FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS INC

Previous wording

Unauthorized access to confidential data including client data, other cyber-attacks, and the failure of our cyber-security systems and procedures

Current wording

Unauthorized access to confidential data including client data, other cyber-attacks, and the failure of our cybersecurity systems and procedures

Previous wording

Our size, scale and role in the financial markets increases our risk for cyber-attacks and our exposure to other cyber-security risks. We use third-party service providers for certain critical functions. We and our third-party service providers are subject to the risks of system failures, security breaches and cyber-attacks, such as those sponsored by nation-states, terrorist organizations, or global corporations seeking to illicitly obtain technology or other intellectual property, including through the use of generative AI, agentic AI, phishing scams, hacking, viruses, denial of service attacks, tampering, intrusions, physical break-ins, ransomware and malware, employee errors or malfeasance.

Current wording

Our size, scale and role in the financial markets increase our exposure to cyber-attacks and other cybersecurity risks. We and the third-party service providers we rely on for certain critical functions are subject to system failures, security breaches and cyber-attacks - including those sponsored by nation-states, terrorist organizations, or others seeking to illicitly obtain technology or intellectual property - as well as to fraud or malice by employees or vendors, human error, software or hardware failures, and the risks associated with our use of mobile and cloud technologies. These threats take many forms, including the use of generative and agentic AI, phishing, hacking, viruses, denial of service attacks, tampering, intrusions, physical break-ins, ransomware and malware.

Previous wording

We also make acquisitions periodically. While significant effort is placed on addressing information technology security issues with respect to the companies we acquire, we may inherit such risks when these acquisitions are integrated into our infrastructure. Although we conduct due diligence during acquisition processes, acquired businesses may not have invested as heavily in security measures and technology, and this may introduce additional security risk.

Current wording

We also make acquisitions periodically, and we may inherit cybersecurity risks when these acquisitions are integrated into our infrastructure. Although we conduct due diligence during acquisition processes, acquired businesses may not have invested as heavily in security measures and technology, and this may introduce additional security risk.

Previous wording

We make a range of commitments to our clients regarding our security practices, processes and security posture. If we do not adequately implement and enforce these security practices to the satisfaction of our clients, we could be in violation of our commitments to our clients. Cyberattacks, security breaches or third-party reports of perceived security vulnerability to our systems, even if no breach has occurred, also could damage our brand and reputation, result in litigation, regulatory actions, loss of client confidence and increased legal liability. While we maintain insurance coverage that is intended to address certain aspects of cybersecurity and data protection risks, such coverage may not include, or may not be sufficient to cover, all or the majority of the costs, losses or types of claims.

Current wording

We make a range of commitments to our clients regarding our security practices and posture, and if we do not adequately implement and enforce them, we could be in violation of those commitments. Cyberattacks, security breaches or third-party reports of perceived vulnerability, even if no breach has occurred, could damage our brand and reputation, result in litigation, regulatory actions, loss of client confidence and increased legal liability. While we maintain insurance intended to address certain cybersecurity and data protection risks, it may not cover all or the majority of the costs, losses or types of claims. We maintain, and continue to invest in, a cybersecurity program designed to identify, prioritize and mitigate these risks, including a multi-year strategy to further enhance our security posture, controls and resiliency and to remediate control gaps as they are identified. As threats continue to evolve, we must devote additional resources to modify and enhance our systems and processes, including patch and vulnerability management, and these efforts may not be completed on the timeframe we anticipate, may require significant additional investment, and may not be sufficient to prevent or mitigate every cyberattack or security incident.

Previous wording

Our computer operations, as well as our other business centers, and those of our suppliers and clients, may be vulnerable to interruption by fire, natural disaster, public health crisis (e.g., pandemics), extreme weather or climate conditions, power loss, telecommunication failures, terrorist attacks, acts of war or civil unrest, internet failures, computer viruses, security breaches, employee or systems errors, and other events beyond our reasonable control. In addition, in remote work environments, the daily activities and productivity of our workforce is now more closely tied to key vendors consistently delivering their services without material disruption. Our ability to deliver information using the internet and to operate in a remote working environment may be impaired because of infrastructure failures, service outages at third-party internet providers, malicious attacks, or other factors.

Current wording

Our computer operations, as well as our other business centers, and those of our suppliers and clients, may be vulnerable to interruption by fire, natural disaster, public health crisis (e.g., pandemics), extreme weather or climate conditions, power loss, telecommunication failures, terrorist attacks, acts of war or civil unrest, internet failures, computer viruses, security breaches, employee or systems errors, and other events beyond our reasonable control. In addition, in remote work environments, the daily activities and productivity of our workforce are now more closely tied to key vendors consistently delivering their services without material disruption. Our ability to deliver information using the internet and to operate in a remote working environment may be impaired because of infrastructure failures, service outages at third-party internet providers, malicious attacks, or other factors.

Previous wording

We also currently use multiple providers of cloud services; however, one supplier provides the majority of our cloud computing support. While we believe this provider to be reliable, we have limited control over its performance, and a disruption or loss of service from this provider could impair our system's operation and our ability to operate for a period of time.

Current wording

We currently use multiple providers of cloud services; however, one supplier provides the majority of our cloud computing support. We have limited control over its performance, and a disruption or loss of service from this provider could impair our system's operation and our ability to operate for a period of time.

