A key part of our growth strategy is to continue expanding beyondwithin the semiconductor manufacturing market into semiconductor adjacent and life sciences sample management and genomic services markets. As part of this strategy, we expect to diversify our product sales and service revenue by leveraging our core technologies, which requires investments and resources which may not be available ason favorable terms or at all when needed. We cannot guarantee that we will be successful in leveraging our capabilities into the life sciences sample management marketand genomic services markets to meet all the needs of these new customers and to compete favorably. Because a significant portion of our growth potential may be dependent on our ability to increase sales to markets beyond semiconductor manufacturing,within the Brooks Life Sciences segment, our inability to successfully enter newexpand within the markets serviced by this segment may adversely impact future financial results.

The continuing service of our executive officers and essential engineering, technical and management personnel, together with our ability to attract and retain such personnel, is an important factor in our continuing ability to execute our strategy. There is substantial competition to attract such employees and the loss of any such key employees could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results. The same could be true if we were to experience a high turnover rate among engineering and technical personnel and we were unable to replace them.

Our ability to compete is significantly affected by our ability to protect our intellectual property. We rely upon patents, trade secret laws, confidentiality procedures, copyrights, trademarks and licensing agreements to protect our technology. Existing trade secret, trademark and copyright laws offer only limited protection. Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and enforce patent protection for our products both in the United States and in other countries. We own numerous U.S. and foreign patents, and we intend to file additional applications, as appropriate, for patents covering our products and technology. Any issued patents owned by or licensed to us may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, and the rights under these patents may not provide us with competitive advantages. In addition, the laws of some countries in which our products are or may be developed, manufactured or sold may not fully protect our products. Due to the rapid technological change that characterizes the semiconductor and adjacent technology markets, we believe that the improvement of existing technology, reliance upon trade secrets and unpatented proprietary know-how and the development of new products may be as

We cannot guarantee that the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property will be adequate to prevent the misappropriation of our technology. Other companies could independently develop similar or superior technology without violating our intellectual property rights. In the future, it may be necessary to engage in litigation or like activities to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets or to determine the validity and scope of proprietary rights of others, including our customers. This could require us to incur significant expenses and to divert the efforts and attention of our management and technical personnel from our business operations.

One of our main competitive strengths is our technology, and we are dependent on our patent rights and other intellectual property rights to maintain our competitive position. Our current patents will expire from time to time through 20342037 which could result in increased competition and declines in product and service revenue.

There has been substantial litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights in the semiconductor-related industries.industries in which we do business. We have in the past been, and may in the future be, notified that we may be infringing intellectual property rights possessed by third parties. We cannot guarantee that infringement claims by third parties or other claims for indemnification by customers or end-users of our products and services resulting from infringement claims will not

We cannot predict the extent to which we might be required to seek licenses or alter our products or services so that they no longer infringe the rights of others. We also cannot guarantee that licenses will be available or the terms of any licenses we may be required to obtain will be reasonable. Similarly, changing our products, services or processes to avoid infringing the rights of others may be costly or impractical and could detract from the value of our products.products and services. If a judgment of infringement were obtained against us, we could be required to pay substantial damages and a court could issue an order preventing us from selling one or more of our products.products or offering certain of our services. Further, the cost and diversion of management attention brought about by such litigation could be substantial, even if we were to prevail. Any of these events could result in significant expense to us and may materially harm our business and our prospects.

Unexpected events could disrupt our sample storage operations and adversely affect our reputation and results of operations.

We have a limited number of manufacturing facilities for our products and we have moved portions of our manufacturing to third parties, including some in lesser developed countries. If the operations at any one of these facilities were disrupted as a result of a natural disaster, fire, power or other utility outage, work stoppage or other similar event, our business could be seriously harmed because we may be unable to manufacture and ship products and parts to our customers in a timely fashion. The impact of any disruption at one of our facilities may be exacerbated if the disruption occurs at a time when we need to rapidly increase our manufacturing capabilities to meet increased demand or expedited shipment schedules.

Moreover, if actual demand for our products is different than expected, we may purchase more/fewer component parts than necessary or incur costs for canceling, postponing or expediting delivery of such parts. If we purchase inventory in anticipation of customer demand that does not materialize, or if our customers reduce or delay orders, we may incur excess inventory charges. Any or all of these factors could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We currently obtain many of our key components on an as-needed, purchase order basis from numerous suppliers. In some cases we have only a single source of supply for key components and materials used in the manufacturing of our products. Further, we are increasing our sourcing of products in Asia, and particularly in China, and we do not have a previous history of dealing with many of these suppliers. Our inability to obtain components or materials in required quantities or of acceptable cost and quality and with the necessary continuity of supply could result in delays or reductions in product shipments to our customers. In addition, if a supplier or sub-supplier suffers a production stoppage or delay for any reason, including natural disasters such as the tsunamis that affected Japan in 2011 and Thailand in 2004, this could result in a delay or reduction in our product shipments to our customers. Any of these contingencies could cause us to lose customers, result in delayed or lost revenue and otherwise materially harm our business.

