Risk Factors Dashboard
Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.
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Risk Factors - LBSR
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Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should not invest in our stock unless you are able to bear the complete loss of your investment. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as other information provided to you in this prospectus, including information in the section of this annual report on Form 10-K entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” before making an investment decision. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing our company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected, the value of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Company and Our Business
Our businesses may be materially adversely affected by the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak or the related market decline and volatility.
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic”. The significant outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in a widespread health crisis that is adversely affecting the economies and financial markets worldwide, including the business which we operate and own. The recent market decline and volatility in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic could also materially and adversely affect any future potential acquisitions. Furthermore, with restrictions on travel, the limited ability to have meetings with personnel, vendors and services providers are expected to have an adverse effect on our businesses. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our businesses will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extensive period of time, our operations may be materially adversely affected.
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Because of the nature of the exploration of natural resource properties, there is substantial risk that this business will fail.
There is no assurance that any of the claims we explore or acquire will contain commercially exploitable reserves of minerals. Exploration for natural resources is a venture involving substantial risk. Hazards such as unusual or unexpected geological formations and other conditions often result in unsuccessful exploration efforts. We may also become subject to significant liability for pollution or hazards, which we cannot insure or which we may elect not to insure. There is substantial risk that our business will fail.
If we cannot compete successfully for financing and for qualified managerial and technical employees, our exploration program may suffer.
Our competition in the mining industry includes large established mining companies with substantial capabilities and with greater financial and technical resources than we have. As a result of this competition, we may be unable to acquire additional financing on terms we consider acceptable because investors may choose to invest in our competitors instead of investing in us. We also compete with other mining companies in the recruitment and retention of qualified managerial and technical employees. Our success will be largely dependent on our ability to hire and retain highly qualified personnel. These individuals are in high demand and we may not be able to attract the personnel we need. We may not be able to afford the high salaries and fees demanded by qualified personnel or may lose such employees after they are hired. If we are unable to successfully compete for financing or for qualified employees, our exploration program may be slowed down or suspended.
Exploration and exploitation activities are subject to comprehensive regulation which may cause substantial delays or require capital outlays in excess of those anticipated, causing an adverse effect on our company.
Exploration and exploitation activities are subject to federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies, including laws regulating the removal of natural resources from the ground and the discharge of materials into the environment. Exploration and exploitation activities are also subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations which seek to maintain health and safety standards by regulating the design and use of drilling methods and equipment.
Various permits from government bodies are required for drilling operations to be conducted; no assurance can be given that such permits will be received. Environmental and other legal standards imposed by federal, state, or local authorities may be changed, and any such changes may prevent us from conducting planned activities or increase our costs of doing so, which would have material adverse effects on our business. Moreover, compliance with such laws may cause substantial delays or require capital outlays in excess of those anticipated, thus causing an adverse effect on us. Additionally, we may be subject to liability for pollution or other environmental damages which we may not be able to or elect not to insure against due to prohibitive premium costs and other reasons. Any laws, regulations or policies of any government body or regulatory agency may be changed, applied, or interpreted in a manner which will alter and negatively affect our ability to carry on our business.
There are no known reserves of minerals on our mineral claims, and we cannot guarantee that we will find any commercial quantities of minerals.
We have not found any mineral reserves on our claims and there can be no assurance that any of our mineral claims contain commercial quantities of any minerals. Even if we identify commercial quantities of minerals in any of our claims, there can be no assurance that we will be able to exploit the reserves or, if we are able to exploit them, that we will do so on a profitable basis. Any such efforts will require financing, which we may not be able to arrange.
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Because the probability of an individual prospect ever having reserves is extremely remote, any funds spent on exploration may be lost.
The probability of an individual prospect ever having reserves is extremely remote. In all probability, our properties may not contain any reserves. As such, any funds spent on exploration may be lost, which would most likely result in a loss of your investment.
We have a limited operating history and as a result there is no assurance we can operate on a profitable basis.
