Qualcomm Incorporated: 10-K Risk Factor Changes

2023 vs 2022  ·  SEC EDGAR  ·  2026-05-10
Other years: 2025 vs 2024 · 2024 vs 2023
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The summary below was generated by an AI language model and may contain errors or omissions. All other content on this page is deterministically extracted from the original SEC EDGAR filing.

Qualcomm's risk factor disclosures evolved modestly between 2022 and 2023, with 22 risks remaining substantively unchanged. The company replaced its COVID-19-specific pandemic risk with a broader geopolitical conflicts and natural disasters risk, reflecting an expansion beyond health crises to encompass additional external threats. The employee attraction and retention risk underwent material modification, though the specific nature of that change is not detailed in the provided data.

✓ Deterministic extraction — no AI-generated data

Classification is based on semantic text similarity scoring and may include approximations. “No match” means no high-confidence textual match was found — not necessarily that a section was removed.

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New Risks
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Removed
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Modified
22
Unchanged
🟢 New in Current Filing

Geopolitical conflicts, natural disasters, pandemics and other health crises, and other factors outside of our control, could significantly disrupt our business.

We have operations and facilities in the United States and many other countries throughout the world. We derive a significant portion of our revenues from Chinese OEMs and from non-Chinese OEMs that utilize our integrated circuit products in devices they sell into China (which…

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We have operations and facilities in the United States and many other countries throughout the world. We derive a significant portion of our revenues from Chinese OEMs and from non-Chinese OEMs that utilize our integrated circuit products in devices they sell into China (which has the largest number of smartphone users in the world); our key suppliers and their manufacturing foundries and assembly, test and other facilities are primarily located in Taiwan and Korea; our manufacturing facilities for RFFE and RF products are located in China, Germany and Singapore; the primary warehouses where we store finished goods for fulfillment of customer orders are located in Singapore; and a significant portion of our workforce (including engineering and other technical personnel) is based in India. Acts of war, terrorism, geopolitical conflicts, political instability or tensions such as the current geopolitical tensions involving China and Taiwan, natural disasters, the effects of climate change, pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or other health crises affecting any of 35 35 35 the regions in which we operate, and particularly those in which our customers, suppliers, manufacturing facilities and/or significant portions of our workforce are concentrated, could significantly disrupt our business by, among others: reducing demand for our products and services or end-user devices incorporating our products or intellectual property; impairing our customers’ or licensees’ ability to purchase or pay for our products, services or intellectual property; delaying or preventing our suppliers from providing us with critical components or raw materials; delaying or preventing our foundry or semiconductor assembly and test providers from manufacturing, assembling or testing our products; preventing us from manufacturing products or shipping finished products; damaging or destroying inventory; delaying or preventing network operators from upgrading their wireless networks to meet new technology standards; or preventing a significant number of our employees, or employees who perform critical functions, from performing their duties for us. For example, our business depends on our ability to receive consistent and reliable chipset supply from our foundry partners, particularly in Taiwan. Consequently, a significant or prolonged military or other geopolitical conflict involving China and Taiwan could severely limit or prevent us from receiving chipset supply from Taiwan, which would have a material adverse impact on our business (and likely on the semiconductor industry as a whole). In addition, acts of war, terrorism, geopolitical conflicts, political instability or tensions, natural disasters, the effects of climate change, pandemics or other health crises impacting any of these regions could also result in a decline in global, regional or local economic conditions generally, or increased volatility in financial markets, which could have adverse effects on our business and financial results. See also the Risk Factor titled “We operate in the highly cyclical semiconductor industry, which is subject to significant downturns. We are also susceptible to declines in global, regional and local economic conditions generally. Our stock price and financial results are subject to substantial quarterly and annual fluctuations due to these dynamics, among others.” Any such events may also have the effect of exacerbating the other risks discussed in this “Risk Factors” section.

🔴 No Match in Current Filing

The COVID-19 pandemic, or a similar health crisis, may impact our business or results of operations in the future.

This section from the 2022 filing does not have a high-confidence textual match in the 2023 filing. It may have been removed, merged, or substantially reworded.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant economic uncertainty, significant declines in business and consumer confidence and global demand in the wireless industry (among others) and a global economic slowdown, which negatively affected our financial results over certain…

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The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant economic uncertainty, significant declines in business and consumer confidence and global demand in the wireless industry (among others) and a global economic slowdown, which negatively affected our financial results over certain periods. Specifically, throughout most of calendar 2020 and into early calendar 2021, the decline in demand for smartphones and other consumer devices sold by our customers or licensees resulted in decreased demand for our integrated circuit products and a decrease in the royalties we earned on the licensing of our intellectual property. Similarly, during calendar 2022, spikes in COVID-19 cases in certain parts of China have led the Chinese government to impose lockdowns, which have adversely affected consumer demand in the region and may continue to impact demand in the future. The COVID-19 pandemic also caused us to modify our workforce practices, such as having the vast majority of our employees work from home. While we have generally reopened our offices and are currently operating under a hybrid work model, we could be negatively affected in the future if, among others, a significant number of our employees, or employees who perform critical functions, become ill and/or are quarantined as the result of exposure to COVID-19, or a similar health crisis, or if government policies restrict the ability of those employees to perform their critical functions. See also the Risk Factor titled “We may not be able to attract and retain qualified employees, and our attempts to operate under a hybrid work model may not be successful.” The COVID-19 pandemic, or a similar health crisis that may arise in the future, could impact our business, results of operations and financial condition in the manner described above, and/or through delayed, reduced or cancelled customer orders; disruptions or delays in our supply chain; the inability of our customers or licensees to purchase or pay for our products or technologies; the insolvency of key suppliers, customers or licensees; delays in reporting or payments from our customers or licensees; or failures by other counterparties. The degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic, or a similar health crisis, may impact our future business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are uncertain, including but not limited to the duration of the pandemic or other health crisis; spikes in cases in various geographic regions; the emergence, spread and severity of new virus or disease variants; the availability, adoption and efficacy of vaccines or other medical treatments; and government responses and other actions to limit the spread of the virus or disease or to mitigate resulting negative economic effects. We are similarly unable to predict the extent to which COVID-19 or similar health crisis may impact our customers, licensees, suppliers and other partners and their financial conditions, but adverse effects on these parties could also adversely affect us. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic or a similar health crisis adversely affects our business, results of operations or financial condition, it may also have the effect of exacerbating the other risks discussed in this “Risk Factors” section.

