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.

Sumitomo Mitsui disclosed 30 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Sumitomo Mitsui reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q1, 2021

Risk Distribution

47% Finance & Corporate

23% Macro & Political

10% Legal & Regulatory

10% Ability to Sell

7% Production

3% Tech & Innovation

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

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

Risk Change Over Time

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

Sumitomo Mitsui Risk Factors

New Risk (0)

Risk Changed (0)

Risk Removed (0)

No changes from previous report

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

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

Risk Highlights Q1, 2021

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 14 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 14 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

2Risks changed

Since Mar 2021

0Risks added

0Risks removed

2Risks changed

Since Mar 2021

Number of Risk Changed

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

From last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

See the risk highlights of Sumitomo Mitsui 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 30

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 14/30 (47%)Below Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights4 | 13.3%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

Future declines in securities prices on Japanese stock markets or other global markets could cause us to experience realized and unrealized losses on our equity securities portfolio, which could negatively affect our financial condition, results of operations and regulatory capital position.

The value of a listed equity security is measured at its market price. Declines in the Japanese stock markets or other global markets could result in realized and unrealized losses on the securities in our equity securities portfolio, adversely affecting our results of operations and financial condition. Our regulatory capital position and that of SMBC depend in part on the fair value of our equity securities portfolio. Substantial declines in the Japanese stock markets or other global markets would negatively affect our and SMBC's capital positions, and limit SMBC's ability to make distributions to us. Our equity securities portfolio mainly consists of equity instruments at fair value through other comprehensive income. The reported value of our equity instruments at fair value through other comprehensive income accounted for 2.0% of our total assets at March 31, 2021, approximately 85.5% of which were Japanese equity securities. This value depends mainly on prices of the instruments in the stock market. In addition, the reported value, and gross unrealized gains and losses of those equity instruments at fair value through other comprehensive income at March 31, 2021 are described in "Item 5.A. Operating Results-Financial Condition-Investment Securities." In recent years, we have been reducing our strategic shareholding investments in order to mitigate the impact of share price fluctuations on our financial base. Any further disposal by us of equity holdings of our customers' shares could in turn cause our customers to dispose of their equity holdings of our shares, which could adversely affect the market price of our shares.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

Sales of our shares by us may have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares and may dilute existing shareholders.

We may issue shares from the unissued portion of our authorized share capital and sell shares held as treasury stock, generally without a shareholder vote. Sales of shares in the future may be at prices below prevailing market prices and may be dilutive.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3

It may not be possible for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or our directors or senior management, or to enforce against us or those persons judgments obtained in U.S. courts predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal or state securities laws.

We are a joint stock corporation incorporated under the laws of Japan. Almost all of our directors and senior management reside outside the United States. Many of our assets and the assets of these persons are located in Japan and elsewhere outside the United States. It may not be possible, therefore, for U.S. investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or these persons or to enforce, against us or these persons, judgments obtained in U.S. courts predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal or state securities laws. We believe that there is doubt as to the enforceability in Japan, in original actions or in actions to enforce judgments of U.S. courts, of claims predicated solely upon the U.S. federal or state securities laws mainly because the Civil Execution Act of Japan requires Japanese courts to deny requests for the enforcement of judgments of foreign courts if foreign judgments fail to satisfy the requirements prescribed by the Civil Execution Act, including requirements that: - the jurisdiction of the foreign court be recognized under laws, regulations, treaties or conventions;- proper service of process be made on relevant defendants, or relevant defendants be given appropriate protection if such service is not received;- the judgment and proceedings of the foreign court not be repugnant to public policy as applied in Japan; and - there exist reciprocity as to the recognition by a court of the relevant foreign jurisdiction of a final judgment of a Japanese court. Judgments obtained in U.S. courts, predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal or state securities laws, may not satisfy these requirements.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4

As a holder of our American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), you have fewer rights than a shareholder of record in our shareholder register because you must act through the depositary to exercise these rights.

The rights of our shareholders under Japanese law to take actions such as voting their shares, receiving dividends and distributions, bringing derivative actions, examining our accounting books and records and exercising appraisal rights are available only to our shareholders of record. Because the depositary, through its custodian, is the record holder of the shares underlying the ADSs, only the depositary can exercise shareholder rights relating to the deposited shares. ADS holders will not be able to directly bring a derivative action, examine our accounting books and records or exercise appraisal rights. Pursuant to the deposit agreement among us, the depositary and the holders and beneficial owners of ADSs, the depositary will endeavor to exercise voting and other rights associated with shares underlying ADSs in accordance with instructions given by ADS holders, and the depositary will also pay to ADS holders dividends and distributions collected from us. However, the depositary is permitted under the deposit agreement to exercise reasonable discretion in carrying out those instructions or in making distributions and is not liable for failure to carry out instructions or make distributions as long as it acts in good faith. Therefore, ADS holders may not be able to exercise voting or other rights associated with the shares underlying ADSs in the manner that they intend or may lose some or all of the value of dividends or distributions collected from us. Moreover, the deposit agreement may be amended or terminated by us and the depositary without any reason, or consent from or notice to ADS holders. As a result, ADS holders may not be able to exercise rights in connection with the deposited shares exercised in the way they wish or at all. ADS holders are dependent on the depositary for certain communications from us. We send to the depositary most of our communications to ADS holders in Japanese. ADS holders may not receive all of our communications in the same manner as or on an equal basis with shareholders of record in our shareholder register.

Accounting & Financial Operations1 | 3.3%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

Our failure to establish, maintain and apply adequate internal controls over financial reporting could negatively impact investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.

In order to operate as a global financial institution, it is essential for us to have effective internal controls, corporate compliance functions, and accounting systems to manage our assets and operations. As a New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")-listed company and a registrant with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), under section 404 of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 our management is required to assess the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and disclose whether such internal controls are effective. Our independent registered public accounting firm has to conduct an audit to evaluate and then render an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan ("FIEA") also requires companies listed on a Japanese stock exchange, such as us, to file, together with their annual securities reports required by the FIEA, audited internal control reports assessing the effectiveness of their internal controls over financial reporting. We have established internal controls over financial reporting, as well as rules for evaluating those controls, in order to provide reasonable assurance of the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements. However, these controls may not prevent or detect errors. Any evaluation of effectiveness of future periods is subject to the risks that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. To the extent any issues are identified through the foregoing processes, there can be no assurance that we will be able to resolve them in a timely manner or at all. If this occurs, our reputation may be damaged, which could lead to a decline in investor confidence in us.

Debt & Financing5 | 16.7%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

Failure to satisfy capital adequacy requirements could constrain our and SMBC's operations.

