Item 1A. Risk Factors
The following summarizes factors that could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price. The Company may not be able to accurately predict, control or mitigate these risks. Statements in this section are based on the Company’s beliefs and opinions regarding matters that could materially adversely affect the Company in the future and are not representations as to whether such matters have or have not occurred previously. The risks and uncertainties described below are not exhaustive and should not be considered a complete statement of all potential risks or uncertainties that the Company faces or may face in the future.
This section should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.
Macroeconomic and Industry Risks
The Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on global and regional economic conditions and adverse economic conditions can materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company has international operations with sales outside the U.S. representing a majority of the Company’s total net sales. In addition, the Company’s global supply chain is large and complex and a majority of the Company’s supplier facilities, including manufacturing and assembly sites, are located outside the U.S. As a result, the Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on global and regional economic conditions.
Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including slow growth or recession, high unemployment, inflation, tighter credit, higher interest rates, and currency fluctuations, can adversely impact consumer confidence and spending and materially adversely affect demand for the Company’s products and services. In addition, consumer confidence and spending can be materially adversely affected in response to changes in fiscal and monetary policy, financial market volatility, declines in income or asset values, and other economic factors.
Uncertainty about, or a decline in, global or regional economic conditions can also have a significant impact on the Company’s suppliers, contract manufacturers, logistics providers, distributors, cellular network carriers and other channel partners, and developers. Potential outcomes include financial instability; inability to obtain credit to finance business operations; and insolvency.
Adverse economic conditions can also lead to increased credit and collectibility risk on the Company’s trade receivables; the failure of derivative counterparties and other financial institutions; limitations on the Company’s ability to issue new debt; reduced liquidity; and declines in the fair values of the Company’s financial instruments. These and other impacts can materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 5
The Company’s business can be impacted by political events, trade and other international disputes, geopolitical tensions, conflict, terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues, industrial accidents and other business interruptions.
Political events, trade and other international disputes, geopolitical tensions, conflict, terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues, industrial accidents and other business interruptions can have a material adverse effect on the Company and its customers, employees, suppliers, contract manufacturers, logistics providers, distributors, cellular network carriers and other channel partners.
The Company has a large, global business with sales outside the U.S. representing a majority of the Company’s total net sales, and the Company believes that it generally benefits from growth in international trade. A significant majority of the Company’s manufacturing is performed in whole or in part by outsourcing partners located primarily in China mainland, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, in addition to sourcing from partners and facilities located in the U.S. Restrictions on international trade, such as tariffs and other controls on imports or exports of goods, technology or data, can materially adversely affect the Company’s business and supply chain. The impact can be particularly significant if these restrictive measures apply to countries and regions where the Company derives a significant portion of its revenues and/or has significant supply chain operations. Restrictive measures can increase the cost or limit the availability of the Company’s products and the components and rare earths and other raw materials that go into them. Restrictive measures can also require the Company to change suppliers, restructure business relationships and operations, refrain from offering and distributing or cease to offer and distribute affected products, services and third-party applications to its customers, and increase the prices of its products and services. Changing the Company’s business and supply chain in accordance with new or changed restrictions on international trade can be expensive, time-consuming and to the Company’s business and results of operations. Trade and other international can also have an impact on the overall macroeconomic environment and result in shifts and reductions in consumer spending and consumer sentiment for the Company’s products and services, all of which can further affect the Company’s business and results of operations. Such restrictions can be announced with little or no advance notice, which can create uncertainty, and the Company may not be to effectively mitigate any or all impacts from such measures. Global supply chains can be highly concentrated, and an escalation of geopolitical tensions or could result in significant . Beginning in the second quarter of 2025, new tariffs were announced on imports to the U.S. (“U.S. Tariffs”), including additional tariffs on imports from China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and the European Union (“EU”), among others. In response, several countries have imposed, or to impose, reciprocal tariffs on imports from the U.S. and other measures. Various modifications to the U.S. Tariffs have been announced and further changes could be made in the future, which may include additional sector-based tariffs or other measures. For example, the U.S. Department of Commerce has initiated an under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, into, among other things, imports of semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and their derivative products, including downstream products that contain semiconductors. The ultimate impact remains uncertain and will depend on several factors, including whether additional or incremental U.S. Tariffs or other measures are announced or imposed, to what extent other countries implement tariffs or other measures in response, and the overall magnitude and duration of these measures. If and further , actions by governments in response could be significantly more and restrictive.
Many of the Company’s operations, retail stores and facilities, as well as critical business operations of the Company’s suppliers and contract manufacturers, are in locations that are prone to earthquakes and other natural disasters. Global climate change is resulting in certain types of natural disasters and extreme weather occurring more frequently or with more intense effects. In addition, the Company’s and its suppliers’ operations, retail stores and facilities are subject to the risk of interruption by fire, power shortages, nuclear power plant accidents and other industrial accidents, terrorist attacks and other hostile acts, ransomware and other cybersecurity attacks, labor disputes, public health issues and other events beyond the Company’s control.
Such events can make it difficult or impossible for the Company to manufacture and deliver products to its customers, create delays and inefficiencies in the Company’s supply and manufacturing chain, result in slowdowns and outages to the Company’s service offerings, increase the Company’s costs, and negatively impact consumer spending and demand in affected areas.
