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.

GXO Logistics disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. GXO Logistics reported the most risks in the “Production” category.

Risk Overview Q2, 2024

Risk Distribution

29% Production

19% Finance & Corporate

19% Legal & Regulatory

13% Tech & Innovation

13% Macro & Political

6% 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

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GXO Logistics Risk Factors

New Risk (0)

Risk Changed (0)

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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 Q2, 2024

Main Risk Category

Production

With 9 Risks

Production

With 9 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Jun 2024

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Jun 2024

Number of Risk Changed

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

See the risk highlights of GXO Logistics 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 31

Production

Total Risks: 9/31 (29%)Above Sector Average

Employment / Personnel6 | 19.4%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

Any failure to properly manage our temporary workers could have a material adverse impact on our revenues, earnings and financial position.

Our business uses a large number of temporary workers in our operations. We cannot guarantee that temporary workers are as well-trained as our other employees. Specifically, we may be exposed to the risk that temporary workers may not perform their assignments in a satisfactory manner or may not comply with our safety rules in an appropriate manner, whether as a result of their lack of experience or otherwise. If such risks materialize, they could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 2

Our business may be materially adversely affected by labor disputes or organizing efforts.

Labor disputes involving our customers could affect our operations. If our customers experience plant slowdowns or closures because they are unable to negotiate labor contracts, our revenue and profitability could be negatively impacted. In particular, we derive a substantial portion of our revenue from the operation and management of facilities that are often located close to a customer's manufacturing plant and are integrated into the customer's production line process. If any of our customers are affected by labor disputes and consequently cease or significantly modify their operations at a plant served by us, we may experience significant revenue loss and shutdown costs, including costs related to early termination of leases. In Europe, our business activities rely on a large amount of labor, including a number of workers who are affiliated with trade unions and other staff representative institutions. A deteriorating economic environment may result in tensions in industrial relations, which may lead to industrial action within our European operations which could have a direct impact on our business operations. Generally, any deterioration in industrial relations in our European operations, such as general strike activities or other material labor disputes, could have an adverse effect on our revenues, earnings and financial position. Although our workforce in the U.S. is not unionized, labor unions have, from time to time, attempted to organize our employees. Successful unionization of our employees or organizing efforts could lead to business interruptions, work stoppages and the reduction of service levels due to work rules and could have an adverse effect on our customer relationships and our revenues, earnings and financial position.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 3

We are subject to risks associated with a defined benefit plan for our current and former employees, which could have a material adverse effect on our earnings and financial position.

We maintain a defined benefit pension plan in the U.K. A decline in interest rates or lower returns on funded plan assets may cause increases in the expense and funding requirements for this plan. Despite past amendments that froze our defined benefit pension plan to new participants and curtailed benefits, this pension plan remains subject to volatility associated with interest rates, inflation, returns on plan assets, other actuarial assumptions and statutory funding requirements. Any of these factors could lead to a significant increase in the expense of this plan and a deterioration in the solvency of the plan, which could significantly increase our contribution requirements. As a result, we are unable to predict the effect on our financial statements associated with our defined benefit pension plan.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 4

Damage to our reputation through unfavorable publicity or the actions of our employees or temporary workers could adversely affect our financial condition.

Our success depends on our ability to consistently deliver operational excellence and strong customer service. Our inability to deliver our services and solutions as promised on a consistent basis, or our customers having a negative experience or otherwise becoming dissatisfied, can negatively impact our relationships with new or existing customers and adversely affect our brand and reputation, which could, in turn, adversely affect revenue and earnings growth. Adverse publicity (whether or not justified) relating to activities by our employees, contractors, agents or others with whom we do business, such as customer service issues, could tarnish our reputation and reduce the value of our brand. With the increase in the use of social media outlets such as LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, adverse publicity can be disseminated quickly and broadly, making it increasingly difficult for us to effectively respond. This unfavorable publicity could also require us to allocate significant resources to rebuild our reputation.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 5

We depend on our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and temporary workers.