We and SMBC are subject to capital adequacy requirements established by the Financial Services Agency of Japan ("FSA") which are based on the Basel rules text published by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision ("BCBS"). With respect to the quality of the capital base, certain capital instruments, including existing preferred securities and subordinated debt, are eligible for inclusion as Tier 1 capital or Tier 2 capital only for the prescribed 10-year phase-out period. Preferred stocks convertible into common stocks no longer qualify as Common Equity Tier 1 capital but would qualify as Additional Tier 1 capital if they satisfy certain requirements including the requirement of loss absorbency at the point of non-viability under the Basel III rules. In addition, securities with step-up clauses will no longer qualify as Additional Tier 1 capital, and if the relevant security is classified as a liability for accounting purposes, it must satisfy the requirement of loss absorbency at a pre-specified trigger point, which must be 5.125% or more of Common Equity Tier 1 risk-weighted capital ratio as well as the aforementioned requirement of loss absorbency at the point of non-viability to qualify as Additional Tier 1 capital. With respect to Tier 2 capital, under the Basel III rules, the relevant security must satisfy the requirement of loss absorbency at the point of non-viability to qualify as Tier 2 capital, and subordinated debt securities callable at the initiative of the issuer within five years or with step-up clauses can no longer qualify as Tier 2 capital. With respect to the quantity of the capital base, the minimum Common Equity Tier 1 risk-weighted capital ratio and minimum risk-weighted capital ratio applicable to us and SMBC have been 4.5% and 8% respectively since March 2015. Moreover, we are required to hold a capital conservation buffer to withstand future periods of stress and a countercyclical buffer as additional capital to reduce the buildup of systemic risk in periods and locations of excessive credit growth. The capital conservation buffer has been 2.5% since March 2019. As a result, taking the capital conservation buffer into account at March 2021, the total minimum Common Equity Tier 1 risk-weighted capital ratio has been 7%, and the total minimum risk-weighted capital ratio has been 10.5%. The countercyclical buffer is calculated as the weighted average of the buffers in effect in the jurisdictions to which we have credit exposure, with a maximum of 2.5% from March 2019. In addition, the requirements for additional capital, in the form of a capital surcharge above the Basel III minimum requirement, have been applied from 2016 to those financial institutions identified by the Financial Stability Board ("FSB") as Global Systemically Important Banks ("G-SIBs"), including us. This requirement is commonly referred to as the G-SIB capital surcharge. The FSB updates its list of G-SIBs on an annual basis. Based on the list, we have been required to maintain an additional 1% of Common Equity Tier 1 capital as a percentage of risk-weighted assets from 2019. In March 2019, the FSA published its guidelines for the leverage ratio applicable to banks and bank holding companies with international operations, which have been applied from March 31, 2019. Under the FSA's guidelines for the leverage ratio, banks and bank holding companies with international operations must maintain a leverage ratio of at least 3% on both a consolidated basis and a nonconsolidated basis from March 31, 2019. On June 30, 2020, in light of the increasing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FSA published amendments to its guidelines for the leverage ratio, which mainly exclude deposits with the BOJ from the denominator for the calculation of the leverage ratio in order to maintain harmonization with the monetary policy implemented by the BOJ and the prudential regulations for banks and other financial institutions. These amendments came into effect on June 30, 2020 and were scheduled to expire on March 31, 2021. On March 31, 2021, the FSA extended the expiry date of these amendments to March 31, 2022. G-SIBs are also subject to a global standard for Total Loss-Absorbing Capacity ("TLAC"), which defines certain minimum requirements for total loss-absorbing capacity so that if G-SIBs fail, they will have sufficient loss absorbing and recapitalization capacity available in resolution. In November 2015, the FSB published the final TLAC standards ("FSB's TLAC Standards") and, in March 2019, the FSA published its regulatory guidelines and related documents for the implementation of the TLAC standards in Japan ("Japanese TLAC Standards") to which we are subject as a G-SIB. At March 31, 2021, on a consolidated basis, our total risk-weighted capital ratio, Tier 1 risk-weighted capital ratio and Common Equity Tier 1 risk-weighted capital ratio were 18.61%, 16.96% and 16.00%, compared to the minimum required ratios of 11.52%, 9.52% and 8.02%, respectively. Such minimum required ratios include the capital conservation buffer of 2.5%, the G-SIB capital surcharge of 1.0% and the countercyclical buffer of 0.02%. Our and SMBC's capital ratios could decline as a result of decreases in Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital or increases in risk-weighted assets. The following circumstances, among others, could reduce our risk-weighted capital ratio and that of SMBC: - declines in the value of securities;- inability to refinance existing subordinated debt obligations or preferred securities eligible for inclusion as Tier 1 capital or Tier 2 capital only for the prescribed 10-year phase-out period with those qualified as regulatory capital under the new capital adequacy requirements which phased in from March 2013; and - increases in risk-weighted assets resulting from business growth, strategic investments, borrower downgrades, changes in parameters such as probability of default ("PD") or regulatory reforms. We and SMBC have adopted the advanced internal rating-based ("IRB") approach for measuring exposure to credit risk and the advanced measurement approach ("AMA") to measure exposure to operational risk. If the FSA revokes its approval of such implementation or otherwise changes its approach to measure capital adequacy ratios, our and SMBC's ability to maintain capital at the required levels may be adversely affected. In December 2017, the Group of Central Bank Governors and Heads of Supervision (the "GHOS") endorsed the outstanding Basel III regulatory reforms. The endorsed reforms include the following elements: - a revised standardized approach for credit risk;- revisions to the internal ratings-based approach for credit risk;- revisions to the credit valuation adjustment framework;- a revised standardized approach for operational risk;- revisions to the measurement of the leverage ratio and a leverage ratio buffer for G-SIBs; and - revisions to the capital floor. We will be subject to the final Basel III reform, as implemented in Japan. If our or SMBC's capital ratios fall below required levels, the FSA may require us or SMBC to take a variety of corrective actions, including withdrawal from all international operations or suspension of all or part of our operations, which may indirectly affect our ability to fulfill our contractual obligations or may result in restrictions on our businesses. Failure to maintain capital levels under the capital buffer requirements under Basel III and the requirement for the G-SIB capital surcharge will result in restrictions on capital distributions, such as dividends, share buybacks, discretionary payments on other Tier 1 capital instruments and bonuses. In addition, some of our and SMBC's domestic and overseas subsidiaries are also subject to local capital ratio requirements. Failure of those subsidiaries to meet local requirements may result in administrative actions or sanctions imposed by local regulatory authorities.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

We may incur losses as a result of financial difficulties of counterparties and other financial institutions.

