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.

Constellation Brands disclosed 23 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Constellation Brands reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2024

Risk Distribution

26% Finance & Corporate

22% Production

17% Legal & Regulatory

13% Ability to Sell

13% Macro & Political

9% 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

2020

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

Constellation Brands 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 Q4, 2024

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 6 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 6 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

1Risks changed

Since Nov 2024

0Risks added

0Risks removed

1Risks changed

Since Nov 2024

Number of Risk Changed

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

See the risk highlights of Constellation Brands 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 23

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 6/23 (26%)Below Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights2 | 8.7%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

Choice-of-forum provision in our Amended and Restated By-laws regarding certain stockholder litigation

Our Amended and Restated By-laws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, (i) the Court of Chancery of Delaware (or if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court of Delaware) will be, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers, or stockholders to us or our stockholders; any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our Amended and Restated Charter, or our Amended and Restated By-laws, or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of Delaware; or any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, and (ii) the federal district courts of the U.S. will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. To the fullest extent permitted by law, this choice-of-forum provision will apply to state and federal law claims, including claims under the federal securities laws (including the Securities Act and the Exchange Act), although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. This choice-of-forum provision may increase costs for a stockholder pursuing any such claim, discourage claims, or limit a stockholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that such stockholder finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, other stockholders, or other employees which may discourage such lawsuits even though an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders. In addition, the courts located in Delaware may reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to us than to our stockholders. If a court were to find this choice-of-forum provision inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions which could adversely affect our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of and consented to the choice-of-forum provision described above.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

Sands Family Stockholder Class A Stock ownership and Board of Directors nomination rights

Until November 2027 and so long as the Sands Family Stockholders, collectively, have beneficial or record ownership of at least 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of Class A Stock, our Board of Directors will, subject to the procedures and limitations set forth in the Reclassification Agreement, nominate two individuals designated by WildStar for election to our Board of Directors at any annual meeting of our stockholders at which directors are to be elected (or otherwise in connection with any action by written consent pursuant to which a majority of the Board of Directors will be elected). So long as the Sands Family Stockholders, collectively, have beneficial or record ownership of less than 10% but at least 9,239,463.1 shares of Class A Stock, as may be adjusted by any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination, or similar transaction, the Board of Directors will, subject to the procedures and limitations set forth in the Reclassification Agreement, nominate one individual designated by WildStar for election to the Board of Directors at any annual meeting of our stockholders at which directors are to be elected (or otherwise in connection with any action by written consent pursuant to which a majority of the Board of Directors will be elected). The amount of Class A Stock currently held by the Sands Family Stockholders, together with the foregoing Board of Directors nomination rights, provide the Sands Family Stockholders with significant continued influence over our decisions. The interests of the Sands Family Stockholders with respect to matters potentially or actually involving or affecting us and our other stockholders, such as future acquisitions, financings, and other corporate opportunities and attempts to acquire us, may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders. Certain Sands Family Stockholders have pledged shares of Class A Stock to secure various credit facilities. In the event of noncompliance with certain covenants under the credit facilities, the financial institutions to which such stock is pledged have certain remedies, including the right to sell the pledged shares subject to certain protections afforded to the borrowers and pledgors. The sale by such financial institutions of a substantial amount of the pledged shares could depress, or result in volatility in, the trading price of our Class A Stock.

Accounting & Financial Operations2 | 8.7%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

Cash dividends and share repurchases are subject to a number of uncertainties and may affect the price of our common stock

Our capital allocation strategy contemplates quarterly cash dividends and periodic share repurchases under our share repurchase program. We fund our cash dividends and share repurchases through a combination of cash flow from operations, borrowings, and divestiture proceeds. However, we are not required to declare dividends or to make any share repurchases under our share repurchase program. We may discontinue, limit, suspend, delay, or increase our dividends and share repurchases at any time without prior notice. Even if not discontinued, the amount of such dividends and repurchases may be changed, and the amount, timing, and frequency of such dividends and repurchases may vary from historical practice or from our stated expectations. Decisions with respect to dividends and share repurchases are subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and will be based on a variety of factors. Important factors that could cause us to discontinue, limit, suspend, delay, or increase our cash dividends or share repurchases include market conditions, the price of our common stock, the nature and timing of other investment opportunities, changes in our business strategy, the terms of our financing arrangements, our outlook as to our ability to obtain financing at attractive rates, the impact on our credit ratings, changes in laws or regulations, and the availability of cash. The IRA imposes an excise tax of 1% on share repurchases, and the ongoing impact of this excise tax will be dependent on the extent of our share repurchases in future periods along with any changes to the excise tax rate and could increase our tax liability. The reduction or elimination of our cash dividend or longer suspension or elimination of our share repurchase program could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Additionally, any share repurchases may not enhance stockholder value because the market price of our common stock may decline below the levels at which we repurchased shares of common stock, and short-term stock price fluctuations could reduce the program's effectiveness.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2

Intangible assets, such as goodwill and trademarks

We have a significant amount of intangible assets such as goodwill and trademarks and may acquire more intangible assets in the future. Intangible assets are subject to a periodic impairment evaluation under applicable accounting standards. For example, if broader industry and market conditions decline and/or our expectations of future performance as reflected in our current strategic operating plans are not fully realized, a future impairment of Wine and Spirits goodwill is reasonably possible. A significant write-down of any of our intangible assets could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Debt & Financing1 | 4.3%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