The Company’s operations are also subject to the risks of industrial accidents at its suppliers and contract manufacturers. While the Company’s suppliers are required to maintain safe working environments and operations, an industrial accident could occur and could result in serious injuries or loss of life, disruption to the Company’s business, and harm to the Company’s reputation. Major public health issues, including pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have adversely affected, and could in the future materially adversely affect, the Company due to their impact on the global economy and demand for consumer products; the imposition of protective public safety measures, such as stringent employee travel restrictions and limitations on freight services and the movement of products between regions; and disruptions in the Company’s operations, supply chain and sales and distribution channels, resulting in to the supply of current products and offering of existing services, and in production ramps of new products and development of new services.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 6
Following any interruption to its business, the Company can require substantial recovery time, incur significant expenditures to resume operations, and lose significant sales. Because the Company relies on single or limited sources for the supply and manufacture of many critical components, a business interruption affecting such sources would exacerbate any negative consequences to the Company. While the Company maintains insurance coverage for certain types of losses, such insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all losses that may arise. Any of the foregoing can materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Global markets for the Company’s products and services are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological change, and the Company may be unable to compete effectively in these markets.
The Company’s products and services are offered in highly competitive global markets. These markets are characterized by aggressive price competition, downward pressure on gross margins, continual improvement in product performance, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses. These markets are further defined by frequent introduction of new products and services, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, and rapid adoption of technological advancements.
The Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily on ensuring the continuing and timely introduction of innovative new products, services and technologies to the marketplace. The Company designs and develops nearly the entire solution for its products, including the hardware, operating system, numerous software applications and related services. As a result, the Company must make significant investments in R&D. These investments may not achieve expected returns, and the Company may not be able to develop and market new products and services successfully.
The Company’s ability to compete successfully also depends on the effective protection and enforcement of its intellectual property rights. Regulatory requirements, government investigations and litigation can force the Company to withdraw from, or modify its products and services for, certain countries and limit its ability to derive value from, or to enjoin others from using, its intellectual property rights. Additionally, they may require the Company to share its innovations with competitors. Any of these outcomes can have a negative impact on the Company’s competitive advantage and materially adversely affect its business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company currently holds a significant number of patents, trademarks and copyrights and has registered, and applied to register, additional patents, trademarks and copyrights. In contrast, many of the Company’s competitors seek to compete primarily through aggressive pricing and very low cost structures, and by imitating the Company’s products and infringing on its intellectual property. Effective intellectual property protection is not consistently available in every country in which the Company operates. If the Company is unable to continue to develop and sell innovative new products with attractive margins or if competitors infringe on the Company’s intellectual property, the Company’s ability to maintain a competitive advantage could be materially adversely affected.
The Company’s products and services face substantial competition from companies that have significant technical, marketing, distribution and other resources, as well as established hardware, software and service offerings. In addition, the Company faces significant competition as competitors imitate the Company’s product features and applications within their products to offer more competitive solutions. The Company also expects competition to intensify as competitors imitate the Company’s approach to providing components seamlessly within their offerings or work collaboratively to offer integrated solutions. Some of the Company’s competitors have broad product lines, low-priced products, large installed bases of active devices, and large customer bases. Competition has been particularly intense as competitors have aggressively cut prices and lowered product margins. Certain competitors have the resources, experience or cost structures to provide products and services at little or no profit or even at a loss. The Company has a minority market share in the global smartphone, personal computer, tablet and wearables markets, and some of the markets in which the Company competes have from time to time experienced little to no growth or contracted overall.
If the Company is unable to compete successfully, its business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price can be materially adversely affected.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 7
Business Risks
To remain competitive and stimulate customer demand, the Company must successfully manage frequent introductions and transitions of products and services.
Due to the highly volatile and competitive nature of the markets and industries in which the Company competes, the Company must continually introduce new products, services and technologies, enhance existing products and services, effectively stimulate customer demand for new and upgraded products and services, navigate global regulatory requirements and barriers to market access, and successfully manage the transition to these new and upgraded products and services. The success of new product and service introductions depends on a number of factors, including the Company’s ability to recruit and retain highly skilled personnel to execute on its strategic initiatives, and the timely and successful development and market acceptance of new products, services and technologies. Success also relies on the Company’s ability to manage the risks associated with new technologies and production ramp-up issues, the effective integration of third-party services and technologies into the Company’s products and services, the availability, delivery and performance of application software or other third-party support for the Company’s products and services, the management of manufacturing and other purchase commitments and the management of inventory levels in line with anticipated product demand, and the availability of products in appropriate quantities and at expected costs to meet anticipated demand. Additionally, quality issues or other or can affect the of new product and service introductions and market acceptance. New products, services and technologies may replace or supersede existing offerings and may produce lower revenues and lower profit margins. The Company may not be to manage future introductions and transitions of products and services, which can materially affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company depends on component and product manufacturing and logistical services provided by outsourcing partners, many of which are located outside of the U.S.