We regularly execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry. Many of these transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of deterioration of creditworthiness of a counterparty or client. With respect to secured transactions, our credit risk may be exacerbated when the collateral cannot be foreclosed on or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the loan or other exposures due to us. Losses from our investments in and loans to other financial institutions could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may also be requested to participate in providing assistance to distressed financial institutions that are not our subsidiaries. In addition, if the funds collected by the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan ("DIC") are insufficient to insure the deposits of failed Japanese banks, the insurance premiums that we pay to the DIC will likely be increased, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Debt & Financing - Risk 3

The transition away from and discontinuation of LIBOR and other interest rate benchmarks could have a negative impact on our results of operations.

For several years, global regulators and central banks have been pursuing international efforts to reform interest rate benchmarks, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"). In July 2017, the UK Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA"), which regulates LIBOR, announced that the FCA will no longer persuade or compel banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. On March 5, 2021, the FCA and ICE Benchmark Administration, the authorized and regulated administrator of LIBOR, announced that all the GBP, CHF, JPY, EUR LIBOR settings and the one-week and two month USD LIBOR settings will cease after December 31, 2021, and the remaining USD LIBOR settings will cease after June 30, 2023. We have identified a significant number of assets and liabilities linked to LIBOR and other interest rate benchmarks, across businesses that require transition to alternative reference rates. The transition away from and discontinuation of LIBOR and other interest rate benchmarks, uncertainty as to the availability and/or suitability of alternative reference rates, and differences between LIBOR, and other interest rate benchmarks and alternative reference rates may have a material adverse effect on financial markets and market participants, including us. Accordingly, we have taken, and are continuing to take, necessary steps to proactively address the transition and meet the industry-recommended and regulatory milestones, including developing internal systems and infrastructure to transition to alternative reference rates, as well as conducting outreach to inform our customers of the necessity to prepare for the cessation of LIBOR. Also, SMFG and major subsidiaries adhere to the IBOR Fallbacks Supplement to the 2006 ISDA Definitions and the ISDA 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol, which came into effect on January 25, 2021. However, we may face the risks that our actions to address the transition, including developing internal systems and infrastructure as well as customer outreach, may be delayed or may not be successful. Even if our actions are undertaken successfully, they may not be sufficient to address the transition and may lead to a negative impact on our customers. For example, our customers may consider that the advice and information that we prepare and provide is inadequate and/or inaccurate. Moreover, the valuation of certain of our financial assets and liabilities may change, and the inability of existing hedged and hedging transactions to meet the hedge relationship designation requirements could lead to an increase in profit and loss volatility. All of these could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. For further details, see Note 2 "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies-Hedge Accounting-Interest Rate Benchmark Reform" and Note 7 "Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedge Accounting-Hedge accounting-Interest Rate Benchmark Reform" to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Debt & Financing - Risk 4

A significant downgrade of our credit ratings could have a negative effect on us.

At the date of this annual report, the Company has the issuer ratings of A1/P-1 from Moody's Japan K.K., the issuer credit rating of A- from S&P Global Ratings Japan Inc. and the foreign and local currency issuer default ratings of A/F1 from Fitch Ratings Japan Limited. There can be no assurance that these ratings will be maintained. A material downgrade of our credit ratings may have various effects including, but not limited to, the following: - we may have to accept less favorable terms in our transactions with counterparties, including capital raising activities, or may be unable to enter into certain transactions;- foreign regulatory bodies may impose restrictions on our overseas operations;- existing agreements or transactions may be cancelled; and - we may be required to provide additional collateral in connection with derivatives transactions. Any of these or other effects of a downgrade of our credit ratings could have a negative impact on the profitability of our treasury and other operations, and could adversely affect our regulatory capital position, liquidity position, financial condition and results of operations. For more information about our credit ratings, see "Item 5.B. Liquidity and Capital Resources."

Debt & Financing - Risk 5

Our liquidity could be adversely affected by actual or perceived weaknesses in our businesses and by factors we cannot control, such as a general decline in the level of business activity in the financial services sector.

We need liquidity to maintain our lending activities, meet deposit withdrawals, pay our operating expenses and pay interest on and principal of debt and dividends on capital stock. Adverse market and economic conditions in the domestic and global economies may limit or adversely affect our access to liquidity required to operate our business. If our counterparties or the markets are reluctant to finance our operations due to factors including actual or perceived weaknesses in our businesses as a result of large losses, changes in our credit ratings, or a general decline in the level of business activity in the financial services sector, we may be unable to meet our payment obligations when they become due or only be able to meet them with funding obtained on unfavorable terms. Circumstances unrelated to our businesses and outside of our control, such as, but not limited to, adverse economic conditions, disruptions in the financial markets or negative developments concerning other financial institutions perceived to be comparable to us, may also limit or adversely affect our ability to replace maturing liabilities in a timely manner. Without sufficient liquidity, we will be forced to curtail our operations, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Corporate Activity and Growth4 | 13.3%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

We face significant challenges in achieving the goals of our business strategy, and our business may not be successful.

In May 2020, we announced our medium-term management plan through March 2023. We believe that we have targeted appropriate business areas. However, our initiatives to offer new products and services and to increase sales of our existing products and services may not succeed if market conditions do not stabilize, market opportunities develop more slowly than expected, our initiatives have less potential than we envisioned originally or the profitability of these products and services is undermined by competitive pressures. Consequently, we may be unable to achieve or maintain profitability in our targeted business areas. In order to implement our business strategy successfully, we need to hire and train qualified personnel continuously and in a proactive manner, as well as to attract and retain employees with professional experience and specialized product knowledge. However, we face competition from other commercial banks, investment banks, consumer finance companies and other financial services providers in hiring highly competent employees. There can be no assurance that we will succeed in attracting, integrating and retaining appropriately qualified personnel.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2

We are exposed to new risks as we expand our businesses, the range of our products and services, and geographic scope of our businesses overseas.

As part of our business strategies we have expanded and may continue to expand our businesses or our range of products and services beyond our core business, commercial banking. This could expose us to new risks, such as adverse regulatory changes, more competition or deterioration in the operating environments that affect those businesses, products and services. Some of those risks could be types with which we have no or only limited experience. As a result, our risk management systems may prove to be insufficient and may not be effective in all cases or to the degree required. In accordance with our strategy to further increase our presence in the international financial markets, we may continue to expand the scale of our overseas businesses, especially in emerging economies, notably Asian countries and regions. The expansion of our overseas businesses may further increase our exposure to risks of adverse developments in foreign economies and markets, including interest rate and foreign exchange rate risk, regulatory risk and political risk. Our overseas expansion also exposes us to the compliance risks and the credit and market risks specific to the countries and regions in which we operate, including the risk of deteriorating conditions in the credit profile of overseas borrowers.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3

Failure of our business strategies through our subsidiaries, affiliates and other business alliance partners could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations, including impairment losses on goodwill or investments.

