Prestige Consumer Healthcare (PBH) Risk Analysis

We are dependent on consumers' perception of the safety and quality of our products. Negative consumer perception may arise from product liability claims and product recalls, regardless of whether such claims or recalls involve us or our products. The mere publication of information asserting concerns about the safety of our products or the ingredients used in our products could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. We believe our products are safe and effective when used in accordance with label directions. However, adverse publicity about ingredients used in our products may discourage consumers from buying our products containing those ingredients, which would have an adverse impact on our sales. From time to time we are subject to various product liability claims. Claims could be based on allegations that, among other things, our products contain contaminants, include inadequate instructions or warnings regarding their use, or include inadequate warnings concerning side effects and interactions with other substances. For example, we previously acquired a low sales volume talcum-based product as part of a larger acquisition, which was subsequently discontinued in 2017. The product has been identified in a small number of lawsuits along with other talcum-based products and their manufacturers alleging contamination of the products. To date, most claims against our discontinued product have been voluntarily dismissed and none have resulted in a material loss to the Company. Whether or not successful, product liability claims could result in negative publicity that could adversely affect the reputation of our brands and our sales and financial condition. Additionally, we may be required to pay for losses or injuries purportedly caused by our products, which could negatively impact our financial condition. We could also be required for a variety of reasons to initiate product recalls, which we have done on several occasions. Any product recalls could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we have supply and manufacturing agreements with certain of our third-party manufacturers, which explicitly outline the allocation of product liability risk with respect to the products these manufacturers produce, some of our other products are manufactured on a purchase order basis. To the extent we rely on purchase orders to govern our commercial relationships with suppliers, we have not specifically negotiated the allocation of risk for product liability obligations. Instead, we typically rely on implied warranties from the suppliers with respect to these products. As a result, we may have difficulty enforcing these implied warranties, and we may be required to bear all or a significant portion of any product liability obligations rather than transferring this risk to our third-party manufacturers. In addition, although we maintain, and require our suppliers and third-party manufacturers to maintain, product liability insurance coverage, potential product liability claims may exceed the amount of insurance coverage or may be excluded under the terms of the policy, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. In addition, in the future we may not be able to obtain adequate product liability insurance coverage or we may be required to pay higher premiums and accept higher deductibles in order to secure adequate product liability insurance coverage.

Our success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of our senior management. These employees may voluntarily terminate their employment with us at any time. We may not be able to successfully retain existing personnel or identify, hire and integrate new personnel. While we believe we have developed depth and experience among our key personnel, our business may be adversely affected if one or more of these key individuals were to leave or were to experience serious illness, become disabled, or pass away. We do not maintain any key-man or similar insurance policies covering any of our senior management or key personnel.

The costs to manufacture and distribute our products are subject to fluctuation based on a variety of factors. Volatility and increases in commodity raw material (e.g. resins) and packaging component prices, labor, energy, and transportation costs, and other input costs, including as a result of supply chain issues or shortages, could significantly affect our profit margin and could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations if our raw material suppliers, third-party manufacturers, logistics providers or distributors pass along those costs to us. Certain product categories have been impacted by higher inflation due to, among other things, the continuing impacts of labor shortages, global supply chain disruptions and the uncertain economic and geopolitical environment, which has negatively impacted our gross margin. Although the impact of these increased costs has not had a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition to date, further input cost increases could have such a material impact. In this economic environment, the manufacturers we use have and may continue to increase the cost to us of many of the products we purchase, which has impacted and could continue to adversely affect our margins in the event we are unable to pass along these increased costs to our customers or identify and qualify new manufacturers. If we are unable to increase the price for our products to our customers or achieve cost savings in a rising cost environment, any such cost increases would likely further reduce our gross margins and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. If we increase the price of our products in order to maintain our current gross margins for our products, the increase may adversely affect demand for, and sales of, our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. We believe that certain of our products could have difficulty absorbing further near-term price increases without potentially impacting market share, which would have a related adverse impact on our revenues.