A significant majority of the Company’s manufacturing is performed in whole or in part by outsourcing partners located primarily in China mainland, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, in addition to sourcing from partners and facilities located in the U.S. The Company relies on single-source partners in the U.S., Asia and Europe to supply and manufacture many components, and on partners primarily located in Asia, for final assembly of substantially all of the Company’s hardware products. The Company has also outsourced much of its transportation and logistics management. While these arrangements can lower operating costs, they also reduce the Company’s direct control over production and distribution. Such diminished control has from time to time had, and may in the future have, an adverse effect on the cost, quality or quantity of products manufactured or services provided, or adversely affect the Company’s flexibility to respond to changing conditions. Although arrangements with these partners may contain provisions for product defect expense reimbursement, the Company generally remains responsible to the consumer for warranty and out-of-warranty service in the event of product defects and experiences unanticipated product defect liabilities from time to time. While the Company relies on its partners to adhere to its supplier code of conduct, of the supplier code of conduct occur from time to time and can materially affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Changes or additions to the Company’s supply chain require considerable time and resources and involve significant risks and uncertainties, including exposure to additional regulatory and operational risks.
Future operating results depend upon the Company’s ability to obtain components in sufficient quantities on commercially reasonable terms.
Because the Company currently obtains certain components from single or limited sources, the Company is subject to significant supply and pricing risks. Many components, including those that are available from multiple sources, are at times subject to industry-wide shortages and significant commodity pricing fluctuations that can materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price. For example, the global semiconductor industry has in the past experienced high demand and shortages of supply, which adversely affected the Company’s ability to obtain sufficient quantities of components and products on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Such disruptions could occur in the future.
Additionally, the Company’s new products often utilize custom components available from only one source. When a component or product uses new technologies, initial capacity constraints may exist until the suppliers’ yields have matured or their manufacturing capacities have increased. The Company may not be able to extend or renew agreements for the supply of components on similar terms, or at all, and may not be successful in obtaining sufficient quantities from its suppliers in a timely manner, or in identifying and obtaining sufficient quantities from an alternative source. In addition, component suppliers may fail, be subject to consolidation within a particular industry, or decide to concentrate on the production of common components instead of components customized to meet the Company’s requirements, further limiting the Company’s ability to obtain sufficient quantities of components on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Therefore, the Company remains subject to significant risks of supply shortages and price increases that can materially adversely affect its business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 8
The Company’s products and services may be affected from time to time by design and manufacturing defects that could materially adversely affect the Company’s business and result in harm to the Company’s reputation.
The Company offers complex hardware and software products and services that can be affected by design and manufacturing defects. Sophisticated operating system software and applications, such as those offered by the Company, often have issues that can unexpectedly interfere with the intended operation of hardware or software products and services. Defects can also exist in components and products the Company purchases from third parties. Component defects could make the Company’s products unsafe and create a risk of environmental or property damage and personal injury. These risks may increase as the Company’s products are introduced into specialized applications, including health. In addition, the Company’s service offerings can have quality issues and from time to time experience outages, service slowdowns or errors. As a result, from time to time the Company’s services have not performed as anticipated and may not meet customer expectations. The introduction of new and complex technologies, such as artificial intelligence features, can increase these and other safety risks, including users to , or other content and experiences. The Company may not be to detect and fix all issues and in the hardware, software and services it offers, which can result in widespread technical and performance issues affecting the Company’s products and services. , bugs and can be by third parties, compromising the safety and security of a user’s device. In addition, the Company can be to product liability , , product replacements or modifications, write-offs of inventory, property, plant and equipment or intangible assets, and significant warranty and other expenses, including costs and regulatory . Quality can affect the experience for users of the Company’s products and services, and result in to the Company’s reputation, of competitive , market acceptance, reduced demand for products and services, in new product and service introductions and sales.
The Company is exposed to the risk of write-downs on the value of its inventory and other assets, in addition to purchase commitment cancellation risk.
The Company records a write-down for product and component inventories if cost exceeds net realizable value. The Company reviews other assets, including capital assets held at its suppliers’ facilities, inventory prepayments and other long-lived assets, for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate the assets may not be recoverable. Although the Company believes its inventory, capital assets, inventory prepayments and other assets are currently recoverable, the Company may incur write-downs, impairments and other charges given the rapid and unpredictable pace of product obsolescence in the industries in which the Company competes.
The Company orders components for its products and builds inventory in advance of product announcements and shipments. Manufacturing purchase obligations cover the Company’s forecasted component and manufacturing requirements, typically for periods up to 150 days. Because the Company’s markets are volatile, competitive and subject to rapid technology and price changes, there is a risk the Company will forecast incorrectly and order or produce excess or insufficient amounts of components or products, or not fully utilize purchase commitments. The Company accrues necessary cancellation fee reserves for orders of excess products and components.
The Company relies on access to third-party intellectual property, which may not be available to the Company on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.
The Company’s products and services include technology or intellectual property that must be licensed from third parties. In addition, because of technological changes in the industries in which the Company currently competes or in the future may compete, current extensive intellectual property coverage and the rapid rate of new intellectual property rights generation, the Company’s products and services may be alleged to infringe existing intellectual property rights of others. This risk may be exacerbated by the use of new and emerging technologies, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, which can involve, among other things, the acquisition and use of copyrighted materials for training as well as the potential reproduction of copyrighted materials in their outputs . From time to time, the Company has been notified that it may be infringing certain intellectual property rights of third parties. The Company is not always able to obtain all necessary licenses to third-party intellectual property rights on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Failure to obtain the right to use third-party intellectual property, or to use such intellectual property on commercially reasonable terms, can require the Company to modify certain products, services or features or the Company from selling certain products or services and the Company to significant licensing costs, all of which can materially affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 9
The Company’s future performance depends in part on support from third-party software developers.
