Seagate Technology Holdings plc
For the period ended Oct 2, 2026. Filed Oct 29, 2026.
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A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.
Oct 2, 2026 · Filed Oct 29, 2026
STX$460.99-1.2%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026
What changed in Risk Factors?
Read the current filingPrevious report: 10-Q
Period ended 2026-04-03; filed 2026-04-29.
0001137789-26-000088
Item 1A. Risk FactorsCurrent report: 10-Q
Period ended 2026-10-02; filed 2026-10-29.
0001137789-26-000309
Item 1A. Risk FactorsThe baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.
Compared 249 previous paragraphs and 240 current paragraphs.
194 unchanged; 39 reworded; 6 added; 16 removed; 0 previous and 1 current paragraphs rearranged.
Tables are not compared: 0 previous and 0 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.
A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.
Added paragraphs (6)
Current report
•Cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and other security events affecting our systems, products, or data, or those of our vendors, suppliers, customers, or other third parties, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Current report
Cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and other security events affecting our systems, products, or data, or those of our vendors, suppliers, customers, or other third parties, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Current report
We rely extensively on information technology systems, networks, and cloud-based platforms, including those operated by vendors, suppliers, and other third parties, to support our business operations. We and our third party providers are regularly subject to cybersecurity threats and attempted cyberattacks of varying types and degrees of sophistication, including phishing, social engineering, malware, ransomware, unauthorized access attempts, and other malicious activities. Such threats are common across our industry, continue to increase in frequency and sophistication, and may be difficult to prevent, detect, or mitigate, particularly as AI capabilities evolve to allow increasingly complex cyberattacks. Actual or perceived cybersecurity vulnerabilities or software or firmware defects affecting our products or services could also expose our customers’ systems, data, or operations to unauthorized access or other adverse impacts. This risk may be heightened as our products are deployed in increasingly interconnected enterprise, cloud, edge, and data center environments.
Current report
We have implemented security measures designed to prevent, detect, and respond to cybersecurity threats, but these measures may not be effective against all threats or prevent every incident. We cannot guarantee that our or our third party providers’ products, systems, components, software, or infrastructure are free of exploitable defects, bugs, or vulnerabilities, and use of AI technologies by us or our customers, suppliers, or other third parties may increase the complexity and effectiveness of cybersecurity threats and introduce new vulnerabilities into systems, software, products, and business processes. A cybersecurity incident or other compromise of our products, systems, or AI technologies used in our business, or those of our customers or third party providers, could result in unauthorized access to, disclosure, loss, misuse, or corruption of proprietary, confidential, or personal information, including intellectual property or information about our manufacturing, financials, customers, or employees. Cybersecurity incidents, as well as efforts to prevent, detect, or respond to such incidents, also may impair the functionality of our products, information technology systems, manufacturing operations, supply chain activities, product development efforts, or other critical business functions, or result in increased costs associated with investigation, containment, remediation and recovery, product updates, customer support, customer claims, contractual disputes, litigation, indemnification obligations, regulatory investigations, fines or penalties, damage to our reputation, and reduced sales or profitability. Any of these events, whether affecting our systems directly, the products and services we provide, or the systems of third parties on which we depend, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Current report
In addition, our operations are conducted at a limited number of facilities, and those of many of our direct and indirect suppliers, manufacturing vendors and customers are similarly concentrated in a limited number of geographic locations. Because our manufacturing footprint, and those of our key suppliers, is concentrated in relatively few sites, a disruption at any single location could affect a disproportionate share of our production capacity and operations, and any of the foregoing risks could be exacerbated as a result.
Removed paragraphs (16)
Previous report
Risks Related to Information Technology, Data and Information Security
Previous report
•We could suffer a loss of revenue and increased costs, exposure to significant liability including legal and regulatory consequences, reputational harm and other serious negative consequences in the event of cyber-attacks, ransomware or other cyber security breaches or incidents that disrupt our operations, cause widespread outages, and/or result in unauthorized access to, or the loss, corruption, unavailability or dissemination of proprietary or confidential information of our customers or about us or other third parties.
Previous report
•We must maintain and upgrade our global enterprise resource planning system and other information technology (“IT”) systems, and our failure to do so could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Previous report
We are dependent on our long-term investments to manufacture adequate products. Our investment decisions in adding new manufacturing capacity require significant planning and lead time, and a failure to accurately forecast demand for our products could cause us to over-invest or under-invest, which would lead to excess capacity, underutilization charges, or impairments.
Previous report
In the event the conditional exchange option of our 2028 Notes is triggered, holders of the 2028 Notes will be entitled to exchange their 2028 Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. Pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing the 2028 Notes, if one or more holders elect to exchange their 2028 Notes, we would be required to settle the principal portion of our exchange obligation in cash, and any remainder of the exchange obligation in excess of such principal amount in cash, ordinary shares issued by us or a combination of cash and ordinary shares, at our election. Such cash payment obligations could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, if the conditional exchange option of our 2028 Notes is triggered, even if holders of the 2028 Notes do not elect to exchange their 2028 Notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of such 2028 Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.
Previous report
RISKS RELATED TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, DATA AND INFORMATION SECURITY
Previous report
We could suffer a loss of revenue and increased costs, exposure to significant liability including legal and regulatory consequences, reputational harm and other serious negative consequences in the event of cyber-attacks, ransomware or other cyber security breaches or incidents that disrupt our operations, cause widespread outages, and/or result in unauthorized access to, or the loss, corruption, unavailability or dissemination of proprietary or confidential information of our customers or about us or other third parties.
Previous report
Our operations are dependent upon our ability to protect our digital infrastructure and data. We manage, store and otherwise process various proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data relating to our operations, as well as to our customers, suppliers, employees and other third parties, and we store certain customer data through our data storage solutions and services. As our operations become more automated and increasingly interdependent, our exposure to the risks posed by storage, transfer, maintenance and other processing of data, such as damage, corruption, loss, unavailability, unauthorized acquisition and other processing, and other security risks, including risks of disruptions to our platform or security breaches, widespread outages and/or other incidents impacting our digital infrastructure and data, will continue to increase.