In both the United States and in our foreign markets, our operations are affected by extensive laws, governmental regulations, administrative determinations, court decisions and similar constraints. Such laws, regulations and other constraints exist at the federal, state and local levels in the United States and at analogous levels of government in foreign jurisdictions. In particular, the formulation, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, distribution, importation, marketing, sale and storage of our products are subject to extensive regulation by various U.S. federal agencies, including the FDA, FTC and CPSC, the EPA, and by various agencies of the states, localities and foreign countries in which our products are manufactured, distributed, stored and sold. The FDC Act and FDA regulations require that the manufacturing processes of our facilities and third-party manufacturers of U.S. products must also comply with the FDA's cGMPs. The FDA inspects our facilities and those of our third-party manufacturers periodically to determine if we and our third-party manufacturers are complying with cGMPs. Following a halt in inspections during the early phases of COVID-19, the FDA has recently increased inspection activity globally, which has resulted in production delays and exacerbated supply chain issues. The health regulatory bodies of other countries have their own regulations and standards, which may impose additional requirements beyond the U.S. FDA cGMPs. In addition, our and our suppliers' operations are subject to the oversight of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and some suppliers by the National Labor Relations Board. Our activities are also regulated by various agencies of the states, localities and foreign countries in which our products and their constituent materials and components are manufactured and sold. We have successfully moved the manufacture of certain of our more highly regulated products to our own manufacturing facilities, which will subject our facility to increased regulatory requirements and scrutiny with respect to both our existing and new operations there. If we or our third-party manufacturers or distributors fail to comply with applicable regulations, we could become subject to enforcement actions, significant penalties or claims, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we or our third-party manufacturers or distributors could be required to: - Suspend manufacturing operations;- Modify product formulations or processes;- Suspend the sale or require a recall of non-compliant products; or - Change product labeling, packaging, distribution, storage, marketing, or advertising, or take other corrective action. The adoption of new regulations or changes in the interpretation of existing regulations may result in significant compliance costs or the cessation of product sales and may adversely affect the marketing of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our or our third-party manufacturers or distributors failure to comply with FDA, FTC, EPA or any other federal and state regulations, or with similar regulations in foreign markets, that cover our product registration, product claims and advertising, including direct claims and advertising by us, may result in enforcement actions and imposition of penalties, litigation by private parties, or otherwise materially adversely affect the distribution and sale of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business is subject to the risk of, and from time to time in the ordinary course of business we are involved in, litigation by employees, customers, consumers, suppliers, competitors, regulators, stockholders or others through private actions, class actions, administrative proceedings, regulatory actions or other litigation. The outcome of litigation, particularly class action lawsuits and regulatory actions, is difficult to assess or quantify. Plaintiffs in these types of lawsuits may seek recovery of very large or indeterminate amounts, and the magnitude of the potential loss relating to such lawsuits may remain unknown for substantial periods of time. The cost to defend current and future litigation may be significant. There may also be adverse publicity associated with litigation that could decrease customer or consumer acceptance of our products, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are ultimately found liable. For example, although our marketing is evidence-based, consumers and competitors may challenge, and have challenged, certain of our marketing claims by alleging, among other things, false and misleading advertising with respect to advertising for certain of our products. Such challenges could result in our having to pay monetary damages or limit our ability to maintain current marketing claims. Conversely, we have, and may be required in the future to, initiate litigation against others to protect the value of our intellectual property and the related goodwill or enforce an agreement or contract that has been breached. These matters may be time consuming and expensive, but may be necessary to protect our assets and realize the benefits of the agreements and contracts that we have negotiated. As a result, litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our provision for income taxes is subject to volatility and could be adversely affected by several factors, some of which are outside of our control, including: - Changes in the income allocation methods for state taxes, and the determination of which states or countries have jurisdiction to tax our Company;- An increase in non-deductible expenses for tax purposes, including certain stock-based compensation, executive compensation and impairment of goodwill;- Transfer pricing adjustments;- Tax assessments resulting from tax audits or any related tax interest or penalties that could significantly affect our income tax