The Company believes decisions by customers to purchase its hardware products depend in part on the availability of third-party software applications and services. Third-party developers may discontinue the development and maintenance of software applications and services for the Company’s products. If third-party software applications and services cease to be developed and maintained for the Company’s products, customers may choose not to buy the Company’s products, adversely impacting the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company believes that third-party developer support depends on the perceived benefits of creating software and services for the Company’s products compared to competitors’ platforms, such as Android for smartphones and tablets, Windows for personal computers and tablets, and PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox for gaming platforms. This analysis may be based on factors such as the market position of the Company and its products, the anticipated revenue that may be generated, expected future growth of product sales, and the costs of developing such applications and services.
The Company’s minority market share in the global smartphone, personal computer, tablet and wearables markets can make developers less inclined to develop or upgrade software for the Company’s products and more inclined to devote their resources to developing and upgrading software for competitors’ products with larger market share. When developers focus their efforts on these competing platforms, the availability and quality of applications for the Company’s devices can suffer.
The Company relies on the continued availability and development of compelling and innovative software applications for its products. The Company’s products and operating systems are subject to rapid technological change, and when third-party developers are unable to or choose not to keep up with this pace of change, their applications can fail to take advantage of these changes to deliver improved customer experiences, can operate incorrectly, and can result in dissatisfied customers and lower customer demand for the Company’s products.
Failure to obtain or create digital content that appeals to the Company’s customers, or to make such content available on commercially reasonable terms, could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
The Company contracts with numerous third parties to offer their digital content to customers. This includes the right to sell, or offer subscriptions to, third-party content, as well as the right to incorporate specific content into the Company’s own services. The licensing or other distribution arrangements for this content can be for relatively short time periods and do not guarantee the continuation or renewal of these arrangements on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Some third-party content providers and distributors currently or in the future may offer competing products and services, and can take actions to make it difficult or impossible for the Company to license or otherwise distribute their content. Other content owners, providers or distributors may seek to limit the Company’s access to, or increase the cost of, such content. The Company may be unable to continue to offer a wide variety of content at commercially reasonable prices with acceptable usage rules.
The Company also produces its own digital content, which can be costly to produce due to intense and increasing competition for talent, content and subscribers, and may fail to appeal to the Company’s customers.
The Company’s success depends largely on the talents and efforts of its team members, the continued service and availability of highly skilled employees, including key personnel, and the Company’s ability to nurture its distinctive and inclusive culture.
Much of the Company’s future success depends on the talents and efforts of its team members and the continued availability and service of key personnel, including its Chief Executive Officer, executive team and other highly skilled employees. Experienced personnel in the technology industry are in high demand and competition for their talents is intense, especially in Silicon Valley, where most of the Company’s key personnel are located. Periods of intense competition for talent in particular fields can lead to increased costs as the Company seeks to offer competitive compensation to recruit and retain highly skilled employees. In addition to competition for talent, workforce dynamics are constantly evolving and the Company must navigate changes effectively in order to achieve its strategic initiatives. Laws and regulations, including immigration, labor and employment laws and export controls, among others, can materially adversely affect the Company’s ability to recruit and retain a highly skilled, global workforce. If the Company does not effectively manage changing workforce dynamics and regulatory requirements, it could materially adversely affect the Company’s culture, operational flexibility, strategy and costs, all of which can materially adversely affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company believes that its distinctive and inclusive culture is a significant driver of its success. If the Company is unable to nurture its culture, it could materially adversely affect the Company’s ability to recruit and retain the highly skilled employees who are critical to its success, and could otherwise materially adversely affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 10
The Company depends on the performance of carriers and other resellers.
The Company distributes its products and certain of its services through cellular network carriers and other resellers, many of which distribute products and services from competitors. Resellers offer financing, installment payment plans or subsidies for users’ purchases of devices, and such plans may be discontinued or modified any time.
The Company has invested and will continue to invest in programs to enhance reseller sales, including staffing selected resellers’ stores with Company employees and contractors, improving product placement displays, and developing and making digital marketing assets available to resellers. These programs can require a substantial investment while not assuring return or incremental sales. For example, the purchasing preferences and behaviors of consumers may change, the financial condition of resellers could weaken, resellers could stop distributing the Company’s products, or uncertainty regarding demand for some or all of the Company’s products could cause resellers to reduce their ordering and marketing of the Company’s products, all of which could materially adversely impact the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company’s business and reputation are impacted by information technology system failures and network disruptions.
The Company and its global supply chain are dependent on complex information technology systems and are exposed to information technology system failures or network disruptions caused by natural disasters, accidents, power disruptions, telecommunications failures, acts of terrorism or war, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins, ransomware or other cybersecurity incidents, or other events or disruptions. System upgrades, redundancy and other continuity measures may be ineffective or inadequate, and the Company’s or its vendors’ business continuity and disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient for all eventualities. Such failures or disruptions can impact the Company’s business by, among other things, access to the Company’s online services, with customer transactions or the manufacturing and shipping of the Company’s products. These events could materially affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Losses or unauthorized access to or releases of confidential information, including personal information, could subject the Company to significant reputational, financial, legal and operational consequences.
