Alphabet Inc.

Summary

Alphabet Inc. provides various products and platforms in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments. The Google Services segment offers products and services, including ads, Android, Chrome, hardware, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. It is also involved in the sale of apps and in-app purchases and digital content in the Google Play store; and Fitbit wearable devices, Google Nest home products, Pixel phones, and other devices, as well as in the provision of YouTube non-advertising services. The Google Cloud segment offers infrastructure, platform, and other services; Google Workspace that include cloud-based collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, and Meet; and other services for enterprise customers. The Other Bets segment sells health technology and internet services. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Risks

Alphabet Inc.'s operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those described below, which could harm its business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results, and affect the trading price of its Class A and Class C stock.

Risks Specific to the Company

1. Alphabet Inc. generates a significant portion of its revenues from advertising, and reduced spending by advertisers, a loss of partners, or new and existing technologies that block ads online and/or affect its ability to customize ads could harm its business.
2. Alphabet Inc. faces intense competition. If Alphabet Inc. does not continue to innovate and provide products and services that are useful to users, customers, and other partners, Alphabet Inc. may not remain competitive, which could harm its business and operating results.
3. Its ongoing investment in new businesses, products, services, and technologies is inherently risky, and could divert management attention and harm its financial condition and operating results.
4. Its revenue growth rate could decline over time, and Alphabet Inc. anticipates downward pressure on its operating margin in the future.
5. Its intellectual property rights are valuable, and any inability to protect them could reduce the value of its products, services, and brands as well as affect its ability to compete.
6. Its business depends on strong brands, and failing to maintain and enhance its brands would hurt its ability to expand its base of users, advertisers, customers, content providers, and other partners.
7. Alphabet Inc. faces a number of manufacturing and supply chain risks that could harm its financial condition, operating results, and prospects.
8. Interruption to, interference with, or failure of its complex information technology and communications systems could hurt its ability to effectively provide its products and services, which could harm its reputation, financial condition, and operating results. In addition, problems with the design or implementation of its new global enterprise resource planning system could harm its business and operations.
9. Its international operations expose us to additional risks that could harm its business, its financial condition, and operating results.

Risks Related to its Industry

1. People access the Internet through a variety of platforms and devices that continue to evolve with the advancement of technology and user preferences. If manufacturers and users do not widely adopt versions of its products and services developed for these interfaces, its business could be harmed.
2. Data privacy and security concerns relating to its technology and its practices could damage its reputation, cause us to incur significant liability, and deter current and potential users or customers from using its products and services. Software bugs or defects, security breaches, and attacks on its systems could result in the improper disclosure and use of user data and interference with its users’ and customers’ ability to use its products and services, harming its business operations and reputation.
3. Its ongoing investments in safety, security, and content review will likely continue to identify abuse of its platforms and misuse of user data.
4. Problematic content on its platforms, including low-quality user-generated content, web spam, content farms, and other violations of its guidelines could affect the quality of its services, which could damage its reputation and deter its current and potential users from using its products and services.
5. Its business depends on continued and unimpeded access to the Internet by us and its users. Internet access providers may be able to restrict, block, degrade, or charge for access to certain of its products and services, which could lead to additional expenses and the loss of users and advertisers.

Risks Related to Laws, Regulations, and Policies

1. Alphabet Inc. faces increased regulatory scrutiny as well as changes in regulatory conditions, laws, and policies governing a wide range of topics that may negatively affect its business.
2. A variety of new and existing laws and/or interpretations could harm its business.
3. Alphabet Inc. is subject to claims, suits, government investigations, other proceedings, and consent decrees that may harm its business, financial condition, and operating results.
4. Alphabet Inc. may be subject to legal liability associated with providing online services or content.
5. Privacy and data protection regulations are complex and rapidly evolving areas. Any failure or alleged failure to comply with these laws could harm its business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
6. Alphabet Inc. faces, and may continue to face, intellectual property and other claims that could be costly to defend, result in significant damage awards or other costs (including indemnification awards), and limit its ability to use certain technologies in the future.

Risks Related to Ownership of its Stock

1. Alphabet Inc. cannot guarantee that any share repurchase program will be fully consummated or will enhance long-term stockholder value, and share repurchases could increase the volatility of its stock prices and could diminish its cash reserves.
2. The concentration of its stock ownership limits its stockholders’ ability to influence corporate matters.
3. Provisions in its charter documents and under Delaware law could discourage a takeover that stockholders may consider favourable.

General Risks

1. The continuing effects of COVID-19 are highly unpredictable and could be significant, and may have an adverse effect on its business, operations and its future financial performance.
2. Its operating results may fluctuate, which makes its results difficult to predict and could cause its results to fall short of expectations.
3. Acquisitions, joint ventures, investments, and divestitures could result in operating difficulties, dilution, and other consequences that may harm its business, financial condition, and operating results.
4. If Alphabet Inc. was to lose the services of key personnel, Alphabet Inc. may not be able to execute its business strategy.
5. Alphabet Inc. relies on highly skilled personnel and, if Alphabet Inc. is unable to retain or motivate key personnel, hire qualified personnel, or maintain its corporate culture, Alphabet Inc. may not be able to grow effectively.
6. Alphabet Inc. is exposed to fluctuations in the fair values of its investments and, in some instances, its financial statements incorporate valuation methodologies that are subjective in nature resulting in fluctuations over time.
7. Alphabet Inc. could be subject to changes in tax rates, the adoption of new U.S. or international tax legislation, or exposure to additional tax liabilities.
8. The trading price for its Class A stock and non-voting Class C stock may continue to be volatile.