Resideo Technologies (REZI) Risk Analysis

Applicable laws and regulations impose complex, stringent, and costly compliance activities, including but not limited to environmental, health, and safety protection standards and permitting, labeling and other requirements regarding, among other things, electronic and wireless communications, air emissions, wastewater discharges, the use, handling, and disposal of hazardous or toxic materials, remediation of environmental contamination, anti-money-laundering and anti-corruption,antitrust and competition law concerns, data security, data protection and data privacy, consumer protection and working conditions, and benefits for and compensation of our employees. We may also be affected by future standards, laws, or regulations, including those imposed in response to cybersecurity, energy, decarbonization, climate change, product functionality, geopolitical, corporate social responsibility, data privacy, artificial intelligence, new types of online advertising, or similar concerns. We expect that the growth of our business may depend on our development of new technologies in response to such regulations and laws. These standards, laws, or regulations may further impact our costs of operation, the sourcing of raw materials, and the manufacture, design, redesign, and distribution of our products and place restrictions and other requirements on the products and solutions we can sell. The net revenue and margins of our business are directly impacted by government regulations, including safety, performance, and product certification regulations, particularly those driven by customer demands, as well as changes in trade agreements, tariffs, and environmental and energy efficiency standards. We have in the past been subject to and in the future may be subject to various claims, including legal and regulatory claims arising in the normal course of business. Such claims may include without limitation employment and benefits claims, product recall, personal injury, network security, breaches of or other non-compliance with cybersecurity, data protection, data privacy, or advertising and marketing regulations, or property damage claims resulting from the use of our products, services, or solutions, as well as exposure to hazardous materials, contract disputes, or intellectual property disputes. The actual costs of resolving legal claims may be substantially higher or lower than the level of insurance coverage we hold and/or the amounts accrued for such claims or may be excluded from coverage. In the event of unexpected future developments, it is possible that the ultimate resolutions of such matters could be unfavorable. Various laws and regulations as well as contracts we have entered into with third parties apply to the collection, processing, transfer, disposal, disclosure, and security of personal data and other types of regulated data, including obligations concerning clear, accurate, and transparent data use practices and advertising that is not misleading. The interpretation and application of many privacy and data protection laws and regulations around the world may be inconsistent with our existing data use, management, and retention practices, public descriptions thereof or the features of our products and services. Any such new laws or regulations, any changes to existing laws and regulations, and any such interpretation may affect demand for our products and services, impact our ability to effectively transfer data across borders or advertise our products and services in support of our business operations, or increase the cost of providing our products and services. Additionally, any actual or perceived breach of such laws or regulations may subject us to claims and may lead to administrative, civil, or criminal liability, as well as fines and reputational harm. We could also be required to fundamentally change our business activities and practices, or modify or re-design our products and services, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Claims or lawsuits related to cybersecurity, advertising, marketing, data protection or data privacy initiated by governmental bodies, customers, or other third parties, whether meritorious or not, could be time consuming, result in costly regulatory proceedings, litigation, fines and other liabilities, or require us to change our business practices, sometimes in expensive ways. Unfavorable publicity regarding our privacy practices could injure our reputation, harm our ability to keep existing customers or attract new customers, or otherwise adversely affect our business, assets, revenue, brands, and reputation. Changes in laws, regulations, or government enforcement of policies concerning the environment, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or new technology or information related to individual contaminated sites owned or operated by Resideo, the establishment of stricter state or federal toxicity standards with respect to certain contaminants, or the imposition of new clean-up requirements or remedial techniques, could require us to incur additional currently unanticipated costs in the future that would have a negative effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. We are currently subject to laws and regulations regarding labor, employment and benefits matters, including consultation requirements, and may be subject in the future to government investigations and/or claims, allegations and/or work stoppages in these areas that may have a negative effect on our business operations and/or financial results.