The Company’s business requires it to use and store confidential information, including personal and sensitive health and financial information with respect to the Company’s customers and employees. The Company devotes significant resources to systems and data security, including through the use of encryption and other security measures intended to protect its systems and data. But these measures cannot provide absolute security, and losses or unauthorized access to or releases of confidential information occur and could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company’s business also requires it to share confidential information with suppliers and other third parties. The Company relies on global suppliers that are also exposed to ransomware and other malicious attacks that can disrupt business operations. Although the Company takes steps to secure confidential information that is provided to or accessible by third parties working on the Company’s behalf, such measures are not always effective and losses or unauthorized access to, or releases of, confidential information occur. Such incidents and other malicious attacks could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company experiences malicious attacks and other attempts to gain unauthorized access to its systems on a regular basis. These attacks target the confidentiality, integrity or availability of confidential information and may disrupt normal business operations. Attacks can impair the Company’s ability to attract and retain customers for its products and services, affect its stock price, damage commercial relationships, and expose the Company to litigation or government investigations, potentially resulting in penalties, fines or judgments. Globally, attacks are expected to continue accelerating in both frequency and sophistication with increasing use by actors of tools and techniques that are designed to circumvent controls, avoid detection, and remove or obfuscate forensic evidence, all of which the Company’s ability to identify, and recover from . In addition, attacks the Company and its customers can during periods of geopolitical tensions or .
Although malicious attacks perpetrated to gain access to confidential information, including personal information, affect many companies across various industries, the Company is at a relatively greater risk of being targeted because of its high profile and the value of the confidential information it creates, owns, manages, stores and processes.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 11
As with all companies, the security the Company has implemented may not be sufficient for all eventualities and are vulnerable to hacking, ransomware attacks, employee error, malfeasance, system error, faulty password management or other irregularities. For example, third parties can fraudulently induce the Company’s or its suppliers’ and other third parties’ employees or customers into disclosing usernames, passwords or other sensitive information, which can, in turn, be used for unauthorized access to the Company’s or such suppliers’ or third parties’ systems and services. To help protect customers and the Company, the Company deploys and makes available technologies like multifactor authentication, monitors its services and systems for unusual activity and may freeze accounts under suspicious circumstances, which, among other things, can result in the delay or loss of customer orders or customer access to the Company’s products and services.
While the Company maintains insurance coverage that is intended to address certain aspects of data security risks, such insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all losses or all types of claims that may arise.
Investment in new business strategies, commercial relationships and acquisitions could disrupt the Company’s ongoing business, present risks not originally contemplated, and materially adversely affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations and financial condition.
The Company has invested, and in the future may invest, in new business strategies, commercial relationships and acquisitions. Such endeavors may involve significant risks and uncertainties, including distraction of management from current operations, greater-than-expected liabilities and expenses, economic, political, legal and regulatory challenges associated with operating in new businesses, regions or countries, inadequate return on capital, potential impairment of tangible and intangible assets, and significant write-offs. Some transactions, including investments and acquisitions, are exposed to additional risks, including failing to obtain required regulatory approvals on a timely basis or at all, a counterparty’s failure to perform or deliver as anticipated, or the imposition of onerous conditions that could delay or prevent the Company from completing a transaction or otherwise limit the Company’s ability to fully realize the anticipated benefits of a transaction. New business strategies and ventures are inherently and may not be . The Company’s business strategies and investments may not be , which could materially affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance Risks
The Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely impacted by unfavorable results of legal proceedings or government investigations.
The Company is subject to various claims, legal proceedings and government investigations that have arisen in the ordinary course of business and have not yet been fully resolved, and new matters may arise in the future. In addition, the Company enters into agreements that include indemnification provisions that can subject the Company to costs and damages in the event of a claim against an indemnified third party. The number of claims, legal proceedings and government investigations involving the Company, and the alleged magnitude of such claims, proceedings and government investigations, has generally increased over time and may continue to increase.
The Company has faced and continues to face a significant number of patent claims relating to its standards-enabled products, and new claims may arise in the future, including as a result of new legal or regulatory frameworks. For example, technology, data and other intellectual property asset–holding companies frequently assert their intellectual property rights and seek royalties and often enter into litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. These risks, and the risks of novel claims being attempted, may be exacerbated as new and emerging technologies, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, are further integrated into the Company’s products and services. The Company is vigorously defending infringement actions in courts in several U.S. jurisdictions, as well as internationally in various countries. The plaintiffs in these actions frequently seek broad injunctive relief and substantial .