provision for the period in which the settlement takes place;- Tax liabilities from acquired businesses;- Changes in accounting principles; and - Changes in tax laws or related interpretations, accounting standards, regulations, and interpretations in multiple tax jurisdictions in which we operate. Significant judgment is required to determine the recognition and measurement of the attributes prescribed in Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 740. As a multinational corporation, we conduct our business in several countries and are subject to taxation in many jurisdictions. The taxation of our business is subject to the application of multiple and sometimes conflicting tax laws and regulations as well as multinational tax conventions. Our effective tax rate is dependent upon the availability of tax credits and carryforwards. The application of tax laws and regulations is subject to legal and factual interpretation, judgment and uncertainty. Tax laws themselves are subject to change as a result of changes in fiscal policy, changes in legislation, and the evolution of regulations and court rulings. Consequently, taxing authorities may impose tax assessments or judgments against us that could materially impact our tax liability and/or our effective income tax rate. In addition, we may be subject to examination of our income tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. If tax authorities challenge the relative mix of our U.S., state and international income, or successfully assert the jurisdiction to tax our earnings, our future effective income tax rates could be adversely affected.

While we seek to maintain sustainable operations that are both financially and operationally beneficial to our business, and contribute to the health and wellness of the communities in which we operate, we may experience reduced demand for our products and loss of customers if we do not meet their ESG expectations, which could result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. As climate change, land use, water use, deforestation, recyclability or recoverability of packaging, plastic waste, ingredients and other ESG and sustainability concerns become more prevalent, federal, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations and our customers, consumers and investors are increasingly focused on these issues. This increased focus on sustainability may result in new laws, regulations and requirements that could cause disruptions in or increased costs associated with developing, manufacturing and distributing our products. We could also lose revenue if our consumers change brands, our customers refuse to buy our products, or investors choose not to invest in our debt or common stock if we do not meet their ESG and sustainability expectations. For example, since 2020, some of our major customers requested we respond to various questionnaires to evaluate our ESG efforts. Efforts to meet these standards could impact our costs resulting in reduced profits, and failure to meet our customers' expectations could impact our sales and business reputation.

The business of selling brand name consumer products in the OTC health and personal care market is highly competitive. This market includes numerous manufacturers, distributors, marketers and retailers that actively compete for consumers' business both in the United States and abroad. Many of these competitors are larger and have substantially greater resources than we do, and they may therefore have the ability to spend more aggressively on research and development and advertising and marketing, and to respond more effectively to changing business and economic conditions, including in connection with inflation or recessionary conditions. Certain of our product lines that account for a large percentage of our sales have a smaller market share relative to our competitors. In some cases, we may have a number one market position but still have a relatively small share of the overall market. Alternatively, we may hold a number two market position but have a substantially smaller share of the market versus the number one competitor. See "Part I, Item 1. Business - Major Brands" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for information regarding market share. We compete for consumers' attention based on a number of factors, including brand recognition, product quality, performance, value to consumers, price, and product availability at the retail level. Advertising, marketing, merchandising and packaging and the timing of new product introductions and line extensions also have a significant impact on consumer buying decisions and, as a result, on our market share and our sales. Our markets are highly sensitive to the introduction of new products, which may rapidly capture a significant share of the market. New product innovations by our competitors, or our failure to develop new products, the failure of a new product launch by the Company, or the obsolescence of one or more of our products, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If our advertising, marketing and promotional programs are not effective, our sales may decline. The structure and quality of our sales force, as well as sell-through of our products, affect in-store and our e-commerce product position, wall display space and inventory levels for retail sale. If we are unable to maintain our current distribution network,product offerings for retail sale, inventory levels and in-store and online positioning of our products, our sales and operating results could be adversely affected. In addition, competitors may attempt to gain market share by offering products at prices at or below those typically offered by us. The introduction or expansion of store brand products that compete with our products at a lower price point has and could impact our sales and results of operations. This could be exacerbated by