the opening of new cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers involve regulatory approvals and reviews by various authorities in the U.S., including health authorities. We may not be able to obtain all the required approvals, permits, licenses or certificates in a timely manner or at all. Therefore, we may not be able to immediately utilize or derive revenue from new cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers as anticipated. In addition, the operating results generated from newly opened cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers may not be comparable to the operating results generated from any of our existing businesses. Newly opened cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers may even operate at a loss, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
We may encounter difficulties in successfully introducing new services in a timely and cost-effective manner, which could materially and adversely affect our business and operations.
Our new cancer therapy and radiation oncology services may not be well received by our clients, and newly introduced services may not achieve expected results. Furthermore, our services will require specialized knowledge of the industry and comprehensive understanding of the market of medical equipment and consumables. We may misjudge the trend of the industry and the market, and may not be able to develop the appropriate solutions for our clients. The efforts to introduce new services may require substantial investments of additional human capital and financial resources. If we fail to improve our existing services or introduce new ones in a timely or cost-effective manner, our ability to attract and retain clients may be impaired, and our results of operations and prospects may be adversely affected.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 3
We plan to establish and operate cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers that will be majority-owned by us and are subject to significant risks.
As part of our growth strategy, we plan to establish and operate cancer therapy and radiation oncology centers that will focus on providing a variety of radiotherapy services as well as catering to cancer patients at varying stages of treatment. This will include specialized radiation therapy centers for radiotherapy (RT), personalized consultation, conventional treatment planning, and other related services for a wide variety of cancer therapy treatments. Since we have limited experience in operating our own centers and clinics, or in providing many of the services that we plan to offer in such centers and clinics, we may not be able to provide as high a level of service quality for those treatment options as compared to the other treatments that we offer at our network of centers, which may result in damage to our reputation and growth prospects. In addition, we may not be successful in recruiting qualified medical professionals to effectively provide the services that we intend to offer in our own centers and clinics. When we establish our own centers and hospitals under our brand name, we may not be able to immediately gain wide acceptance among patients and, thus, may be unable to attract a sufficient number of patients to our new centers and clinics.
Trade Secrets2 | 3.6%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
We may incur liability or become subject to administrative penalties for counterfeit or unauthorized merchandise displayed on our platform, or for merchandise displayed on our platform that infringe on third-party intellectual property rights, or for other misconduct.
Our platform sources merchandise from third-party merchants. Although we have adopted measures to verify the authenticity and authorization of merchandise displayed on our platform and to avoid potential infringement on third-party intellectual property rights in the course of sourcing and selling merchandise, we may not always be successful in these efforts. In the event that any counterfeit, unauthorized or infringing merchandise is displayed on our platform, we could face claims for which we may be held liable. We have not in the past received claims alleging our infringement on third parties' rights, and if we receive such claims in the future irrespective of their validity, we could incur significant costs and efforts in either defending against or settling such claims. If there is a successful claim against us, we might be required to pay substantial damages or refrain from further sale of the relevant merchandise. If we negligently participate or assist in infringement activities associated with counterfeit goods, we may be subject to potential liability under PRC law including injunctions to cease infringing activities, rectification, compensation, administrative penalties, and even criminal liability. Moreover, such third-party claims or administrative penalties could result in negative publicity and our reputation could be severely damaged. Any of these events could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
You may experience dilution of your holdings due to 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 endeavour 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.
Cyber Security1 | 1.8%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
In light of recent events indicating greater oversight by the Cyberspace Administration of China, or CAC, over data security, particularly for companies seeking to list on a foreign exchange, we are subject to a variety of laws and other obligations regarding cybersecurity and data protection, and any failure to comply with applicable laws and obligations could have a material and adverse effect on our business, our listing on NASDAQ, financial condition, and results of operations.