Regardless of the merit of particular claims, defending against litigation or responding to government investigations can be expensive, time-consuming and disruptive to the Company’s operations. In recognition of these considerations, the Company may enter into agreements or other arrangements to settle litigation and resolve such challenges. However, such agreements may not always be available on acceptable terms, and litigation may still arise. Such agreements can also significantly reduce the Company’s revenue and increase the Company’s cost of sales and operating expenses, materially adversely affecting the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price. Additionally, such agreements may require the Company to change its business practices and limit the Company’s ability to offer certain products and services.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 12
The outcome of litigation or government investigations is inherently uncertain. If one or more legal matters were resolved against the Company or an indemnified third party in a reporting period for amounts above management’s expectations, the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and stock price for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected. Further, such an outcome can result in significant monetary damages, disgorgement of revenue or profits, remedial corporate measures or injunctive relief against the Company. Adverse resolution of legal matters has from time to time required, and can in the future require, the Company to change its business practices. It can also limit the Company’s ability to enjoin others from using, or to derive value from, its intellectual property rights, and to develop, manufacture, use, import or offer for sale certain products and services, all of which could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
While the Company maintains insurance coverage for certain types of claims, such insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all losses or all types of claims that may arise.
The Company is subject to complex and changing laws and regulations worldwide, which exposes the Company to potential liabilities, increased costs and other adverse effects on the Company’s business.
The Company’s global operations are subject to complex and changing laws and regulations worldwide on subjects including antitrust; privacy, data security and data localization; online safety; age verification; consumer protection; advertising, sales, billing and e-commerce; financial services and technology; product liability; intellectual property ownership and infringement; digital platforms; machine learning and artificial intelligence; internet, telecommunications and mobile communications; media, television, film and digital content; availability of third-party software applications and services; labor and employment; anticorruption; import, export and trade; foreign exchange controls and cash repatriation restrictions; anti–money laundering; foreign ownership and investment; national security; tax; and environmental, health and safety, including electronic waste, recycling, product design and climate change.
Compliance with these laws and regulations is onerous and expensive. New and changing laws, regulations, executive orders, directives, and enforcement priorities can adversely affect the Company’s business by increasing the Company’s costs, limiting the Company’s ability to offer a product, service or feature to customers, imposing changes to the design of the Company’s products and services, impacting customer demand for the Company’s products and services, and requiring changes to the Company’s business or supply chain. New and changing laws, regulations, executive orders, directives, and enforcement priorities can also create uncertainty about how such laws and regulations will be interpreted and applied. If the Company is found to have violated such laws and regulations, it could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Risks and costs related to new and changing laws, regulations, executive orders, directives, and enforcement priorities increase as the Company’s products and services are introduced into specialized applications, including health and financial services, or as the Company expands the use of technologies, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence features, and must navigate new legal, regulatory and ethical considerations relating to such technologies.
Regulatory changes and other actions that materially adversely affect the Company’s business may be announced with little or no advance notice and the Company may not be able to effectively mitigate all adverse impacts from such measures. For example, the Company is subject to changing regulations relating to the export and import of its products. The Company’s programs, policies and procedures may not be effective in preventing a violation or a claim of a violation. As a result, the Company’s products could be banned, delayed or prohibited from importation, which could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Varied stakeholder expectations about social and other issues expose the Company to potential liabilities, increased costs, reputational harm, and other adverse effects on the Company’s business.
Various stakeholders, including governments, regulators, investors, employees, customers and others, have differing expectations about a wide range of social and other issues related to the Company’s business. The Company makes statements about its values, including the environmental and societal impact of its business, through various reports, information provided on the Company’s website, and in press statements and other communications. The Company also pursues environmental and other goals and initiatives that involve risks and uncertainties, require investments, and depend in part on third-party performance or data that is outside the Company’s control, and the Company may not be able to fully achieve all of its goals and initiatives. Efforts by the Company to advance its business and values, or achieve its goals and further its initiatives, or to align with stakeholders’ expectations, or comply with evolving, varied and at times conflicting federal, state and international laws, executive orders, regulations and standards, or any failure or perceived failure to do so, can result in adverse reactions by consumers and other stakeholders, including the commencement of legal and regulatory proceedings the Company, and can materially affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 13
The technology industry, including, in some instances, the Company, is subject to intense media, political and regulatory scrutiny, which exposes the Company to increasing regulation, government investigations, legal actions and penalties.
From time to time, the Company has made changes to its business, including actions taken in response to litigation, competition, market conditions and legal and regulatory requirements. The Company expects to make further business changes in the future. For example, in the U.S., the Company has implemented changes to how developers communicate with consumers within apps on the U.S. storefront of the iOS and iPadOS App Store regarding alternative purchasing mechanisms and is currently subject to a court order preventing it from imposing any commission or fee on certain purchases that consumers make.