Previous wording

We maintain back-up facilities and certain other redundancies for each of our data centers to minimize the risk that any event will disrupt those operations, but if we were to suffer such an event it may mean we are unable to provide our service for a prolonged period of time, and our IT disaster recovery processes may not be adequate. From time to time we have experienced outages across certain of our products and service providers, and we may still experience outages or other disruptions in the future, and such outages or disruptions may have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Current wording

We maintain back-up facilities and certain other redundancies for each of our data centers to minimize the risk that any event will disrupt those operations, but if we were to suffer such an event it may mean we are unable to provide our service for a prolonged period of time, and our IT disaster recovery processes may not be adequate. In addition, changes we make to our systems, software, infrastructure and processes, including new releases, updates, migrations and configuration changes, could introduce errors, defects or instability that degrade or interrupt our services, and our change-management and testing practices may not identify or prevent such issues before they affect clients. From time to time we have experienced outages across certain of our products and service providers, and we may still experience outages or other disruptions in the future, and such outages or disruptions may have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Previous wording

We are currently implementing a multi-year project to enhance our information technology disaster recovery processes with modernized tooling and automation to maximize resiliency and minimize recovery time in the event of a service disruption. However, a loss of our services involving our significant facilities may materially disrupt our business and may induce our clients to seek alternative data suppliers. Any such losses or damages we incur could have a material adverse effect on our business. Although we seek to minimize these risks through security measures, controls, back-up data centers, emergency planning and disaster recovery processes, there can be no assurance that such efforts will be successful or effective. Additionally, we may face significant increases in our use of power and data storage and may experience a shortage of capacity and increased costs associated with such usage.

Current wording

We are currently implementing, and making progress on, a multi-year project to enhance our information technology disaster recovery processes with modernized tooling and automation to maximize resiliency and minimize recovery time in the event of a service disruption or outage. However, a loss of our services involving our significant facilities may materially disrupt our business and may induce our clients to seek alternative data suppliers. Any such losses or damages we incur could have a material adverse effect on our business. Although we seek to minimize these risks through security measures, controls, back-up data centers, emergency planning and disaster recovery processes, there can be no assurance that such efforts will be successful or effective. Additionally, we may face significant increases in our use of power and data storage and may experience a shortage of capacity and increased costs associated with such usage.

Previous wording

Transition to new technologies, applications and processes could expose us to unanticipated disruptions or impacts

Current wording

Transition to new and emerging technologies, applications and processes could expose us to unanticipated disruptions or impacts

Previous wording

The technology landscape is constantly evolving. To remain competitive, we must invest, adapt and migrate to new technologies, applications and processes, including the evolving use of AI technology and agentic AI (see "Our use of AI technologies may not be successful and may present business, compliance, and reputational risks" below for further discussion). Use of more advanced technologies and infrastructure is critical to the development of our products and services, the scaling of our business for future growth, and the accurate maintenance of our data and operations. The implementation of new technologies and infrastructure, such as migration to new cloud-based systems and increased utilization of AI internally and in our products and services, is complex and can involve substantial expenditures, as well as, risks inherent in the conversion to any new system, including potential loss of information and disruption to operations.

Current wording

The technology landscape is constantly evolving. To remain competitive, we must invest, adapt and migrate to new and emerging technologies, applications and processes, including the evolving use of AI technology and agentic AI (see "Our use of AI technologies may not be successful and may present business, compliance, and reputational risks" below for further discussion). Use of more advanced technologies and infrastructure is critical to the development of our products and services, the scaling of our business for future growth, and the accurate maintenance of our data and operations. The implementation of new and emerging technologies and infrastructure, such as migration to new cloud-based systems and increased utilization of AI internally and in our products and services, is complex and can involve substantial expenditures, as well as, risks inherent in the conversion to any new system, including potential loss of information and disruption to operations and compliance issues.

Previous wording

We use, and are expanding our use of, machine learning and AI technologies in our products and processes. If we fail to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technological developments, or fail to launch products that are competitive, our competitive position and business results may be negatively impacted. If our competitors or other third parties incorporate AI technologies, such as emerging generative and agentic AI, into their products and processes more quickly or more successfully than us, this could impair our ability to compete effectively. Our use of AI technologies, including generative and agentic AI, requires resources to develop, test and maintain such products, which is costly. Despite our investments in, and commitment of resources to, the development of AI products and technologies, we may not be successful in generating revenues from these efforts. In addition, third parties may be able to use AI to create technology that could reduce demand for our products and services.

Current wording

We use, and are expanding our use of, machine learning and AI technologies in our products and processes. If we fail to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technological developments, or fail to launch products that are competitive, our competitive position and business results may be negatively impacted. If our competitors or other third parties incorporate AI technologies, such as emerging generative and agentic AI, into their products and processes more quickly or more successfully than us, this could impair our ability to compete effectively. Our use of AI technologies, including generative and agentic AI, requires resources to develop, test and maintain such products, which is costly. Despite our investments in, and commitment of resources to, the development of AI products and technologies, we may not be successful in generating revenues from these efforts. In addition, third parties may be able to use AI to create technology that could reduce demand for our products and services. Even where our AI-enabled products and services are adopted, we may be unable to monetize them profitably. The cost of developing, delivering and operating AI capabilities — including model licensing, inference and compute costs and the consumption of AI tokens — can be significant and variable, and has increased as we expand our use of AI. Our historical pricing has been based substantially on subscription and user-based models, and our efforts to introduce consumption-, usage- or outcome-based pricing that better aligns the price of our AI-enabled offerings with their underlying cost and value may not succeed or may not be accepted by clients. If client adoption or usage of our AI features exceeds our expectations, or if we are unable to accurately forecast usage, price our offerings appropriately, or pass through the associated costs, our AI-related costs may exceed the revenues these offerings generate, and increased usage could adversely affect our margins. Conversely, if adoption develops more slowly than anticipated, we may be unable to recover our AI investments within the timeframe we expect, or at all. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our profitability, margins and results of operations.