We are subject relating various risks and costs associated with to the collection, use, sharing, retention, security, and transfer of confidential and private information, such as personal information and other data. This data is wide ranging and relates to our customers and any other third parties. Our compliance obligations include those relating to the Data Protection Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and the relevant PRC laws in this regard. These PRC laws apply not only to third-party transactions, but also to transfers of information among us and our PRC subsidiaries, and other parties with which we have commercial relations. These laws continue to develop, and the PRC government may adopt other rules and restrictions in the future. Non-compliance could result in penalties or other significant legal liabilities. Pursuant to the PRC Cybersecurity Law, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on November 7, 2016 and took effect on June 1, 2017, personal information and important data collected and generated by a critical information infrastructure operator in the course of its operations in China must be stored in China, and if a critical information infrastructure operator purchases internet products and services that affects or may affect national security, it should be subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC. Due to the lack of further interpretations, the exact scope of "critical information infrastructure operator" remains unclear. On December 28, 2021, the CAC and other relevant PRC governmental authorities jointly promulgated the Cybersecurity Review Measures (the "new Cybersecurity Review Measures") to replace the original Cybersecurity Review Measures. The new Cybersecurity Review Measures took effect on February 15, 2022. Pursuant to the new Cybersecurity Review Measures, if critical information infrastructure operators purchase network products and services, or network platform operators conduct data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, they will be subject to cybersecurity review. A network platform operator holding more than one million users/users' individual information also shall be subject to cybersecurity review before listing abroad. The cybersecurity review will evaluate, among others, the risk of critical information infrastructure, core data, important data, or a large amount of personal information being influenced, controlled or maliciously used by foreign governments and risk of network data security after going public overseas. In the opinion of our PRC counsel, Hebei Changjun Law Firm we are not subject to cybersecurity review, because: (i) we do not collect or maintain personal information in our business operations and (ii) data processed in our business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities. However, Hebei Changjun Law Firm has also advised us that since the regulatory authorities have discretion in this regard, whether an entity is subject to cybersecurity review shall still subject to the regulatory authorities' view. In addition, we currently do not have over one million users' personal information and do not anticipate to collect over one million users' personal information in the foreseeable future. If we ever became subject to the cybersecurity review of CAC in the future as the applicable rules, regulations, policies or the interpretation thereof change, during such review, we may be required to suspend our operation or experience other disruptions to our operations. Cybersecurity review could also result in negative publicity with respect to our company and diversion of our managerial and financial resources. Furthermore, if we were found to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations in China during such review, we could be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings, fines, or service suspension. Therefore, cybersecurity review could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, the PRC Data Security Law, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on June 10, 2021 and took effect on September 1, 2021, requires data collection to be conducted in a legitimate and proper manner, and stipulates that, for the purpose of data protection, data processing activities must be conducted based on data classification and hierarchical protection system for data security. As the Data Security Law was recently promulgated, we may be required to make further adjustments to our business practices to comply with this law. If our data processing activities were found to be not in compliance with this law, we could be ordered to make ‘corrections, and under certain serious circumstances, such as severe data divulgence, we could be subject to penalties, including the revocation of our business licenses or other permits. Furthermore, the recently issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance with the Law require (i) speeding up the revision of the provisions on strengthening the confidentiality and archives management relating to overseas issuance and listing of securities and (ii) improving the laws and regulations relating to data security, cross-border data flow, and management of confidential information. As there remain uncertainties regarding the further interpretation and implementation of those laws and regulations, we cannot assure you that we will be compliant such new regulations in all respects, and we may be ordered to rectify and terminate any actions that are deemed illegal by the regulatory authorities and become subject to fines and other sanctions. As a result, we may be required to suspend our relevant businesses, shut down our website, take down our operating applications, or face other penalties, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. On August 20, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China promulgated the PIPL, which took effect in November 2021. As the first systematic and comprehensive law specifically for the protection of personal information in the PRC, the PIPL provides, among others, that (i) an individual's consent shall be obtained to use sensitive personal information, such as biometric characteristics and individual location tracking, (ii) personal information operators using sensitive personal information shall notify individuals of the necessity of such use and impact on the individual's rights, and (iii) where personal information operators reject an individual's request to exercise his or her rights, the individual may file a lawsuit with a People's Court. As uncertainties remain regarding the interpretation and implementation of the PIPL, we cannot assure you that we will comply with the PIPL in all respects, we may become subject to fines and/or other penalties which may have material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition. While we take measures to comply with all applicable data privacy and protection laws and regulations, we cannot guarantee the effectiveness of the measures undertaken by us. However, compliance with any additional laws could be expensive, and may place restrictions on our business operations and the manner in which we interact with our users. In addition, any failure to comply with applicable cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection laws and regulations could result in proceedings against us by government authorities or others, including notification for rectification, confiscation of illegal earnings, fines, or other penalties and legal liabilities against us, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and the value of our ADSs. In addition, any negative publicity on our website or platform's safety or privacy protection mechanism and policy could harm our public image and reputation and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Production
Total Risks: 6/55 (11%)Below Sector Average
Employment / Personnel4 | 7.3%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
If labor costs in the PRC increase substantially, our business and costs of operations may be adversely affected.