Globally, several jurisdictions have adopted, or may in the future adopt, competition-related laws and regulations imposing wide-ranging obligations on technology companies and significant limitations on businesses, including the Company. For example, the Company has implemented changes to iOS, iPadOS, the App Store and Safari ® in the EU as it seeks to comply with the Digital Markets Act (“DMA”), including new business terms and alternative fee structures for iOS and iPadOS apps, alternative methods of distribution for iOS and iPadOS apps, alternative payment processing for apps across the Company’s operating systems, and additional tools and application programming interfaces for developers. The Company has also continued to make changes to its compliance plan in response to feedback and engagement with the Commission. Although the Company’s compliance plan is intended to address the DMA’s obligations, it has been challenged by the Commission and may be challenged further by private litigants. The DMA provides for significant fines and penalties for noncompliance. While the changes introduced by the Company in the EU are intended to reduce new privacy and security risks that the DMA to EU users, many risks will remain. Changes to the Company’s business in response to the DMA or other laws and regulations could materially affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company is also currently subject to antitrust investigations and litigation in various jurisdictions around the world, which can result in legal proceedings and claims against the Company that could, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price. For example, the Company is subject to civil antitrust lawsuits in the U.S. alleging monopolization or attempted monopolization in the markets for “performance smartphones” and “smartphones” generally in violation of U.S. antitrust laws. In addition, the Company is the subject of investigations in Europe and other jurisdictions relating to App Store terms and conditions. If such investigations or are resolved the Company, the Company can be to significant and may be required to make further changes to its business practices, all of which could materially affect the Company’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Further, the Company has commercial relationships with other companies in the technology industry that are or may become subject to investigations and litigation that, if resolved against those other companies, could materially adversely affect the Company’s commercial relationships with those business partners and materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price. For example, the Company earns revenue from licensing arrangements with Google LLC (“Google”) and other companies to offer their search services on the Company’s platforms and applications, and certain of these arrangements are currently subject to government investigations and legal proceedings. On August 5, 2024, Google was found to have violated U.S. antitrust laws. In connection with this finding, on September 2, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (“D.C. District Court”) ordered certain remedies. The court’s order is subject to further proceedings before the D.C. District Court, which may result in changes to the interpretation or application of the remedies ordered by the court, as well as new or changed remedies being ordered. The court’s order is also subject to appeal by both the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and Google. A reversal of the order on appeal could result in imposition of certain remedies initially proposed by the DOJ, such as those prohibiting Google from offering the Company commercial terms for search distribution. If implemented, these remedies could materially affect the Company’s ability to earn revenue from such licensing arrangements.
The Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price can be materially adversely affected, individually or in the aggregate, by the outcomes of such investigations, litigation or changes to laws and regulations in the future. Changes to the Company’s business practices to comply with new laws and regulations or in connection with legal proceedings can negatively impact the reputation of the Company’s products for privacy and security. Such changes in business practices can also otherwise adversely affect the experience for users of the Company’s products and services, and result in harm to the Company’s reputation, loss of competitive advantage, poor market acceptance, reduced demand for products and services, lost sales, and lower profit margins.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 14
The Company’s business is subject to a variety of U.S. and international laws, rules, policies and other obligations regarding the collection, use, protection and transfer of personal data.
The Company is subject to an increasing number of federal, state and international laws relating to the collection, use, retention, protection and transfer of various types of personal data. In many cases, these laws apply not only to third-party transactions, but also restrict transfers of personal data among the Company and its international subsidiaries. Several jurisdictions have passed laws in this area, and additional jurisdictions are considering imposing additional restrictions or have laws that are pending. These laws continue to develop and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Complying with emerging and changing requirements causes the Company to incur substantial costs and has required and may in the future require the Company to change its business practices. Noncompliance could result in significant penalties or legal liability.
The Company makes statements about its use and disclosure of personal data through its privacy policy, information provided on its website, press statements and other privacy notices provided to customers. Any failure or perceived failure by the Company to comply with these public statements or with federal, state or international privacy or data protection laws and regulations could result in inquiries, proceedings and penalties from governmental entities or others. Such a failure or perceived failure could also result in reputational impacts, ongoing audit requirements and significant legal liability. The risks of inadvertent disclosure of personal data can increase with the introduction of new and complex technologies, such as artificial intelligence features, further exacerbating such risks.
In addition to the risks generally relating to the collection, use, retention, protection and transfer of personal data, the Company is also subject to specific obligations relating to the collection and processing of data associated with minors, as well as information considered sensitive under applicable laws, such as health, biometric, financial and payment card data. Health, biometric, financial and payment card data are subject to additional privacy, security and breach notification requirements, and the Company is subject to audit by governmental authorities regarding the Company’s compliance with these obligations. If the Company fails to adequately comply with these rules and requirements, the Company can be subject to litigation or government investigations, can be liable for associated investigatory expenses, and can incur significant fees or fines.
The Company is also subject to new and changing laws and regulations regarding online safety, including enhanced protections for minors and mandatory age verification requirements. These laws and regulations can increase regulatory risks by requiring complex compliance measures and significant modifications to the Company’s products, services and operations, and may lead to operational disruptions, heightened privacy and data security risks, increased costs and potential liability and fines, all of which can have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
Financial Risks
The Company’s net sales and gross margins are subject to volatility and downward pressure due to a variety of factors.
The Company’s gross margins vary significantly across its products, services, geographic segments and distribution channels and can change over time. The Company’s net sales and gross margins are subject to volatility and downward pressure due to a variety of factors, including: continued industry-wide global product pricing pressures and product pricing actions that the Company may take in response to such pressures; increased competition; the Company’s ability to effectively stimulate demand for certain of its products and services; compressed product life cycles; supply shortages; potential increases in the cost of components, outside manufacturing services, and developing, acquiring and delivering content for the Company’s services; the Company’s ability to manage product quality and warranty costs effectively; shifts in the mix of products and services, or in the geographic, currency or channel mix, including to the extent that regulatory changes require the Company to modify its product and service offerings; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates; inflation and other macroeconomic pressures; the imposition of new or increased tariffs and other trade restrictions, their overall magnitude and duration, and retaliatory actions in response; and the introduction of new products or services, including new products or services with lower profit margins. These and other factors could have a materially adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and stock price. Further, the Company generates a significant portion of its net sales from a single product category and a in demand for that product could significantly impact net sales and gross margins.