We depend on our ability to attract and retain qualified employees, including our executive officers and managers. If we are unable to attract and retain such individuals, we may be unable to maintain our current competitive position within the industry, meet our customers' expectations or successfully expand and grow our business. Our ability to meet customer demands and expectations, especially during periods of peak volume, is substantially dependent on our ability to recruit and retain qualified temporary part-time and full-time workers. Increased demand for temporary workers, low unemployment or changes in federal or state minimum wage laws may increase the costs of temporary labor, and any such increases in labor costs could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting actions, as well as other macro-economic headwinds such as inflation and supply change disruptions increased the potential for labor shortages and heightened levels of employee turnover. Therefore, our inability to recruit a qualified temporary workforce may result in our inability to meet our customers' performance targets.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 6

Increases in our labor costs to attract, develop and retain employees may have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our workforce is comprised primarily of employees who work on an hourly basis. To grow our operations and meet the needs and expectations of our customers, we must attract, develop and retain a large number of hourly employees while controlling labor costs. Many of our long-term customer contracts are fixed-price arrangements that limit our ability to pass on to our customers increases in labor costs due to low unemployment, increases in government unemployment benefits, competitive pressures, union activity or changes in federal or state minimum wage or overtime laws and any such increases in labor costs could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Additionally, our operations are subject to various employment-related laws and regulations, which govern matters such as minimum wages, union organizing rights, the classification of employees and independent contractors, family and medical leave, overtime pay, compensable time, recordkeeping and other working conditions and a variety of similar laws that govern these and other employment-related matters. Any changes to employment-related laws and regulations, including increased minimum wages or the expansion of union organization rights, could result in increased labor costs that could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Labor represents a significant portion of our operating expenses, thus, compliance with these evolving laws and regulations could substantially increase our cost of doing business, while failure to do so could subject us to significant fines and lawsuits and could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. We are currently subject to employment-related claims in connection with our operations. These claims, lawsuits and proceedings are in various stages of adjudication or investigation and involve a wide variety of claims and potential outcomes.

Costs3 | 9.7%

Costs - Risk 1

We face risks associated with the handling of customer inventory.

Under some of our agreements, we maintain the inventory of our customers, some of which may be significant in value. Our failure to properly handle and safeguard such inventory exposes us to potential claims and expenses as well as harm to our business and reputation.

Costs - Risk 2

The contractual terms between us and our customers could expose us to penalties and other costs in the event we do not meet the contractually prescribed performance levels.

We maintain long-term contracts with the majority of our customers, many of which include performance-based minimum levels of service. Although we manage our business to exceed prescribed performance levels, our inability to meet these service levels, whether due to labor shortages, volume peaks, our inability to procure temporary labor,technological malfunctions or other events that may or may not be within our control, may expose us to penalties or incremental costs or lead to the termination of customer contracts, any of which could negatively affect our business and financial condition.

Costs - Risk 3

Our inability to successfully manage the costs and operational difficulties of adding new customers and business may negatively affect our financial condition and operations.

Establishing new customer relationships or adding operational sites for existing customers requires a significant amount of time, operational focus and capital. Although we typically partner with our new customers to ensure that onboarding is smooth, our inability to integrate new customers or operational sites into our technology systems or recruit additional employees to manage new customer relationships or the incurrence of higher than anticipated costs to onboard new customers may negatively affect our financial condition or operations. In addition, our operations can require a significant commitment of capital in the form of shelving, racking and other warehousing systems that may be necessary to implement warehouse solutions for our customers. These costs are often billed to the customer over the expected length of the customer relationship. To the extent that a customer defaults on its obligations under its agreement with us, we could be forced to take a significant loss on the unrecovered portion of the upfront capital costs.

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 6/31 (19%)Below Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights3 | 9.7%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

GXO's amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains an exclusive forum provision that may discourage lawsuits against GXO and GXO's directors and officers.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that unless the board of directors otherwise determines, the state courts within the State of Delaware (or, if no state court located within the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) will be the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of GXO, any action asserting a claim for or based on a breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director or officer of GXO to GXO or to GXO stockholders, including a claim alleging the aiding and abetting of such a breach of fiduciary duty, any action asserting a claim against GXO or any current or former director or officer of GXO arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws, any action asserting a claim relating to or involving GXO governed by the internal affairs doctrine or any action asserting an "internal corporate claim" as that term is defined in Section 115 of the DGCL. To the fullest extent permitted by law, this exclusive forum provision will apply to state and federal law claims, including claims under the federal securities laws, including the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, although GXO stockholders will not be deemed to have waived GXO's compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. This exclusive forum provision may limit the ability of our stockholders to bring a claim in a judicial forum that such stockholders find favorable for disputes with GXO or our directors or officers, which may discourage such lawsuits against GXO or our directors or officers. Alternatively, if a court were to find this exclusive forum provision inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings described above, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could negatively affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