Aligned with our business strategies, we have made and may undertake acquisition of a subsidiary, investments in affiliates and other business alliance partners, and reorganization within SMBC Group companies. It is uncertain whether we will receive the expected benefits from those business strategies, due to any adverse regulatory changes, worsening of economic conditions, increased competition or other factors that may negatively affect the related business activities. Furthermore, unanticipated costs and liabilities may be incurred in connection with those business strategies, including liabilities from the claims related to the businesses prior to our business alliances, and cost from actions by regulatory authorities. When we acquire a subsidiary, we may recognize goodwill and intangible assets. Impairment losses on goodwill or intangible assets in connection with acquisitions must be recognized when the recoverable amount of goodwill or intangible assets of the business is lower than the carrying amount at the time of impairment testing, which is performed annually or whenever there is an indication that the goodwill or intangible assets may be impaired. We account for some of our investments in affiliates under the equity method. Therefore, net losses incurred by equity method investees may cause us to record our share of the net losses. Furthermore, we may lose the capital which we have invested in business alliances or may incur impairment losses on securities acquired in such alliances. We may also be required under contractual or other arrangements to provide financial support, including credit support and equity investments, to business alliance partners in the future. Additionally, we may also incur credit costs from our credit exposure to such partners.

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 4

Our risk management policies and procedures may not adequately address unidentified or unanticipated risks.

Our business operations are subject to various laws and regulations across the jurisdictions in which we do business. In addition, we face significant regulatory scrutiny and expectations with respect to, among other things, governance, infrastructure, data and risk management practices and controls. We have implemented or enhanced SMBC Group-wide risk management programs and program oversight, including compliance risk management. We have also devoted significant resources to strengthening our risk management framework and the policies and procedures thereunder, and expect to continue doing so in the future. Nevertheless, particularly in light of the continuing evolution of our operations and expansion into new areas, our policies and procedures designed to identify, monitor and manage risks may not be fully effective or sufficient. Furthermore, management of risks requires, especially for compliance risk management, among other things, policies and procedures to properly record and verify large numbers of transactions and events, but deficiencies in the quality or effectiveness of our data gathering, analysis and validation processes could result in ineffective risk management practices and inaccurate reporting. Some of our methods of managing compliance risks are based upon our use of observed historical market behavior and thus may not accurately predict future risks. Ineffectiveness or insufficiency of our risk management may result in violations of laws including the Japanese antitrust and fair trade laws by us or by SMBC and/or failure to comply with regulatory and supervisory expectations with respect to our compliance function. As a consequence of such violations or failures, we could be subject to regulatory investigations, enforcement actions and legal proceedings, any of which could result in substantial penalties, fines or other sanctions and damage to our reputation.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 7/30 (23%)Above Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment3 | 10.0%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

Transactions involving Iran and other countries and targets that are subject to U.S. or other financial sanctions may lead some potential customers and investors to avoid doing business with us or investing in our securities or may limit our business operations.

U.S. law generally prohibits or substantially restricts U.S. persons from doing business with countries, regions and persons that are the subject of sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") or other agencies ("Restricted Targets" which include Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine). Other applicable financial sanctions are administered by the Ministry of Finance of Japan and authorities in other countries. We maintain a SMBC Group-wide policy designed to ensure compliance with U.S. and other applicable sanctions laws and regulations. Our non-U.S. offices engage in transactions relating to the Restricted Targets in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. These activities include or have included remittance of Japanese yen with respect to our customers' export or import transactions, maintenance of correspondent banking accounts with Iranian banks, including the Central Bank of Iran, and the payment of fees in Japanese yen to certain Iranian banks in connection with performance bonds issued in the past by SMBC through such Iranian banks related to our customers' projects in Iran. All such transactions were permissible under applicable laws and regulations at the times they were engaged in. SMBC has discontinued activities that have become impermissible as a result of changes in applicable laws and regulations. See "Item 4.B. Business Overview-Regulation in the United States-Laws Prohibiting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing-U.S. Sanctions Targeting Iran Related Activities." The performance bonds expired and have not been renewed, but SMBC continues to be obligated to pay certain fees to the Iranian banks. In addition, we maintain a representative office in Iran that mainly performs an information-collecting function and liaises with non-designated Iranian financial institutions and non-SDN Iranian parties on behalf of our non-U.S. offices. We do not believe that our operations relating to the Restricted Targets materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. A limited number of potential violations of U.S. economic sanctions by SMBC have been identified and voluntarily disclosed to OFAC. These transactions resulted from the inherent limitation on information about underlying transactions that can be obtained in the course of normal banking operations, inadvertent operational errors, or from the lack of familiarity of some personnel of SMBC with the requirements of the relevant regulations in the past. We have continuously strengthened our SMBC Group-wide OFAC and other financial sanctions compliance program in an effort to prevent the recurrence of such potential violations. We settled some of the voluntarily disclosed potential violations with OFAC and others were closed without a penalty. However, in light of the inadvertent nature of such potential violations and the degree to which our strengthened compliance program aims to mitigate the risk of potential violations, we do not believe that our settlement with OFAC, or any possible penalties that OFAC may impose with respect to the other potential violations that remain unsettled, will have a material impact on our reputation, financial condition or results of operations, or on the prices of our securities. We are aware of initiatives by U.S. states and U.S. institutional investors, such as pension funds, to adopt laws, regulations or policies prohibiting transactions with or investment in, or requiring divestment from, entities engaged in certain business with Iran and other Restricted Targets. It is possible that such laws and initiatives may result in our inability to enter into transactions with those entities that are subject to such prohibitions or to retain or acquire such entities as customers or investors in our securities. In recent years, the U.S. government implemented a number of sanctions targeting non-U.S. persons for activities undertaken outside the United States ("secondary sanctions") that involve specific sanctions targets or certain activities including, among other things, certain transactions related to Iran's energy, petrochemical, shipping and shipbuilding sectors. Pursuant to the July 14, 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ("JCPOA") agreed to by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany and Iran, with the European Union, on January 16, 2016 ("Implementation Day"), the United States lifted U.S. nuclear-related secondary sanctions targeting Iran. Even after Implementation Day, certain secondary sanctions remained in effect, including those targeting significant transactions involving Iranian or Iran-related Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons ("SDNs"). However, in 2018, the United States terminated its participation in the JCPOA. At November 5, 2018, following the conclusion of certain "wind-down" periods, all U.S. sanctions (both primary and secondary) that had been waived or lifted under the JCPOA have been re-imposed and are fully effective, and additional sanctions were put into place in 2019 and 2020. While the parties to the JCPOA have engaged in negotiations concerning a possible return to the agreement by the United States, as of June 29, 2021, all such sanctions remain in effect. In accordance with applicable laws and regulations, SMBC intends to provide certain services, including settlement services in connection with customers' trade transactions between Japan and Iran, to the extent that such activities are permissible under U.S. secondary sanctions. For more details of relevant laws and regulations, see "Item 4.B. Business Overview-Regulations in the United States-Laws Prohibiting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing." In addition, the U.S. government and authorities in other countries have enacted a series of Ukraine-related sanctions, including those under the U.S. Ukraine-Related Sanctions Regulations, the U.S. Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014, as amended, and "sectoral" sanctions on the financial, energy and defense sectors of the Russian economy. The U.S. government has imposed targeted sanctions against individuals in China and Hong Kong pursuant to the Hong Kong Autonomy Act and Executive Order 13936, and has also imposed restrictions pursuant to Executive Order 13959, as amended, on transactions by U.S, persons in securities issued by or linked to certain Chinese companies determined to be associated with the Chinese military-industrial complex. Additionally, pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and Executive Order 13818, the U.S. government has sanctioned a number of Chinese entities and individuals in connection with China's actions with respect to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region ("Xinjiang"), and published an advisory warning U.S. and non-U.S. companies with supply chain exposure to Xinjiang of reputational, economic, and legal risks of involvement with entities that engage in human rights abuses, including but not limited to forced labor in the manufacture of goods intended for domestic and international distribution. While the sanctions imposed under these authorities to date have not materially impacted our business, it is possible that future sanctions may have a more significant effect on us. In February 2021, in response to the coup in Burma, President Biden issued Executive Order 14014, authorizing the imposition of targeted sanctions against individuals and entities in Burma. Pursuant to the order, OFAC has added to the SDN List a number of individuals involved in or supporting the coup, family members of such individuals, as well as a number of Burmese state-owned enterprises. If additional sanctions are imposed, it is possible that they could have an adverse impact on the operations of SMBC's branch in Yangon or on our customers' business involving entities in Burma. The laws, regulations and sanctions referenced above or similar legislative or regulatory developments in the U.S., Japan or other jurisdictions where applicable, may further limit our business operations. If we were determined to have engaged in activities targeted by certain U.S. statutes, Executive Orders or regulations, we could lose our ability to open or maintain correspondent or payable-through accounts with U.S. financial institutions, among other potential sanctions. In addition, depending on sociopolitical developments, even though we take measures designed to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, our reputation may suffer due to our association with the Restricted Targets. The above circumstances could have a significant adverse effect on our business or the prices of our securities.