Previous report
Despite the measures we and our vendors put in place designed to protect our computer equipment, data and systems, our customers, suppliers, employees or other third parties have been and may continue to be vulnerable to phishing and other forms of social engineering attacks, employee or contractor error, hacking, cyberattacks, ransomware and other malware, malfeasance, system error or other irregularities or incidents, including from attacks or breaches and incidents at third party vendors we utilize. In addition, the measures we and our vendors take may not be sufficient for all eventualities. Threat actors are increasingly using tools and techniques that circumvent controls, evade detection, and remove forensic evidence, which means that we and others may be unable to anticipate, detect, deflect, contain or recover from cyberattacks in a timely or effective manner. As AI capabilities improve and are increasingly adopted, we may be subject to cyberattacks created and/or augmented with AI. For example, attacks could be crafted with an AI tool to attack information systems by creating more effective phishing emails or social engineering or by exploiting vulnerabilities in electronic security programs utilizing false image or voice recognition, or could result from us or our customers, vendors or business partners incorporating the output of AI tools, such as malicious code from an AI-generated source code. Our network and storage applications, as well as those of our customers, business partners, and third-party providers, have been and may in the future be subject to unauthorized access by hackers or breached due to operator error, malfeasance or other system disruptions. Additionally, there have been and may continue to be significant supply chain attacks, and we cannot guarantee that our or our suppliers’ or other vendors’ systems, networks, or other components or infrastructure have not been compromised or do not contain exploitable defects, bugs or vulnerabilities. We anticipate that these threats will continue to grow in scope and complexity over time due to the development and deployment of increasingly advanced tools and techniques.
Previous report
We and our vendors may be unable to anticipate or prevent these attacks and other threats, react in a timely manner, or implement adequate preventive measures, and we and they may face delays in detection or remediation of, or other responses to, security breaches and other security-related incidents. The costs of eliminating or addressing security problems and security vulnerabilities before or after a security breach or incident may be significant. Certain legacy IT systems may not be easily remediated, and our disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient for all eventualities. Our remediation and other aspects of our efforts to address any attack, compromise, breach or incident may not be successful and could result in interruptions, delays or cessation of service. Security breaches or incidents and unauthorized access to, or loss, corruption, unavailability, or processing of data we and our vendors maintain or otherwise process has exposed us and could expose us, or our vendors, customers or other third parties to a risk of loss or misuse of this data. Any actual or perceived breach incident could result in litigation or governmental investigations, fines, penalties, indemnity obligations and other potential liability and costs for us, materially damage our brand, cause us to lose existing or potential customers, impede critical functions or otherwise materially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Previous report
Additionally, defending against claims, litigation or regulatory inquiries or proceedings relating to any actual or potential security breach or other security incident, regardless of merit, could be costly and divert attention of key personnel. We cannot ensure that any provisions in our contracts with customers or others relating to limitations of liability would be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from any liabilities or damages with respect to any claim. The insurance coverage we maintain that is intended to address certain data security risks may be insufficient to cover all types of claims or losses that may arise and has been increasing in price over time. We cannot be certain that insurance coverage will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all.
Previous report
There can be no assurance that our cybersecurity management program and processes, including our policies, controls or procedures, will be implemented consistently, complied with or effective in protecting our systems and information.
Previous report
We must maintain and upgrade our global enterprise resource planning system and other information technology (“IT”) systems, and our failure to do so could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Previous report
We have invested and will continue to invest in and implement modifications and upgrades to our IT systems and procedures, including making changes to legacy systems or acquiring new systems with new functionality, and building new policies, procedures, training programs and monitoring tools.
Previous report
The implementation and maintenance of our global enterprise resource planning system (“ERP”) has required and will continue to require significant investment of human and financial resources. The ERP is designed to efficiently maintain our financial records and provide information important to the operation of our business to our management team. In implementing, maintaining and upgrading the ERP, we may experience significant increases to inherent costs and risks associated with changing and acquiring these systems, policies, procedures and monitoring tools, including capital expenditures, additional operating expenses, demands on management time and other risks and costs of delays or difficulties in transitioning to or integrating new systems policies, procedures or monitoring tools into our current systems. Any significant disruption or deficiency in the design, implementation and maintenance of the ERP may adversely affect our ability to process orders, ship product, send invoices and track payments, fulfill contractual obligations, maintain effective disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting or otherwise operate our business. These implementations, modifications and upgrades may not result in productivity improvements at a level that outweighs the costs of implementation, or at all. In addition, difficulties with implementing and maintaining new technology systems, such as ERP, delays in our timeline for planned improvements, significant system failures or our inability to successfully modify our IT systems, policies, procedures or monitoring tools to respond to changes in our business needs in the past have caused and in the future may cause disruptions in our business operations, increase security risks, and may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Previous report
•Issuance of our ordinary shares, including upon exchange of some or all of our outstanding exchangeable 2028 Notes for amounts in excess of the principal amount;
Reworded paragraphs (39)
Previous wording
•We have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by reduced, delayed, loss of or canceled purchases by one or more of our key customers, including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs.
Current wording
•A limited number of our key customers account for a significant portion of our revenue, and we have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by reduced, delayed, loss of or canceled purchases by one or more of them, including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs.
Previous wording
•Changes in demand for computer systems, data storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices has previously caused, and may in the future cause, a decline in demand for our products.
Current wording
•Changes in demand for computer systems, data storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices have previously caused, and may in the future cause, a decline in demand for our products.
Previous wording
•Shortages or delays in the receipt of, or cost increases in, critical components, equipment or raw materials necessary to manufacture our products, as well as reliance on single-source suppliers, has in the past and may in the future affect our production and development of products and harm our operating results.
Current wording
•Shortages or delays in the receipt of, or cost increases in, critical components, equipment or raw materials necessary to manufacture our products, as well as reliance on single-source suppliers, have in the past and may in the future affect our production and development of products and harm our operating results.
Previous wording
Historically, our results of operations have substantially depended upon our ability to be among the first-to-market with new data storage product offerings. We have faced and may continue to face technological, operational and financial challenges in developing new products. In addition, our investments in new product development may not yield the anticipated results. Our market share, revenue and results of operations have been, and in the future may be adversely affected by our failure to:
Current wording
Historically, our results of operations have substantially depended upon our ability to be among the first-to-market with new data storage product offerings. We have faced and may continue to face technological, operational and financial challenges in developing new products or improvements to existing products. In addition, our investments in new product development or improvements to existing products may not yield the anticipated results. Our market share, revenue and results of operations have been, and in the future may be adversely affected by our failure to:
Previous wording
•consistently maintain our time-to-market performance with our new products;
Current wording
•consistently maintain our time-to-market performance with our products;
Previous wording
•manufacture these products in adequate volume;
Previous wording
•qualify these products with key customers on a timely basis by meeting our customers’ performance, quality and security specifications; or
Current wording
•qualify products with key customers on a timely basis by meeting our customers’ performance, quality and security specifications; or
Previous wording
•achieve acceptable manufacturing yields, quality and margins with these products.