Indebtedness and interest rate fluctuations

We have incurred indebtedness to finance investments and acquisitions, refinance other indebtedness, fund beer operations expansion, optimization, and construction activities, pay cash dividends, and repurchase shares of our common stock. In the future, we may continue to incur additional indebtedness for any or all of these activities as well as to fund other general corporate purposes. We are exposed to risks associated with interest rate fluctuations, and we have recently experienced a rising interest rate environment. We could experience further changes in our ability to manage fluctuations in interest rates, including for our variable interest rate debt outstanding or if we need to refinance indebtedness. In addition, our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to meet all our debt service requirements, return value to stockholders such as through payment of dividends or repurchase of shares of our common stock, achieve our target net leverage ratio, and fund our general corporate and capital requirements. Our current and future debt service obligations and covenants could have important consequences. These consequences include, or may include, the following: - our ability to obtain financing for future working capital needs, investments, acquisitions, or other purposes may be limited;- our funds available for operations, expansions, construction, dividends or other distributions, or share repurchases may be reduced because we dedicate a significant portion of our cash flow from operations to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness;- our ability to conduct our business could be limited by restrictive covenants; and - our vulnerability to adverse economic conditions may be greater than less leveraged competitors and, thus, our ability to withstand competitive pressures may be limited. Additionally, any failure to meet required payments on our debt, or failure to comply with any covenants in the instruments governing our debt, could result in an event of default under the terms of those instruments and a downgrade to our credit ratings. A downgrade to our credit ratings would increase our borrowing costs and could affect our ability to issue commercial paper. Certain of our debt facilities also contain change of control provisions which, if triggered, may result in an acceleration of our obligation to repay the debt. In addition, certain of our current and future debt and derivative financial instruments have, or in the future, could have interest rates that are tied to reference rates, such as SOFR. The volatility and availability of such reference rates, including establishment of alternative reference rates, is out of our control. Changes to or the unavailability of such rates or the manner for calculation of such reference rates, could result in increases to the cost of our debt. In addition, our 2022 Credit Agreement (i) restricts repayment of the loans under the credit agreement with proceeds derived, directly or indirectly, from Canopy prior to the Specified Time, (ii) restricts the use of proceeds from the loans under our credit agreement, directly or indirectly, for any investment in, transaction with, or to fund the activities of or business with Canopy prior to the Specified Time, and (iii) provides that we will not convert any of our outstanding Exchangeable Shares for Canopy common shares or own any Canopy common shares until the Specified Time. If we do not comply with the obligations contained in our senior credit facility, our existing or future indentures, or other loan agreements, we could be in default under such debt facilities or agreements. In such an event, the holders of our debt could elect to declare as due and payable all amounts outstanding under those instruments. An event of default could also result in events of default under other debt facilities or agreements that contain cross-acceleration or cross-default provisions, which could permit counterparties thereunder to exercise remedies. If that occurred, we might not have available funds to satisfy our repayment obligations.

Corporate Activity and Growth1 | 4.3%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

Acquisition, divestiture, investment, and NPD strategies and activities

From time to time, we acquire businesses, assets, or securities of companies that we believe will provide a strategic fit with our business. We integrate acquired businesses with our existing operations; our overall internal control over financial reporting processes; and our financial, operations, and information systems. If the financial performance of our business, as supplemented by the assets and businesses acquired, does not meet our expectations, it may make it more difficult for us to service our debt obligations and our results of operations may fail to meet market expectations. We may not effectively assimilate the business or product offerings of acquired companies into our business or within the anticipated costs or timeframes, retain key customers and suppliers or key employees of acquired businesses, or successfully implement our business plan for the combined business. In addition, our final determinations and appraisals of the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in our acquisitions may vary materially from earlier estimates and we may fail to fully realize anticipated cost savings, growth opportunities, or other potential synergies. The fair value of acquired businesses or investments may not remain constant. We also divest businesses, assets, or securities of companies from time to time, including those that we believe no longer provide a strategic fit with our business. We may provide various indemnifications in connection with divestitures of businesses or assets. Divestitures of portions of our business may also result in costs stranded in our remaining business. Delays in developing or implementing plans to address such costs could delay or prevent the accomplishment of our financial objectives. The amount of contingent consideration, if any, received in divestitures may also vary based on various factors including actual future brand performance. We have also acquired or retained ownership interests in companies which we do not control, such as our joint venture to operate the Glass Plant, our interest in Canopy, and investments made through our corporate venture capital function, and we have acquired control of companies which we do not wholly own, such as our majority ownership interest in Nelson's Green Brier Distillery, LLC. Our joint venture partners or the other parties that hold the remaining ownership interests in companies which we do not control may at any time have economic, business, or legal interests or goals that are inconsistent with our goals or the goals of the joint ventures or those companies. Our joint venture arrangements and the arrangements through which we acquired or hold our other equity or membership interests may require us to, among other matters, pay certain costs, make capital investments, fulfill alone our joint venture partners' obligations, or purchase other parties' interests. The entities in which we have an interest may be subject to litigation which may have an adverse impact on their ability to do business or under which they may incur costs and expenses which could have a material adverse impact on their operations or financial condition which, in turn, could negatively impact the value of our investment. In addition, our continued success depends, in part, on our ability to develop new products. The launch and ongoing success of NPDs are inherently uncertain, especially with respect to consumer appeal and our ability to deliver optimized marketing in an evolving and dynamic media landscape, including through emerging digital technologies such as AI and data analytics. A new product launch can give rise to a variety of costs. An unsuccessful launch, among other things, can affect consumer perception of existing brands and our reputation. Unsuccessful implementation or short-lived popularity of our product innovations has resulted and may in the future result in inventory write-offs and other costs. We may not realize the expected benefits of acquisitions, divestitures, investments, or NPDs. We have recognized impairment losses and/or write-offs in connection with acquired and divested businesses and investments, and we may do so again in the future. Furthermore, our acquisitions, investments, or joint ventures may not be profitable, our forecasts regarding acquisition, divestiture, or investment activities may not be accurate, or the internal control over financial reporting of entities which we must consolidate as a result of our investment activities but do not control or wholly own may not be as robust as our internal control over financial reporting. Our failure to adequately manage the risks associated with acquisitions, divestitures, investments, or NPDs, or the failure of an entity in which we have an equity or membership interest, could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Production

