Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Factors that could materially and adversely affect
our business, financial condition and/or results of operations are described in the 2021 Form 10-K. Additional risk factors not presently
known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business, financial condition and/or results of operations. As of
the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, there have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in our 2021 Form 10-K,
other than the inflation rate risk and share repurchase risk discussed below.
Inflation Rate Risk
Beginning in April 2021, the inflation rate in
the US, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has steadily increased. In 2019, the inflation rate was approximately 1.8%, while
it dropped to approximately 1.2% in 2020. This data is reported monthly, showing year-over-year changes in prices across a basket of goods
and services. For 2021, inflation increased from the 1.4%-2.6% range in the first quarter, to 4.2% in April, and was in the 5.0%-6.0%
range through the end of the third quarter of 2021, before increasing to the 6.0%-7.0% range in the fourth quarter. For the full year,
the inflation rate was 4.7% in 2021, the highest annual rate since the 5.4% rate recorded in 1990. The inflation rate continued to increase
throughout the first nine months of 2022, reaching approximately 9.1% in June 2022 and amounting to 8.2% in September 2022. In an attempt
to dampen inflation, the U.S. Federal Reserve has already implemented six interest rate increases in 2022, raising its benchmark rate
(the “federal funds rate”) from near 0.00% at the beginning of the year to the current level of 3.75%-4.00%, The federal funds
rate was raised in March, May, June, July, September and November, with the last four rate increases at 0.75% each. Looking to the fourth
quarter of 2022, we anticipate a moderation of the inflation rate when compared to the first half of the year, as a result of these recent
rate increases, but expect that inflation will remain well above the levels seen in the previous 10 years, when the annual inflation rate
ranged from 0.1% to 2.4%. If inflation is above the levels that the Company anticipates, gross margins could be below plan and our business,
operating results and cash flows may be adversely affected.
Share Repurchase Program Risk
We have adopted a share repurchase program to
repurchase shares of our common stock; however, any future decisions to reduce or discontinue repurchasing our common stock pursuant to
our share repurchase program could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.
Although our Board has authorized the share repurchase
program, any determination to execute our share repurchase program will be subject to, among other things, our financial position and
results of operations, available cash and cash flow, capital requirements and other factors, as well as our Board’s continuing determination
that the repurchase program is in the best interests of our stockholders and is in compliance with all laws and agreements applicable
to the repurchase program. Our share repurchase program does not obligate us to acquire any common stock. If we fail to meet any expectations
related to share repurchases, the market price of our common stock could decline, and could have a material adverse impact on investor
confidence. Additionally, price volatility of our common stock over a given period may cause the average price at which we repurchase
our common stock to exceed the stock’s market price at a given point in time.
We may further increase or decrease the amount
of repurchases of our common stock in the future. Any reduction or discontinuance by us of repurchases of our common stock pursuant to
our current share repurchase program could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. Moreover, in the event repurchases
of our common stock are reduced or discontinued, our failure or inability to resume repurchasing common stock at historical levels could
result in a lower market valuation of our common stock.
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