Current wording
•achieve acceptable manufacturing yields, quality and margins for our products.
Previous wording
When we develop new products with higher capacity and more advanced technology, our results of operations may decline because the increased difficulty and complexity associated with producing these products increases the likelihood of reliability, quality or operability problems. If our products experience increases in failure rates, are of low quality or are not reliable, customers may reduce their purchases of our products, our factory utilization may decrease and our manufacturing rework and scrap costs, along with our service and warranty costs may increase. In addition, a decline in the reliability of our products may make it more difficult for us to effectively compete with our competitors.
Current wording
When we develop or improve new products with higher capacity and more advanced technology, our results of operations may decline because the increased difficulty and complexity associated with producing these products increases the likelihood of reliability, quality or operability problems. If our products experience increases in failure rates, are of low quality or are not reliable, customers may reduce their purchases of our products, our factory utilization may decrease and our manufacturing rework and scrap costs, along with our service and warranty costs may increase. In addition, a decline in the reliability of our products may make it more difficult for us to effectively compete with our competitors.
Previous wording
Additionally, we may be unable to produce new products that have higher capacities and more advanced technologies in the volumes and timeframes that are required to meet customer demand. As part of our launch of the Mozaic hard drive platform, we are transitioning to key areal density recording technologies that use HAMR technology to increase HDD capacities. If our transitions to more advanced technologies, including the transition to HDDs utilizing HAMR technology, require development, qualification or production cycles that are longer than anticipated or if we otherwise fail to implement new HDD technologies successfully, we may lose sales and market share, which could significantly harm our financial results and reputation.
Current wording
Additionally, we may be unable to produce new or improved products that have higher capacities and more advanced technologies in the volumes and timeframes that are required to meet customer demand. As part of our launch of the Mozaic hard drive platform, we are transitioning to key areal density recording technologies that use HAMR technology to increase HDD capacities. If our transitions to more advanced technologies, including the transition to HDDs utilizing HAMR technology, require development, qualification or production cycles that are longer than anticipated or if we otherwise fail to implement new HDD technologies successfully, we may lose sales and market share, which could significantly harm our financial results and reputation.
Previous wording
We cannot assure you that we will be among the leaders in time-to-market with new products or that we will be able to successfully qualify new products with our customers in the future. If our new products are not successful, our future results of operations may be adversely affected.
Current wording
We cannot assure you that we will be among the leaders in time-to-market with new products or that we will be able to successfully qualify new products with our customers in the future. If our new or improved products are not successful, our future results of operations may be adversely affected.
Previous wording
We also experience competition from other companies that produce alternative storage technologies such as flash memory, where increasing capacity, decreasing cost, energy efficiency and performance improvements have expanded SSD adoption in both data center and Edge IoT markets. In data center environments, SSDs compete with nearline HDDs for certain high-performance workloads, while in Edge IoT and client applications, solid-state storage continues to displace smaller form-factor HDDs. Further adoption of SSDs or other alternative storage technologies may limit our total addressable HDD market, impact the competitiveness of our product portfolio and reduce our market share. Any resulting increase in competition could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Current wording
We also experience competition from other companies that produce alternative storage technologies such as flash memory. Increasing capacity, decreasing cost, energy efficiency and performance improvements have expanded SSD adoption in Edge IoT and Data Center. In data center environments, nearline HDDs and enterprise grade SSDs complement one another for most workloads, however, for certain high-performance workloads, the two storage media can compete. In Edge IoT and client applications, solid-state storage continues to displace lower capacity HDDs. Further adoption of SSDs or other alternative storage technologies may limit our total addressable HDD market, impact the competitiveness of our product portfolio and reduce our market share. Any resulting increase in competition could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Previous wording
Our industry has experienced consolidation and may continue to consolidate. Consolidation may result in new or stronger competitors, and such competitors may have greater resources or competitive advantages. In addition, current and potential competitors have established and may in the future establish cooperative relationships among themselves or with third parties, including some of our partners or suppliers, that result in declines in revenue or willingness to purchase from or sell to us, as applicable, on favorable terms.
Current wording
Our industry has experienced consolidation and may continue to consolidate. Consolidation may result in new or stronger competitors, and favorable market conditions, technological developments or sustained increases in pricing or profitability may also encourage new market entrants, and such competitors may have greater resources or competitive advantages. In addition, current and potential competitors have established and may in the future establish cooperative relationships among themselves or with third parties, including some of our partners or suppliers, that result in declines in revenue or willingness to purchase from or sell to us, as applicable, on favorable terms.
Previous wording
We have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by reduced, delayed, loss of or canceled purchases by, one or more of our key customers, including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs.
Current wording
A limited number of our key customers account for a significant portion of our revenue, and we have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by reduced, delayed, loss of or canceled purchases by, one or more of them, including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs.
Previous wording
Some of our key customers, such as OEM customers including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs, account for a large portion of our revenue. While we have long-standing relationships with many of our customers, if any key customers were to significantly reduce, defer or cancel their purchases or delay product acceptances, or we were prohibited from selling to those key customers for any reason, such as export regulations or other factors beyond our control, our revenues and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected, particularly if we are unable to collect any applicable cancellation charges. Although sales to key customers may vary from period to period, a key customer that permanently discontinues or significantly reduces its relationship with us, or that we are prohibited from selling to, could be difficult to replace. In line with industry practice, new key customers usually require that we pass a lengthy and rigorous qualification process. Accordingly, it may be a difficult, costly or prolonged process to attract and sign new key customers.