We are dependent on the availability of certain key raw materials and natural resources used in our products and various manufacturing processes, and we rely on third parties to supply us with these materials in a cost-effective and timely manner. Our access to raw materials may be adversely affected if our suppliers’ operations were disrupted as a result of limited or delayed access to key raw materials and natural resources which may result in increased cost of these items. While most of the raw materials used in our products and various manufacturing processes are commercially available, we rely in some cases on materials that have a limited supply and are considered rare Earth elements, such as helium. If the supply of these elements is drastically reduced, it may lead to price increases which could result in higher costs of our products and corresponding revenue declines and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our outsource providers may fail to perform as we expect.

Outsource providers have played and will continue to play a key role in our manufacturing operations and in many of our transactional and administrative functions, such as information technology and facilities management. Although we attempt to select reputable providers and secure their performance on terms documented in written contracts, it is possible that one or more of these providers could fail to perform as we expect and such failure could have an adverse impact on our business.

We maintain and rely upon certain critical information systems for the effective operation of our business. These information systems include telecommunications, the internet, our corporate intranet, various computer hardware and software applications, network communications and e-mail. These information systems may be owned and maintained by us, our outsource providers or third parties such as vendors and contractors. These information systems are subject to attacks, failures, and access denials from a number of potential sources including viruses, destructive or inadequate code, power failures, and physical damage to computers, hard drives, communication lines and networking equipment. To the extent that these information systems are under our control, we have implemented security procedures, such as virus protection software and emergency recovery processes, to mitigate the outlined risks. However, security procedures for information systems cannot be guaranteed to be failsafe and our inability to use or access these information systems at critical points in time, or unauthorized releases of confidential information, could unfavorably impact the timely and efficient operation of our business.

Confidential information stored on these information systems could also be compromised. If a third party gains unauthorized access to our data, including any information regarding our customers, such security breach could expose us to a risk of loss of this information, loss of business, litigation and possible liability. These security measures may be breached as a result of third-party action, including intentional misconduct by computer hackers, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise. Additionally, third parties may fraudulently attempt to induce employees or customers into disclosing sensitive information such as user names, passwords or other information in order to gain access to our customers'customers’ data or our data, including our intellectual property and other confidential business information, or our information technology systems. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, or to sabotage systems, change frequently and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. Any security breach could result in a loss of confidence by our customers, damage our reputation, disrupt our business, lead to legal liability and negatively impact our future sales.

As of September 30, 2016,2019, we had $202.1$488.6 million of goodwill and $81.8$251.2 million in net intangible assets as a result of our acquisitions. We periodically review our goodwill and the estimated useful lives of our identifiable intangible assets, taking into consideration any events or circumstances that might result in either a diminished fair value, or for intangible assets, a revised useful life. These events and circumstances include significant changes in the business climate, legal factors, operating

As a global company, we are subject to taxation in the United States and various other countries. Significant judgment is required to determine and estimate worldwide tax liabilities. Our future annual and quarterly effective tax rates could be affected by numerous factors, including changes in the:the following: applicable tax laws; composition of pre-tax income in countries with differing tax rates; and/or establishment of a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets based on the assessment of their realizability prior to expiration. In addition, we are subject to regular examination by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and state, local and foreign tax authorities. We regularly assess the likelihood of favorable or unfavorable outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any final determination will not be materially different from the treatment reflected in our historical income tax provisions and accruals, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to federal, state, local and foreign regulations, including environmental regulations, and regulations relating to the design and operation of our products and control systems.systems and regulations relating to certain of our service offerings in the Brooks Life Sciences segment. We might incur significant costs as we seek to ensure that our products meet safety and emissions standards, many of which vary across the states and countries in which our products are used. In the past, we have invested significant resources to redesign our products to comply with these directives. Compliance with future regulations, directives, and standards could require us to modify or redesign some products, change our service offerings, make capital expenditures, or incur substantial costs. If we do not comply with current or future regulations, directives, and standards:

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act imposes disclosure requirements regarding the use in components of our products of “conflict minerals” mined from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries, whether the components of our products are manufactured by us or third parties. This requirement could affect the pricing, sourcing and availability of minerals used in the manufacture of components we use in our products. In addition, there are additional costs associated with complying with the disclosure requirements and customer requests, such as costs related to our due diligence to determine the source of any conflict minerals used in our products. We may face difficulties in satisfying customers who may require that all of the components of our products are certified as conflict mineral free and/or free of numerous other hazardous materials.

