Cisco Systems Inc.: 10-K Risk Factor Changes

Challenging global economic conditions, including tariffs or other trade barriers, rising inflation, or other changes, have from time to time contributed, and may continue to contribute, to slowdowns in the communications and networking industries at large, as well as in specific segments and markets in which we operate, resulting in: reduced demand for our products as a result of continued constraints on IT-related capital spending by our customers, particularly service provider and cloud as well as enterprise and other customer markets; increased price competition for our products, not only from our competitors but also as a consequence of customers disposing of unutilized products; risk of excess and obsolete inventories; risk of supply constraints; risk of excess facilities and manufacturing capacity; and higher overhead costs as a percentage of revenue and higher interest expense. The global macroeconomic environment can be challenging and uncertain. For example, the impact of uncertainty regarding global central bank monetary policy, the instability in the geopolitical environment in many parts of the world (including as a 11 11 11 Table of Contents Table of Contents result of the on-going Russia and Ukraine war, Middle East conflicts and wars, and China-Taiwan relations), and other disruptions may continue to put pressure on global economic conditions. If global economic and market conditions were to deteriorate, we may experience material harm to our business, operating results, and financial condition. Our operating results in one or more segments may also be affected by uncertain or changing economic conditions particularly germane to that segment or to particular customer markets within that segment. In addition, previous reports of certain intelligence gathering methods of the U.S. government could affect customers’ perception of the products of IT companies which design and manufacture products in the United States.

Challenging economic conditions, including rising inflation, or other changes, worldwide have from time to time contributed, and may continue to contribute, to slowdowns in the communications and networking industries at large, as well as in specific segments and markets in which we operate, resulting in: reduced demand for our products as a result of continued constraints on IT-related capital spending by our customers, particularly service provider and cloud as well as enterprise and other customer markets; increased price competition for our products, not only from our competitors but also as a consequence of customers disposing of unutilized products; risk of excess and obsolete inventories; risk of supply constraints; risk of excess facilities and manufacturing capacity; and higher overhead costs as a percentage of revenue and higher interest expense. The global macroeconomic environment can be challenging and inconsistent. In certain prior periods, we have seen a broad-based weakening in the global macroeconomic environment which has impacted and could impact in the future certain of our markets. Additionally, instability in the global credit markets, the impact of uncertainty regarding global central bank monetary 12 12 12 Table of Contents Table of Contents policy, the instability in the geopolitical environment in many parts of the world (including as a result of the on-going Russia and Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, and China-Taiwan relations), the current economic challenges in China, including global economic ramifications of Chinese economic difficulties, and other disruptions may continue to put pressure on global economic conditions. If global economic and market conditions, or economic conditions in key markets, were to deteriorate, we may experience material harm to our business, operating results, and financial condition. Our operating results in one or more segments may also be affected by uncertain or changing economic conditions particularly germane to that segment or to particular customer markets within that segment. In addition, reports of certain intelligence gathering methods of the U.S. government could affect customers’ perception of the products of IT companies which design and manufacture products in the United States. Trust and confidence in us as an IT supplier are critical to the development and growth of our markets. Impairment of that trust, or foreign regulatory actions taken in response to reports of certain intelligence gathering methods of the U.S. government, could affect the demand for our products from customers outside of the United States and could have a negative impact on our operating results.