Previous wording

The introduction of AI technologies, particularly generative and agentic AI, into new or existing offerings may result in new or expanded risks and liabilities, due to enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny, litigation, compliance issues, ethical concerns, confidentiality, data privacy or security risks, as well as other factors that could adversely affect our business, reputation, and financial results. For example, AI technologies can lead to unintended consequences and errors, including generating content that appears correct but is factually inaccurate, misleading or otherwise flawed, or that results in unintended biases and discriminatory outcomes, which could harm our reputation and expose us to liability. If the content, analyses, or recommendations that AI applications assist in producing are, or are alleged to be, deficient, inaccurate, unreliable, misleading, biased, discriminatory or otherwise flawed, any of which may not be easily detectable, our business and reputation may be adversely affected. Use of AI technologies, and the evolving legal, regulatory and compliance framework for AI, could impact our ability to protect our data and intellectual property, as well as vendor and client information, and could expose us to intellectual property or other claims by third parties. Use of AI technologies may also increase risks related to cyberattacks or other security incidents or result in a failure to protect confidential information. Because AI technology is highly complex and rapidly developing, it is not possible to predict all of the legal, operational or technological risks that may arise relating to our use of AI. These risks include the possibility of enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny, litigation or other legal liability, compliance issues, ethical concerns, negative client perceptions, confidentiality or security risks, as well as other factors. Any of these issues could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Current wording

The introduction of AI technologies, particularly generative and agentic AI, into new or existing offerings may result in new or expanded risks and liabilities, due to enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny, litigation, compliance issues, ethical concerns, negative client perceptions, confidentiality, data privacy or security risks, as well as other factors that could adversely affect our business, reputation, and financial results. For example, AI technologies can lead to unintended consequences and errors, including generating content that appears correct but is factually inaccurate, misleading or otherwise flawed, or that results in unintended biases and discriminatory outcomes, which could harm our reputation and expose us to liability. If the content, analyses, or recommendations that AI applications assist in producing are, or are alleged to be, deficient, inaccurate, unreliable, misleading, biased, discriminatory or otherwise flawed, any of which may not be easily detectable, our business and reputation may be adversely affected. Use of AI technologies, and the evolving legal, regulatory and compliance framework for AI, could impact our ability to protect our data and intellectual property, as well as vendor and client information, and could expose us to intellectual property or other claims by third parties. Use of AI technologies may also increase risks related to cyberattacks or other security incidents or result in a failure to protect confidential information (see “Unauthorized access to confidential data including client data, other cyber-attacks, and the failure of our cybersecurity systems and procedures” for further discussion). Laws and regulations governing AI are proliferating rapidly across the jurisdictions in which we operate, including the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act and a growing and divergent set of national, state and local requirements. These frameworks are evolving, overlapping and in some cases conflicting, which makes it difficult and costly to design, deploy and operate common, globally consistent AI systems, products and controls, and may require us to develop jurisdiction-specific approaches, restrict or delay the availability of certain AI capabilities in certain jurisdictions, or incur significant compliance costs. Because AI technology is highly complex and rapidly developing, it is not possible to predict all of the legal, operational or technological risks that may arise relating to our use of AI. Any of these issues could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Previous wording

AI technologies used in our products and processes may use or incorporate data from third-party sources, including information they input into the AI tools, which may expose us to risks associated with data rights and protection.

Current wording

AI technologies used in our products and processes may use or incorporate data from third-party sources, including information they input into the AI tools, which may expose us to risks associated with data rights and protection, such as risks associated with infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating others’ intellectual property rights, and we may also be unable to protect our data from unintended use or access by third-party AI systems. Our ability to develop, commercialize and scale AI-enabled products and services depends in significant part on our ability to obtain and maintain sufficient rights to use data, including our own proprietary data, data licensed from third-party suppliers, and data contributed by or relating to our clients, for the training, fine-tuning, grounding, retrieval and output-generation functions of AI models and applications. If we are unable to secure data rights on commercially reasonable terms and at the scale required, we may be unable to fully realize the anticipated benefits of, or generate the expected revenues from, our investments in AI, our AI-enabled offerings may be delayed, constrained or rendered less competitive, and we may be exposed to claims of infringement, misappropriation or breach of contract, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Previous wording

We continue to experience intense competition across all of our products and services, with competitors ranging in size from smaller, highly specialized, single-product businesses to multi-billion-dollar companies. New and existing competitors are constantly developing innovative products or business models, including alternative data, analytics, technology-enabled platforms, and fintech solutions. Many of these competitors also have significant AI capabilities and funding. Some of these competitors may be able to introduce new technology, deliver products and services, or leverage data and analytics faster or more effectively than we can. The rapid pace of technological change, including advances in AI, cloud computing, and machine learning, along with evolving client demands, could cause our products and services to become outdated or less competitive. If we fail to keep pace with innovation, invest in developing new technology or data products, or successfully respond to disruptive competitors and emerging industry standards, our market position, revenues and operating results could be adversely affected. While we believe the breadth and depth of our suite of products and applications offer benefits to our clients that are a competitive advantage, our competitors may offer price incentives to attract new business. Future competitive pricing pressures may result in decreased sales volumes and price reductions, resulting in lower revenues and ASV. Weak economic conditions may also result in clients seeking to utilize lower-cost information that is available from alternative sources. The impact of cost-cutting pressures across the industries we serve could lower demand for our products and services. Clients within the financial services industry that strive to reduce their operating costs may seek to reduce their spending on financial market data and related services, such as ours. If our clients consolidate their spending with fewer suppliers, by selecting suppliers with lower-cost offerings or by self-sourcing their needs for financial market data, our business could be negatively affected.