rising costs and other economic conditions that shift consumer demand to lower-priced products, as well as supply chain issues that result in reduced availability for our products. Competitive pricing may require us to reduce prices, which may result in lost revenue or a reduction of our profit margins. Future price adjustments by our competitors or our inability to react with price adjustments of our own could result in a loss of market share, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We rely extensively on our information technology systems, some of which are managed by third-party service providers, to manage the data, communications and business processes for all of our functions, including our marketing, sales (including e-commerce), manufacturing, logistics, customer service, accounting and administrative functions. These systems include programs and processes relating to internal communications and communications with other parties, ordering and managing materials from suppliers, converting materials to finished products, marketing and selling products to customers (including through e-commerce channels), customer order entry and order fulfillment, shipping product to customers, billing customers and receiving and applying payment, processing transactions, summarizing and reporting results of operations, complying with regulatory, legal and tax requirements, collecting and storing customer, consumer, employee, investor, and other stakeholder information and personal data, and other processes necessary to manage the Company's business. We, and certain of our suppliers, have been, and likely will continue to be, subject to malware, computer viruses, computer hacking, attempted acts of data theft, phishing, other cyber-attacks and employee error or malfeasance related to our information technology systems. We do not believe that any of these attacks or events has had a material adverse impact on our business, but future attacks could result in a serious information security breach and have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Increased information technology security threats and more sophisticated computer crime, including advanced persistent threats, pose a potential risk to the security of the information technology systems, networks, and services of the Company, its customers and business partners, as well as the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of the data of the Company, its customers and business partners. As a result, the Company's information technology systems, networks or service providers could be damaged or cease to function properly or the Company could suffer a loss or disclosure of business, personal or stakeholder information, due to any number of causes, including system disruptions, catastrophic events, power outages, cyber-attacks and security breaches. To help guard against these possibilities, the Company provides quarterly employee security training and maintains a compliance program with updated security policies to help evaluate and address potential threats and attacks. The Company has also conducted regular security audits by an outside firm based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology ("NIST") standards to address any potential service interruptions or vulnerabilities. Management regularly reports to the Company's Board on information security risks and audit results. Further, the Company has implemented continuity and recovery plans in the event of a disruption. However, if these plans do not provide effective protection, the Company may suffer interruptions in its ability to manage or conduct its operations, including in all of the Company's functions described above, which may adversely affect its business and results of operations. The Company maintains security risk insurance in the event of a cybersecurity breach or incident; however, the coverage may not be sufficient to cover all losses. The Company may need to expend additional resources in the future to continue to protect against, or to address problems caused by, any business interruptions or data security breaches. Any breach of our data security, including the failure to maintain the security of confidential data and information or the misappropriation of such confidential data and information, could result in an unauthorized release or transfer of customer, consumer, user or employee information, or the loss of valuable business data or cause a disruption in our business. These events could give rise to unwanted media attention, damage our reputation, damage our customer, consumer or user relationships, and result in lost sales, fines, lawsuits, remediation costs, or otherwise adversely impact the Company's results of operations and financial condition. We may also be required to expend significant capital and other resources to protect against or respond to or alleviate problems caused by a security breach. As we conduct our operations, we move data across national borders, and consequently we are subject to a variety of continuously evolving and developing laws and regulations in the United States and abroad regarding privacy, data protection and data security. The scope of the laws that may be applicable to us is often uncertain and may be conflicting, particularly with respect to foreign laws. For example, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR"), greatly increases the jurisdictional reach of European Union law and adds a broad array of requirements for handling personal data, including the public disclosure of significant data breaches. In addition, several U.S. states have enacted data privacy laws applicable to entities serving or employing residents and other states are doing the same. We may not be able to comply with all of these evolving compliance and operational requirements and to do so may impose significant costs that are likely to increase over time.

