Omnicom Group · Risk factors

Macroeconomic conditions have a direct impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. T1Adverse economic conditions, including geopolitical events, international hostilities, acts of terrorism, public health crises, inflation or stagflation, tariffs and other trade barriers, central bank interest rate policies in countries that comprise our major markets, and labor and supply chain issues affecting the distribution of our clients’ products, or a disruption in the credit markets, pose a risk that clients may reduce, postpone or cancel spending for marketing and communications services. Such actions would reduce the demand for our services and could result in a reduction of our revenue, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

A contraction or disruption in the credit markets may make it more difficult for us to meet our working capital requirements or refinance maturing debt, or negatively impact our clients’ liquidity that could cause them to delay payment or take other actions that would negatively affect our working capital. In such circumstances, we may need to obtain additional financing to fund our day-to-day working capital requirements, which may not be available on favorable terms, or at all. Even if we take action to respond to adverse economic conditions, reductions in revenue and disruptions in the credit markets by aligning our cost structure and more efficiently managing our working capital, such actions may not be effective.

Our principal operating expenses are salary and service costs and occupancy and related costs. Inflationary pressures typically result in increases to our operating expenses. In cases of sustained inflation across several of our major markets, it may become increasingly difficult to effectively control increases to our costs. In addition, the effects of inflation on consumer budgets could result in the reduction of our clients’ spending plans on the marketing and communications services we provide. If we are unable to increase our fees or take other actions to mitigate the effect of the resulting higher costs, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be negatively impacted.

In the normal course of business, our agencies enter into contractual commitments with media providers and production companies on behalf of our clients at levels that can substantially exceed the revenue from our services. These commitments are included in accounts payable when the services are delivered by the media providers or production companies. If permitted by local law and the client agreement, many of our agencies purchase media and production services for our clients as an agent for a disclosed principal. In addition, while operating practices vary by country, media type and media vendor, in the United States and certain foreign markets, many of our agencies’ contracts with media and production providers specify that our agencies are not liable to the media and production providers under the theory of sequential liability until and to the extent we have been paid by our client for the media or production services.

Where purchases of media and production services are made by our agencies as a principal or are not subject to the theory of sequential liability, the risk of a material loss as a result of payment default by our clients could increase significantly, and such a loss could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

While we use various methods to manage the risk of payment default, including obtaining credit insurance, requiring payment in advance, mitigating the potential loss in the marketplace or negotiating with media providers, these may be insufficient, less available, or unavailable during a severe economic downturn.

Current or future geopolitical events, international hostilities or acts of terrorism could impact global economies through, among other things, disruption of business operations and demand for client services, disruption in the credit markets, heightened risk of cybersecurity attacks and disruptions to our information technology infrastructure, increased energy costs and labor and supply chain disruptions. This could result in suspension of our or our clients’ businesses in the affected region, which could impact client spending on our services. These actions could have a significant and adverse impact our business, results of operations and financial condition in the future. For example, as a result of the war in Ukraine, in the first quarter of 2022, we suspended our business operations in Ukraine and disposed of all our businesses in Russia.

In addition, economic sanctions were imposed on Russia by the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union. The war in Ukraine is ongoing, and its duration is uncertain. We cannot predict the impact of the war in Ukraine or other international hostilities on our businesses and operations.

When a public health crisis arises, demand for certain of our services may be adversely affected by government measures, including restrictions on travel and business operations and quarantine and stay-at-home orders arising from the occurrence of a pandemic, or similar global public health crises. The extent of the impact on our business will depend on numerous factors that we are not able to accurately predict, including the geographic regions that may be affected.

We operate in a highly competitive industry. Key competitive considerations for retaining existing clients and winning new clients include our ability to develop solutions that meet client needs in a rapidly changing environment, the quality and effectiveness of our services and our ability to serve clients efficiently, particularly large multinational clients, on a broad geographic basis. From time to time, clients may put their marketing and communications business up for competitive review. We have won and lost accounts as a result of these reviews. To the extent that we are not able to remain competitive or retain key clients, our revenue may be adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our ability to acquire new clients and retain existing clients may, in some cases, be limited by clients’ perceptions of, or policies concerning, conflicts of interest arising from our other client relationships. If we are unable to maintain multiple agencies to manage multiple client relationships and avoid potential conflicts of interests, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.