In recent years, the Chinese economy has experienced inflationary and labor costs increases. Average wages are projected to continue to increase. Further, under PRC law we are required to pay various statutory employee benefits, including pension, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. The relevant government agencies may examine whether an employer has made adequate payments to the statutory employee benefits, and those employers who fail to make adequate payments may be subject to late payment fees, fines and/or other penalties. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. If we are unable to control our labor costs or pass such increased labor costs on to our users by increasing the fees of our services, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
We compete for skilled and quality employees, and failure to attract and retain them may adversely affect our business and prevent us from achieving our intended level of growth.
Competition for our employees including systems engineers, financial officers and marketing professionals is intense. Our business and success relies on the efforts and standard of work of our employees. If we are unable to attract, motivate and retain skilled and trained employees, or if we are unable to continue to provide attractive compensation packages, our business and operations may be adversely affected and our intended levels and rates of growth may be impended. We invest significant time and expense in the training and development of our employees. Failure to retain our existing employees will incur further significant costs to find suitable replacements and a duplication of effort for their training, which may affect our operations and our quality of service to customers and third-party merchants may be compromised, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 3
We are reliant on our core senior management team. If one or more key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Our business, corporate strategies and future performance depends on our core senior management team comprising our directors, executive officers and other key personnel. If we fail to attract and retain any of our key personnel, or if they are unable or unwilling to continue in their present position due to any reason, we will have to go through a difficult process of replacement. The replacement process will necessarily involve significant time and expenses and may adversely affect our business and results of operations and our business objectives may not be achieved at the pace we expected, or at all.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 4
Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.
We are required under PRC laws and regulations to participate in various government sponsored employee benefit plans, including certain social insurance, housing funds and other welfare-oriented payment obligations, and contribute to the plans in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of our employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time at locations where we operate our businesses. The requirement of employee benefit plans has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations. We have not made adequate employee benefit payments. We may be required to make up the contributions for these plans as well as to pay late fees and fines. If we are subject to late fees or fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Supply Chain1 | 1.8%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of our ADSs.
Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short seller's interest for the price of the security to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions regarding the relevant issuer and its business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a security short. These short attacks have, in the past, led to selling of shares in the market. We have been the subject of short selling, and it is not clear what long-term effect such negative publicity could have on us. We may also be subject to short seller attacks from time to time in the future. If we were to become the subject of any unfavourable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we may have to expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves. While we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short sellers by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law or issues of commercial confidentiality. Such a situation could be costly and time-consuming, and could divert management's attention from the day-to-day operations of our company. Even if such allegations are ultimately proven to be groundless, allegations against us could severely impact the market price of our ADSs and our business operations.
Costs1 | 1.8%
Costs - Risk 1
We do not have business insurance coverage.