Certain provisions in GXO's amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, and of Delaware law, may prevent or delay an acquisition of GXO, which could decrease the trading price of GXO's common stock.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain, and Delaware law contains, provisions that are intended to deter coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids by making such practices or bids unacceptably expensive to the bidder and to encourage prospective acquirers to negotiate with our board of directors rather than to attempt a hostile takeover. These provisions include: - the ability of our remaining directors to fill vacancies on our board of directors;- limitations on stockholders' ability to call a special stockholder meeting or act by written consent;- rules regarding how stockholders may present proposals or nominate directors for election at stockholder meetings; and - the right of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval. In addition, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporate Law (the "DGCL"), which could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control. Section 203 provides that, subject to limited exceptions, persons that acquire, or are affiliated with persons that acquire, more than 15% of the outstanding voting stock of a Delaware corporation may not engage in a business combination with that corporation, including by merger, consolidation or acquisitions of additional shares, for a three-year period following the date on which that person or any of its affiliates become the holder of more than 15% of the corporation's outstanding voting stock. We believe these provisions will protect our stockholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with our board of directors and by providing our board of directors with more time to assess any acquisition proposal. These provisions are not intended to make GXO immune from takeovers; however, these provisions will apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders and could delay or prevent an acquisition that our board of directors determines is not in the best interests of GXO and our stockholders. These provisions may also prevent or discourage attempts to remove and replace incumbent directors. In addition, in certain circumstances an acquisition or further issuance of our stock may trigger the application of Section 355(e) of the Code, causing the Separation to be taxable to XPO. Under the TMA, we are required to indemnify XPO for the resulting tax, and this indemnity obligation might discourage, delay or prevent a change of control that our stockholders may consider favorable.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3

Any stockholder's percentage of ownership in GXO may be diluted in the future at any given time.

In the future, existing holders of our common stock may be diluted because of equity issuances for acquisitions, capital market transactions or otherwise, including any equity awards that we will grant to our directors, officers and employees. Our employees have stock-based awards that correspond to shares of our common stock after the Separation as a result of the conversion of their XPO stock-based awards. In addition, the compensation committee of our board of directors has granted and is likely to continue to grant additional stock-based awards to our employees under our employee benefits plans. Such awards will have a dilutive effect on the number of GXO shares outstanding and therefore on our earnings per share, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Debt & Financing1 | 3.2%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

We have incurred debt obligations that could adversely affect our business and profitability and our ability to meet other obligations.

Our inability to generate sufficient cash flows to satisfy our debt obligations, or to refinance our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all, could materially and adversely affect our financial position and results of operations. Further, failure to comply with the covenants under our indebtedness may have a material adverse impact on our operations. If we fail to comply with any of the covenants under our debt obligations and are unable to obtain a waiver or amendment, such failure may result in an event of default under our indebtedness. We may not have sufficient liquidity to repay or refinance our indebtedness if such indebtedness were accelerated upon an event of default. We may also incur additional indebtedness in the future.

Corporate Activity and Growth2 | 6.5%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

We may not successfully manage our growth.

We have grown rapidly and substantially over prior years, including by expanding our internal resources, making acquisitions and entering new markets and we intend to continue to focus on rapid growth, including organic growth and additional acquisitions. We may experience difficulties and higher than expected expenses in executing this strategy as a result of unfamiliarity with new markets, changes in revenue and business models, entry into new geographic areas or increased pressure on our existing infrastructure and information technology systems. Our growth will place a significant strain on our management, operational, financial and information technology resources. We will need to continually improve existing procedures and controls, as well as implement new transaction processing, operational and financial systems and procedures and controls to expand, train and manage our employee base. Our working capital needs will continue to increase as our operations grow. Failure to manage our growth effectively or obtain necessary working capital could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2

Our past acquisitions, as well as any acquisitions that we may complete in the future, may be unsuccessful or result in other risks or developments that adversely affect our financial condition and results.

