Safe Harbor
Certain statements in this presentation contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases, include statements relating to: our business strategies and plans for growth; anticipated profit growth and cost savings; expectations relating to products, gaming and entertainment to be developed and delivered in the near term; expectations relating to the Company’s direct to consumer platform, licensing activities, and other anticipated transactions and any benefits resulting therefrom; capital allocation priorities, including debt to EBITDA targets, dividends and share buybacks; and anticipated financial performance for 2022 and financial targets for 2027. Our actual actions or results may differ materially from those expected or anticipated in the forward-looking statements due to both known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to:
- our ability to successfully execute on our blueprint 2.0 strategy, including to focus on and scale select business initiatives and brands to drive profitability;
- our ability to design, develop, manufacture, and ship products on a timely, cost-effective and profitable basis;
- our ability to successfully compete in the global play and entertainment industry, including with manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of toys and games, digital gaming products and digital media, as well as with film studios, television production companies and independent distributors and content producers;
- our ability to successfully evolve and transform our business and capabilities to successfully address the global consumer landscape and retail environment;
- inflation and downturns in global and regional economic conditions impacting one or more of the markets in which we sell products, which can negatively impact our retail customers and consumers, result in lower employment levels, consumer disposable income, retailer inventories and spending, including lower spending on purchases of our products;
- our dependence on third party relationships, including with third party manufacturers, licensors of brands, studios, content producers and entertainment distribution channels;
- risks relating to the concentration of manufacturing for many of our products in the People’s Republic of China and our ability to successfully diversify sourcing of our products to reduce reliance on sources of supply in China;
- our ability to successfully develop and continue to execute plans to mitigate the negative impact of the coronavirus on our business;
- risks related to other economic and public health conditions or regulatory changes in the markets in which we and our customers, partners, licensees, suppliers and manufacturers operate, such as inflation, rising interest rates, higher commodity prices, labor costs or transportation costs, or outbreaks of disease, the occurrence of which could create work slowdowns, delays or shortages in production or shipment of products, increases in costs or delays in revenue;
- risks associated with international operations, such as currency conversion, currency fluctuations, the imposition of tariffs, quotas, shipping delays or difficulties, border adjustment taxes or other protectionist measures, and other challenges in the territories in which we operate;
- the success of our key partner brands, including the ability to secure, maintain and extend agreements with our key partners or the risk of delays, increased costs or difficulties associated with any of our or our partners’ planned digital applications or media initiatives;
- risks related to our leadership changes;
- our ability to attract and retain talented and diverse employees;
- our ability to realize the benefits of cost-savings and efficiency and/or revenue enhancing initiatives;
- risks relating to the impairment and/or write-offs of products and content we acquire and produce;
- risks relating to investments, acquisitions and dispositions, including the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquired assets or businesses;
- fluctuations in our business due to seasonality;
- the concentration of our customers, potentially increasing the negative impact to our business of difficulties experienced by any of our customers or changes in their purchasing or selling patterns;
- the bankruptcy or other lack of success of one or more of our significant retailers, licensees and other partners; and
- other risks and uncertainties as may be detailed from time to time in our public announcements and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings.
The statements contained herein are based on our current beliefs and expectations. We undertake no obligation to make any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained in this presentation or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this presentation.