Yandex, Russia’s largest search engine, issued a warning on March 3, 2022, stating that there are two scenarios that could jeopardize the company’s ability to continue operating. Yandex stated that if neither of these scenarios occurs, it will be able to continue operating for several months.
Yandex claims that its current data center and technology capacity will allow it to keep operating for at least a year and a half.
That statement, however, was contingent on no supply disruptions, which Yandex claimed would have a negative impact on operations.
“If we are unable to secure alternative sources of hardware, software, or other technology used in our business or offerings after a prolonged suspension of supplies, our operations could be materially adversely affected over time.”
Yandex is a search engine owned by Yande
Yandex is the most widely used search engine in Russia, with over 60% of users visiting the site.
To give a sense of scale and importance, Yandex is also ranked as the 8th most popular website in the world, ahead of TikTok, Netflix, Reddit, and Amazon, according to some metrics.
What Impact Will Economic Sanctions Have on Yandex?
According to Yandex, none of the economic sanctions are aimed at Yandex or any of its subsidiaries, management, directors, or major shareholders. As a result, sanctions have had no direct impact on Yandex at this time.
Nonetheless, Yandex cautioned that a prolonged economic downturn could have a negative impact on performance.
“Any prolonged economic downturn in Russia as a result of sanctions, ruble depreciation, or negative consumer sentiment could have a material negative impact on our results,” the company said.
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Threat of Control Seizure
The announcement stated that it is aware of rumors that the Russian government may seize control of private companies. Because the majority of Yandex’s operations and assets are based in Russia, the company believes that such a move would be detrimental to its value.
“…any such action would have a material adverse impact on the value of the Yandex group as a whole.”
Yandex’s Future Is Threatened By Debts
Yandex stated that it has $615 million in euro-denominated cash reserves, with $370 million of that amount held outside of Russia.
Yandex stated that it is required to notify holders of its Convertible Notes due 2025, with a principal amount of $1.25 billion, of their right to redeem those notes if the NASDAQ suspends trading in their Class A shares for more than five trading days, according to the rules governing those notes.
According to the statement, Yandex does not have the financial means to repay the debt. It went on to say that even if it was able to repay a significant portion of the notes, it would still need to secure financing to keep operating.
Yandex stated that they are considering the following options to stay afloat:
“We are currently conducting contingency planning to determine what steps we would take in this regard and what other sources of financing would be available to us, in the event that this redemption right is triggered.”
Warning from Yandex
Yandex stated that it is currently operating normally, but warned that in the event of a prolonged economic downturn, it would be unable to provide assurances.
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