While we intend for our acquisitions to improve our competitiveness and profitability, we cannot be certain that our past or future acquisitions will be accretive to earnings or otherwise meet our operational or strategic expectations. Special risks, including accounting, regulatory, compliance, information technology or human resources issues may arise in connection with, or as a result of, the acquisition of an existing company, including the assumption of unanticipated liabilities and contingencies, difficulties in integrating acquired businesses, possible management distractions or the inability of the acquired business to achieve the levels of revenue, income, productivity or synergies we anticipate or otherwise perform as we expect on the timeline contemplated. We are unable to predict all the risks that could arise as a result of our acquisitions. If the performance of an acquired business varies from our projections or assumptions or if estimates about the future profitability of an acquired business change, our revenues, earnings or other aspects of our financial condition could be adversely affected. We may also experience difficulties in connection with integrating any acquired companies into our existing businesses and operations, including our existing infrastructure and information technology systems. The infrastructure and information technology systems of acquired companies could present issues that we were unable to identify prior to the acquisition and could adversely affect our financial condition and results. We have experienced challenges of this nature relating to the infrastructure and systems of certain companies that we have acquired. Also, we may not realize all of the synergies we anticipate from past and potential future acquisitions. Among the synergies that we currently expect to realize are cross-selling opportunities to our existing customers, as well as network and operational efficiencies. Variances from these or other assumptions or expectations could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 6/31 (19%)Below Sector Average

Regulation2 | 6.5%

Regulation - Risk 1

Proposed or pending legislative or regulatory changes, or future legislative or regulatory changes, at the federal, state or local level may decrease demand for our services, increase our costs, including our labor costs, and negatively affect our business and our results of operations.

Our business is subject to possible regulatory and legislative changes that may impact our operations, including but not limited to changes that would encourage workers to unionize, make it easier for workers to collectively bargain, increase operational requirements on our business or mandate certain restrictions on the terms of employment for individual workers, including how often they can work or how long they can work in any individual shift. Any and all of these changes or other similar changes could have significant implications for our business model, including increasing our labor costs, reducing our operational flexibility and restricting our ability to meet our customers' expectations and demands, any of which could negatively affect our business and our results of operations. If such regulations are adopted, they could increase our cost of operations or hinder our ability to meet our customers' expectations and demands, either of which would negatively affect our business and our results of operations. Additionally, significant regulatory changes at the federal, state or local level may negatively affect economic output, cause growth to slow, reduce consumer spending and sentiment and result in decreased demand for our services, negatively affecting our business and our results of operations.

Regulation - Risk 2

We are subject to regulations, which could negatively impact our business.

Our operations are regulated and licensed by various governmental agencies at the local, state and federal levels in the U.S. and in the foreign countries where we operate. These regulatory agencies have authority and oversight of domestic and international activities. Our subsidiaries must also comply with applicable regulations and requirements of various agencies. The regulatory landscape in which we operate is constantly evolving and subject to significant change, including as a result of evolving political and social pressures. Future laws, regulations and regulatory reforms may be more stringent and may require changes to our operating practices that influence the demand for our services or require us to incur significant additional costs. We are unable to predict the impact that recently enacted and future regulations may have on our business. If higher costs are incurred by us as a result of future changes in regulations, this could adversely affect our results of operations to the extent we are unable to obtain a corresponding increase in price from our customers.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 3.2%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

We may be involved in lawsuits and are subject to various claims that could result in significant expenditures and impact our operations.

The nature of our business exposes us to the potential for various types of claims and litigation. We are subject to claims and litigation related to our customer contracts and relationships, labor and employment, personal injury, vehicular accidents, cargo and other property damage, business practices, environmental liability and other matters, including claims asserted under various other theories of agency or employer liability. Claims against us may exceed the amount of insurance coverage that we have or may not be covered by insurance at all. Businesses that we acquire also increase our exposure to litigation. Material increases in liability claims or workers' compensation claims, the unfavorable resolution of claims or our failure to recover, in full or in part, under indemnity provisions could materially and adversely affect our operating results. In addition, significant increases in insurance costs or the inability to purchase insurance as a result of these claims could affect our earnings.

Taxation & Government Incentives2 | 6.5%

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1

Changes in tax laws and regulations for U.S. and multinational companies may increase our tax liability.

