OneConnect Provides Update on Status Under Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act

Rhea-AI Summary

OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. (NYSE: OCFT) disclosed that it was identified by the SEC under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA) on April 12, 2022, due to the inability of the PCAOB to inspect its auditor's working papers for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. This identification poses a risk of delisting from U.S. stock exchanges after three consecutive years of such identification.

The company is pursuing solutions to protect its stakeholders, including a dual primary listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange submitted on February 28, 2022.

Positive

• The company is proactively exploring solutions to protect stakeholder interests.
• OneConnect submitted a dual primary listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, providing alternative market access.

Negative

• The identification by the SEC under HFCAA increases the risk of potential delisting from U.S. exchanges.
• The inability of PCAOB to inspect the auditor's working papers raises concerns regarding compliance and transparency.

SHENZHEN, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. (“OneConnect” or the “Company”) (NYSE: OCFT), a leading technology-as-a-service provider for financial institutions in China, today announced that the Company is aware of the fact that it was identified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act of the United States (the "HFCAA") on April 12, 2022. Such identification may have resulted from the Company's filing of the annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

The Company understands the SEC made such identification pursuant to the HFCAA and its implementation rules issued thereunder, and the identification indicates that the SEC determines that the Company used an auditor, whose working paper cannot be inspected or investigated completely by the PCAOB, to issue the audit opinion for its financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

In accordance with the HFCAA, a company will be delisted from a U.S. stock exchange if such company has been identified by the SEC for three consecutive years due to PCAOB's inability to inspect the auditor working paper related to such company.

The Company has been actively exploring possible solutions to best protect the interest of its stakeholders. On February 28, 2022, the Company submitted a listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (“HKEX”) for dual primary listing of its ordinary shares on the Main Board of the HKEX. The Company will continue to comply with applicable laws and regulations in both China and the United States.

About OneConnect

OneConnect Financial Technology Co. Ltd. is a technology-as-a-service provider for financial institutions. The Company integrates extensive financial services industry expertise with market-leading technology to provide technology applications and technology-enabled business services to financial institutions. The integrated solutions and platform the Company provides include digital retail banking solution, digital commercial banking solution, digital insurance solution and Gamma Platform, which is a technology infrastructural platform for financial institutions. The Company’s solutions enable its customers’ digital transformations, which help them improve efficiency, enhance service quality, and reduce costs and risks.

The Company has established long-term cooperation relationships with financial institutions to address their needs of digital transformation. The Company has also expanded its services to other participants in the value chain to support the digital transformation of financial services eco-system. In addition, the Company has successfully exported its technology solutions to overseas financial institutions.

For more information, please visit ir.ocft.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management’s current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company’s limited operating history in the technology-as-a-service for financial institutions industry; its ability to achieve or sustain profitability; the tightening of laws, regulations or standards in the financial services industry; the Company’s ability to comply with the evolving regulatory requirements in the PRC and other jurisdictions where it operates; its ability to maintain and enlarge the customer base or strengthen customer engagement; its ability to maintain its relationship with Ping An Group, which is its strategic partner, most important customer and largest supplier; its ability to compete effectively to serve China’s financial institutions; the effectiveness of its technologies, its ability to maintain and improve technology infrastructure and security measures; its ability to protect its intellectual property and proprietary rights; risks of defaults by borrowers under the loans for which the Company provided credit enhancement under its legacy credit management business; its ability to maintain or expand relationship with its business partners and the failure of its partners to perform in accordance with expectations; its ability to protect or promote its brand and reputation; its ability to timely implement and deploy its solutions; its ability to obtain additional capital when desired; disruptions in the financial markets and business and economic conditions; the Company’s ability to pursue and achieve optimal results from acquisition or expansion opportunities; the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its potential impact on the Company’s business and financial performance; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220412006188/en/

Investor Relations:

OCFT IR Team

OCFT_IR@ocft.com

Media Relations:

Amy Ding

Dingjingmin787@ocft.com

Source: OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd.

FAQ

What did OneConnect announce regarding SEC identification under the HFCAA?

OneConnect announced its identification by the SEC under the HFCAA due to the inability of PCAOB to inspect its auditor's working papers for FY 2021.

What is the potential consequence of the SEC's identification for OneConnect?

If identified for three consecutive years under the HFCAA, OneConnect risks being delisted from U.S. stock exchanges.

What action is OneConnect taking to address the SEC identification?

OneConnect has submitted a listing application for a dual primary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

When was OneConnect identified by the SEC under the HFCAA?

OneConnect was identified by the SEC under the HFCAA on April 12, 2022.

How does the SEC's HFCAA identification affect OneConnect's stakeholders?

The identification impacts stakeholders by raising compliance risks and the potential for delisting from U.S. exchanges.