As a service business, our ability to attract and retain key personnel is an important aspect of our competitiveness. If we are unable to attract and retain key personnel, our ability to provide our services in the manner clients have come to expect may be adversely affected, which could harm our reputation and result in a loss of clients. Additionally, T3we may be unable to hire or retain talent who are trained in artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced algorithms, to keep up with the rapid and ongoing technological advancements in our industry. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

In 2025, our largest client represented approximately 2.4% and our 100 largest clients represented approximately 54% of our revenue. Clients generally are able to reduce or cancel current or future spending on marketing and communications services at any time on short notice for any reason. A significant reduction in spending on our services by our largest clients, or the loss of several of our largest clients, if not replaced by new clients or an increase in business from existing clients, would adversely affect our revenue and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We rely on our own and third-party service providers’ information technology systems and infrastructure that are critical to our business, to connect with our clients, people and others, and to collect, store, transfer, process and use business, personal and financial data. We face cybersecurity risks that threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our information technology systems or data stored on such systems.

Cybersecurity threats and attacks, including computer viruses, social engineering/phishing, malfeasance by insiders, human or technological error, advanced persistent threats, malware, hacking, ransomware or other destructive or disruptive activities or software, are constantly evolving and pose a risk to our information technology systems and data. T5Cyberattacks are expected to accelerate on a global basis in frequency and magnitude as threat actors are becoming increasingly sophisticated using techniques and tools, including AI, that circumvent security controls, evade detection and remove forensic evidence. As a result, we may be unable to detect, investigate, remediate or recover from future attacks or incidents, or to avoid a material adverse impact to our information technology systems and data.

There can be no assurance that our cybersecurity risk management program and processes will be fully implemented, complied with or effective in detecting and preventing such threats or protecting our information technology systems or data. Security breaches, improper use of our systems and unauthorized access to our data and information by employees and others may pose a risk that data may be exposed to unauthorized persons. Such occurrences could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation and could result in litigation or regulatory action, as discussed below. Also, we have acquired or may acquire companies that have cybersecurity vulnerabilities or different cybersecurity risk management processes, which may increase our risks from cybersecurity threats and attacks.

In addition, we make extensive use of third-party service providers, including cloud providers, that store, transmit and process data. These third-party service providers are also subject to cybersecurity risks that could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation and could result in litigation or regulatory action, as discussed below.

Currently, many of our agencies operate in a flexible working environment that allows for partial remote work. The number of personnel working remotely varies by market and is dependent on local conditions. When our employees work remotely, the risk of cybersecurity incidents and attacks and unauthorized exposure of sensitive business and client advertising and marketing information, as well as personal data or information, increases.

We and certain of our third-party providers regularly experience cyberattacks and other incidents, and we expect such attacks and incidents to continue. For example, we have experienced cybersecurity incidents that resulted in the disruption of our information technology systems and required us to engage third parties to remediate the issues. While, to date, no incidents have had a material impact on our operations or financial results, we cannot guarantee that material incidents will not occur in the future. Any attack or incident could result in legal claims or proceedings (such as class actions), regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, fines and penalties, negative reputational impacts, and/or significant incident response, system restoration or remediation and future compliance costs, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We also cannot guarantee that any such costs or losses will be covered by our existing insurance policies or that applicable insurance will be available to us in the future on economically reasonable terms or at all. Additionally, hardware, software applications or services that we develop or procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information technology systems or data stored on such systems.

We continually evaluate the use of AI in our business processes, and in 2023, we entered into strategic partnerships with leading AI technology companies, enabling enhanced product and service capabilities using AI. We recently announced the new Omni platform that further enhances our product offerings using innovative AI tools and data analytic technologies. With the emergence of AI, the use of AI has come under increased scrutiny. These technologies present a number of risks inherent to their use, including ethical considerations, public perception and reputation concerns, intellectual property protection, intellectual property infringement or misappropriation, regulatory compliance, privacy and data security concerns, and risks related to AI algorithms and training methodologies that may be flawed, datasets or outputs that may be over-broad, insufficient or contain biased, misleading or inaccurate information, harmful content, or defamation, as well as concerns about accuracy, health and safety, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