The U.S. Congress, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD"), the EU and other government agencies in jurisdictions in which we and our affiliates do business have maintained a focus on the taxation of multinational companies. During 2023, the OECD issued administrative guidance for the Pillar Two Global Anti-Base Erosion rules ("Pillar Two"), which generally imposes a 15% global minimum tax on multinational companies. Many Pillar Two rules are effective for fiscal years beginning on January 1, 2024, with other aspects to be effective from 2025. The Company regularly monitors developments in its jurisdictions and considers the impact of the tax-related proposals as they arise.

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2

If the Separation, together with certain related transactions, does not qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we could be subject to significant tax liabilities and, in certain circumstances, we could be required to indemnify XPO for material amounts of taxes and other related amounts pursuant to indemnification obligations under the Tax Matters Agreement by and between XPO and GXO (the "TMA").

In connection with the Separation, XPO received an opinion from outside counsel regarding the qualification of certain elements of the Separation under Section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code"). The opinion of counsel was based upon and relies on, among other things, various facts and assumptions, as well as certain representations, statements and undertakings of XPO. Notwithstanding the receipt of the opinion of counsel, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") could determine that the Separation and/or certain related transactions should be treated as taxable transactions for U.S. federal income tax purposes if it determines that any of the representations, assumptions or undertakings upon which the opinion of counsel was based are false or have been violated. If the Separation, together with certain related transactions, were to fail to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code, XPO would recognize taxable gain as if it had sold the GXO common stock in a taxable sale for its fair market value, and XPO stockholders who receive such GXO shares in the distribution would be subject to tax as if they had received a taxable distribution equal to the fair market value of such shares. In addition, as part of and before the Separation, XPO and its subsidiaries completed an internal reorganization, and XPO, GXO and their respective subsidiaries incurred certain tax costs in connection with the internal reorganization, including non-U.S. tax costs resulting from transactions in non-U.S. jurisdictions, which may be material. With respect to certain transactions undertaken as part of the internal reorganization, XPO obtained opinions of external tax advisors regarding the tax treatment of such transactions. If any of these representations or statements is, or becomes, inaccurate or incomplete, or if XPO, GXO or their respective subsidiaries do not fulfill or otherwise comply with any such undertakings or covenants, such opinions may be invalid or the conclusions reached therein could be jeopardized. Further, notwithstanding receipt of any such tax opinions, there can be no assurance that the relevant taxing authorities will not assert that the tax treatment of the relevant transactions differs from the conclusions reached in the relevant tax opinions. In the event the relevant taxing authorities prevail with any challenge in respect of any relevant transaction, XPO, GXO and their subsidiaries could be subject to significant tax liabilities.

Environmental / Social1 | 3.2%

Environmental / Social - Risk 1

Compliance with environmental laws and regulations could result in significant costs that adversely affect our consolidated results of operations.

Our operating locations are subject to environmental laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment and health and safety matters, including those governing discharges of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and the clean-up of contaminated sites. The operation of our businesses entails risks under environmental laws and regulations. For example, certain jurisdictions including the State of California enacted legislation requiring certain companies to disclose GHG emissions and climate-related financial risk information. We could incur significant costs, including clean-up costs, fines and sanctions and claims by third parties for property damage and personal injury, as a result of violations of or liabilities under these laws and regulations. In addition, potentially significant expenditures could be required to comply with environmental laws and regulations, including requirements that may be adopted or imposed in the future.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 4/31 (13%)Above Sector Average

Innovation / R&D2 | 6.5%

Innovation / R&D - Risk 1

Our business will be seriously harmed if we fail to develop, implement, maintain, upgrade, enhance, protect and integrate our information technology systems, including the systems of any businesses that we acquire.

We rely heavily on our information technology systems in managing our business; they are a key component of our customer-facing services and internal growth strategy. In general, we expect our customers to continue to demand more sophisticated, fully integrated technology. To keep pace with changing technologies and customer demands, we must correctly address market trends and enhance the features and functionality of our proprietary technology platform in response to these trends. This process of continuous enhancement may lead to significant ongoing software development costs, which will continue to increase if we pursue new acquisitions of companies and their current systems. In addition, we may fail to accurately determine the needs of our customers or trends in the logistics industry, or we may fail to respond appropriately by implementing functionality for our technology platform in a timely or cost-effective manner. Any such failures could result in decreased demand for our services and a corresponding decrease in our revenues. If our information technology systems are unable to manage high volumes with reliability, accuracy and speed as we grow, or if such systems are not suited to manage the various services we offer, our service levels and operating efficiency could decline. In addition, if we fail to hire and retain qualified personnel to implement, protect and maintain our information technology systems, or if we fail to enhance our systems to meet our customers' needs, our results of operations could be negatively impacted. Our technology may not be successful or may not achieve the desired results, and we may require additional training or different personnel to successfully implement this technology. Our technology development process may be subject to cost overruns or delays in obtaining the expected results, which may result in disruptions to our operations. Technology and new market entrants may also disrupt the way we and our competitors operate. If we fail to successfully implement critical technology, if our technology does not provide the anticipated benefits or it does not meet market demands, we may be placed at a competitive disadvantage and could lose customers, materially adversely impacting our financial condition and results of operations.