🟡 Modified

We may not be able to attract or retain qualified employees.

high match confidence

Sentence-level differences:

  • Reworded sentence: "A number of such competitors for talent are significantly larger than us and/or offer compensation in excess of what we offer or other benefits that we do not offer."
  • Removed sentence: "If we are unable to attract and retain qualified employees, our business may be harmed."
  • Reworded sentence: "Upon the reopening of our offices, we initially operated under a hybrid work model, meaning that the majority of our employees had the flexibility to work remotely at least some of the time."

Current (2023):

Our future success depends upon the continued service of our executive officers and other key management and technical personnel, and on our ability to continue to identify, attract, retain and motivate them. Implementing our business strategy requires specialized engineering…

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Our future success depends upon the continued service of our executive officers and other key management and technical personnel, and on our ability to continue to identify, attract, retain and motivate them. Implementing our business strategy requires specialized engineering and other talent, as our revenues are highly dependent on technological and product innovations. In addition, in order to extend our business into certain new and expanded product areas and industries and applications beyond mobile handsets, we need to attract, retain and motivate engineering and other technical personnel with specialized skills in these areas, and these skills are in high demand among our competitors. The market for employees in our industry is extremely competitive, and competitors for talent, particularly engineering talent, increasingly attempt to hire, and to varying degrees have been successful in hiring, our employees or employment candidates, including by establishing or expanding local offices near our headquarters in San Diego, California. Further, the increased availability of remote working arrangements has expanded the pool of companies that can compete for our employees and employment candidates. A number of such competitors for talent are significantly larger than us and/or offer compensation in excess of what we offer or other benefits that we do not offer. Further, existing immigration laws make it more difficult for us to recruit and retain highly skilled foreign national graduates of universities in the United States, making the pool of available talent even smaller. The COVID-19 pandemic caused us to modify our workforce practices, including having the vast majority of our employees work from home. Upon the reopening of our offices, we initially operated under a hybrid work model, meaning that the majority of our employees had the flexibility to work remotely at least some of the time. In fiscal 2023, we implemented changes to our hybrid work model that require the majority of our employees to spend the majority of their working time in the office. This requirement for greater in-office attendance may not meet the needs or expectations of our employees and could negatively impact our ability to attract and retain employees, particularly if it is perceived as less favorable compared to other companies’ remote work policies. If we are unable to attract or retain qualified employees or fail to maintain employee productivity due to any of the factors described above or for other reasons, our business could be adversely impacted.

View prior text (2022)

Our future success depends upon the continued service of our executive officers and other key management and technical personnel, and on our ability to continue to identify, attract, retain and motivate them. Implementing our business strategy requires specialized engineering and other talent, as our revenues are highly dependent on technological and product innovations. In addition, in order to extend our business into certain new and expanded product areas and industries and applications beyond mobile handsets, we need to attract, retain and motivate engineering and other technical personnel with specialized skills in these areas, and these skills are in high demand among our competitors. The market for employees in our industry is extremely competitive, and competitors for talent, particularly engineering talent, increasingly attempt to hire, and to varying degrees have been successful in hiring, our employees or employment candidates, including by establishing or expanding local offices near our headquarters in San Diego, California. Further, the increased availability of remote working arrangements has expanded the pool of companies that can compete for our employees and employment candidates. A number of such competitors for talent are significantly larger than us and/or offer compensation in excess of what we offer or other benefits that we generally do not offer, such as the ability to permanently work from home. Further, existing immigration laws make it more difficult for us to recruit and retain highly skilled foreign national graduates of universities in the United States, making the pool of available talent even smaller. If we are unable to attract and retain qualified employees, our business may be harmed. The COVID-19 pandemic caused us to modify our workforce practices, including having the vast majority of our employees work from home. While we have generally reopened our offices, we are currently operating under a hybrid work model, meaning that the majority of our employees have the flexibility to work remotely at least some of the time. The hybrid work model may impair our ability to maintain our collaborative and innovative culture, and may cause disruptions among our employees, including decreases in productivity, challenges in communications between on-site and off-site employees and, potentially, employee dissatisfaction and attrition. Further, any future attempt to transition away from the hybrid work model to more stringent on-site work requirements may result in employee dissatisfaction and attrition. If we fail to retain key employees or maintain employee productivity as a result of the hybrid work model or an attempt to return to more on-site work, our business could be adversely impacted.