T6Evolving rules, regulations and industry standards governing AI may require us to spend significantly to modify, maintain, or align our business practices, solutions and services, the nature of which cannot be determined at this time and may be inconsistent from region to region. There is increasing divergence globally among AI regulations, which will require us to navigate different obligations in different geographies. Further, new laws, guidance and decisions in this area may limit our ability to use AI and related technologies or decrease their usefulness to our businesses. As a result, we cannot predict future developments in AI and related impacts to our business and our industry. If we fail to increase our capabilities in AI, or if we are unable to successfully adapt to new developments related to the risks and challenges associated with AI, demand for our services could be reduced, and our business, results of operations and financial condition could be negatively impacted.

Our industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid technological change. Our ability to remain competitive depends in part on our ability to anticipate, develop, acquire and integrate new technologies, platforms and capabilities, including data-driven solutions, automation, generative AI and agentic AI. These technologies may require significant and ongoing investment, involve long development cycles and uncertain returns, and may not be accepted by clients or generate expected benefits.

If we fail to keep pace with technological developments, or if competitors or new market entrants adopt new technologies more quickly or effectively, or if our clients develop their own AI-related capabilities, our services could become less attractive to clients, our competitive position could be harmed, and our revenues and profitability could decline. In addition, the use of emerging technologies presents risks related to intellectual property, ethics, data privacy, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance. Any failure to address these risks effectively could adversely affect our reputation, client relationships, business results of operations and financial condition.

Our agencies’ operating cash flows have a significant impact on our liquidity and access to short-term and long-term financing in the capital markets. We maintain a committed, unsecured multi-currency revolving credit facility, which also provides us with the ability to issue commercial paper, and to manage and support our operating liquidity in the short term. In addition, we issue senior long-term notes in the capital markets. If our agencies’ operating cash flow significantly declines or any of these sources were unavailable to us or insufficient, our liquidity and ability to refinance our long-term debt could be impeded. We could be required to restructure our debt, sell assets or take other actions, and our business, results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected.

In addition, our credit rating, which is also dependent on our agencies operating cash flows among other factors, has a direct effect on our ability to obtain bank financing and access the capital markets. A downgrade to our credit rating, for any reason, could increase our borrowing costs, reduce our capacity to borrow, or impede our ability to access the capital markets, and our results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected. See Part II for further discussion of our liquidity and capital resources.

In 2025, our international operations represented approximately 47% of our revenue. We operate in all major international markets including the Euro Zone, the United Kingdom, or the U.K., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China and Japan. Our agencies transact business in more than 50 different currencies. Substantially all of our foreign operations transact business in their local currency and, accordingly, their financial statements are translated into U.S. Dollars. As a result, both adverse and beneficial fluctuations in foreign exchange rates impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, funds transferred to the United States can be adversely or beneficially impacted by changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

The operational and financial performance of our international businesses are affected by global and regional economic conditions, competition for new business and personnel, currency exchange rate fluctuations, political conditions, differing tax and regulatory environments and other risks associated with extensive international operations. We conduct business in numerous high-growth markets and developing countries. Such countries tend to have longer billing collection cycles, currency repatriation restrictions and commercial laws that can be undeveloped, vague, inconsistently enforced, retroactively applied or frequently changed. Our operations are also subject to the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws and regulations. These laws and regulations are complex and stringent, and any changes and violations could have an adverse effect on our business and reputation.

Our business, results of operations and financial condition can be adversely affected if we are unable to effectively operate, or manage the risks associated with operating in these markets and countries. For financial information by geographic region, see Notes 3 and 8 to the consolidated financial statements.

We depend on the experience and industry knowledge of our officers and other key employees to execute our business plans. The success of the combined company depends, in part, on our ability to retain key management personnel and other key employees. Our current and prospective employees may experience uncertainty about their roles following the Merger, which may have an adverse effect on our ability to retain or attract key management and other key personnel. If we are unable to retain personnel who are critical to the future operations of the company, including our key management, we could face disruptions in our respective operations, loss of existing clients, loss of key information, expertise or know‑how and unanticipated additional recruitment and training costs.

In addition, the loss of our key personnel could diminish the anticipated benefits of the Merger. No assurance can be given that the combined company, following the Merger, will be able to retain or attract our key management personnel and other key employees to the same extent that we have previously been able to retain or attract personnel.