Innovation / R&D - Risk 2

Our ability to achieve our ESG goals is subject to risks, many of which are outside our control, and our reputation could be harmed if we fail to meet such goals.

Our ability to achieve our ESG goals, including our goal to achieve 30% reduction in Greenhouse Gas ("GHG") emissions by 2030, and to accurately and transparently report our progress presents numerous operational, financial, legal and other risks and may be dependent on the actions of suppliers and other third parties, all of which are outside our control. If we are unable to meet our ESG goals or evolving stakeholder expectations and industry standards, our reputation could be negatively impacted. If, as a result of their assessment of our ESG practices, certain investors are unsatisfied with our actions or progress, they may reconsider their investment in our Company. If the nature, scope and complexity of ESG reporting, diligence and disclosure requirements expand, we may have to undertake additional costs to control, assess and report on ESG metrics. Any failure or perceived failure to satisfy various ESG reporting standards within the timelines we announce, or at all, could increase the risk of litigation.

Trade Secrets1 | 3.2%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

Issues related to the intellectual property rights on which our business depends, whether related to our failure to enforce our own rights or infringement claims brought by others, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We use both internally developed and purchased technologies in conducting our business. It is possible that users of these technologies, whether internally developed or purchased, could be claimed to infringe upon or violate the intellectual property rights of third parties. In the event that a claim is made against us by a third party for the infringement of intellectual property rights, a settlement or adverse judgment against us could result in increased costs to license the technology or a legal prohibition against continued use of the technology. Thus, our failure to obtain, maintain or enforce our intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We rely on a combination of intellectual property rights, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, domain names, trade secrets, intellectual property licenses and other contractual rights, to protect our intellectual property and technology. Any of our owned or licensed intellectual property rights could be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, infringed or misappropriated; our trade secrets and other confidential information could be disclosed in an unauthorized manner to third parties; or we may fail to secure the rights to intellectual property developed by our employees, contractors and others. Efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights may be time-consuming and costly, distract management's attention, divert our resources in other ways and ultimately be unsuccessful. Moreover, should we fail to develop and properly manage future intellectual property, this could adversely affect our market positions and business opportunities.

Cyber Security1 | 3.2%

Cyber Security - Risk 1

A failure of our information technology infrastructure or a breach of our information systems, networks or processes may have a material adverse effect on our business.

The efficient operation of our business depends on our information technology systems, including internet and cloud-based services, for many activities important to our business. We also rely on third parties and virtualized infrastructure to operate our information technology systems. Despite significant testing for risk management, external and internal risks, such as malware, insecure coding, "Acts of God," data leakage and human error pose a direct threat to the stability or effectiveness of our information technology systems and operations. The failure of our information technology systems to perform as we anticipate could adversely affect our business through transaction errors, billing and invoicing errors, internal recordkeeping and reporting errors, processing inefficiencies and loss of sales, receivables collection or customers. Any such failure could result in harm to our reputation and have an ongoing adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition, including after the underlying failures have been remedied. We may also be subject to cyberattacks and other intentional hacking. Any failure to identify and address such defects or errors or prevent a cyberattack could result in service interruptions, operational difficulties, loss of revenues or market share, liabilities to our customers or others, the diversion of corporate resources, injury to our reputation or increased service and maintenance costs. Addressing such issues could prove to be impossible or very costly and responding to the resulting claims or liability could similarly involve substantial cost. In addition, recently, regulatory and enforcement focus on data protection has heightened in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in the European Union ("EU"), and failure to comply with applicable U.S. or foreign data protection regulations or other data protection standards may expose us to litigation, fines, sanctions or other penalties, which could harm our business, its reputation, results of operations and financial condition.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 4/31 (13%)Below Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment2 | 6.5%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

Economic recessions and other factors, such as heightened geopolitical tensions or conflict, that reduce consumer spending, both in North America and Europe, could have a material adverse impact on our business.