Current wording
A limited number of our key customers, including OEMs, large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs, account for a significant portion of our revenue. This concentration means that the loss of, or a significant reduction in purchases by, any one of these customers could have a disproportionate effect on our results. While we have long-standing relationships with many of our customers, if any key customers were to significantly reduce, defer or cancel their purchases or delay product acceptances, including as a result of changes in their capital expenditure priorities, the pace of their AI-related infrastructure investments or their ability to monetize those investments, or we were prohibited from selling to those key customers for any reason, such as export regulations or other factors beyond our control, our revenues and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected, particularly if we are unable to collect any applicable cancellation charges. Although sales to key customers may vary from period to period, a key customer that permanently discontinues or significantly reduces its relationship with us, or that we are prohibited from selling to, could be difficult to replace. In line with industry practice, new key customers usually require that we pass a lengthy and rigorous qualification process. Accordingly, it may be a difficult, costly or prolonged process to attract and sign new key customers.
Previous wording
Our results of operations are highly dependent on cloud, enterprise and consumer spending and the resulting demand for our products. Reduced demand, particularly from our key cloud and enterprise customers as a result of a significant change in macroeconomic conditions or other factors, may result in a significant reduction or cancellation of their purchases from us, which has in the past and may in the future materially and adversely impact our business and financial condition.
Current wording
Our results of operations are highly dependent on cloud, enterprise and consumer spending and the resulting demand for our products. Reduced demand, particularly from our key cloud and enterprise customers as a result of a significant change in macroeconomic conditions or other factors, may result in a significant reduction or cancellation of their purchases from us, which has in the past and may in the future materially and adversely impact our business and financial condition. Demand for our products may fluctuate significantly and can be difficult to predict due to changes in customer inventory levels, technology transitions, cloud capital spending, the timing of hyperscale deployments, our customers’ capital expenditure budgets and the pace of their AI-related infrastructure investments, the timing of our customers’ monetization of their AI investments and broader economic conditions.
Previous wording
Our manufacturing process requires us to make significant product-specific investments in inventory for production at least three to six months in advance. As a result, we incur inventory and manufacturing costs in advance of anticipated sales that may never materialize or that may be substantially lower than expected, particularly in our data center markets where customer ordering patterns may shift rapidly in response to changes in cloud capital spending, the timing of hyperscale deployments, or AI-related infrastructure investments. In addition, because of our vertical design and manufacturing strategy, operations have significant fixed costs that are difficult to reduce in the short-term, including our costs relating to utilization of existing facilities and equipment. If we fail to forecast demand accurately or if there is a partial or complete reduction in long term demand for our products, we may also experience excess and obsolescence of inventory, higher inventory carrying costs, factory underutilization charges and manufacturing rework costs, which have resulted in and could in the future result in material and adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations. For example, due to customer inventory adjustments, we have in the past experienced, and may in the future experience, a slowdown in demand for our products, particularly in the data center market. These reductions in demand have required us to significantly reduce manufacturing production plans and recognize factory underutilization charges in fiscal years 2024 and 2023.
Current wording
Our manufacturing process requires us to make significant product-specific investments in inventory for production at least three to six months in advance. As a result, we incur inventory and manufacturing costs in advance of anticipated sales that may never materialize or that may be substantially lower than expected, particularly in our data center markets where customer ordering patterns may shift rapidly in response to changes in cloud capital spending, the timing of hyperscale deployments, our customers’ capital expenditure budgets and the pace of their AI-related infrastructure investments, and the timing of our customers’ monetization of their AI investments. Because we must also make decisions regarding manufacturing capacity and related investments well in advance of anticipated demand, forecasting errors may result in either excess capacity and associated underutilization costs or insufficient capacity to meet customer demand on a timely basis, either of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, because of our vertical design and manufacturing strategy, operations have significant fixed costs that are difficult to reduce in the short-term, including our costs relating to utilization of existing facilities and equipment. If we fail to forecast demand accurately or if there is a partial or complete reduction in long term demand for our products, we may also experience excess and obsolescence of inventory, higher inventory carrying costs, factory underutilization charges and manufacturing rework costs, which have resulted in and could in the future result in material and adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations. For example, due to customer inventory adjustments, we have in the past experienced, and may in the future experience, a slowdown in demand for our products, particularly in the data center market. These reductions in demand have required us to significantly reduce manufacturing production plans and recognize factory underutilization charges in fiscal years 2024 and 2023.
Previous wording
Changes in demand for computer systems, data storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices has previously caused, and may in the future cause, a decline in demand for our products.
Current wording
Changes in demand for computer systems, data storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices have previously caused, and may in the future cause, a decline in demand for our products.
Previous wording
Our products are incorporated in computers, data storage systems deployed in data centers and consumer electronic devices. Historically, the demand for these products has been volatile. Unexpected slowdowns in demand for computers, data storage subsystems or consumer electronic devices generally result in sharp declines in demand for our products. Declines in customer spending on the systems and devices that incorporate our products could have a material and adverse effect on demand for our products and on our financial condition and results of operations. Uncertain global economic and business conditions can exacerbate, and have in the past exacerbated, these risks.
Current wording
Our products are incorporated in computers, data storage systems deployed in data centers and consumer electronic devices. Historically, demand for these products has been volatile, and unexpected slowdowns in demand for computers, data storage subsystems or consumer electronic devices generally result in sharp declines in demand for our products. Declines in customer spending on the systems and devices that incorporate our products could have a material and adverse effect on demand for our products and on our financial condition and results of operations. Uncertain global economic and business conditions can exacerbate, and have in the past exacerbated, these risks.
Previous wording
Sales to consumer and client-centric markets remain an important part of our business. These markets, however, have been, and we expect them to continue to be, adversely affected by:
Current wording
Our sales to consumer and client-centric markets remain an important part of our business, and these markets have been, and we expect them to continue to be, adversely affected by:
Previous wording
The deterioration of demand for disk drives in these markets has accelerated, and we believe this deterioration may continue and may further accelerate, which has caused and could further cause our operating results to suffer.
Current wording
The deterioration of demand for disk drives in these consumer and client-centric markets has accelerated, and we believe this deterioration may continue and may further accelerate, which has caused and could further cause our operating results to suffer.