Current wording

We continue to experience intense competition across all of our products and services, with competitors ranging in size from smaller, highly specialized, single-product businesses to multi-billion-dollar companies. New and existing competitors are constantly developing innovative products or business models, including alternative data, analytics, technology-enabled platforms, and fintech solutions. Many of these competitors also have significant AI capabilities and funding. Some of these competitors may be able to introduce new technology, deliver products and services, or leverage data and analytics faster or more effectively than we can. The rapid pace of technological change, including advances in AI, cloud computing, and machine learning, along with evolving client demands, could cause our products and services to become outdated or less competitive. If we fail to keep pace with innovation, invest in developing new technology or data products, or successfully respond to disruptive competitors and emerging industry standards, our market position, revenues and operating results could be adversely affected. While we believe the breadth and depth of our suite of products and applications offer benefits to our clients that are a competitive advantage, our competitors may offer price incentives to attract new business. Future competitive pricing pressures may result in decreased sales volumes and price reductions, resulting in lower revenues and ASV. Weak economic conditions may also result in clients seeking to utilize lower-cost information that is available from alternative sources. The impact of cost-cutting pressures across the industries we serve could lower demand for our products and services. Clients within the financial services industry that strive to reduce their operating costs may seek to reduce their spending on financial market data and related services, such as ours. If our clients consolidate their spending with fewer suppliers, by selecting suppliers with lower-cost offerings or by self-sourcing their needs for financial market data, our business could be negatively affected. In addition, an increasing amount of free or relatively inexpensive information continues to become available, particularly through the internet and the deployment of AI technologies, which could cause demand for our products and services to be reduced.

Previous wording

The predominant investment strategy today is no longer active investing, which attempts to outperform the market. The main advantage of active management is the expectation that the investment managers will be able to outperform market indices. They make informed investment decisions based on their experiences, insights, knowledge and ability to identify opportunities that can translate into superior performance. The main advantage of passive investing is that it closely matches the performance of market indices. Passive investing requires little decision-making by investment managers and low operating costs which result in lower fees for the investor. A continued shift to passive investing, resulting in an increased outflow to passively managed index funds, could reduce demand for the services of active investment managers and consequently, the demand of our clients for our products and services.

Current wording

The predominant investment strategy today is no longer active investing, which attempts to outperform the market through informed decision-making. Passive investing, which closely matches the performance of market indices, requires little decision-making by investment managers and low operating costs which result in lower fees for the investor. A continued shift to passive investing, resulting in an increased outflow to passively managed index funds, could reduce demand for the services of active investment managers and consequently, the demand of our clients for our products and services.

Previous wording

Uncertainty or downturns in the global economy and consolidation in the financial services industry may cause us to lose clients and users

Current wording

Uncertainty, downturns or volatility in the global economy and consolidation in the financial services industry may cause us to lose clients and users, or could reduce further growth

Previous wording

Many of our clients are asset and wealth managers, investment and commercial bankers, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital professionals, and other financial services entities. Uncertainty or downturns in the global economy or a lack of confidence in the global financial system could negatively impact our clients, which could cause a corresponding negative impact on our business results. Mergers, consolidation or contraction of our clients in the financial services industry also could directly impact the number of clients, prospective clients and users of our products and services. If our clients merge with or are acquired by other entities that are not our clients, or that use fewer of our products and services, they may discontinue or reduce their use of our products and services. Thus, economic uncertainty, economic downturns, lack of confidence in the global financial system, and consolidation in this sector could adversely affect our business, financial results and future growth.

Current wording

Many of our clients are asset and wealth managers, investment and commercial bankers, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital professionals, and other financial services entities. Uncertainty or downturns in the global economy or a lack of confidence in the global financial system could negatively impact our clients, which could cause a corresponding negative impact on our business results. Mergers, consolidation or contraction of our clients in the financial services industry also could directly impact the number of clients, prospective clients and users of our products and services. If our clients merge with or are acquired by other entities that are not our clients, or that use fewer of our products and services, they may discontinue or reduce their use of our products and services. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, financial results and future growth.

Previous wording

The decision on the part of large institutional clients to purchase our products and services often requires management-level sponsorship and typically depends upon the size of the client, with larger clients having more complex and time-consuming purchasing processes. The process is also influenced by market volatility and market downturns. These characteristics often lead us to engage in relatively lengthy sales efforts. Purchases (and incremental ASV) may therefore be delayed as uncertainties or downturns in the financial markets may cause clients to remain cautious about capital and data content expenditures, particularly in uncertain economic environments. Market volatility or market downturns may curtail our client's spending and lead them to delay or defer purchasing decisions or product service implementations, or cause them to cancel or reduce their spending with us, which could negatively impact our revenues and future growth.

Current wording

Further, decision on the part of large institutional clients to purchase our products and services often requires management-level sponsorship and typically depend upon the size of the client, with larger clients having more complex and time-consuming purchasing processes. The process is also influenced by market volatility and market downturns. These characteristics often lead us to engage in relatively lengthy sales efforts. Purchases (and incremental ASV) may therefore be delayed as uncertainties or downturns in the financial markets may cause clients to remain cautious about capital and data content expenditures, particularly in uncertain economic environments. Market volatility or market downturns may curtail our clients' spending and lead them to delay or defer purchasing decisions or product service implementations, or cause them to cancel or reduce their spending with us, which could negatively impact our revenues and future growth.

Previous wording

Errors or defects can exist at any point in a product's life cycle, but are more frequently found after the introduction of new products or enhancements to existing products. Despite internal testing and testing by clients, our products may contain errors. We may also experience delays while developing and introducing new products for various reasons, such as difficulties in licensing data inputs. Defects, errors, or delays in our products that are significant, or are perceived to be significant, could result in rejection or delay in market acceptance, damage to our reputation, loss of revenues, lower rate of license renewals or upgrades, diversion of development resources, product liability claims or regulatory actions, or increases in service and support costs.

Current wording

Errors or defects can exist at any point in a product's life cycle, but are more frequently found after the introduction of new products or enhancements to existing products. Despite internal testing and testing by clients, our products may contain errors. We may also experience delays while developing and introducing new products for various reasons, such as difficulties in licensing data inputs. Defects, errors, or delays in our products that are significant, or are perceived to be significant, could result in rejection or delay in market acceptance, damage to our reputation, loss of revenues, lower rate of license renewals or upgrades, diversion of development resources, product liability claims or regulatory actions, or increases in service and support costs. In addition, our products and services often require implementation, configuration, integration and onboarding before clients can realize their full value, and this is increasingly complex as we undergo a transformation and introduce new technologies and AI-enabled offerings. If we do not implement, deploy and support our products effectively and on a timely basis, or if clients do not receive adequate onboarding, training or support, clients may not adopt or fully utilize our products, may become dissatisfied, may not renew or expand their subscriptions, or may reduce or terminate their use of our products and services, and we may incur higher service and support costs, any of which could adversely affect our revenues, ASV and results of operations.