We have incurred and will continue to incur transaction costs related to formulating and implementing integration plans, including facilities, systems and service contract consolidation costs and employment‑related costs. We will continue to assess the magnitude of these costs, and additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in connection with the Merger and the integration of IPG. Although we expect that the elimination of duplicative costs, as well as the realization of other synergies related to the integration of the businesses, should allow the combined company to offset integration‑related costs over time, this net benefit may not be achieved in the near term, or at all. For additional information, see “Risk Factors - T8The failure to integrate our and IPG’s businesses and operations successfully in the expected time frame may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.” The costs described above, as well as other unanticipated costs and expenses, could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Following the completion of the Merger, our and IPG’s businesses may not be integrated successfully. It is possible that the continued integration process could result in the loss of our key employees, the loss of clients, service providers, vendors or other business counterparties, the disruption of our businesses, inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies, potential unknown liabilities and unforeseen expenses, or delays associated with the Merger. Specifically, the following challenges, among others, must be addressed in integrating our and IPG’s operations in order to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger:

•combining operations and corporate functions and the resulting difficulties associated with managing a larger, more complex, diversified business;

•combining our businesses in a manner that permits us to achieve the cost savings and operating synergies anticipated from the Merger;

•integrating personnel and minimizing the loss of key employees;

•identifying and eliminating redundant functions and assets;

•harmonizing operating practices, employee development and compensation programs, internal controls and other policies, procedures and processes;

•maintaining existing agreements with clients, service providers, vendors and other business counterparties and avoiding delays in entering into new agreements with prospective clients, service providers, vendors and other business counterparties;

•addressing possible differences in business backgrounds, corporate cultures and management philosophies; and •consolidating our operating, administrative and information technology infrastructure and financial systems.

In addition, at times, the attention of certain members of our management and our resources may be focused on integration of the businesses of the two companies, reducing availability for day‑to‑day business operations or other opportunities that may be beneficial, which may disrupt our ongoing operations.

Some of our clients, service providers, vendors, joint venture participants and other business counterparties may terminate or scale back their current or prospective business relationships with us after the Merger. If relationships with clients, service providers, vendors, joint venture participants and other business counterparties are adversely affected by the Merger, or we lose the benefits of existing contracts due to conflicts that may arise in connection with the Merger or other factors discussed above, our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected.

The success of the Merger will depend, in part, on our ability to realize the cost savings, operating synergies and other benefits from combining our and IPG’s businesses. The anticipated cost savings, operating synergies and other benefits of the Merger may not be realized fully or at all, may take longer to realize than expected, or may result in other adverse effects that we do not currently foresee, in which case, among other things, the Merger may not be accretive to adjusted earnings per share and may not generate significant cash to return to stockholders via share repurchases or other means. Some of the assumptions that we have made, such as the achievement of the anticipated benefits related to combining complementary assets to create a portfolio of services and products that expand client opportunities, and advances in our ability to innovate and develop new products and services, may not be realized.

The integration process may result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies. In addition, there could be potential unknown liabilities and unforeseen expenses associated with the Merger that could adversely impact us.

Following the Merger, the size and complexity of our Company has increased significantly. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability to manage this expanded business, which will pose substantial challenges for management, including challenges related to the management of a larger number of operations and geographies and associated increased costs and complexity. We may also face increased scrutiny from, and/or additional regulatory requirements of, governmental authorities as a result of the significant increase in the size and complexity of the business. There can be no assurances that the combined company will be successful or that we will realize the expected operating synergies, cost savings or other benefits currently anticipated from the Merger.

We regularly evaluate potential acquisitions of businesses that are complementary to our businesses and service offerings, and in some cases, associated technological capabilities and assets. As part of the process, we conduct business, legal and financial due diligence to identify and evaluate material risks involved in any particular transaction, including business strategy and operational execution. Despite our efforts, we may be unsuccessful in ascertaining or evaluating all such risks. As a result, the intended advantages of any given acquisition may not be realized. If we fail to identify certain material risks from one or more acquisitions, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP, we have recorded a significant amount of goodwill related to our acquisitions including goodwill recorded in connection with the Merger, see Notes 5 and 6 to the consolidated financial statements; a substantial portion of which represents the intangible specialized know-how of the acquired workforce. As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, we review the carrying value of goodwill for impairment annually on May 1 and whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. The estimates and assumptions about future results of operations and cash flows made in connection with the impairment testing could differ from future actual results of operations and cash flows.