Our performance is affected by recessionary economic cycles, downturns in customers' business cycles and changes in customers' business practices. Our customers experience cyclical fluctuations in demand for their products due to economic recessions, which reduces the demand for our services and could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. The ramifications of any period of heightened geopolitical tensions or conflicts, including increased international trade sanctions, may negatively impact regional and global economic markets, including where we operate, may cause supply chain disruptions and may increase costs for labor, transportation and energy. Any period of heightened geopolitical tensions or conflict can increase financial market volatility and could negatively affect our ability to raise additional capital when required. While we do not conduct business in Russia, the conflict and its effects could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2

Challenges in the commercial and credit environment may adversely affect our future access to capital on favorable terms.

Volatility in the world financial markets could increase borrowing costs or affect our ability to access the capital markets. Our ability to issue debt or enter into other financing arrangements on acceptable terms could be adversely affected if there is a material decline in the demand for our services or in the solvency of our customers or suppliers or if there are other significantly unfavorable changes in economic conditions.

International Operations1 | 3.2%

International Operations - Risk 1

Our overseas operations are subject to various operational and financial risks that could adversely affect our business.

The services we provide outside the U.S. are subject to risks resulting from changes in tariffs, trade restrictions, trade agreements, tax rules and policies, difficulties in managing or overseeing foreign operations and agents, different liability standards, issues related to compliance with anti-corruption laws, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act, data protection, trade compliance and intellectual property laws of countries that do not protect our rights relating to our intellectual property, including our proprietary information systems, to the same extent as U.S. laws. The occurrence or consequences of any of these factors may restrict our ability to operate in the affected region or decrease the profitability of our operations in that region. In addition, as we expand our business in foreign countries, we will be exposed to increased risk of loss from foreign currency fluctuations and exchange controls.

Capital Markets1 | 3.2%

Capital Markets - Risk 1

We are exposed to currency exchange rate fluctuations because a significant proportion of our assets, liabilities and earnings are denominated in foreign currencies.

We present our financial statements in U.S. dollars ("USD"), but we hold a significant proportion of our net assets and generate income in non-USD currencies, primarily the Euro and British pound sterling. Consequently, a depreciation of non-USD currencies relative to the USD could have an adverse impact on our financial results as further discussed in Item 7A, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk." National and regional differences in monetary policy may cause the value of the non-USD currencies to fluctuate against the USD. Currency volatility contributes to variations in our revenue and expenses in foreign currency jurisdictions. Accordingly, fluctuations in currency exchange rates could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 2/31 (6%)Below Sector Average

Competition1 | 3.2%

Competition - Risk 1

We operate in a highly competitive industry, and failure to compete or respond to customer requirements could negatively affect our business and our results of operations.

The logistics industry is intensely competitive and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. We compete against multinational firms, regional players and emerging technology companies. We also must contend with our customers' ability to in-source their logistics operations. The competitive factors that are most important to our customers are price and quality of service. Many larger customers utilize the services of multiple logistics providers. Customers regularly solicit bids from competitors to improve service and to secure favorable pricing and contractual terms such as longer payment terms, fixed-price arrangements, higher or unlimited liability and performance penalties. Increased competition and competitors' acceptance of more onerous contractual terms could result in reduced revenues, reduced margins, higher operating costs or loss of market share, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Demand1 | 3.2%

Demand - Risk 1

Our operations are subject to seasonal fluctuations, and our inability to manage these fluctuations could negatively affect our business and our results of operations.

Many of our customers typically realize a significant portion of their sales during the holiday season in the fourth quarter of each calendar year. Although not all of our customers experience the same seasonal variation, and some customers may have seasonal peaks that occur in periods other than the fourth quarter, the seasonality of our customers' businesses places higher demands on our services during peak periods, requiring us to take measures, including temporarily expanding our workforce, to meet our customers' demands. Our failure to meet our customers' expectations during these seasonal peaks may negatively affect our customer relationships, could expose us to penalties under our contractual arrangements with customers and ultimately could negatively affect our business and our results of operations.

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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