Our profitability and margin growth are dependent upon our ability to drive sustainable improvements. We seek productivity and cost savings benefits through our ongoing transformation, restructuring, and other programs, such as consolidation and outsourcing of manufacturing operations or facilities, reductions in manufacturing shifts, transitions to cost-competitive regions, workforce optimizations, product line rationalizations and divestitures, and other cost-saving initiatives. Risks associated with these actions that we have in the past or may in the future experience include delays in execution of the planned initiatives, additional unexpected costs, asset impairments, realization of fewer than estimated productivity improvements, reduced ability to manage supply chain anomalies, employment claims, and adverse effects on employee morale leading to reduced production and unanticipated departures. We may not realize the full operational or financial benefits we expect, the recognition of these benefits may be delayed and these actions may potentially disrupt our operations. In addition, organizational changes, attrition, labor relations difficulties, or work stoppages could have an adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

We sponsor defined benefit pension plans under which certain eligible employees will earn pension benefits. We have plans in several countries including the U.S., the terms of which require that such qualified defined benefit pension plans maintain certain capitalization levels. Changes in discount rates and actual asset returns different than our anticipated asset returns can result in significant non-cash actuarial gains or losses. With regard to cash pension contributions, funding requirements for our pension plans are largely dependent upon interest rates, actual investment returns on pension assets, and the impact of legislative or regulatory changes related to pension funding obligations. Our future required pension plan contributions may be material and could adversely impact our financial condition, cash flows, and results of operations. We may need to make pension plan contributions in future periods sufficient to satisfy funding requirements.

Technology in our markets changes constantly as new technologies and enhancements to existing technologies continue to be introduced, both in our traditional and connected product markets and industry standards continuously evolve. Our future results will depend upon a number of factors, including our ability to (i) identify consumer and installer preferences, emerging technological and broader trends, (ii) develop and maintain competitive, innovative products that differentiate our products from those of our competitors as well as protect our products through the use of intellectual property protections, (iii) grow our market share, (iv) develop, manufacture, and bring compelling new products to market quickly and cost-effectively, (v) source and manage independent contract manufacturers, (vi) effectively partner with connected device manufacturers and (vii) attract, develop, and retain individuals with the requisite technical expertise and understanding of customers' needs to develop new technologies and introduce new products. Our inability to predict the growth of and respond in a timely way to customer preferences and other developments could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade names, trade secrets, and other proprietary rights, as well as contractual arrangements, including licenses, to establish, maintain, and protect our intellectual property rights. Our intellectual property rights may not be sufficient to permit us to take advantage of some business opportunities. As a result, we may be required to change our plans or acquire necessary intellectual property rights, which could be costly. Furthermore, our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights in emerging markets may be limited by legal or practical considerations that have not historically affected our business in markets with more established intellectual property protection systems. Our industry experiences significant intellectual property litigation and we have in the past and could in the future become involved in costly and lengthy litigation involving patents or other intellectual property rights which could adversely affect our business. We have received allegations of patent infringement from third parties, including both operating companies and non-practicing entity patent holders, as well as communications from customers requesting indemnification for allegations brought by third parties. These allegations have resulted in patent litigation relating to certain of our products and may continue to result in new litigation. These proceedings have in the past and could in the future result in financial liability, harm our ability to compete, and divert our management's time and attention. Often, we receive offers to license patents for our use. We believe that we will be able to access any necessary rights through licensing, cross-licensing, or other mutually beneficial arrangements, although to the extent we are required but unable to enter into such arrangements on acceptable economic terms, it could adversely impact us, requiring us to take specific actions including ceasing using, selling or manufacturing certain products, services or processes or incurring significant costs and time delays to develop alternative technologies or re-design products. Our operations depend in part upon third-party technologies, software, and intellectual property. Failure to renew contracts with existing providers or licensors of technology, software, intellectual property, or connectivity solutions, or to contract with other providers or licensors on commercially acceptable terms or at all, as well as any failure by such third-party provider to provide such technology solutions may adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We could also be subjected to claims of infringement regardless of our lack of involvement in the development of the licensed technology. Although a third-party technology provider is typically obligated to indemnify us if the provided technology infringes on another party's intellectual property rights, such indemnification is often limited in amount and may be worthless if the provider becomes insolvent.