Total Risks: 5/23 (22%)Below Sector Average

Manufacturing3 | 13.0%

Manufacturing - Risk 1

Operational disruptions or catastrophic loss to breweries, wineries, other production facilities, or distribution systems

All of our Mexican beer products are produced at our current Mexican breweries. Many of the workers at these breweries are covered by collective bargaining agreements. The Glass Plant produces a majority of the total annual glass bottle supply for our Mexican beer brands. Several of our vineyards and production and distribution facilities, including certain California and Oregon wineries, are in areas prone to seismic activity. Additionally, we have various vineyards and wineries in California and Oregon which have experienced wildfires, landslides, and/or severe winter storms. If any of these or other of our properties and production facilities were to experience a significant operational disruption or catastrophic loss, it could delay or disrupt production, shipments, and sales, and result in potentially significant expenses to repair or replace these properties or find suitable alternative providers. Also, our production facilities are asset intensive. As our operations are concentrated in a limited number of production and distribution facilities, we are more likely to experience a significant operational disruption or catastrophic loss in any one location from acts of war or terrorism, natural or man-made disasters, public health crises, labor strikes or other labor activities, cyberattacks and other attempts to penetrate our or our third-party service providers' IT systems or the IT used by our non-production employees who work remotely, or unavailability of raw or packaging materials. We may be impacted by increases in global energy prices or reduced supply, particularly for crude oil and natural gas, including as a result of geopolitical events and military conflicts. If a significant operational disruption or catastrophic loss were to occur, we could breach agreements, our reputation could be harmed, and our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations could be adversely affected by, among other items, higher maintenance charges, unexpected capital spending, or product supply constraints. Our insurance policies do not cover certain types of catastrophes and may not cover certain events such as pandemics. Economic conditions and uncertainties in global markets may adversely affect the cost and other terms upon which we are able to obtain property damage and business interruption insurance. If our insurance coverage is adversely affected, or to the extent we have elected to self-insure, we may be at greater risk that we may experience an adverse impact to our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Manufacturing - Risk 2

Dependence on limited facilities for production of our Mexican beer brands; facility expansion, optimization, and construction activities

We are dependent on our current Mexican breweries to fulfill our Mexican beer brands' production requirements, both now as well as for the near-term. Expansion, optimization, and/or construction activities continue at our breweries in Mexico. These are multi-billion-dollar activities with risks of completion delays, cost overruns, and asset impairments, such as the prior impairment of certain long-lived assets at the canceled Mexicali Brewery. We may not achieve the intended financial and operational benefits of these investments, including if we develop excess capacity that outpaces demand for our Mexican beer brands. We are pursuing the sale of the remaining assets at the Mexicali Brewery after exploring various options; however, we may not be successful in completing any such sale or obtaining other forms of recovery. Expansion and optimization of current production facilities and construction of new production facilities are subject to various regulatory and developmental risks, including but not limited to: (i) our ability to obtain timely certificate authorizations, necessary approvals and permits from regulatory agencies at all or on terms that are acceptable to us; (ii) potential changes in federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including environmental requirements, that prevent a project from proceeding or increase the anticipated cost of the project; (iii) our inability to acquire rights-of-way or land or water rights on a timely basis on terms that are acceptable to us; or (iv) our inability to acquire the necessary energy supplies, including electricity, natural gas, and diesel fuel. Any of these or other unanticipated events could halt or delay the expansion, optimization, or construction of our production facilities. We may not be able to satisfy our product supply requirements for our Mexican beer brands in the event of (i) a significant disruption or the partial or total destruction of the current Mexican breweries or the Glass Plant, (ii) difficulty shipping raw materials and product into, within, or out of the U.S. or Mexico, including in the event of rail shipping disruptions with our major provider in each country, or (iii) a temporary inability to produce our product due to closure or lower production levels of one or more of our current Mexican breweries. A prolonged closure or restriction of the border between the U.S. and Mexico, particularly at key product and supply crossing points, could result in temporary or longer-term disruptions of sales, consumption, and trade patterns, supply chains, production processes, and/or operations. Also, if the contemplated expansion, optimization, and/or construction activities at our breweries in Mexico are abandoned or not otherwise completed by their targeted completion dates, we may not be able to produce sufficient quantities of our Mexican beer to satisfy our needs in the future. Under such circumstances, we may be unable to obtain our Mexican beer at a reasonable price from another source, if at all. A significant disruption at our current Mexican breweries, or the Glass Plant, even on a short-term basis, could impair our ability to produce and ship products to market on a timely basis. Alternative facilities with sufficient capacity or capabilities may not readily be available, may cost substantially more, or may take a significant time to start production, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our product supply, business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Manufacturing - Risk 3

Contamination and degradation of product quality from diseases, pests, and weather and other conditions