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2

We may be adversely affected if Japanese and global economic conditions and financial markets deteriorate.

Our financial condition and results of operations are materially affected by general economic conditions and financial markets in Japan and foreign countries, which would be influenced by various factors such as monetary policies taken by the Bank of Japan ("BOJ") and other central banks, and fiscal policies, policies on financial markets, as well as related laws, regulations and agreements adopted by governmental authorities. Those factors include, for example, monetary easing by the BOJ and the increase of tariffs and other protectionist trade policies of countries including the U.S. Furthermore, geopolitical instability in various parts of the world, including North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe, and material changes in regional economic or political unions or associations between countries, such as the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, which took place on January 31, 2020, could contribute to economic instability in those and other regions. Such regional economic instability could adversely affect Japanese and global economic conditions. The deterioration of Japanese and global economic conditions, or financial market turmoil, could result in a worsening of our liquidity and capital conditions, an increase in our credit costs, and a decrease in the fair values of our investment securities and, as a result, adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 3

Adverse economic conditions and deterioration of the financial conditions of our customers could increase our credit costs.

Our non-performing loans ("NPLs") and credit costs for corporate and individual customers may increase significantly if: - domestic or global economic conditions worsen or do not improve;- our customers do not repay their loans, due to reasons including deterioration of their financial conditions; and - the value of collateral declines. We have substantial exposure to corporate customers in the following sectors: real estate and goods rental and leasing, manufacturing, wholesale and retail, transportation, communications and public enterprises, and services, including electric utilities, and to individual customers mainly through housing loans. The financial conditions of those customers may be subject to changes in the industry-specific economic conditions, including, for example, fluctuations in the prices of oil, gas and other natural resources, as well as general economic conditions. In addition, adverse region-specific economic conditions or changes in economic conditions due to unexpected incidents such as the spread of COVID-19 and collateral events could worsen our customers' financial conditions or could decrease the value of our collateral provided to us in such regions. As a result, we may be required to record increases in our allowance for loan losses. Moreover, for certain borrowers, we may choose to engage in debt-for-equity swaps or provide partial debt write-offs, additional financing or other forms of assistance as an alternative to exercising our full legal rights as a creditor if we believe that doing so may increase our ultimate recoverable amount of the loan. We may be required to, or choose to, provide new or additional financing to customers who may incur unexpected liabilities, have difficulty in the future in continuing operations, encounter difficulties or need to devote significant resources to repair their infrastructures, as a result of natural disasters or other calamities. In addition, changes in laws or government policies may have an adverse impact on the rights of creditors. For example, the Government of Japan has provided or may provide in the future government guarantees and other government support measures in response to the financial crisis or other unexpected incidents such as widespread pandemics such as COVID-19, large-scale natural disasters and any subsequent collateral events. Even if our current or future loans to borrowers have received or will receive any government support measures, it is unclear to what extent those loans will benefit, directly or indirectly, from the current or any future government guarantees or support measures. In addition, our NPLs may increase and there may be additional credit costs if we fail to accurately estimate the expected losses in our loan portfolio. These estimates require difficult, subjective and complex judgments such as credit evaluation of our borrowers, valuation of collateral and forecasts of economic conditions. The ratio of impaired loans and advances to the total loans and advances, both net of allowance for loan losses, were 0.8%, 0.5% and 0.6% at March 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. For further information, see "Item 5.A. Operating Results- Financial Condition-Loans and Advances."

Natural and Human Disruptions3 | 10.0%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

Changed

We are exposed to risks associated with climate change, including the physical risks of climate change and risks from the transition to a decarbonized society.

Risks associated with climate change are subject to increasing societal, regulatory and political focus in Japan and globally. These risks include the physical risks of climate change and risks from the transition to a decarbonized society. In order to address these risks, we have begun efforts to strengthen our climate change scenario analysis and consider countermeasures at the management level. These proposed countermeasures are reported to the Management Committee and Risk Committee and reviewed by outside directors on the board of directors. However, these efforts may not be successful, and even if they are undertaken successfully, they may not be sufficient. In such a case, they may lead to an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Physical risks of climate change arise from a number of factors and relate to specific weather events including large-scale typhoons. Despite our preparation of operation manuals and other backup measures and procedures, a large-scale disaster due to extreme weather conditions damages our employees and branches, interfering with our business continuity. Large-scale disasters could also adversely affect the financial conditions of our customers or the value of properties pledged as collateral, resulting in an increase in our credit costs. In addition, our operating income and values of assets held may decrease due to instability in financial markets, which could also adversely affect our ability to raise financing. There are also risks from the transition to a decarbonized society. For example, due to changes in climate change policies, tightening of environmental regulations and technological innovation to address climate change, our customers in sectors that are deemed to contribute significantly to climate change may experience declines in the value of their assets (i.e., asset stranding). In addition, our customers' financial condition and performance could suffer from increasing costs associated with climate change response measures, which could result in an increase in our credit costs. Moreover, amid growing interest in initiatives related to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures ("TCFD") and Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs"), if our efforts and disclosure regarding corporate social responsibility are viewed as insufficient, we could suffer from increased social criticism, which could adversely affect the market price of our shares and/or the environment for our capital raising activities. For further information, see "Item 4.B. Business Overview-Sustainability Management" and "Item 4.B. Business Overview-Management of Climate-related Risk."