Previous wording

Clients are increasingly looking to pass on contractual obligations to us, which may include service level, information and cyber-security requirements and audit rights. Many of our clients in the financial services sector are also subject to regulations and requirements to adopt risk management processes commensurate with the level of risk and complexity of their third-party relationships (including as required under the European Union ("EU") Digital Operational Resilience Acts ("DORA")), and provide rigorous oversight of relationships that involve certain "critical activities," some of which may be deemed to be provided by us. Any failure on our part to comply with the specific provisions in client contracts, including having appropriate information security capabilities, could result in the imposition of various penalties, which may include termination of contracts, service credits, suspension of payments, contractual penalties, adverse monetary judgments, and, in the case of government contracts, suspension from future government contracting. Even if the outcome of any claims brought against us were ultimately favorable, such a claim would require the time and attention of our management, personnel, as well as financial and other resources and potentially pose a significant disruption to our normal business operations and reputational damage.

Current wording

Clients are increasingly looking to pass on contractual obligations to us, which may include service level, information and cybersecurity requirements and audit rights. Many of our clients in the financial services sector are also subject to regulations and requirements to adopt risk management processes commensurate with the level of risk and complexity of their third-party relationships (including as required under the European Union ("EU") Digital Operational Resilience Act ("DORA")), and provide rigorous oversight of relationships that involve certain "critical activities," some of which may be deemed to be provided by us. Any failure on our part to comply with the specific provisions in client contracts, including having appropriate information security capabilities, could result in the imposition of various penalties, which may include termination of contracts, service credits, suspension of payments, contractual penalties, adverse monetary judgments, and, in the case of government contracts, suspension from future government contracting. Even if the outcome of any claims brought against us were ultimately favorable, such a claim would require the time and attention of our management, personnel, as well as financial and other resources and potentially pose a significant disruption to our normal business operations and reputational damage.

Previous wording

In fiscal 2025, we completed several corporate transactions, including the acquisition of Irwin, LiquidityBook and LogoIntern. There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify suitable candidates for successful acquisition at acceptable prices. Additionally, there may be integration risks or other risks resulting from acquired businesses. Our ability to achieve the expected returns and synergies from past and future acquisitions and alliances depends in part upon our ability to integrate the offerings, technology, sales, administrative functions and key personnel of these businesses effectively into our core business. We cannot guarantee that our acquired businesses will perform at the levels anticipated. In addition, past and future acquisitions may subject us to unanticipated risks or liabilities or disrupt operations.

Current wording

We have historically pursued, and expect to continue to pursue, acquisitions and other strategic transactions as part of our growth strategy, although the level of such activity varies from period to period and may be limited or absent in any given year. There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify suitable candidates for successful acquisition at acceptable prices. Additionally, there may be integration risks or other risks resulting from acquired businesses. Our ability to achieve the expected returns and synergies from past and future acquisitions and alliances depends in part upon our ability to integrate the offerings, technology, sales, administrative functions and key personnel of these businesses effectively into our core business. We cannot guarantee that our acquired businesses will perform at the levels anticipated. In addition, past and future acquisitions may subject us to unanticipated risks or liabilities or disrupt operations.

Previous wording

We enjoy a positive reputation in the marketplace. Our ability to attract and retain clients and employees is affected by external perceptions of our brand and reputation. Reputational damage from negative perceptions or publicity, including, without limitation, market perception of our sustainability and corporate responsibility policies and practices, could affect our ability to attract and retain clients and employees and our ability to maintain our pricing for our products and services. Although we monitor developments for areas of potential risk to our reputation and brand, negative perceptions or publicity could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.

Current wording

Our ability to attract and retain clients and employees is affected by external perceptions of our brand and reputation. Reputational damage from negative perceptions or publicity, including, without limitation, market perception of our sustainability and corporate responsibility policies and practices and our adoption of and use of emerging technologies, could affect our ability to attract and retain clients and employees and our ability to maintain our pricing for our products and services. Although we monitor developments for areas of potential risk to our reputation and brand, negative perceptions or publicity could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.

Previous wording

Increased scrutiny with respect to sustainability matters

Current wording

Increased scrutiny with respect to environmental, social and governance matters

Previous wording

New laws, regulations, policies, and international agreements relating to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters are being developed and formalized in Europe and elsewhere globally, which requires us to comply with specific, target-driven frameworks, disclosure and other requirements in multiple jurisdictions. Increased public, political or media scrutiny concerning ESG or climate matters may negatively affect our reputation. We may face criticism in respect of our climate and ESG products. We may also face increased scrutiny from political leaders, organizations or groups criticizing ESG or climate-focused products, or our compliance with global ESG regulations. Such scrutiny may impact demand for our products or limit our ability to attract and retain clients, resulting in adverse effects on our business, operating results or financial condition.

Current wording

New laws, regulations, policies, and international agreements relating to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters are being developed and formalized in Europe and elsewhere globally, which requires us to comply with specific, target-driven frameworks, disclosure and other requirements in multiple jurisdictions. Increased public, political or media scrutiny concerning ESG or climate matters may negatively affect our reputation. We may face criticism in respect of our climate and ESG products. Simultaneously, there are efforts by some stakeholders to reduce companies' efforts on certain environmental, social and sustainability-related initiatives. Both advocates and opponents of these matters are increasingly resorting to a range of activism forms, including media campaigns and litigation, to advance their perspectives. Such scrutiny may impact demand for our products or limit our ability to attract and retain clients, resulting in adverse effects on our business, operating results or financial condition. Additionally, many of our business partners and suppliers may be subject to similar reporting and stakeholder expectations, which may augment or create additional risks, including risks that may not be known to us.