Contamination, whether arising accidentally or through deliberate third-party action, or other events that harm the integrity or consumer support for our brands, could adversely affect sales. Various diseases, pests, fungi, viruses, drought, frosts, wildfires, and certain other weather conditions or the effects of climate conditions, such as smoke taint sustained during the 2020 U.S. West Coast wildfires or the late frost experienced in New Zealand in calendar 2021, could affect the quality and quantity of barley, hops, grapes, and other agricultural raw materials available and decrease the supply and quality of our products. Similarly, power disruptions, such as the outage at our Nava Brewery due to severe winter weather events in early 2021, could adversely impact our production processes and the quality of our products. We or our suppliers of agricultural raw materials may not succeed in preventing contamination in existing or future vineyards, fields, or production facilities. Future government restrictions regarding the use of certain materials used in growing grapes or other agricultural raw materials may increase vineyard costs and/or reduce production of grapes or other crops. It is also possible that a supplier may not provide materials or product components which meet our required standards or may falsify documentation associated with the fulfillment of those requirements. Product contamination or tampering or the failure to maintain our standards for product quality, safety, and integrity, including with respect to raw materials, naturally occurring compounds, packaging materials, or product components obtained from suppliers, may also reduce demand for our products or cause production and delivery disruptions. Contaminants or other defects in raw materials, packaging materials, or product components purchased from third parties and used in the production of our beer, wine, or spirits products, or defects in the fermentation or distillation process could lead to low beverage quality as well as illness among, or injury to, consumers of our products and may result in reduced sales of the affected brand or all our brands. If any of our products become unsafe or unfit for consumption, are misbranded, or cause injury, we may have to engage in additional product recalls and/or be subject to liability and incur additional costs. Widespread or multiple product recalls or a significant product liability judgment or regulatory action could cause our products to be unavailable for a period, which could reduce consumer demand and brand equity and result in reputational harm.

Employment / Personnel1 | 4.3%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

Labor activities could increase our costs

If our employees were to engage in a labor strike, other work stoppage, or other labor activities, we could experience an operational disruption, incur higher ongoing labor costs, and/or suffer reputational harm, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Supply Chain1 | 4.3%

Supply Chain - Risk 1

Supply of quality water, agricultural, and other raw materials, certain raw and packaging materials purchased under supply contracts; supply chain disruptions and inflation; limited group of glass bottle suppliers

The quality and quantity of water available for use is important to the supply of our agricultural raw materials and our ability to operate our business. Water is a limited resource in many parts of the world. If climate patterns change and droughts continue or become more severe or other restrictions on currently available water resources are imposed, there may be a scarcity of water or poor water quality which may affect our and our suppliers' operations, increase production costs, or impose capacity constraints. We are dependent on sufficient amounts of quality water for operation of our breweries, wineries, and distilleries, as well as to irrigate our vineyards and conduct our other operations. The suppliers of the agricultural raw materials we purchase are also dependent upon sufficient supplies of quality water for their vineyards and fields. In addition, water purification and waste treatment infrastructure limitations could increase costs or constrain operations at our production facilities and vineyards. A substantial reduction in water supplies could result in material losses of grape crops and vines or other crops, such as corn, barley, or hops, which could lead to a shortage of our product supply. We have substantial brewery operations in Mexico and substantial wine operations in the U.S. (primarily in California), New Zealand, and Italy as well as brewery and distillery operations in the U.S. Although certain areas in California have recently experienced flooding, the state has endured and may continue to experience prolonged drought conditions which have resulted in the imposition of certain restrictions on water usage. If these conditions or restrictions persist and/or increase in severity, it could have an adverse effect upon those operations. Our current Mexican breweries are each, and the Veracruz Brewery will be, sourced from a single water supply originating from separate and distinct aquifers. The sources of water, methods of water delivery, water quality, or water requirements to support our ongoing requirements may change materially in the future. We may incur additional expenses for improving water delivery, quality, and efficiency as well as for securing additional water sources. Our breweries, the Glass Plant, our wineries, and our distilleries use a large volume of agricultural and other raw materials to produce our products. These include corn starch and sugars, malt, hops, fruits, yeast, and water for our breweries; soda ash and silica sand for the Glass Plant; grapes and water for our wineries; and grain and water for our distilleries. Our breweries, wineries, and distilleries all use large amounts of various packaging materials, including glass, aluminum, cardboard, and other paper products. Our production facilities also use electricity, natural gas, and diesel fuel in addition to renewable energy sources in their operations. Certain raw materials and packaging materials are purchased under contracts of varying maturities. The supply, on-time availability, and price of raw, packaging, and other materials, energy, and other commodities have been and may continue to be affected by many factors beyond our control, including economic factors, supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures, market demand, global geopolitical events and military conflicts, droughts, storms, weather events, or natural or man-made disasters, plant diseases, and theft. Our breweries, wineries, and distilleries are also dependent upon an adequate supply of glass bottles. At times, we have experienced glass bottle purchasing shortages, particularly for brown glass used for certain of our Mexican beer brands. Glass bottle costs are one of our largest components of cost of product sold. The Glass Plant produces a majority of the total annual glass bottle supply for our Mexican beer brands, and we have a small number of other suppliers of glass bottles for our Mexican beer brands. Meanwhile, we have two aluminum can suppliers that provide all of our total annual requirements for our Mexican beer brands, with one of those suppliers providing a majority of such aluminum can requirements. In the U.S., glass bottles have only a small number of producers. Currently, one producer supplies a majority of our glass container requirements for our U.S. wine and spirits operations. To the extent any of the foregoing factors impact our business or operations, including by (i) increasing the costs of our products and we are unable or choose not to pass along such rising costs to consumers through increased selling prices, (ii) leading to a shortage of our product supply or inventory levels, or (iii) requiring unplanned diversions of funds, resources, and talent to address such factors, we could experience a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 4/23 (17%)Below Sector Average