Insurance companies in China currently do not offer as extensive an array of insurance products as insurance companies in more developed economies. Currently, we do not have any business liability or disruption insurance to cover our operations. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. Any uninsured business disruptions may result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 6/55 (11%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment4 | 7.3%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Because our business is dependent upon government policies that encourage a market-based economy, change in the political or economic climate in the PRC may impair our ability to operate profitably, if at all.
Although the PRC government has been pursuing a number of economic reform policies for more than two decades, the PRC government continues to exercise significant control over economic growth in the PRC. Because of the nature of our business, we are dependent upon the PRC government pursuing policies that encourage private ownership of businesses. Restrictions on private ownership of businesses would affect the VAT filing and collection in general and businesses using ACTCS in particular. We cannot assure you that the PRC government will pursue policies favoring a market-oriented economy or that existing policies will not be significantly altered, especially in the event of a change in leadership, social or political disruption, or other circumstances affecting political, economic and social life in the PRC.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
Changes in the policies of the PRC government could have a significant impact upon our ability to operate profitably in the PRC.
We conduct all of our operations and all of our revenue is generated in the PRC. Accordingly, economic, political and legal developments in the PRC will significantly affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Policies of the PRC government can have significant effects on economic conditions in the PRC and the ability of businesses to operate profitably. Our ability to operate profitably in the PRC may be adversely affected by changes in policies by the PRC government, including changes in laws, regulations or their interpretation, particularly those dealing with the Internet, including censorship and other restriction on material which can be transmitted over the Internet, security, intellectual property, money laundering, taxation and other laws that affect our ability to operate our website.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 3
Changes in China's macroeconomic, socio-political conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
All of our operations are located in China. Accordingly, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations are affected significantly by the political, economic and social climate in China and continuously by the economic performance of China as a whole. The Chinese economy is unique from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, the more salient aspects include 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 is still state-owned. 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 the monetary policy, and determining the different levels of treatment accorded to different industries and companies in accordance with its national development policy. While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, the growth rate has had sporadic bursts, across geographically and among various sectors and industries. 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. In addition, in the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate increases, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, and since 2012, China's economic growth has slowed down. 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.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 4
Our business, financial performance and results of operations could be adversely affected by deterioration of the relation between China and the United States.
The relation between China and the United States is constantly changing. There was a "trade war" between the two countries in 2019 and tensions exist in other areas such as political, social and health issues, particularly recent disagreements in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the recent tensions between China and the United States, there is a risk that our business, the offering and our listing status may be adversely affected by trade restrictions, sanctions and other policies that may be implemented. As we operate in China, any deterioration in political or trade relations might cause a public perception in the United States or elsewhere that might cause our services to become less attractive. The United States lawmakers have introduced several bills intended to protect American investments in Chinese companies. On June 4, 2020, the U.S. President Donald Trump issued PWG, criticizing China's failure to uphold international commitment to transparency and calling for recommendations to protect U.S. investors from China's failure to allow audits of U.S.-listed Chinese companies. PWG may impact U.S.-listed Chinese companies if strict compliance with audit requirements and U.S. law or new listing rules or governance standards were imposed. Changes in political conditions and changes in the state of China-U.S. relations are difficult to predict and could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. We cannot predict what effect any changes in China-U.S. relations may have on our ability to access capital or effectively operate our business in China. Moreover, any political or trade controversies between the United States and China, whether or not directly related to our business, could cause investors to be unwilling to hold or buy our ADSs and consequently cause the trading price of our ADSs to decline.
Capital Markets2 | 3.6%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our net revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.
The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our net revenues in RMB. Under our current corporate structure, our company in the Cayman Islands relies on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. Therefore, our PRC subsidiary is able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us without prior approval from SAFE, subject to the condition that the remittance of such dividends outside of the PRC complies with certain procedures under PRC foreign exchange regulation, such as the overseas investment registrations by the beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB 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. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. 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 pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our ADSs.