Previous wording
Prices for our products are denominated predominantly in dollars, even when sold to customers located outside the United States. An increase in the value of the dollar could increase the real cost to our customers in those markets outside of the United States. This could adversely impact our sales and market share in such areas or increase pressure to lower our prices, and adversely impact our profit margins. In addition, we have revenue and expenses denominated in currencies other than the dollar, primarily the Thai Baht, Singaporean dollar, Chinese Renminbi and British Pound Sterling, which further exposes us to adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates. A weakened dollar could increase the effective cost of our expenses such as payroll, utilities, tax and marketing expenses, as well as overseas capital expenditures. Any of these events could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations. We manage the impact of foreign currency translation risk by entering into foreign currency forward exchange contracts to hedge our balance sheet exposures. Our hedging strategy may be ineffective, and specific hedges may expire and not be renewed or may not offset any or more than a portion of the adverse financial impact resulting from currency variations. The hedging activities may not cover our full exposure, subject us to certain counterparty credit risks and may impact our results of operations. See “Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Foreign Currency Exchange Risk” of this report for additional information about our foreign currency exchange risk.
Current wording
Prices for our products are denominated predominantly in dollars, even when sold to customers located outside the United States. An increase in the value of the dollar could increase the real cost to our customers in those markets outside of the United States. This could adversely impact our sales and market share in such areas or increase pressure to lower our prices, and adversely impact our profit margins. In addition, we have revenue and expenses denominated in currencies other than the dollar, primarily the Thai Baht, Singaporean dollar, Chinese Renminbi and British Pound Sterling, which further exposes us to adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates. A weakened dollar could increase the effective cost of our expenses such as payroll, utilities, tax and marketing expenses, as well as overseas capital expenditures. Any of these events could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations. We manage the impact of foreign currency translation risk by entering into foreign currency forward exchange contracts to hedge our balance sheet exposures. Our hedging strategy may be ineffective, and specific hedges may expire and not be renewed or may not offset any portion, or may offset only a portion, of the adverse financial impact resulting from currency variations. The hedging activities may not cover our full exposure, subject us to certain counterparty credit risks and may impact our results of operations. See “Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Foreign Currency Exchange Risk” of this report for additional information about our foreign currency exchange risk.
Previous wording
Shortages or delays in the receipt of, or cost increases in, critical components, equipment or raw materials necessary to manufacture our products, as well as reliance on single-source suppliers, has in the past and may in the future affect our production and development of products and harm our operating results.
Current wording
Shortages or delays in the receipt of, or cost increases in, critical components, equipment or raw materials necessary to manufacture our products, as well as reliance on single-source suppliers, have in the past and may in the future affect our production and development of products and harm our operating results.
Previous wording
The cost, quality and availability of components, subassemblies, certain equipment and raw materials used to manufacture our products are critical to our success. Particularly important for our products are components such as read/write heads, substrates for recording media, ASICs, spindle motors, printed circuit boards, suspension assemblies, DRAM and NAND flash memory. Certain rare earth elements are also critical in the manufacture of our products. Many of these rare earth elements are sourced from China, which accounts for a majority of the global supply and processing capacity for these materials. As a result, recent or potential future export restrictions or bans by the Chinese government, as well as any import restrictions or bans by the U.S. government, on rare earth minerals could materially and adversely impact our supply chain continuity and operating results. In addition, the equipment we use to manufacture our products and components is frequently custom made and comes from a few suppliers and the lead times required to obtain manufacturing equipment can be significant. Our efforts to control our costs, including capital expenditures, may also affect our ability to obtain or maintain such inputs and equipment, which could affect our ability to meet future demand for our products.
Current wording
The cost, quality and availability of components, subassemblies, certain equipment and raw materials used to manufacture our products are critical to our success. Particularly important for our products are components such as read/write heads, substrates for recording media, ASICs, spindle motors, printed circuit boards, suspension assemblies, DRAM and NAND flash memory. Certain rare earth elements are also critical in the manufacture of our products. Many of these rare earth elements are sourced from China, which accounts for a majority of the global supply and processing capacity for these materials. As a result, any current or potential future export restrictions or bans by the Chinese government, as well as any import restrictions or bans by the U.S. government, on rare earth minerals could materially and adversely impact our supply chain continuity and operating results. In addition, the equipment we use to manufacture our products and components is frequently custom made and comes from a few suppliers and the lead times required to obtain manufacturing equipment can be significant. Our efforts to control our costs, including capital expenditures, may also affect our ability to obtain or maintain such inputs and equipment, which could affect our ability to meet future demand for our products.
Previous wording
•our debt service obligations could limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry, and could limit our ability to borrow additional funds on satisfactory terms for operations or capital to implement our business strategies; and
Current wording
•our debt service obligations could limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business, our industry and market conditions, and could limit our ability to borrow additional funds on satisfactory terms, or at all, for operations or capital to implement our business strategies; and
Previous wording
•changes in tax laws, such as global tax developments applicable to multinational businesses; the impact of trade barriers, such as import/export duties and restrictions, sanctions, tariffs and quotas, imposed by the United States or other countries in which the Company conducts business;
Current wording
•the impact of trade barriers, such as import/export duties and restrictions, sanctions, tariffs and quotas, imposed by the United States or other countries in which the Company conducts business;
Previous wording
If we do not adequately control our costs or if any cost reduction initiatives that we undertake do not deliver the results we expect, we will not be able to compete effectively and our financial condition may be adversely impacted.
Current wording
If we do not adequately control our costs or if any cost reduction activities that we undertake do not deliver the results we expect, we will not be able to compete effectively and our financial condition may be adversely impacted.