Regulation1 | 4.3%

Regulation - Risk 1

Reliance on wholesale distributors, major retailers, and government agencies

Local market structures and distribution channels vary worldwide. Within our primary market in the U.S., we offer a range of beverage alcohol products with generally separate distribution networks utilized for our beer portfolio and our wine and spirits portfolio. In the U.S., we sell our products principally to wholesalers for resale to retail outlets and directly to government agencies. We have an exclusive arrangement with one wholesaler that generates a large portion of our branded U.S. wine and spirits net sales, and we have one wholesaler for our beer portfolio which, through multiple entities, represents one-quarter of our consolidated net sales. Wholesalers and retailers of our products offer directly competing products that vie for retail shelf space, promotional support, and consumer purchases, and wholesalers or retailers may give higher priority to products of our competitors. The replacement or poor performance of our major wholesalers, retailers, or government agencies could result in temporary or longer-term sales disruptions or could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 4.3%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

Class action or other litigation, including relating to abuse or misuse of our products, product liability, marketing or sales practices including product labeling, or other matters

There has been public attention directed at the beverage alcohol industry, which we believe is due to concerns related to harmful use of alcohol, including drinking and driving, underage drinking, and health consequences from the misuse of alcohol. We could be exposed to lawsuits relating to product liability or marketing or sales practices, including product labeling. With our international operations, we have been and may continue to be subject to risk of a wide variety of other legal claims and proceedings by external parties, employees, and stockholders. Litigation is inherently unpredictable and subject to substantial uncertainties and unfavorable developments and resolutions could occur. In addition, the amount of time and cost to defend ourselves could be substantial. Adverse developments in lawsuits related to such matters as well as the time and costs associated with such activities or a significant decline in the social acceptability of beverage alcohol products or for our products specifically that may result from lawsuits could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Taxation & Government Incentives1 | 4.3%

Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1

Changes to tax laws; fluctuations in our effective tax rate; accounting for tax positions; resolution of tax disputes; changes to accounting standards, elections, assertions, or policies; global minimum tax

Changes to federal, state, provincial, local, or foreign tax laws, could result in increased taxes on our products, business, customers, or consumers. Various proposals to increase taxes on beverage alcohol products have been made at the federal and state levels or at other governmental bodies in recent years. Federal, state, provincial, local, or foreign governmental entities may consider increasing taxes upon beverage alcohol products as they explore available alternatives for raising funds, including to offset budget or other deficits. In addition, significant judgment is required to determine our effective tax rate and evaluate our tax positions. Our provision for income taxes includes a provision for uncertain tax positions. Fluctuations in federal, state, local, and foreign taxes, or a change to uncertain tax positions, including related interest and penalties, may impact our effective tax rate and our financial results. When tax matters arise, several years may elapse before such matters are audited and finally resolved. Unfavorable resolution of any tax matter could increase our effective tax rate and resolution of a tax issue may require the use of cash in the year of resolution. U.S. tax changes or changes in how international corporations are taxed, including changes in how existing tax laws are interpreted or enforced, or changes to accounting standards, elections, or assertions as well as our accounting policies could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations. For example, the OECD has introduced a framework to implement a global minimum tax rate of 15%, referred to as Pillar Two. Many jurisdictions in which we do business have started to enact laws implementing, or have draft legislation proposed for adoption to implement, Pillar Two. These changes, when enacted by the various jurisdictions in which we do business, may significantly increase our taxes in these jurisdictions.

Environmental / Social1 | 4.3%

Environmental / Social - Risk 1

Climate change; ESG regulatory compliance; failure to meet emissions, stewardship, and other ESG targets

Our business depends upon agricultural activity and natural and human capital resources. There has been much public discussion related to concerns that GHGs may have an adverse impact on global temperatures, weather patterns, and the frequency and severity of extreme weather and natural disasters. Severe weather events and natural disasters, such as our experiences with drought, flooding, and/or wildfires in California and Oregon, severe winter storms in California, Texas, or Mexico, or late frosts or flooding in New Zealand, and climate change may negatively affect agricultural productivity in the regions from which we source our various agricultural raw materials or the energy powering our production facilities. Decreased availability of our raw materials may increase our cost of product sold. Severe weather events and natural disasters or changes in their frequency or intensity can also impact product quality; disrupt our supply chains, which may affect production operations, insurance cost and coverage, and delivery of our products to wholesalers, retailers, and consumers; and negatively affect the ability of consumers to purchase our products. The landscape related to ESG regulation, compliance, and reporting is constantly evolving, including expanding in scope and complexity. For example, the SEC and the European Commission have promulgated final rules that would require significantly increased disclosures related to climate change, although the SEC has issued an order to stay the rules pending the completion of judicial review of multiple petitions challenging the rules. We may experience significant future increases in the costs associated with regulatory compliance for ESG matters, including fees, licenses, personnel, consultants, reporting, and the cost of capital improvements for our operating facilities to meet environmental regulatory requirements, as well as to address other regulations, standards, frameworks, and ratings from various governmental entities and other stakeholders or activist campaigns. We have disclosed various ESG-related targets, including on restoration of water withdrawals, Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions, enhancing social equity within our industry and communities, waste reduction, and circular packaging, and we may disclose new or updated ESG-related targets in the future. The achievement of such targets along with our broader value chain engagement efforts have required and will continue to require us and in some cases third parties with which we do business, such as our suppliers, to make investments and allocate resources. In addition, we may be party to various environmental remediation obligations arising in the normal course of our business or relating to historical activities of businesses we acquire. Due to regulatory complexities, governmental or contractual requirements, uncertainties inherent in litigation, and the risk of unidentified contaminants at our current and former properties, the potential exists for remediation, liability, indemnification, and other costs to differ materially from the costs that we have estimated. We may also incur costs associated with environmental compliance arising from events we cannot control, such as natural disasters. We may not allot sufficient resources to attain, may not ultimately achieve, and/or may be subject to proceedings or litigation related to our ESG targets, and our costs in relation to any of the foregoing matters may exceed our projections, which could have a material adverse effect upon our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 3/23 (13%)Below Sector Average