We have a limited operating history and must be considered in the exploration stage. Our operations will be subject to all the risks inherent in the establishment of an exploration stage enterprise and the uncertainties arising from the absence of a significant operating history. Potential investors should be aware of the difficulties normally encountered by mineral exploration companies and the high rate of failure of such enterprises, especially those with a limited operating history. The likelihood of success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications, and delays encountered in connection with the exploration of the mineral properties that we plan to undertake. These potential problems include, but are not limited to, unanticipated problems relating to exploration, and additional costs and expenses that may exceed current estimates. The expenditures to be made by us in the exploration of the mineral claim may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits. Problems such as unusual or unexpected formations of rock or land and other conditions are involved in mineral exploration and often result in unsuccessful exploration efforts. If the results of our exploration do not reveal viable commercial mineralization, we may decide to abandon our claim and acquire new claims for new exploration or cease operations. The acquisition of additional claims will be dependent upon us possessing capital resources at the time in order to purchase such claims. If no funding is available, we may be forced to abandon our operations. No assurance can be given that we will ever operate on a profitable basis.
If we do not obtain additional financing, our business will fail and our investors could lose their investment.
We had cash and cash equivalents in the amount of $72,099 and negative working capital deficit of $3,048,043 with this change related to an adjustment in derivative liability treatment as of January 31, 2024. We currently do not generate revenue from our operations. Our business plan calls for substantial investment and cost in connection with the acquisition and exploration of our mineral properties currently under lease and option. Any direct acquisition of any of the claims under lease or option is subject to our ability to obtain the financing necessary for us to fund and carry out exploration programs on the subject properties. The requirements are substantial. There is no assurance that we will be able to maintain operations at a level sufficient for an investor to obtain a return on their investment in our common stock. Further, we may continue to be unprofitable. Obtaining additional financing would be subject to a number of factors, including market prices for minerals, investor acceptance of our properties, contractual restrictions on our ability to enter into further financing arrangements, and investor sentiment. These factors may make the timing, amount, terms, or conditions of additional financing unavailable to us and our business could fail.
Because there is no assurance that we will generate revenues, we face a high risk of business failure.
We have not earned any revenue and have never been profitable. We do not have an ownership interest in any revenue generating properties. We were incorporated in 2001 and took over our current business in 2004. To date, we have been involved primarily in organizational and exploration activities. We will incur substantial operating and exploration expenditures without realizing any revenues. We therefore expect to incur significant losses into the foreseeable future. We have limited operating history upon which an evaluation of our future success or failure can be made. We recognize that if we are unable to generate significant revenues from our activities, we will not be able to earn profits or continue operations. Based upon current plans, we also expect to incur significant operating losses in the future. We cannot guarantee that we will be successful in raising capital to fund these operating losses or generate revenues in the future. We can provide investors with no assurance that we will generate any operating revenues or ever achieve profitable operations. If we are unsuccessful in addressing these risks, our business will most likely fail and our investors could lose their investment.
Our independent registered public accounting firm’s report states that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our independent registered public accounting firm, Turner Stone and Company L.L.P., stated in its audit report attached to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024 that since we have suffered recurring losses from operations, require additional funds for further exploratory activity prior to attaining a revenue generating status, and we may not find sufficient ore reserves to be commercially mined, there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
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The existence of our mining claims depends on our ability to fund exploratory activity or to pay fees.
Our mining claims, which are the central part of our business, require that we either pay fees, or incur certain minimum development costs annually, or the claims will be forfeited. Due to our current financial situation, we may not be able to meet these obligations and we could therefore lose our claims. This would impair our ability to raise capital and would negatively impact the value of our company.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
Because we will likely issue additional shares of our common stock, investment in our company could be subject to substantial dilution.
Investors’ interests in our company will be diluted and investors may suffer dilution in their net book value per share when we issue additional shares. We are authorized to issue 74,500,000 shares of common stock, $0.00001 par value per share. We are authorized to issue 12,300,000 shares of common stock, $0.00001 par value per share. As of January 31, 2024, there were 49,813,861 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding. We anticipate that all or at least some of our future funding, if any, will be in the form of equity financing from the sale of our common stock. If we do sell more common stock, investors’ investment in our company will likely be diluted. Dilution is the difference between what you pay for your stock and the net tangible book value per share immediately after the additional shares are sold by us. If dilution occurs, any investment in our company’s common stock could seriously decline in value.