Capital Markets - Risk 2
Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
A portion of our revenues and expenditures are denominated in RMB, and the functional currency for our PRC subsidiary and consolidated variable interest entities is RMB, whereas our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. Any significant revaluation of RMB may materially and adversely affect our cash flows, revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADSs in U.S. dollars. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from our initial public offering into RMB to pay our operating expenses, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the RMB amount we would receive from the conversion. If we decide to convert our RMB into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. Moreover, a significant depreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar may significantly reduce our earnings translated in the U.S. dollars, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our ADSs. Furthermore, fluctuations in currencies relative to the periods in which the earnings are generated may make it more difficult to perform period-to-period comparisons of our reported results of operations. The value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in China's political and economic conditions and foreign exchange policies. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S. dollar in the future. Since June 2010, the RMB has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2016, the RMB depreciated significantly in the backdrop of a surging U.S. dollar and persistent capital outflows of China until August 2017 when the RMB started to appreciate against the U.S. dollar. In 2017, the value of the RMB appreciated by approximately 6.71% against the U.S. dollar; and in 2018, the RMB depreciated by approximately 5.7% against the U.S. dollar. In 2019, the value of the RMB further depreciated by approximately 1.3% against the U.S. dollar. In 2020, the value of the RMB appreciated by approximately 6.5% against the U.S. dollar. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and RMB internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce further changes to the exchange rate system and there is no guarantee that the RMB will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, 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 RMB into foreign currency. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on your investment.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 3/55 (5%)Below Sector Average
Sales & Marketing2 | 3.6%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
Substantial future sales or perceived potential sales of our ADSs in the public market could cause the price of our ADSs to decline.
Sales of our ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our ADSs to decline. As of March 31, 2023, we had 68,598,050 ordinary shares outstanding. Among these shares, 38,675,000 ordinary shares are in the form of ADSs. All our ADSs are freely transferable without restriction or additional registration under the Securities Act. The remaining ordinary shares outstanding are available for sale, subject to volume and other restrictions as applicable under Rules 144 and 701 under the Securities Act. To the extent shares are sold into the market, the market price of our ADSs could decline. Certain holders of our ordinary shares may cause us to register under the Securities Act the sale of their shares. Registration of these shares under the Securities Act would result in ADSs representing these shares becoming freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act immediately upon the effectiveness of the registration. Sales of these registered shares in the form of ADSs in the public market could cause the price of our ADSs to decline. We have adopted our 2023 Equity Incentive Plan which was approved by our shareholders at our 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders held on June 19, 2023, under which we have the discretion to grant a broad range of equity-based awards to eligible participants. See "Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees-B. Compensation-Share Incentive Plan." We have registered certain ordinary shares that we may issue under our share incentive plans and intend to register all ordinary shares that we may issue under our share incentive plans. Once we register these ordinary shares, they can be freely sold in the public market in the form of ADSs upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates and relevant lock-up agreements. If a large number of our ordinary shares or securities convertible into our ordinary shares are sold in the public market in the form of ADSs after they become eligible for sale, the sales could reduce the trading price of our ADSs and impede our ability to raise future capital. In addition, any ordinary shares that we issue under our share incentive plans would dilute the percentage ownership held by the investors who purchased ADSs.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
If our social e-commerce platform is unable to provide good customer experience, our business and reputation may be materially and adversely affected.