Competition1 | 4.3%

Competition - Risk 1

Competition

We operate in a highly competitive industry, and our sales and profitability could be negatively affected by numerous factors including: - our inability to maintain or increase prices or develop new products;- increases in our advertising or marketing expenditures to maintain our competitive position;- our inability to adopt or effectively deploy new and emerging technologies;- new entrants in our market or categories, including from the convergence of beverage categories;- the consolidation of distributors, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, and other beverage companies;- the decision of wholesalers, retailers, or consumers to purchase competitors' products instead of ours;- pricing, purchasing, financing, operational, advertising, or promotional decisions made by wholesalers, state and local agencies, and retailers which affect supply of or consumer demand for our products; or - a general decline in beverage alcohol consumption due to consumer dietary preference changes or consumers substituting legalized cannabis or other similar products in lieu of beverage alcohol. Our continued success also depends on our ability to attract and retain a high-quality and diverse workforce in a competitive environment for talent and to implement our human capital priorities and initiatives. We could experience higher expenses for investment in our personnel, including due to employee turnover, continuing wage inflation, and other emerging employment trends, particularly in the U.S.; to deliver on our human capital priorities and initiatives; or for other reasons. We may be unable to increase our prices to pass along any increased costs we incur to our customers.

Demand1 | 4.3%

Demand - Risk 1

Potential decline in the consumption of products we sell; dependence on sales of our Mexican beer brands

Our business depends upon consumers' consumption of our beer, wine, and spirits brands, and sales of our Mexican beer brands in the U.S. are a significant portion of our business. Consumer preferences, behaviors, perception, and sentiment may shift due to a variety of factors, including changes in taste preferences and leisure, dining, and beverage purchasing and consumption patterns, trends involving demographics and ESG matters, changing market dynamics, including consumer-led premiumization and betterment trends, pricing considerations, perceived value, branding and marketing, and reputational considerations. Further, a limited or general decline in consumption in one or more of our product categories could occur in the future due to a variety of factors, including: - a general decline in economic or geopolitical conditions;- inflation, including the impact of reduced discretionary income of consumers available to purchase our products and increased commodities and other costs;- concern about the health consequences of consuming beverage alcohol products, including betterment trends, and about drinking and driving or other safety considerations;- reduced consumption of beverage alcohol products, including as a result of stricter laws relating to consumption or driving while under the influence of alcohol or resulting from weight loss regimens and pharmaceuticals, including GLP-1 drugs;- increased activity from governmental entities, anti-alcohol groups, or other bodies, such as the World Health Organization, advocating measures or guidelines designed to reduce the consumption of beverage alcohol products or require more stringent labeling;- increased excise or other taxes on beverage alcohol products and possible restrictions on beverage alcohol advertising and marketing;- increased import and excise duties, other taxes, or tariffs on or impacting beverage alcohol products;- increased regulation restricting the purchase or consumption of beverage alcohol products;- the inability of our wine and spirits business to become a global, omni-channel competitor; and - wars, disease outbreaks or pandemics, quarantines, weather, and natural or man-made disasters. If these or any other factors cause a decline in the growth rate, amount, or profitability of our sales of the Mexican beer brands in the U.S. or any material shift in consumer preferences, behaviors, perception, and sentiment in our major markets away from our beer, wine, and spirits brands, and our Mexican beer brands in particular, or from the categories in which they compete, it could adversely affect our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Brand / Reputation1 | 4.3%

Brand / Reputation - Risk 1

Damage to our reputation

The success of our brands depends upon consumer perception, including having a positive image of those brands, and maintaining a good reputation is critical to selling our branded products. Our reputation could also be impacted negatively by public perception, adverse publicity (whether or not valid, such as the similarity of the name of certain of our brands or trademarks and a type of virus), negative comments or campaigns in social media, or our responses relating to, among other things: - a perceived or actual failure to maintain high ethical standards and responsible operating practices to achieve our business goals;- perceptions toward, and our performance related to, our ESG and DEI strategies, initiatives, and targets as well as associated reporting regulations, standards, frameworks, and ratings;- a perceived or actual failure to address concerns relating to the quality, safety, or integrity of our products, including from accidental or deliberate contamination or tampering;- actions we may take to enhance or safeguard our reputation and uphold our core values, including changes to our operations, sales, advertising, marketing, and new product development;- allegations that we, or persons currently or formerly associated with us, have allegedly or actually violated applicable laws or regulations, including those related to safety, employment, discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, privacy, corporate citizenship, improper business practices, or cybersecurity, or have otherwise engaged in negatively perceived activities;- our environmental impact, including use of agricultural materials, packaging, water and energy use, and waste management;- investors, activist groups, or other stakeholders seeking to influence our business, strategies, operations, and products;- our investment in Canopy and our association with a cannabis business; or - efforts that are perceived as insufficient to promote the responsible use of alcohol or cannabis. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, maintain an effective system of internal controls, provide accurate and timely financial statement information, or protect our information systems against service interruptions, misappropriation of data, or breaches of security, could also hurt our reputation. Damage to our reputation or loss of consumer confidence in our products for any of these or other reasons could result in decreased demand for our products and could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations, as well as require additional resources to rebuild our reputation, competitive position, and brand equity and renew investor confidence.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 3/23 (13%)Above Sector Average