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 2

Changed

Our businesses, financial condition and results of operations have been, and may continue to be, adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and collateral events.

Since December 2019, COVID-19 has spread throughout the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the implementation of numerous measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as restrictions on movement and closures of schools, businesses, factories and other public and private facilities in many countries and regions. These measures have significantly affected people's lives and business activities. Coupled with these measures, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on both Japanese and global economic conditions. COVID-19 vaccination is considered to be an important tool to help stop the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccination has already begun in many countries. However, there remains uncertainty whether vaccines will be produced, distributed and administered as expected, and effective against new variants of COVID-19. Even if the number of new COVID-19 cases significantly decreases in many countries including Japan, this global pandemic and its negative effects on global economic conditions may persist into the future. Even in countries that succeed in significantly reducing the number of the cases from the current outbreak, the level of economic activity may not fully recover in the short term or at all due to concerns of future waves of COVID-19 and the emergence of new variants of COVID-19 or changes in lifestyle and business practices. Therefore, the Japanese and global economy may remain volatile or continue to deteriorate. If the Japanese and global economy remain volatile or continue to deteriorate due to the COVID-19 pandemic and collateral events, the balance of our impaired loans and credit-related costs may further increase due to deterioration in the financial condition of our customers. Additionally, disruption and volatility in financial markets may have an adverse effect on our funding activities and could subject our holdings of securities to impairment or valuation losses. Also, a decline in overall economic activity may cause us to miss business opportunities and this may adversely affect the execution of our operating strategy and our results of operations. Furthermore, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been continuing to provide services such as financing and settlement to fulfill our responsibility as a financial institution, which is a part of the social infrastructure. In carrying out that responsibility, we may be requested to provide new and additional financing to customers, and these may increase our risk assets and lead to a lower capital adequacy ratio and to additional credit-related losses. From a business operational standpoint, if our efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within our workforce, such as enabling telework for employees and separating staff into two or more teams on alternating shifts, are ineffective or lead to decreased productivity and many of our employees contract the virus, such circumstances could adversely affect the operation of our businesses or force us to temporarily suspend operations. Furthermore, cyberattacks and financial crimes may increase under the new working arrangements such as expanded telework for employees. The extent of the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operational and financial performance remains uncertain and will depend on many factors beyond our control, including the duration of the pandemic and further spread of the virus. To the extent that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business, results of operations and financial condition, it may also have the effect of increasing the likelihood and magnitude of the other risks described in "Item 3.D. Risk Factors." For detailed information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operating environment, our results of operations and our financial condition, see "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects."

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 3

Our business operations are exposed to risks of natural disasters, terrorism, pandemics and other calamities.

Our business operations are subject to the risks of natural disasters, terrorism, pandemics, blackouts, geopolitical incidents and other calamities, any of which could impair our business operations. Despite our preparation of operation manuals and other backup measures and procedures, such calamities could cause us to suspend operations and could adversely affect our businesses, financial condition and results of operations. Large-scale natural disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011 and any subsequent collateral events, may adversely affect economic conditions in general, the financial conditions of our corporate and individual customers and stock market prices, or cause other negative effects, any or all of which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations owing to, for example, an increase in the amount of credit-related costs or an increase in losses related to our holdings of securities.

Capital Markets1 | 3.3%

Capital Markets - Risk 1

Changes in the levels or volatility of market rates or prices could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We engage in trading and investing activities dealing with various kinds of financial instruments such as bonds, equities, currencies, derivatives and funds. For example, we have substantial investments in debt securities. At March 31, 2021, we had ¥14 trillion of Japanese government bonds classified as debt instruments at fair value through other comprehensive income, which accounted for approximately 6.1% of our total assets. Our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected by actual changes or volatility in interest rates, foreign exchange rates and market prices of investment securities. Increases in interest rates could substantially decrease the value of our fixed income portfolio, and any unexpected changes in yield curves could adversely affect the value of our bond and interest rate derivative positions, resulting in lower-than-expected revenues from trading and investment activities. Market volatility may also result in significant realized and unrealized losses on such instruments. Furthermore, the downgrading of investment securities by credit rating agencies may also cause declines in the value of our securities portfolio.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 3/30 (10%)Below Sector Average

Regulation1 | 3.3%

Regulation - Risk 1

Adverse regulatory developments or changes in government policies could have a negative impact on our results of operations.