The sale of our stock under the convertible notes and the common share purchase warrants could encourage short sales by third parties, which could contribute to the future decline of our stock price.
In many circumstances, the provision of financing based on the distribution of equity for companies that are quoted on the OTCQB market has the potential to cause a significant downward pressure on the price of common stock. This is especially the case if the shares being placed into the market exceed the market’s ability to take up the increased stock or if we have not performed in such a manner to show that the equity funds raised will grow our business. Such an event could place further downward pressure on the price of our common stock. Regardless of our activities, the opportunity exists for short sellers and others to contribute to the future decline of our stock price. If there are significant short sales of our common stock, the price decline that would result from this activity will cause the share price to decline more, which may cause other stockholders of the stock to sell their shares, thereby contributing to sales of common stock in the market. If there are many more shares of our common stock on the market for sale than the market will absorb, the price of our common shares will likely decline.
Trading in our common stock on the OTCQB is limited and sporadic, making it difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares or liquidate their investments.
Our common stock is currently quoted for public trading on the OTCQB. The trading price of our common stock has been subject to fluctuations. Trading prices of our common stock may fluctuate in response to a number of factors, many of which will be beyond our control. The stock market has generally experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies with no current business operation. There can be no assurance that trading prices and price earnings ratios previously experienced by our common stock will be matched or maintained. These broad market and industry factors may adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs for us and a diversion of management’s attention and resources.
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Our bylaws contain provisions indemnifying our officers and directors against all costs, charges and expenses incurred by them.
Our bylaws contain provisions with respect to the indemnification of our officers and directors against all costs, charges and expenses, including an amount paid to settle an action or satisfy a judgment, actually and reasonably incurred by them, including an amount paid to settle an action or satisfy a judgment in a civil, criminal or administrative action or proceeding to which they are made parties by reason of their being or having been our directors or officers.
Our articles of incorporate were changed on June 22, 2020 to add Class A Shares to deter a take-over of our company.
We amended our bylaws on June 22, 2020 to add Class A shares which have increased voting power of 200 to one per share to deter a hostile take-over of our company, the Company filed a Certificate of Designation with the Secretary of State of Nevada to establish the terms of the Company’s Class A Common Stock (the “Class A Shares”), par value $0.00001 per share, 500,000 shares authorized. The terms of the Class A Shares include 200-1 voting rights in addition to the rights held by common stockholders. Only persons who are current members of the Company’s Board of Directors may own or hold Class A Shares. As of January 31, 2024, there were 500,000 shares of Class A Shares issued and outstanding. As of January 31, 2022, there were 13,458,752 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding.
We do not pay dividends on any investment in the shares of stock of our company and any gain on an investment in our company needs to come through an increase in our stock’s price.
We have never paid any cash dividends and currently do not intend to pay any dividends for the foreseeable future. To the extent that we require additional funding currently not provided for in our financing plan, our funding sources may prohibit the payment of a dividend. Because we do not intend to declare dividends, any gain on an investment in our company will need to come through an increase in the stock’s price. This may never happen and investors may lose all of their investment in our company.
Because our securities are subject to penny stock rules, you may have difficulty reselling your shares.
Our shares as penny stocks, are covered by Section 15(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which imposes additional sales practice requirements on broker/dealers who sell our company’s securities including the delivery of a standardized disclosure document; disclosure and confirmation of quotation prices; disclosure of compensation the broker/dealer receives; and furnishing monthly account statements. These rules apply to companies whose shares are not traded on a national stock exchange, trade at less than $5.00 per share, or who do not meet certain other financial requirements specified by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These rules require brokers who sell “penny stocks” to persons other than established customers and “accredited investors” to complete certain documentation, make suitability inquiries of investors, and provide investors with certain information concerning the risks of trading in such penny stocks. These rules may discourage or restrict the ability of brokers to sell our shares of common stock and may affect the secondary market for our shares of common stock. These rules could also hamper our ability to raise funds in the primary market for our shares of common stock.
FINRA sales practice requirements may also limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our stock.
In addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has adopted rules that require that in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common shares, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our stock and have an adverse effect on the market for our shares.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
Not applicable to smaller reporting companies.
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