Our financial performance depends on the stability of conditions that impact consumer spending. Adverse conditions or volatility in financial markets or the economy, including rising interest rates, inflation from rising costs, unemployment, bank failures, and the lack of consumer financing, could adversely impact consumer confidence and reduce disposable income, resulting in reduced consumer spending leading to reduced consumption of our products. Existing volatility in the global economy, including from supply chain issues and rising costs, has not materially impacted consumer spending on our products, but further worsening of these conditions could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

Approximately 15% of our total 2024 revenues were attributable to our international business. We generally rely on brokers and distributors for the sale of our products in foreign countries. In addition, some of our third-party manufacturers are located outside the United States. Risks of doing business internationally include, but are not limited to the following: - Political instability or declining economic conditions in the countries or regions where we operate or rely on third-party manufacturers or suppliers, which could adversely affect sales of our products in these countries or regions or our ability to obtain adequate supply of our products;- Currency controls that restrict or prohibit the payment of funds or the repatriation of earnings to the United States;- Fluctuating foreign exchange rates that result in unfavorable increases in the price of our products or cause increases in the cost of certain products purchased from our foreign third-party manufacturers;- Requirements under laws and regulations concerning ethical business practices;- Trade restrictions and exchange controls;- Difficulties in staffing and managing international operations;- Difficulty protecting our intellectual property rights and avoiding diversion of our products in these markets; and - Increased costs of compliance with general business and tax regulations in these countries or regions. Our operations are dependent on foreign distributors and sales agents for compliance and adherence to foreign laws and regulations that we may not be familiar with, and we cannot be certain that these distributors and sales agents will adhere to such laws and regulations or adhere to our business practices and policies. Any violation of laws and regulations by foreign distributors or sales agents or a failure of foreign distributors or sales agents to comply with applicable business practices and policies could result in legal or regulatory sanctions or potentially damage our reputation. Although we require by contract that our distributors maintain strict compliance with all applicable laws, and have the right to terminate those relationships should we determine a distributor is in material non-compliance, we cannot ensure that our foreign distributors and sales agents will steadfastly comply with all such laws. If we fail to manage these risks effectively, we may not be able to continue our international operations, and our business and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Our sales are impacted by consumer spending levels, the availability of our products at retail stores or for online purchase, and our ability to manufacture and distribute products to our customers and consumers in an effective and efficient manner. Our sales are also impacted by demand for our products depending on consumers' activities, lifestyles and financial resources. We could experience adverse impacts from public health emergencies in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, the following: - supply chain delays or disruptions due to closed supplier facilities or distribution centers, reduced workforces, scarcity of raw materials and scrutiny or embargoing of goods produced in infected areas;- shutdown of our manufacturing facilities due to illness or government order;- reduced consumer demand for certain of our products as a result of the economic downturn, discontinuance of government stimulus and assistance programs or restrictions on in-person purchases;- change in demand for or availability of our products as a result of retailers or distributors modifying their restocking, fulfillment, or shipping practices;- decrease in our ability to develop innovative products due to reprioritization of suppliers and/or retailers;- increase in working capital needs and/or an increase in trade accounts receivable write-offs as a result of increased financial pressures on our suppliers or customers;- impairment in the carrying value of goodwill or intangible assets or a change in the useful life of finite-lived intangible assets from sustained changes in consumer purchasing behaviors, government restrictions, or financial results;- increase in raw material and other input costs resulting from labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and market volatility; and - fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates or interest rates resulting from market uncertainties. The extent to which a global pandemic, and the related global economic downturn, could affect our business, results of operations and financial condition depends on developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the severity and duration of any outbreak and recovery period, the availability, acceptance and efficacy of vaccines, future actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to the pandemic, and the impact on our customers, employees and suppliers, distributors and other service providers. Moreover, the effects of a pandemic could exacerbate the other risks described in this "Risk Factors" section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.