While we have concluded, for each year presented in the financial statements included in this report, that our goodwill is not impaired, future events could cause us to conclude that the goodwill associated with a given operation may become impaired. Any resulting non-cash impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Government agencies and consumer groups directly or indirectly affect or attempt to affect the scope, content and manner of presentation of marketing and communications services, through regulation or other governmental action, which could affect our ability to meet our clients’ needs. Such regulation may seek, among other things, to limit the tax deductibility of advertising expenditures by certain industries or for certain products and services. In addition, there has been a tendency on the part of businesses to resort to the judicial system to challenge advertising practices and claims, which could cause our clients affected by such actions to reduce their spending on our services, and from time to time we may be subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory proceedings or government investigations into whether our business practices comport with applicable law.

Regardless of the merit of such claims, lawsuits, proceedings or investigations, defending against them could cost us a significant amount of time and money and result in negative publicity. Any regulatory or judicial action that affects our ability to meet our clients’ needs or reduces client spending on our services could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The use of personal information is critical to our advertising and marketing services. We, and third-party vendors acting on our behalf, process personal information relating to individuals, including consumers, clients, employees, and service providers. As a result, we are subject to a complex and evolving framework of federal, state, and foreign privacy, data protection, marketing, advertising, and internet tracking laws, regulations, industry standards, and contractual obligations. These requirements generally mandate disclosures regarding data practices and provide individuals with expanded rights to access, delete, correct, or restrict the use of their personal information, including for targeted advertising.

Regulators and legislators in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States have increasingly focused on the use of online tracking technologies and the sharing of personal information with third parties for targeted or behavioral advertising. This has resulted in new or updated requirements under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other U.S. state privacy laws. If these laws or regulations are adopted, interpreted, or enforced in a manner that restricts our current practices, or if private market participants impose limitations on tracking technologies in response to privacy concerns, our digital services could become less effective, more costly to deliver, or subject to additional legal and operational constraints.

Any actual or perceived failure by us or the third parties on which we rely to comply with applicable privacy and data protection requirements could result in regulatory investigations or enforcement actions, litigation (including class actions), fines and penalties, reputational harm, and increased compliance costs. Such outcomes could reduce demand for our services and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, we may not be able to obtain insurance coverage for such risks on acceptable terms, or at all.

Many governments, regulators, investors, employees, customers and other stakeholders are focused on environmental, social and governance considerations relating to businesses, including climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, human capital and diversity, equity and inclusion. We make statements about our environmental, social and governance goals and initiatives through information provided on our website, press statements and other communications, including through our Corporate Responsibility Report. Responding to these environmental, social and governance considerations and implementation of these goals and initiatives involves risks and uncertainties and requires ongoing investments. The success of our goals and initiatives may be impacted by factors that are outside our control. In addition, some stakeholders may disagree with our goals and initiatives and the focus and views of stakeholders may change and evolve over time and vary depending on the jurisdictions in which we operate.

Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to achieve our goals, further our initiatives, adhere to our public statements, comply with federal, state or international environmental, social and governance laws and regulations, or meet evolving and varied stakeholder expectations and views could materially adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.

We operate in numerous jurisdictions and are subject to a complex and evolving global tax environment. The determination of our tax liabilities requires significant judgment, including with respect to the application of tax laws, transfer pricing arrangements, valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, and the interpretation of new or existing tax regulations. Tax authorities may challenge our positions, and adverse outcomes from audits, investigations or litigation could result in additional tax liabilities, penalties or interest that differ materially from amounts previously recorded.

Our effective tax rate and cash flows could also be adversely affected by changes in tax laws or policies, including changes to statutory tax rates, digital services taxes, the interpretation or enforcement of existing laws, or the adoption or modification of global minimum tax regimes, such as the Global Anti-Base Erosion issued by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. These developments could increase tax complexity and uncertainty and may require us to restructure operations or intercompany arrangements, potentially resulting in increased tax expense or reduced cash flows.