Our businesses are subject to extensive regulation and associated regulatory risks, including the effects of changes in the laws, regulations, policies, voluntary codes of practice and interpretations in Japan and the other jurisdictions in which we operate. Those changes and their effects on us are unpredictable and beyond our control. The Banking Act authorizes the FSA to inspect banks and bank holding companies in Japan at any time and with any frequency. The FSA's inspection processes are revised or amended from time to time. Our compliance with any such changes could result in an increase in our administrative expenses, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. The FSA and regulatory authorities in the United States and other jurisdictions, along with the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force, have continued to make the prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing a focus of governmental policy relating to financial institutions. In April 2019, SMBC and its New York branch entered into a written agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York requiring SMBC and its New York branch to address certain deficiencies relating to the New York branch's anti-money laundering and economic sanctions compliance program. SMBC and its New York branch are required, among other things, to implement corrective measures and submit periodic progress reports to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. If we fail to comply with the terms of the written agreement, we may become subject to monetary penalties and other regulatory sanctions, which could have a material adverse effect on us. Further, as a result of the deficiencies identified in the written agreement, we no longer meet the requirements to be treated as a financial holding company, and, pending completion of a remediation plan designed to meet these requirements, we are currently subject to restrictions in our ability to engage in certain new categories of financial activities in the United States and to make acquisitions of companies engaged in activities in the United States. If we fail to correct the conditions giving rise to such restrictions within the prescribed period of time, we may be required to divest or terminate certain business activities in the United States, which could adversely affect our operations and impair our ability to implement our business plans. Although we are committed to improving compliance with laws and regulations relating to anti-money laundering and economic sanctions, we will continue to be subject to ongoing inspection by the regulatory authorities in the United States and other jurisdictions. Any adverse regulatory action or change in regulatory focus, whether as a result of inspections or regulatory developments, may negatively affect our banking operations, cause harm to our reputation, and result in expensive remediation, monetary penalties and other regulatory sanctions. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the "Dodd-Frank Act") provides a broad framework for significant regulatory changes across most areas of U.S. financial regulations. The Dodd-Frank Act addresses, among other issues, systemic risk oversight, bank capital standards, the resolution of failing systemically significant financial institutions, over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives, the ability of banking entities to engage in proprietary trading activities and invest in hedge funds and private equity funds, consumer and investor protection, and securitization. We expect that the Biden Administration and the Democratically-controlled Congress will seek to implement a regulatory reform agenda that is significantly different than that of the Trump Administration. This reform agenda could include, among other things, a heightened focus on the regulation of loan portfolios and credit concentrations to borrowers impacted by climate change, heightened scrutiny of the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering requirements. It is too early for us to assess which, if any of these, policies would be implemented and what their impact on us would be. These and similar, or any other kind of significant regulatory developments could adversely affect our capital ratios and results of operations. For further details, see "Item 4.B. Business Overview-Regulations in Japan, Regulations in the United States, and Regulations in Other Jurisdictions." Since changes in regulation or fiscal or other policies and their effects are unpredictable and beyond our control, we may not be able to comply with those changes at all times, despite our efforts, or may have to incur increased costs or make changes to our operations in order to do so. Any such failures to comply with those changes could result in administrative or judicial proceedings against us, including suspension of our business and financial penalties, which could materially and adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations and financial condition.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 3.3%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

Our business could be adversely affected by litigation and regulatory proceedings globally.

We conduct business in many locations in and outside of Japan. We face the risk of litigation and regulatory proceedings in connection with our operations. For example, if we engage in activities targeted by certain U.S. sanctions, this could result in the imposition of monetary penalties or other restrictions by the U.S. government against us. Lawsuits and regulatory actions may result in penalties or settlements of very large indeterminate amounts or limit our operations, and costs to defend either could be substantial. Moreover, SMBC and one of its subsidiaries contribute to financial benchmarks such as the Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate ("TIBOR") and the LIBOR for certain specific currencies. These benchmarks are widely referenced in jurisdictions in which we operate and do not operate. We face or may face some investigations, litigation and regulatory proceedings, and an adverse regulatory decision, judgment or ruling, including in jurisdictions we do not operate in, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Taxation & Government Incentives1 | 3.3%

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1

Inability to generate sufficient future taxable profits or adverse changes to tax laws, regulatory requirements or accounting standards could have a negative impact on the recoverability of certain deferred tax assets.

We recognize deferred tax assets relating to tax losses carried forward and deductible temporary differences only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profit will be available against which the tax losses carried forward and the temporary differences can be utilized. The deferred tax assets are quantified on the basis of currently enacted tax rates and accounting standards and are subject to change as a result of future changes to tax laws or the rules for computing taxable profits and allowable losses. Failure to generate sufficient future taxable profits or changes in tax laws or accounting standards may reduce our estimated recoverable amount of net deferred tax assets. Such a reduction could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 3/30 (10%)Above Sector Average

Competition1 | 3.3%

Competition - Risk 1

Changes in the competitive and financial environment and financial systems could have a negative effect on the financial services industry and us.

Deregulation of the financial system, consolidation among financial institutions, diversification within the financial services industry, and the expanded presence of foreign financial institutions and investors have made the Japanese financial services market highly competitive. Moreover, competition in overseas markets has intensified due to global consolidation, convergence and alliances among financial institutions. In addition, the development of new technologies in the "Fintech" and other sectors, along with the corresponding rise of new entrants from these sectors into the financial services industry, may further intensify competition in the business environments in which we operate. We compete with various types of financial services companies, including: - banking groups, including Japan's other major banking groups;- government-controlled and government-affiliated entities;- regional banking institutions;- major investment banks;- non-bank financial institutions; and - other firms that are engaged in providing similar products and services. Increased competition in Japan may put downward pressure on prices for our financial services, cause us to lose market share or require us to incur additional expenses in order to remain competitive. Internationally, various forms of financial support provided by foreign governments to foreign banks and other financial institutions may reduce the cost of capital to those institutions and otherwise give them competitive advantages. In addition, with technological advances, new competitors in the financial services industry continue to emerge, and as a result, we may be forced to adapt our business to compete more effectively. There can be no assurance that we will be able to respond effectively to current or future competition. Changes in the financial environment in Japan may also have a negative effect on the Japanese financial services industry. For example, prolonged monetary easing by the BOJ may continue to lower domestic interest spreads. This may significantly affect the businesses of commercial banks in Japan, including us. For further information on the BOJ's monetary policy measures, see "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects-Overview-Factors Affecting Results of Operation."

Sales & Marketing1 | 3.3%

Sales & Marketing - Risk 1

We are exposed to the industry specific risks of the consumer finance industry.

Changes in the legal environment have severely and adversely affected the business performance of consumer lending and credit card companies. We have exposures to the risks specific to the consumer finance industry through our subsidiaries, including SMBC Finance Service Co., Ltd. ("SMBC Finance Service"), formerly known as Cedyna Financial Corporation, and SMBC Consumer Finance Co., Ltd. ("SMBC Consumer Finance"). Consumer lending and credit card companies had offered unsecured personal loans, which included loans with so-called "gray zone" interest in excess of the maximum rate prescribed by the Interest Rate Restriction Act (ranging from 15% to 20%) up to the 29.2% maximum rate permitted under the Act Regulating the Receipt of Contributions, Receipt of Deposits and Interest Rates ("Contributions Act"). However, amendments to laws regulating moneylenders, which increased the authority of government regulators, prohibited gray zone interest and introduced an upper limit on aggregate credit extensions to an individual by moneylenders at one-third of the borrower's annual income, were promulgated in 2006 and became fully effective in June 2010. After the promulgation of such amendments, SMBC Finance Service, SMBC Consumer Finance and other companies engaged in related business reduced their interest rates on loans in preparation for the prohibition of gray zone interest. As a consequence, margins earned by those companies, as well as the amounts of loans extended, decreased. In addition, as a result of court decisions unfavorable to those companies, claims for refunds of amounts paid in excess of the applicable maximum allowed rate by the Interest Rate Restriction Act have increased substantially. Although SMBC Finance Service, SMBC Consumer Finance and other subsidiaries have each recorded a provision for claims for refunds of gray zone interest on loans, we may be required to recognize additional losses if such provisions are determined to be insufficient, and the additional losses could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Brand / Reputation1 | 3.3%