The Company’s financial performance is subject to risks associated with changes in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to local currencies.
The Company’s primary exposure to movements in foreign exchange rates relates to non–U.S. dollar–denominated sales, cost of sales and operating expenses worldwide. Gross margins on the Company’s products in foreign countries and on products that include components obtained from foreign suppliers have in the past been adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely affected by foreign exchange rate fluctuations.
The weakening of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar adversely affects the U.S. dollar value of the Company’s foreign currency–denominated sales and earnings, and generally leads the Company to raise international pricing, potentially reducing demand for the Company’s products. In some circumstances, for competitive or other reasons, the Company may decide not to raise international pricing to offset the U.S. dollar’s strengthening, which would adversely affect the U.S. dollar value of the gross margins the Company earns on foreign currency–denominated sales.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 15
Conversely, a strengthening of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar, while generally beneficial to the Company’s foreign currency–denominated sales and earnings, could cause the Company to reduce international pricing or incur losses on its foreign currency derivative instruments, thereby limiting the benefit. Additionally, strengthening of foreign currencies may increase the Company’s cost of product components denominated in those currencies, thus adversely affecting gross margins.
The Company uses derivative instruments, such as foreign currency forward and option contracts, to hedge certain exposures to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. The use of such hedging activities may not be effective to offset any, or more than a portion, of the adverse financial effects of unfavorable movements in foreign exchange rates over the limited time the hedges are in place.
The Company is exposed to credit risk and fluctuations in the values of its investment portfolio.
The Company’s investments can be negatively affected by changes in liquidity, credit deterioration, financial results, market and economic conditions, political risk, sovereign risk, interest rate fluctuations or other factors. As a result, the value and liquidity of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities may fluctuate substantially. Although the Company has not realized significant losses on its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, future fluctuations in their value could result in significant losses and could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
The Company is exposed to credit risk on its trade accounts receivable, vendor non-trade receivables and prepayments related to long-term supply agreements, and this risk is heightened during periods when economic conditions worsen.
The Company distributes its products and certain of its services through third-party cellular network carriers and other resellers. The Company also sells its products and services directly to small and mid-sized businesses and education, enterprise and government customers. A substantial majority of the Company’s outstanding trade receivables are not covered by collateral, third-party bank support or financing arrangements, or credit insurance, and a significant portion of the Company’s trade receivables can be concentrated within cellular network carriers or other resellers. The Company’s exposure to credit and collectibility risk on its trade receivables is higher in certain international markets. The Company also has unsecured vendor non-trade receivables resulting from purchases of components by outsourcing partners and other vendors that manufacture subassemblies or assemble final products for the Company. In addition, the Company has made prepayments associated with long-term supply agreements to secure supply of inventory components. As of September 27, 2025, the Company’s vendor non-trade receivables were concentrated among a few individual vendors located primarily in Asia. If the Company is unable to monitor and limit exposure to credit risk on its trade and vendor non-trade receivables, as well as long-term prepayments, the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and stock price could be materially adversely affected.
The Company is subject to changes in tax rates, the adoption of new U.S. or international tax legislation and exposure to additional tax liabilities.
The Company is subject to taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions, including Ireland and Singapore, where a number of the Company’s subsidiaries are organized. Due to economic and political conditions, tax laws and tax rates for income taxes and other non-income taxes in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change. For example, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development continues to advance proposals for modernizing international tax rules, including the introduction of global minimum tax standards. The Company’s effective tax rates are affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, the introduction of new taxes, and changes in tax laws or their interpretation. The application of tax laws may be uncertain, require significant judgment and be subject to differing interpretations.
The Company is also subject to the examination of its tax returns and other tax matters by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities and governmental bodies. The Company regularly assesses the likelihood of an adverse outcome resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of its provision for taxes. The outcome of such examinations is inherently uncertain. If the Company’s effective tax rates were to increase, or if the ultimate determination of the Company’s taxes owed is for an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price could be materially adversely affected.
Apple Inc. | 2025 Form 10-K | 16
General Risks
The price of the Company’s stock is subject to volatility.
The Company’s stock has experienced substantial price volatility in the past and may continue to do so in the future. Additionally, the Company, the technology industry and the stock market as a whole have, from time to time, experienced extreme stock price and volume fluctuations that have affected stock prices in ways that may have been unrelated to these companies’ operating performance. Price volatility may cause the average price at which the Company repurchases its stock in a given period to exceed the stock’s price at a given point in time. The Company believes the price of its stock should reflect expectations of future growth and profitability. The Company also believes the price of its stock should reflect expectations that its cash dividend will continue at current levels or grow, and that its current share repurchase program will be fully consummated. Future dividends are subject to declaration by the Company’s Board of Directors (“Board”), and the Company’s share repurchase program does not obligate it to acquire any specific number of shares. If the Company fails to meet expectations related to future growth, profitability, dividends, share repurchases or other market expectations, the price of the Company’s stock may decline significantly, which could have a material impact on investor confidence and employee retention.