Economy & Political Environment1 | 4.3%

Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1

Economic and other uncertainties associated with our international operations

We have production facilities in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy and employees in various countries, and our products are sold in numerous countries. The countries in which we operate impose duties, excise taxes, and/or other taxes on beverage alcohol products, and/or on certain raw materials used to produce our beverage alcohol products, in varying amounts. Governmental bodies may propose changes to international trade agreements, treaties, tariffs, taxes, and other government rules and regulations including but not limited to environmental treaties and regulations. Significant increases in import and excise duties or other taxes on or impacting beverage alcohol products as well as any tariffs, particularly on imports from Mexico and any retaliatory tariffs imposed by the Mexican government, could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations. Meanwhile, escalating geopolitical tensions, have resulted and may continue to result in sanctions, tariffs, and import-export restrictions. These activities, when combined with any retaliatory actions that may be taken by other countries could cause further inflationary pressures and economic and supply chain disruptions (including impacts on prices and supply of certain commodities, such as aluminum, corn, crude oil, natural gas, and steel). In addition, governmental agencies extensively regulate the beverage alcohol products industry concerning such matters as licensing, warehousing, trade and pricing practices, permitted and required labeling, advertising, and relations with wholesalers and retailers. Certain regulations also require warning labels and signage. We may be subject to new or revised regulations, increased licensing fees, requirements, or taxes, or regulatory enforcement actions. Additionally, various jurisdictions may seek to adopt significant additional product labeling or warning requirements, limitations, or guidelines on the marketing or sale of our products because of what our products contain or allegations that our products cause adverse health effects. If these types of requirements become applicable to one or more of our major products under current or future laws or regulations, they may inhibit sales of such products or increase our costs. These uncertainties and changes, as well as the decisions, policies, and economic strength of our suppliers and distributors, could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

International Operations1 | 4.3%

International Operations - Risk 1

International operations, worldwide and regional economic trends and financial market conditions, geopolitical uncertainty, or other governmental rules and regulations

Risks associated with international operations, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations, include: - changes in political, economic, social, and labor conditions in U.S., Mexico, and international locales, including as a result of elections, potential government shutdowns, or other events;- potential disruption from wars and military conflicts, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and drug-related, workplace, or other types of violence;- restrictions on foreign ownership and investments or on repatriation of cash earned in countries outside the U.S.;- import and export requirements and border accessibility;- protectionist trade policies, sanctions, and tariffs;- foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, which may reduce the U.S. dollar value of net sales, earnings, and cash flows from non-U.S. markets or increase our supply chain costs, as measured in U.S. dollars, in those markets;- a less developed and less certain legal and regulatory environment in some countries, which, among other things, can create uncertainty regarding contract enforcement, intellectual property rights, privacy obligations, real property rights, and liability issues; and - inadequate levels of compliance with applicable domestic and foreign anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Unfavorable global or regional economic conditions, including economic slowdown or recession, instability in the banking sector, and the disruption, volatility, and tightening of credit and capital markets, as well as unemployment, tax increases, governmental spending cuts, or continuing high levels of inflation, could affect consumer spending patterns and purchases of our products. These could also create or exacerbate credit issues, cash flow issues, and other financial hardships for us and our suppliers, distributors, retailers, and consumers. The inability of suppliers, distributors, and retailers to access liquidity could impact our ability to produce and distribute our products. We could also be affected by nationalization of our international operations, unstable governments, unfamiliar or biased legal systems, intergovernmental disputes, or animus against the U.S. or products produced in Mexico. Any determination that our operations or activities did not comply with applicable U.S. or foreign laws or regulations could result in the imposition of fines and penalties, interruptions of business, terminations of necessary licenses and permits, and other legal and equitable sanctions.

Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 4.3%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

Outbreaks of communicable infections or diseases, pandemics, or other widespread public health crises in the markets in which our consumers or employees live and/or in which we or our distributors, retailers, and suppliers operate

Communicable disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and other widespread public health crises have resulted and in the future could result in disruptions and damage to our business caused by potential negative consumer purchasing behavior and reduced consumption as well as disruption to our supply chains, production processes, and operations. This includes containment actions that restrict consumer purchasing occasions, including from the inability to leave home or otherwise shop in a normal manner, cancellations of public events, venue closures, or capacity restrictions, as well as reductions in consumer discretionary income due to reduced or limited work and layoffs. Supply disruption may result from restrictions on the ability of employees and others in the supply chain to travel and work, including from quarantines, individual illnesses, or border closures imposed by governments to deter the spread of communicable infections or diseases; determinations by us or our suppliers or distributors to temporarily suspend operations in affected areas; or other actions which restrict or otherwise negatively impact our ability to produce, package, and ship our products, our distributors' ability to distribute our products, or our suppliers' ability to provide us with raw, packaging, and other materials. Channels of entry may be closed or operate at reduced capacity, or transportation of product within a region or country may be limited. Our operations and the operations of our suppliers may become less efficient or otherwise be negatively impacted if our or their executive management or other key operational personnel are unable to work or if a significant percentage of our workforce is unable to work at all or at their normal production or other facility. Another widespread health crisis or pandemic conditions could negatively affect the economies and financial markets of many countries resulting in a global economic downturn which could negatively impact demand for our products and our ability to borrow money. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 2/23 (9%)Below Sector Average