Previous wording
Due to the global nature of our business, we are subject to import and export restrictions and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) administered by BIS and the trade and economic sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). We incorporate encryption technology into certain of our products and solutions. These encryption products and the underlying technology may be exported outside of the United States only with export authorizations, including by license, a license exception or other appropriate government authorizations, including the filing of an encryption registration. The United States, through BIS and OFAC, places restrictions on the sale or export of certain products and services to certain countries, persons and entities, as well as for certain end-uses, such as military, military-intelligence and weapons of mass destruction end-uses. The U.S. government also imposes sanctions through executive orders restricting U.S. companies from conducting business activities with specified individuals and companies. Although we have controls and procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and orders, we cannot predict whether changes in laws or regulations by the United States, China or another jurisdiction will affect our ability to sell our products and services to existing or new customers. Additionally, we cannot ensure that our interpretation of relevant restrictions and regulations will be accepted in all cases by relevant regulatory and enforcement authorities. On April 18, 2023, we entered into a Settlement Agreement with BIS (the “Settlement Agreement”) that resolved BIS’ allegations regarding our sales of hard disk drives to Huawei. We agreed to complete three audits of our compliance with the license requirements of Section 734.9 of the EAR, and have completed the first audit. The Settlement Agreement also includes a denial order that is suspended and will be waived five years after the date of the order issued under the Settlement Agreement, provided that we have made full and timely payments under the Settlement Agreement and timely completed the audit requirements. Despite our best efforts to comply with the terms of the Settlement Agreement, we may fail to do so. Failure to comply with the Settlement Agreement could result in significant penalties, including the loss of the suspension of the denial order which would prohibit us from a range of export-related activities, including exporting our products subject to the EAR outside of the United States, and could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Current wording
Due to the global nature of our business, we are subject to import and export restrictions and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) administered by BIS and the trade and economic sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). We incorporate encryption technology into certain of our products and solutions. These encryption products and the underlying technology may be exported outside of the United States only with export authorizations, including by license, a license exception or other appropriate government authorizations, including the filing of an encryption registration. The United States, through BIS and OFAC, places restrictions on the sale or export of certain products and services to certain countries, persons and entities, as well as for certain end-uses, such as military, military-intelligence and weapons of mass destruction end-uses. The U.S. government also imposes sanctions through executive orders restricting U.S. companies from conducting business activities with specified individuals and companies. Although we have controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and orders, we cannot predict whether changes in laws or regulations by the United States, China or another jurisdiction will affect our ability to sell our products and services to existing or new customers. Additionally, we cannot ensure that our interpretation of relevant restrictions and regulations will be accepted in all cases by relevant regulatory and enforcement authorities. On April 18, 2023, we entered into a Settlement Agreement with BIS (the “Settlement Agreement”) that resolved BIS’ allegations regarding our sales of hard disk drives to Huawei. We agreed to complete three audits of our compliance with the license requirements of Section 734.9 of the EAR, and have completed the first two audits. The Settlement Agreement also includes a denial order that is suspended and will be waived five years after the date of the order issued under the Settlement Agreement, provided that we have made full and timely payments under the Settlement Agreement and timely completed the audit requirements. Despite our best efforts to comply with the terms of the Settlement Agreement, we may fail to do so. Failure to comply with the Settlement Agreement could result in significant penalties, including the loss of the suspension of the denial order which would prohibit us from a range of export-related activities, including exporting our products subject to the EAR outside of the United States, and could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Previous wording
Violators of any U.S. export control and sanctions laws may be subject to significant penalties, which may include monetary fines, criminal proceedings against them and their officers and employees, a denial of export privileges, and suspension or debarment from selling products to the U.S. government. Moreover, the sanctions imposed by the U.S. government could be expanded and/or intensified in the future, creating heightened uncertainty for our business operations. Our products could be shipped to restricted end-users or for restricted end-uses by third parties, including potentially our channel partners, despite our precautions. In addition, if our partners fail to obtain appropriate import, export or re-export licenses or permits, we may also be adversely affected, through reputational harm as well as other negative consequences including government investigations and penalties. A significant portion of our sales are to customers in the Asia Pacific region and other geographies that have been the recent focus of changes in U.S. export control policies. Various U.S. agencies have implemented and are considering additional changes to the regulations to increase controls over advanced computing chips, computers and related technologies. Any further limitation that impedes our ability to export or sell our products and services could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Current wording
Violators of any U.S. export control and sanctions laws may be subject to significant penalties, which may include monetary fines, criminal proceedings against them and their officers and employees, a denial of export privileges, and suspension or debarment from selling products to the U.S. government. Moreover, the sanctions imposed by the U.S. government could be expanded and/or intensified in the future, creating heightened uncertainty for our business operations. Our products could be shipped to restricted end-users or for restricted end-uses by third parties, including potentially our third party resellers, despite our precautions. In addition, if our partners fail to obtain appropriate import, export or re-export licenses or permits, we may also be adversely affected, through reputational harm as well as other negative consequences including government investigations and penalties. A significant portion of our sales are to customers in the Asia Pacific region and other geographies that have been the recent focus of changes in U.S. export control policies. Various U.S. agencies have implemented and are considering additional changes to the regulations to increase controls over advanced computing chips, computers and related technologies. Any further limitation that impedes our ability to export or sell our products and services could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Previous wording
We face significant and ongoing uncertainty with regard to global trade policy, particularly in light of recently announced and potential additional actions by the U.S. government and its trading partners. Current U.S. government trade policy includes tariffs on certain non-U.S. goods, including information and communication technology products. These and any new measures may materially increase costs for goods imported from key supply chain jurisdictions into the United States. This in turn could require us to materially increase prices to our customers which may reduce demand, or, if we are unable to increase prices to adequately address any tariffs, quotas or duties, could lower our margin on products sold and negatively impact our financial performance.
Current wording
We continue to face significant and ongoing uncertainty with regard to global trade policy, particularly in light of previously announced and potential additional actions by the U.S. government and its trading partners. Current U.S. government trade policy includes tariffs on certain non-U.S. goods, including information and communication technology products. These and any new measures may materially increase costs for goods imported from key jurisdictions into the United States. This in turn could require us to materially increase prices to our customers which may reduce demand, or, if we are unable to increase prices to adequately address any tariffs, quotas or duties, could lower our margin on products sold and negatively impact our financial performance.
Previous wording
In addition, evolving trade policies may lead to abrupt or unpredictable changes in tariffs, quotas, duties or trade agreements, potentially disrupting our supply chain and/or leading to an increase in costs. Changes in U.S. trade policy have also resulted in, and could result in more, foreign jurisdictions adopting responsive trade policies, including imposition of new or increased tariffs, quotas, duties, or other restrictions targeting U.S. products. For example, countries where we have significant customer demand may adopt measures that increase the effective cost of our products in those markets, which could reduce sales volumes and harm our competitive position.
Current wording
In addition, evolving trade policies may lead to abrupt or unpredictable changes in tariffs, quotas, duties or trade agreements, potentially disrupting our supply chain and/or leading to an increase in costs. Changes in U.S. trade policy have also resulted in, and could result in more, foreign jurisdictions adopting responsive trade policies, including imposition of new or increased tariffs, quotas, duties, or other restrictions targeting products from outside jurisdictions or limiting the export of necessary components or critical materials. For example, countries where we have significant customer demand may adopt measures that increase the effective cost of our products in those markets, which could reduce sales volumes and harm our competitive position.