If our social e-commerce platform does not provide good consumer experience, it could damage our reputation, diminish the value of our brand, undermine the trust and credibility we have established, have a negative impact on our ability to attract new consumers or retain our current consumers, and our business and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected. Our ability to provide good customer experience depends on a variety of factors. These factors include, among others, our ability to continue to offer authentic products at competitive prices, to source products in response to evolving customer tastes and demands, to ensure the quality of our products and services and to provide flexible payment options. For example, If we are unable to develop and maintain good relationships with third-party merchants that would allow us to obtain a sufficient amount and variety of authentic and quality products on acceptable commercial terms, we may be unable to meet customer demands for these products or to offer these products at attractive prices. The third-party merchants in our marketplace business rely on a number of contracted third-party delivery logistics service providers to deliver the products to the customers. The products on our platform are supplied by the merchants, who are separately responsible for sourcing and coordinating the delivery of the products with the third-party delivery logistics service providers. As we do not directly control or manage the operations of these third-party logistics service providers, we may not be able to guarantee their performance. Interruptions to or failures in the delivery services could prevent the timely or proper delivery of our products. These interruptions or failures may be due to unforeseen events that are beyond our control or the control of our third-party logistics and delivery service providers, such as inclement weather, health epidemics, natural disasters, transportation disruptions or labor unrest. Delivery of the products could also be affected or interrupted by the merger, acquisition, insolvency or shut-down of the delivery companies the third-party merchants engage to make deliveries, especially those local companies with relatively small business scales. If the products are not delivered on a timely basis or are delivered in a damaged state, customers may refuse to accept the products purchased and have less confidence in our platform, and our business and reputation could suffer. We cannot assure you that our third-party merchants will be able to find alternative cost-effective logistics service providers to offer satisfactory delivery services in a timely manner, or at all, which could cause our business and reputation to suffer or cause third-party merchants to move to other platforms and have a negative impact on our financial conditions. In addition, if our third-party logistics service providers fail to comply with applicable rules and regulations in China, our delivery services may be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, the delivery personnel of contracted third-party delivery service providers directly interact with our customers on our behalf. We need to effectively manage these third-party logistics service providers to ensure the quality of customer services. Any failure to provide high-quality delivery services to our customers may negatively impact the shopping experience of our customers, damage our reputation, and cause us to lose customers. If our customer service representatives, sales representatives or maintenance engineers and technicians fail to provide satisfactory service, it may compromise our ability to provide effective customer service and enjoyable user engagement, which may in turn cause damage to our reputation, loss of customers or direct economic loss. In addition, any negative publicity or poor feedback regarding our customer service may diminish customer confidence in us and the value of our brand, and in turn cause us to lose customers and market share. In addition, we rely on our technology infrastructure to offer a good customer experience and to attract and retain customers on our platform. Any failure to properly upgrade our technology infrastructure to serve the growing number of customers, maintain the satisfactory performance, security and integrity of our social e-commerce platform and systems, may materially and adversely affect our business and reputation.
Brand / Reputation1 | 1.8%
Brand / Reputation - Risk 1
Any harm to our brand or reputation may materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We believe that the recognition and reputation of our brand, Xiaobai Maimai, among our members, users, third-party merchants and service providers have contributed significantly to the growth and success of our business. Maintaining and enhancing the recognition and reputation of our brand are critical to our business and competitiveness. Many factors, some of which are beyond our control, are important to maintaining and enhancing our brand. These factors include our ability to: - provide a superior shopping experience to our members and users;- maintain the popularity, attractiveness, diversity, quality and authenticity of product offerings on our platform;- maintain the efficiency, reliability and quality of the fulfillment and delivery services to our buyers;- maintain or improve user satisfaction with our services;- increase brand awareness through marketing and brand promotion activities; and - preserve our reputation and goodwill in the event of any negative publicity on consumer experience or merchant service, Internet and data security, product quality, price or authenticity, or other issues affecting us or other social e-commerce businesses in China. Public perception that non-authentic, counterfeit or defective goods are displayed on our platform or that we or third-party service providers do not provide satisfactory customer service, even if factually incorrect or based on isolated incidents, could damage our reputation, diminish the value of our brand, undermine the trust and credibility we have established and have a negative impact on our ability to attract new users or retain our current users. If we are unable to maintain our reputation, enhance our brand recognition or increase positive awareness of our platform, products and services, it may be difficult to maintain and grow our member and user base, and our business and growth prospects may be materially and 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.
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