Previous wording

In fiscal 2025, approximately 39% of our revenues related to operations located outside the U.S. In addition, approximately 80% of our employees are located in offices outside the U.S., including India and the Philippines. We expect our growth to continue outside the U.S. Our non-U.S. operations involve risks that differ from or are in addition to those faced by our U.S. operations. These risks include difficulties in developing products, services and technology tailored to the needs of non-U.S. clients, including in emerging markets; different employment laws and rules; rising labor costs in lower-wage countries; difficulties in staffing and managing personnel that are located outside the U.S.; different regulatory, legal and compliance requirements, including in the areas of privacy and data protection, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, trade sanctions and restraints and currency controls, marketing and sales and other barriers to conducting business; social and cultural differences, such as language; diverse or less stable political, operating and economic environments and market fluctuations; extreme weather conditions, civil disturbances or other catastrophic events that reduce business activity, including the risk that the current conflicts in Ukraine and Russia and in the Middle East expand in a way that impacts our business and operations; limited recognition of our brand and intellectual property protection; differing accounting principles and standards; restrictions on or adverse tax consequences from entity management efforts; and changes in U.S. or foreign tax laws. If we are not able to adapt efficiently or manage the business effectively in markets outside the U.S., our business prospects and operating results could be materially and adversely affected.

Current wording

In fiscal 2026, approximately 39% of our revenues related to operations located outside the U.S. In addition, approximately 81% of our employees are located in offices outside the U.S., including India and the Philippines. We expect our growth to continue outside the U.S. Our non-U.S. operations involve risks that differ from or are in addition to those faced by our U.S. operations. These risks include difficulties in developing products, services and technology tailored to the needs of non-U.S. clients, including in emerging markets; different employment laws and rules; rising labor costs in lower-wage countries; difficulties in staffing and managing personnel that are located outside the U.S.; different regulatory, legal and compliance requirements, including in the areas of privacy and data protection, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, trade sanctions and restraints and currency controls, marketing and sales and other barriers to conducting business; social and cultural differences, such as language; diverse or less stable political, operating and economic environments and market fluctuations; extreme weather conditions, civil disturbances or other catastrophic events that reduce business activity, including the risk that the current conflicts in Ukraine and Russia and in the Middle East expand in a way that impacts our business and operations; limited recognition of our brand and intellectual property protection; differing accounting principles and standards; restrictions on or adverse tax consequences from entity management efforts; and changes in U.S. or foreign tax laws. In addition, because our non-U.S. workforce and operations are concentrated in a limited number of locations, a local or regional disruption affecting one of these hubs - whether due to natural disaster, extreme weather or climate-related events, public health crises, power or telecommunications failures, civil or political unrest, labor disruption or security incidents - could interrupt or degrade our operations, including data collection, product delivery and client support, and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not be adequate to fully mitigate the impact of any such event. If we are not able to adapt efficiently or manage the business effectively in markets outside the U.S., our business prospects and operating results could be materially and adversely affected.

Previous wording

We collect and aggregate third-party content from data suppliers, news sources, exchanges, brokers and contributors into our own dedicated managed databases, which clients access to perform their analyses. These databases are important to our operations as they provide clients with key information. We have entered into third-party content agreements of varying lengths, which in some cases can be terminated on one year’s notice at predefined dates, and in other cases on shorter notice. Some of our content provider agreements are with competitors or smaller entities who may be acquired by our competitors, who may attempt to make renewals difficult or expensive. We seek to maintain favorable contractual relationships with our content suppliers, including those that are also competitors. However, we cannot control the actions and policies of our content suppliers and we may have content suppliers who provideus with notice of termination, or exclude or restrict us from use of their content, or only license such content at prohibitive cost. Additionally, despite our efforts to comply with our third-party content supplier agreements, there can be no assurances that third parties may not challenge our use of their content, especially during periods of economic uncertainty, which could result in increased licensing costs, loss of rights, and costly legal actions. Certain content sets that we rely on have a limited number of suppliers, although we make every effort to assure that, where reasonable, alternative sources are available. We are not dependent on any one third-party content supplier to meet the needs of our clients, with two data suppliers each representing more than 10% of our total content costs for fiscal 2025. Additionally, we use AI technologies from third party suppliers, which may include open-source software. If we are unable to maintain rights to use these AI technologies on commercially reasonable terms, we may be forced to acquire or develop alternate AI technologies. Our failure to be able to maintain our supplier relationships, or the failure of our suppliers to deliver accurate content or in a timely manner, or the occurrence of a dispute with a vendor over use of their content, could increase our costs and reduce the type of content and products and services available to our clients, which could harm our reputation in the marketplace and adversely affect our business.

Current wording

We collect and aggregate third-party content from data suppliers, news sources, exchanges, brokers and contributors into our own dedicated managed databases, which our clients access through our flexible delivery platforms. These databases are important to our operations as they provide clients with key information. We have entered into third-party content agreements of varying lengths, which in some cases can be terminated on one year’s notice at predefined dates, and in other cases on shorter notice. Some of our content provider agreements are with competitors or smaller entities who may be acquired by our competitors, who have and may attempt to make renewals difficult or expensive. We seek to maintain favorable contractual relationships with our content suppliers, including those that are also competitors. However, we cannot control the actions and policies of our content suppliers and we may have content suppliers who provideus with notice of termination, or exclude or restrict us from use of their content, or only license such content at prohibitive cost. Additionally, despite our efforts to comply with our third-party content supplier agreements, there can be no assurances that third parties may not challenge our use of their content, especially during periods of economic uncertainty, which could result in increased licensing costs, loss of rights, and costly legal actions. Certain content sets that we rely on have a limited number of suppliers, although we make an effort to have alternative sources available, where reasonable. We are not dependent on any one third-party content supplier to meet the needs of our clients. Two suppliers each represented more than 10% of our total third-party content costs for fiscal 2026. Additionally, we use AI technologies from third party suppliers, which may include open-source software. If we are unable to maintain rights to use these AI technologies on commercially reasonable terms, we may be forced to acquire or develop alternate AI technologies. Our failure to be able to maintain our supplier relationships, or the failure of our suppliers to deliver accurate content or in a timely manner, or the occurrence of a dispute with a vendor over use of their content, could increase our costs and reduce the type of content and products and services available to our clients, which could harm our reputation in the marketplace and adversely affect our business.