Brand / Reputation - Risk 1

Damage to our reputation may have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Maintaining our reputation is vital to our ability to attract and maintain customers, investors and employees. Our reputation could be damaged through a variety of circumstances, including, among others, fraud or other misconduct or unlawful behavior by directors, officers or employees, systems failures, compliance failures, investigations, adverse litigation judgments or regulatory decisions, or unfavorable outcomes of governmental inspections. Adverse publicity or negative information regarding Japan's financial services industry or us that may be published or broadcast by the media or posted on social media, non-mainstream news services or other parts of the internet, even if inaccurate or not applicable to us, may have a materially adverse effect on our brand image and undermine depositor confidence, thereby affecting our businesses and results of operations. For example, actual or rumored investigations of us or our directors, officers or employees, or actual or rumored litigation or regulatory proceedings, or media coverage of the same, may have a material adverse effect on our reputation and could negatively affect the prices of our securities. Actions by the financial services industry generally or by certain members in the industry can also adversely affect customers' confidence on the financial services industry. In addition, investors and other stakeholders have placed emphasis and focus on environmental and social issues, including climate change due to global warming and human rights violations in supply chains. Our reputation may be adversely impacted by negative perceptions of us and our operations in light of these environmental and social concerns, or if we are unable to meet stakeholder expectations in our efforts to address them. Such reputational harm could also lead to a decreased customer base, reduced revenues and higher operating costs.

Production

Total Risks: 2/30 (7%)Below Sector Average

Employment / Personnel2 | 6.7%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

Declines in returns on our plan assets or revised actuarial assumptions for retirement benefits may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

SMBC and some of our other subsidiaries have various defined benefit plans. We have experienced in the past, and may experience in the future, declines in returns on plan assets and changes in the discount rates and other actuarial assumptions. If returns on plan assets decrease, or if we revise the discount rates and other assumptions, the deficit of the impacted defined benefit plan may increase and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Because approximately half of our plan assets are composed of equity instruments, the plan assets are greatly affected by volatility in the prices of equity securities. Substantial declines in the prices for publicly traded Japanese stocks would negatively affect our plan assets. For further information, see Note 24 "Retirement Benefits" to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 2

Fraud, misconduct or other unlawful behavior by directors, officers and employees or third parties could subject us to losses and regulatory sanctions.

We are exposed to potential losses resulting from fraud, misconduct and other unlawful behavior by directors, officers and employees. Directors, officers and employees may bind us to transactions that exceed authorized limits or present unacceptable risks, hide from us and from our customers unauthorized activities, improperly use confidential information or otherwise abuse customer confidences. Third parties may engage in fraudulent activities, including fraudulent use of bank accounts or the use of false identities to open accounts for money laundering, tax evasion or other illegal purposes. Third parties could also use stolen or forged ATM cards, engage in credit card fraud or transfer funds illegally through online banking fraud, and we may be required to indemnify victims of such fraud for related losses. In the broad range of businesses in which we engage, fraud, misconduct and other unlawful behavior are difficult to prevent or detect. In addition, with or without actual fraud, misconduct and other unlawful behavior by directors, officers and employees, investigations, administrative actions or litigation could commence in relation to them. Furthermore, we may not be able to recover the losses caused by these activities, including possible deterioration of our reputation.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 1/30 (3%)Below Sector Average

Technology1 | 3.3%

Technology - Risk 1

Our business relies on our information technology systems, which are at risk of being damaged or failing as a result of various incidents including cyberattacks, and their failure could harm our relationships with customers or adversely affect our provision of services to customers.

In all aspects of our business, we use information technology systems to deliver services to and execute transactions on behalf of our customers as well as for back-office operations. We therefore depend on the capacity and reliability of the electronic and information technology systems supporting our operations. We may encounter service disruptions in the future, owing to failures of these information technology systems. Our information technology systems are at risk of being damaged or failing as a result of quality problems, human errors, natural disasters, power losses, sabotage, acts of terrorism, cyberattacks and similar events. In particular, cybersecurity risks for financial institutions have significantly increased in recent years. This is partly because of the continuous introduction of new technologies and the use of the internet and telecommunications technologies as well as the elaboration of the cyberattacks, which include computer viruses, malicious code, phishing attacks or other security breaches. As we rely on information technology systems in our business and our receipt and handling of confidential personal information from our customers, any impairment, compromise or destruction of such systems may interfere with, or temporarily prevent us from, continuing our operations. In addition, we also face indirect cybersecurity risks relating to our customers and other third parties, including counterparties in the financial services industry. As a result of increasing consolidation, interdependence and complexity of financial entities and technology systems, a technology failure or cyberattack could have a material impact on counterparties or other market participants, including us. Any third-party technology failure or cyberattack could adversely affect our ability to execute transactions or deliver services to our clients effectively. For example, vulnerabilities in third-party technology systems may be exploited in ways that increase the risk our information technology systems are exposed to cyberattacks. Accordingly, we have taken steps to protect information technology systems from these risks, including by establishing data recovery capability and functionality, and to address all contingencies that could arise in the event of a major disruption of services. Particularly, we have adopted our "Declaration of Cyber Security Management" in order to further strengthen our cybersecurity capabilities. In this declaration, our management recognizes cybersecurity as a major management issue and takes a leadership role in implementing measures such as allocating appropriate resources based on discussions at the meetings of the Management Committee and the board of directors, establishing a special department and manual for emergencies and enhancing security measures for our services including internet banking services. However, these measures may not be sufficient, especially considering the increasing frequency and sophistication of recent cyberattacks. In addition, we may not be prepared to address all contingencies that could arise in the event of a major disruption of services. The failure to address such contingencies could harm our relationships with customers or adversely affect our provision of services to customers. We handle personal information obtained from our individual and corporate customers in relation to our banking, securities, consumer lending, credit card, asset management and other businesses. The systems we have implemented to protect the confidentiality of personal information, including those designed to meet the strict requirements of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, may not be effective in preventing disclosure of personal information by unauthorized access from a third party. Leakage of personal information could expose us to demands for compensation or lawsuits for ensuing economic losses or emotional distress, administrative actions or sanctions, additional expenses associated with making necessary changes to our systems and reputational harm. As a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

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

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?

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

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

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

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

How do companies disclose their risk factors?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.

What are all the risk factor categories?

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

1. Financial & Corporate

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

2. Legal & Regulatory

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

3. Production

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

4. Technology & Innovation

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

5. Ability to Sell

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

6. Macro & Political

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

Become an Expert with TipRanks Premium

What am I Missing?

Make informed decisions based on Top Analysts' activity

Know what industry insiders are buying

Get actionable alerts from top Wall Street Analysts

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

Get powerful stock screeners & detailed portfolio analysis

Subscribe Now See Plans & Pricing