Trade Secrets1 | 4.3%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

Changed

Dependence upon trademarks and proprietary rights, failure to protect our intellectual property rights

Our future success depends significantly on our ability to protect our current and future brands and products and to defend our intellectual property rights. We have been granted numerous trademark registrations and use certain trademarks under license covering our brands and products, and we have filed, and expect to continue to file or have filed on our behalf, trademark applications seeking to protect newly developed brands and products. We cannot be sure that trademark registrations will be issued with respect to any of such trademark applications. We could also, by omission, fail to timely renew or protect a trademark and our competitors could challenge, invalidate, or circumvent any existing or future trademarks issued to, or licensed by, us. Our subsidiaries CB Brand Strategies, LLC, Crown Imports LLC, and Compañía Cervecera de Coahuila, S. de R.L. de C.V. were named as defendants in a lawsuit originally filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on February 15, 2021, and most recently amended in March 2022, by Cervecería Modelo de México, S. de R.L. de C.V. and Trademarks Grupo Modelo, S. de R.L. de C.V. The plaintiffs alleged, among other things, that our sub-license of the trademarks for our Mexican beer brands should not permit us to use the Corona brand name on our Corona Hard Seltzer or the Modelo brand name on our Modelo Ranch Water. At a trial in March 2023, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in our favor on all counts in the plaintiffs' complaint, and the court entered judgment dismissing the complaint. In May 2023, the plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In March 2024, the Second Circuit issued an order affirming the judgment of the district court. Plaintiffs did not petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a Writ of Certiorari prior to the June 24, 2024 deadline. Consequently, the district court's judgment dismissing this case is final and no longer subject to appeal. We have been and may continue to be subject to other litigation related to our trademarks and intellectual property rights. Litigation is inherently unpredictable and subject to substantial uncertainties and unfavorable developments and resolutions could occur. A substantial adverse judgment or other unfavorable resolution of these matters or our failure to otherwise protect our intellectual property rights as well as the costs associated with such activities could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

Technology1 | 4.3%

Technology - Risk 1

Reliance upon complex information systems and third-party global networks; cybersecurity; AI

We depend on IT to enable us to operate efficiently and interface with customers and suppliers, maintain financial accuracy and efficiency, and effect accurate and timely governmental reporting. If we do not allocate and effectively manage the resources necessary to build and sustain the proper technology infrastructure, including our global enterprise resource planning system, we could be subject to transaction errors, processing inefficiencies, increased costs, loss of customers, business disruptions, loss of or damage to intellectual property through security breach, penalties associated with the failure to timely file governmental reports, and/or other difficulties. Many groups on a worldwide basis have experienced increases in electronic security breaches, cyberattacks, and other hacking activities such as denial of service, malware, and ransomware, and there is the possibility of retaliatory cyberattacks, including by state-sponsored organizations. As with all large IT systems, we have been a target of cyberattackers and other hacking activities and our systems could be penetrated by increasingly sophisticated parties (including through the use of emerging AI technologies) intent on extracting confidential or proprietary information, corrupting our information, disrupting our business processes, engaging in the unauthorized use of strategic information about us or our employees, customers, or consumers, or demanding monetary payment. Such unauthorized access could disrupt our operations and result in various costs and adverse consequences, including the loss of assets or revenues, litigation, regulatory actions, remediation costs, increased cybersecurity protection costs, damage to our reputation, harm to our employees, or the failure by us to retain or attract customers following such an event. We have outsourced various functions to third-party service providers and may outsource other functions in the future. We rely on such third-parties to provide services on a timely and effective basis, but we do not ultimately control their performance. In addition, our distributors, wholesalers, suppliers, joint venture partners, and other external business partners utilize their own IT systems that are subject to similar risks to us as described above. Their failure to perform as expected or as required by contract, or additional cyberattacks on them that disrupts their systems, could result in significant disruptions and costs to our operations or, in the case of third-party service providers, a penetration of our systems. The recent proliferation and rapid evolution of AI technologies, including generative AI, has resulted in new challenges, including business, regulatory, and ethical considerations, and may intensify the risk of cyberattackers using such technologies to enhance their capabilities. We have implemented a governance framework that includes policies and processes to address the use of AI technologies, primarily focused on generative AI, by our employees and third-party service providers. Nevertheless, our employees and third-party service providers may not follow our governance framework, including if such providers incorporate AI technologies into their products or systems without disclosing this use to us. This may create risks in our ability to address existing or rapidly developing regulatory or industry standards related to AI technologies. To the extent any of the foregoing factors result in significant disruptions and costs to our operations, compromise confidential or sensitive information, imperil our intellectual property, result in harm to our reputation and the public perception of the effectiveness of our IT systems and cybersecurity measures, and/or reduce the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations.

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

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?

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

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

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

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

How do companies disclose their risk factors?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.

What are all the risk factor categories?

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

1. Financial & Corporate

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

2. Legal & Regulatory

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

3. Production

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

4. Technology & Innovation

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

5. Ability to Sell

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

6. Macro & Political

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

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