Previous wording
These developments, whether occurring individually or in the aggregate, could materially disrupt our operations and impair our ability to efficiently manage our global supply chain. Increased tariffs or other trade restrictions may raise our cost of goods, delay the sourcing of materials and constrain our ability to fulfill customer orders on a timely basis. Additionally, retaliatory trade measures by other countries could make it more difficult or costly to export our products or components, potentially leading to increased supply chain costs and/or reduced demand in non-U.S. markets. These and any future trade policy changes may have a material and adverse impact on our business and financial condition. While we continue to monitor trade developments and evaluate risk mitigation strategies, we may not be able to fully, or even partially, offset the effects of these evolving trade dynamics, or anticipate future regulatory actions that could affect the cost or availability of critical materials.
Current wording
These developments, whether occurring individually or in the aggregate, could materially disrupt our operations and impair our ability to efficiently manage our global supply chain. Increased tariffs or other trade restrictions may raise our cost of goods, delay the sourcing of materials and constrain our ability to fulfill customer orders on a timely basis. Additionally, retaliatory trade measures by other countries could make it more difficult or costly to export our products or components, potentially leading to increased costs and/or reduced demand in non-U.S. markets. These and any future trade policy changes may have a material and adverse impact on our business and financial condition. While we continue to monitor trade developments and evaluate risk mitigation strategies, we may not be able to fully, or even partially, offset the effects of these evolving trade dynamics, or anticipate future regulatory actions that could affect the cost or availability of necessary components or critical materials.
Previous wording
From time to time, we have been and may continue to be involved in various legal, regulatory or administrative investigations, inquiries, negotiations or proceedings. See “Item 1. Financial Statements—Note 11. Legal, Environmental and Other Contingencies” contained in this Quarterly Report for a description of material legal proceedings. Litigation and government investigations or other proceedings are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause an outcome to differ materially from our expectations and may result in us being required to pay substantial damages, fines or penalties and cease certain practices or activities, and may harm our reputation and market position, all of which could materially harm our business, results of operations and financial conditions. The costs associated with litigation and government proceedings can also be unpredictable depending on the complexity and length of time devoted to such litigation or proceeding. Litigation and governmental investigations or other proceedings may also divert the efforts and attention of our key personnel, which could also harm our business.
Current wording
From time to time, we have been and may continue to be involved in various legal, regulatory or administrative investigations, inquiries, negotiations or proceedings. See “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements—Note 11. Legal, Environmental and Other Contingencies” contained in this Quarterly Report for a description of material legal proceedings. Litigation and government investigations or other proceedings are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause an outcome to differ materially from our expectations and may result in us being required to pay substantial damages, fines or penalties and cease certain practices or activities, and may harm our reputation and market position, all of which could materially harm our business, results of operations and financial conditions. The costs associated with litigation and government proceedings can also be unpredictable depending on the complexity and length of time devoted to such litigation or proceeding. Litigation and governmental investigations or other proceedings may also divert the efforts and attention of our key personnel, which could also harm our business.
Previous wording
In particular, potential uncertainty of changes to global tax laws, including global initiatives put forth by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) and tax laws in any jurisdiction in which we operate have had and may continue to have an effect on our business, corporate structure, operations, sales, liquidity, capital requirements, effective tax rate, results of operations, and financial performance. Several jurisdictions in which we operate have enacted legislation, either partially or fully implementing the OECD’s Pillar Two global corporate minimum tax, also known as the top-up tax. The Pillar Two framework for the global minimum tax is expected to increase the level of income tax at Seagate.
Current wording
In particular, potential uncertainty of changes to global tax laws, including global initiatives put forth by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) and tax laws in any jurisdiction in which we operate have had and may continue to have an effect on our business, corporate structure, operations, sales, liquidity, capital requirements, effective tax rate, results of operations, and financial performance. Several jurisdictions in which we operate have enacted legislation, either partially or fully implementing the OECD’s Pillar Two global corporate minimum tax, also known as the top-up tax. The Pillar Two framework for the global minimum tax has increased the level of income tax that Seagate is subject to.
Previous wording
We rely on a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, confidentiality agreements, security measures and licensing arrangements to protect our intellectual property rights. We are frequently involved in significant and expensive disputes regarding our intellectual property rights and those of others, including claims that we may be infringing patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights of third parties. We expect that we will be involved in similar disputes in the future.
Current wording
We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, proprietary know-how, copyright and trade secret laws, confidentiality agreements, security measures and licensing arrangements to protect our intellectual property rights. We are frequently involved in significant and expensive disputes regarding our intellectual property rights and those of others, including claims that we may be infringing patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights of third parties. We expect that we will be involved in similar disputes in the future.
Previous wording
We cannot be certain that our products do not and will not infringe issued patents or other intellectual property rights of others. We may not be aware of currently filed patent applications that relate to our products or technology. If patents are later issued on these applications, we may be liable for infringement. If our products were found to infringe the intellectual property rights of others, we could be required to pay substantial damages, cease the manufacture, use and sale of infringing products in one or more geographic locations, expend significant resources to develop non-infringing technology, discontinue the use of specific processes or obtain licenses to the technology infringed. We might not be able to obtain the necessary licenses on acceptable terms, or at all, or be able to reengineer our products successfully to avoid infringement. Any of the foregoing could cause us to incur significant costs and prevent us from selling our products, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. See “Item 1. Financial Statements—Note 11. Legal, Environmental and Other Contingencies” contained in this Quarterly Report for a description of material intellectual property proceedings.
Current wording
We cannot be certain that our products do not and will not infringe issued patents or other intellectual property rights of others. We may not be aware of currently filed patent applications that relate to our products or technology. If patents are later issued on these applications, we may be liable for infringement. If our products were found to infringe the intellectual property rights of others, we could be required to pay substantial damages, cease the manufacture, use and sale of infringing products in one or more geographic locations, expend significant resources to develop non-infringing technology, discontinue the use of specific processes or obtain licenses to the technology infringed. We might not be able to obtain the necessary licenses on acceptable terms, or at all, or be able to reengineer our products successfully to avoid infringement. Any of the foregoing could cause us to incur significant costs and prevent us from selling our products, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. See “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements—Note 11. Legal, Environmental and Other Contingencies” contained in this report for a description of material intellectual property proceedings.