Previous wording

The development, maintenance, sale and support of our products and services are dependent upon the knowledge, experience and ability of our highly skilled, educated and trained key personnel. Accordingly, our business is dependent on successfully attracting, retaining and training talented employees and navigating key management transitions (including in our executive leadership team) in a highly competitive business environment. Competition for talent, especially engineering, technology, and sales personnel, is strong. Our ability to attract and retain talented employees is dependent on a number of factors, including prevailing market conditions and compensation packages offered by companies competing for the same talent.

Current wording

The development, maintenance, sale, implementation and support of our products and services are dependent upon the knowledge, experience and ability of our highly skilled, educated and trained key personnel. Accordingly, our business is dependent on successfully attracting, retaining and training talented employees and navigating key management transitions (including in our executive leadership team) in a highly competitive business environment. Competition for talent, especially engineering, technology, and sales personnel, is strong. Our ability to attract and retain talented employees is dependent on a number of factors, including prevailing market conditions and compensation packages offered by companies competing for the same talent.

Previous wording

Key management transitions, such as our recent change in Chief Executive Officer, involve inherent risk, and such transition periods can be disruptive and may result in a loss of personnel with deep institutional or technical knowledge. If we are unsuccessful in our recruiting efforts, or if we are unable to retain key employees or offer competitive compensation and benefit packages and career structures, or if we are unable to navigate key management transitions, our ability to develop and deliver successful products and services or achieve strategic goals may be adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Current wording

Key management transitions, such as the transition of our Chief Executive Officer in 2025, involve inherent risk, and such transition periods can be disruptive and may result in a loss of personnel with deep institutional or technical knowledge. If we are unsuccessful in our recruiting efforts, or if we are unable to retain key employees or offer competitive compensation and benefit packages and career structures, or if we are unable to navigate key management transitions, our ability to develop and deliver successful products and services or achieve strategic goals may be adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Previous wording

As previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to the design and operation of our information technology (“IT”) general controls that support our revenues, accounts receivable, and deferred revenues processes. We are still in the process of enhancing our internal controls related to the design and operation of our IT general controls that support our revenues, accounts receivable, and deferred revenues processes and expect to complete these remediation measures in fiscal 2026. However, remediation efforts have placed, and will continue to place, a significant burden on management and add increased pressure to our financial and IT resources and processes. No system of controls, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide absolute assurance that the objectives of the system of controls will be met, and no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control deficiencies or material weaknesses have been or will be detected. There is no assurance that any remediation efforts will be fully effective. If we identify one or more additional material weaknesses, or, if we are otherwise unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures, our financial reporting may be adversely affected and could result in violations of applicable securities laws, stock exchange listing requirements, negatively affect investor confidence in our financial statements, subject us to litigation or investigations and adversely impact our stock price and our ability to access capital markets.

Current wording

As previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to the design and operation of our information technology (“IT”) general controls that support our revenues, accounts receivable, and deferred revenues processes, which was remediated as of August 31, 2026. There can be no assurance that other control deficiencies, or a new material weakness, will not occur in the future, whether in these IT general controls or in other areas, particularly as we continue to modernize our technology environment, integrate acquisitions and implement new systems and processes. No system of controls, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide absolute assurance that the objectives of the system of controls will be met, and no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control deficiencies or material weaknesses have been or will be detected. If we identify one or more additional material weaknesses, or, if we are otherwise unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures, our financial reporting may be adversely affected and could result in violations of applicable securities laws, stock exchange listing requirements, negatively affect investor confidence in our financial statements, subject us to litigation or investigations and adversely impact our stock price and our ability to access capital markets.

Previous wording

Many of our clients operate within a highly regulated environment and must comply with governmental legislation and regulations. During the last several years, global regulators have increased their focus on the regulation of the financial services industry. Increased regulation of our clients may increase their expenses, causing them to seek to limit or reduce their costs from outside services such as ours. Some recent legislative and regulatory changes that we believe could impact us and our clients include: (a) in the U.S., the Financial Data Transparency Act 2022 ("FDTA"), which requires the FDTA’s sponsoring U.S. government agencies to identify standards, including common identifiers, for reporting financial products and transactions to those agencies; (b) in the EU, the EU’s DORA imposes operational resilience and cyber security standards and obligations, including technical and organizational standards and responsibilities which require technology and/or organizational investment, upon (i) many of our financial market clients, who aim to pass such obligations onto vendors, including us, and (ii) information and communications technology providers designated by the EU as “Critical Third Party Providers.” The United Kingdom ("UK") is advancing similar legislation and other jurisdictions could follow; and (c) in Asia Pacific, we and our clients are subject to a number of regulatory risks. For example, in China, there is an evolving regulatory environment and complex data security and data transfer regulations. These factors may increase compliance risk and costs for us and our clients.