Previous wording
Our business and some of our products rely on or include software licensed from third parties, including open source licenses. We may not be able to obtain or continue to obtain licenses from these third parties at all or on reasonable terms, or such third parties may demand cross-licenses to our intellectual property. Third-party components and technology may become obsolete, defective or incompatible with future versions of our products or services, or our relationship with the third party may deteriorate, or our agreements may expire or be terminated. We may face legal or business disputes with licensors that may threaten or lead to the disruption of inbound licensing relationships. In order to remain in compliance with the terms of our licenses, we monitor and manage our use of third-party software, including both proprietary and open source license terms to avoid subjecting our products and services to conditions we do not intend, such as the licensing or public disclosure of our intellectual property without compensation or on undesirable terms. The terms of many open source licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. courts, and these licenses could be construed in a way that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize our products or services. Additionally, some of these licenses may not be available to us in the future on terms that are acceptable or that allow our product offerings to remain competitive. Our inability to obtain licenses or rights on favorable terms could have a material effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow, such as diverting resources away from our development efforts if we are required to take remedial action.
Current wording
Our business and some of our products rely on or include intellectual property licensed from third parties, including open source licenses. We may not be able to obtain or continue to obtain licenses from these third parties at all or on reasonable terms, or such third parties may demand cross-licenses to our intellectual property. Third-party components and technology may become obsolete, defective or incompatible with future versions of our products or services, or our relationship with the third party may deteriorate, or our agreements may expire or be terminated. We may face legal or business disputes with licensors that may threaten or lead to the disruption of inbound licensing relationships. In order to remain in compliance with the terms of our licenses, we monitor and manage our use of third-party software, including both proprietary and open source license terms to avoid subjecting our products and services to conditions we do not intend, such as the licensing or public disclosure of our intellectual property without compensation or on undesirable terms. The terms of many open source licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. courts, and these licenses could be construed in a way that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize our products or services. Additionally, some of these licenses may not be available to us in the future on terms that are acceptable or that allow our product offerings to remain competitive. Our inability to obtain licenses or rights on favorable terms could have a material effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow, such as diverting resources away from our development efforts if we are required to take remedial action.
Previous wording
Our future performance depends to a significant degree upon the continued service of key members of management as well as marketing, sales and product development personnel. We believe our future success will also depend in large part upon our ability to attract, retain and further motivate highly skilled management, marketing, sales and product development personnel. We have experienced intense competition for qualified and capable personnel in many locations in which we operate, including China, Northern Ireland, Singapore, Thailand and the United States, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to retain our key employees or that we will be successful in attracting, assimilating and retaining personnel in the future. Additionally, because a portion of our key personnel’s compensation is contingent upon the performance of our business, including through cash bonuses and equity compensation, when the market price of our ordinary shares fluctuates or our results of operations or financial condition are negatively impacted, we may be at a competitive disadvantage for retaining and hiring employees. Our historical restructurings, temporary salary reductions and variability in bonus payouts have made and may continue to make it difficult for us to recruit and retain personnel. Increased difficulty in accessing, recruiting or retaining personnel may lead to increased manufacturing and employment compensation costs, which could adversely affect our results of operations. The loss of one or more of our key personnel or the inability to hire and retain key personnel could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Current wording
Our future performance depends to a significant degree upon the continued service of key members of management as well as marketing, sales and product development personnel. We believe our future success will also depend in large part upon our ability to attract, retain and further motivate highly skilled management, marketing, sales and product development personnel. We have experienced intense competition for qualified and capable personnel in many locations in which we operate, including China, Northern Ireland, Singapore, Thailand and the United States, and we cannot assure that we will be able to retain our key employees or that we will be successful in attracting, assimilating and retaining personnel in the future. Additionally, because a portion of our key personnel’s compensation is contingent upon the performance of our business, including through cash bonuses and equity compensation, when the market price of our ordinary shares fluctuates or our results of operations or financial condition are negatively impacted, we may be at a competitive disadvantage for retaining and hiring employees. Conversely, sustained appreciation in the market price of our ordinary shares may increase the risk of unexpected employee attrition as vested equity awards become more valuable. Our historical restructurings and variability in bonus payouts have made and may continue to make it difficult for us to recruit and retain personnel. Increased difficulty in accessing, recruiting or retaining personnel may lead to increased manufacturing and employment compensation costs, which could adversely affect our results of operations. The loss of one or more of our key personnel or the inability to hire and retain key personnel could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Previous wording
Many factors influence our reputation including the perception held by our customers, suppliers, partners, shareholders, other key stakeholders and the communities in which we operate. Our key customers’ satisfaction with the volume, quality and timeliness of our products is a material element of our market reputation, and any damage to our key customer relationships could materially and adversely affect our reputation. We face increasing scrutiny related to environmental, social and governance activities. We risk damage to our reputation if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas, such as human capital, environmental stewardship, sustainability, supply chain management, climate change, the usage of AI, workplace conduct and human rights. The increasing concern over climate change could also result in shifting customer preferences and regulations. Changing customer preferences may result in increased demands or requirements regarding our solutions, products and services, including the use of packaging materials, chemicals and other components in our products. These demands may cause us to incur additional costs or make other changes to our operations, which could adversely affect our financial results. If we fail to manage these requirements in an effective manner, customer demand for our solutions, products, and services could diminish, and our profitability could suffer.
Current wording
Many factors influence our reputation including the perception held by our customers, suppliers, partners, shareholders, other key stakeholders and the communities in which we operate. Our key customers’ satisfaction with the volume, quality and timeliness of our products is a material element of our market reputation, and any damage to our key customer relationships could materially and adversely affect our reputation. We face increasing scrutiny related to environmental, social and governance activities. We risk damage to our reputation if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas, such as human capital, employee health and safety, environmental stewardship, sustainability, supply chain management, climate change, the usage of AI, workplace conduct and human rights. The increasing concern over climate change could also result in shifting customer preferences and regulations. Changing customer preferences may result in increased demands or requirements regarding our solutions, products and services, including the use of packaging materials, chemicals and other components in our products. These demands may cause us to incur additional costs or make other changes to our operations, which could adversely affect our financial results. If we fail to manage these requirements in an effective manner, customer demand for our solutions, products, and services could diminish, and our profitability could suffer.
Rearranged current paragraphs (1)
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
•changes in tax laws, such as global tax developments applicable to multinational businesses;