Current wording

Many of our clients operate within a highly regulated environment and must comply with governmental legislation and regulations. During the last several years, global regulators have increased their focus on the regulation of the financial services industry. Increased regulation of our clients may increase their expenses, causing them to seek to limit or reduce their costs from outside services such as ours. Some recent legislative and regulatory changes that we believe could impact us and our clients include: (a) in the U.S., the Financial Data Transparency Act of 2022 ("FDTA"), which requires the FDTA’s sponsoring U.S. government agencies to identify standards, including common identifiers, for reporting financial products and transactions to those agencies; (b) in the EU, the EU’s DORA imposes operational resilience and cyber security standards and obligations, including technical and organizational standards and responsibilities which require technology and/or organizational investment, upon (i) many of our financial market clients, who aim to pass such obligations onto vendors, including us, and (ii) information and communications technology providers designated by the EU as “Critical Third Party Providers.” The UK is advancing similar legislation and other jurisdictions could follow; and (c) in Asia Pacific, we and our clients are subject to a number of regulatory risks. For example, in China, there is an evolving regulatory environment and complex data security and data transfer regulations. These factors may increase compliance risk and costs for us and our clients.

Previous wording

From time to time, we receive client complaints. We believe we have strong contractual protection in the terms and conditions included in our arrangements with our clients. Nonetheless, in the interest of managing client relationships, we may from time to time engage in dialogue with clients in an effort to resolve such complaints, and if such complaints cannot be resolved through dialogue, we may face litigation regarding such complaints.

Current wording

From time to time, we receive client complaints. In the interest of managing client relationships, we may from time to time engage in dialogue with clients in an effort to resolve such complaints, and if such complaints cannot be resolved through dialogue, we may face litigation regarding such complaints.

Previous wording

Due to the global nature of our operations, we are exposed to market risk arising from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly in our primary currency exposures, namely the British Pound Sterling, Euro, Indian Rupee and Philippine Peso. These fluctuations can adversely affect our financial results. To the extent our international activities increase in the future, our exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates may increase as well. To manage this exposure, we use derivative instruments, specifically foreign currency forward contracts, that are designed to offset the impact of currency movements on a portion of our projected operating expenses related to our primary currency exposures. Although we believe that our foreign exchange hedging policies are reasonable and prudent under the circumstances, our attempt to hedge fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may not be successful, which could cause an adverse impact on both our results of operations and cash flows.

Current wording

Due to the global nature of our operations, we are exposed to market risk arising from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly in our primary currency exposures, namely the British Pound Sterling, Euro, Indian Rupee and Philippine Peso. These fluctuations can adversely affect our financial results. To the extent our international activities increase in the future, our exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates may increase as well. To manage this exposure, we use derivative instruments, specifically foreign currency forward contracts, that are designed to offset the impact of currency movements on a portion of our projected operating expenses related to our primary currency exposures; however, our attempt to hedge fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may not be successful, which could cause an adverse impact on both our results of operations and cash flows.

Previous wording

We provide public, full-year financial guidance based upon assumptions regarding our expected financial performance, including our ability to grow revenues and Organic ASV, to meet our planned expenses and maintain a certain tax rate, and to achieve our profitability targets. We can provide no assurances that we will be able to maintain the levels of growth and profitability that we have experienced in the past, or that our growth strategies will be successful. If we are unable to successfully execute on our strategies to achieve our growth objectives and retain our existing clients, or if we experience higher than expected operating costs or taxes, we risk not meeting our full-year financial guidance or may find it necessary to revise such guidance during the year, which could have an adverse impact on our stock price.

Current wording

We provide public, full-year financial guidance based upon assumptions regarding our expected financial performance. We can provide no assurances that we will be able to meet such financial guidance or maintain the levels of growth and profitability that we have experienced in the past, or that our growth strategies will be successful. If we are unable to successfully execute on our strategies to achieve our growth objectives and retain our existing clients, or if we experience higher than expected operating costs or taxes, we risk not meeting our full-year financial guidance or may find it necessary to revise such guidance during the year, which could have an adverse impact on our stock price.

Previous wording

In addition, the U.S. has imposed tariffs on many foreign products, including tariffs on imports from China, that in the past have resulted in and may result in future retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods and products and restrictions on exports to the U.S. Such developments have the potential to adversely impact the U.S. economy, our industry and the demand for our products. There remains uncertainty surrounding tariffs imposed by the U.S. and China and trade relations between the two countries, and we cannot predict whether these policies will continue, or if new policies will be enacted (which may restrict our ability to operate in China, or lead to other consequences, such as the need to comply with data localization requirements). As a result, such changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

In addition, the U.S. has imposed tariffs on many foreign products, including tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and many other foreign countries, that in the past have resulted in and may result in future retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods and products and restrictions on exports to the U.S. Such developments have the potential to adversely impact the U.S. economy, our industry and the demand for our products. There remains uncertainty surrounding tariffs imposed by the U.S., China and other foreign countries, and trade relations between these nations, and we cannot predict whether these policies will continue, or if new policies will be enacted (which may restrict our ability to operate in China and other countries, or lead to other consequences, such as the need to comply with data localization requirements). As a result, such changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

Our ability to meet our payment and other obligations under our debt depends on our ability to generate sufficient cash flow in the future. We cannot be certain that our business will generate cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings will be available to us under our existing or any future credit facilities or otherwise, in an amount sufficient to enable us to meet our indebtedness obligations and to fund other liquidity needs. Certain of our borrowings are based upon variable interest rates, and although we leverage interest rate swap agreements to manage a portion of our floating interest rate exposure, in the event of increases in interest rates, this could result in higher interest expense.

Current wording

Our ability to meet our payment and other obligations under our debt depends on our ability to generate sufficient cash flow in the future. We cannot be certain that our business will generate cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings will be available, or available on favorable terms, to us under our existing or any future credit facilities or otherwise, in an amount sufficient to enable us to meet our indebtedness obligations and to fund other liquidity needs. Certain of our borrowings are based upon variable interest rates, and, in the event of increases in interest rates, this could result in higher interest expense. We may need or want to refinance our existing debt or incur additional debt from time to time, and if we do so, we may be subject to less favorable terms.