Currency exchange rate fluctuations could have an adverse effect on our sales and results of operations, and we could experience losses with respect to forward exchange contracts into which we may enter. Unfavorable currency fluctuations could require us to increase prices to foreign customers, which could result in lower net sales by us to such customers. Alternatively, if we do not adjust the prices for our products in response to unfavorable currency fluctuations, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, most sales made by our foreign subsidiaries are denominated in the currency of the country in which these products are sold and the currency they receive in payment for such sales could be less valuable as compared to the U.S. dollar at the time of receipt as a result of exchange rate fluctuations. From time to time, we enter into forward exchange contracts to reduce currency exposure. However, we cannot be certain that our efforts will be adequate to protect us against significant currency fluctuations or that such efforts will not expose us to additional exchange rate risks, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

Risk related to the Referendumreferendum of the United Kingdom’s Membershipmembership in the European Union

In June 2016, a majority of voters in the United Kingdom recently voted “for” the Referendum of the United Kingdom’s Membership in the European Union, (referredreferred to as “Brexit”),Brexit, approving the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, which triggered volatility in global stock markets and currency exchange rate fluctuations that resulted in the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies in which we conduct our business. We may experience volatility in exchange rates as the United Kingdom continues to negotiate its exit from the European Union or as a result of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union with or without an agreement governing the exit. As described in Item 7A, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk", of this Form 10-K, most of our foreign currency denominated transactions are conducted in Euros, British Pounds and a variety of Asian currencies. Sales in currencies other than the U.S. dollar were approximately 35% and 34%, respectively, of our

Actions to implement Brexit, the potential terms of Brexit and the uncertainty of when Brexit will occur (the deadline for which has been extended a number of times), if at all, have also createcreated global economic uncertainty, which may cause our customers to closely monitor their costs and reduce their spending on our products and services. Negotiations are expected to commence shortly to determine the future terms of the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union, including the terms of trade between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The effects of Brexit, mayif it occurs, depend on any agreements, if any, the United Kingdom makes to retain access to E.U.European Union and other markets either during a transitional period or more permanently. The measures could potentially disrupt the markets we serve and may cause us to lose customers and employees. In addition, Brexit could lead to legal uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations aswith respect to business and trade with and in the United Kingdom determines which E.U. laws to replace or replicate.Kingdom. Any of these effects of Brexit, among others, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We receive a significant portion of our revenue in each fiscal period from a relatively limited number of customers, and that trend is likely to continue. Sales to our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 34%28%, 38%34% and 37%35%, respectively, of our total revenue in the fiscal years ended September 30, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 2014, respectively.2017. The loss of one or more of these major customers, a significant decrease in orders from one of these customers, or the inability of one or more customers to make payments to us when they are due could materially affect our revenue, business and reputation. In addition, there has been and may continue to be significant consolidation among some of our largest OEM customers, which could lead to increased pressure to reduce the price of our semiconductor products and/or decreased market share of our semiconductor products with the combined companies.

Our customers may need several months to test and evaluate our products. This increases the possibility that a customer may decide to cancel an order or change its plans, which could reduce or eliminate our sales to that customer. The impact of this risk can be magnified during the periods in which we introduce a number of new products, as has been the case in recent years. As a result of this lengthy sales cycle, we may incur significant research and development expenses, and selling, general and administrative expenses before we generate the related revenue for these products, and we may never generate the anticipated revenue if our customer cancels an order or changes its plans.

In addition, many of our semiconductor products will not be sold directly to the end-user but will be components of other products manufactured by OEMs. As a result, we rely on OEMs to select our semiconductor products from among alternative offerings to be incorporated into their equipment at the design stage; so-called design-ins. The OEMs'OEMs’ decisions often precede the generation of volume sales, if any, by a year or more. Moreover, if we are unable to achieve these design-ins from an OEM, we would have difficulty selling our semiconductor products to that OEM because changing suppliers after design-ins involves significant cost, time, effort and risk on the part of that OEM.

Sales of our products are often made pursuant to individual purchase orders and not under long-term commitments and contracts. Our customers frequently do not provide any assurance of minimum or future sales and are not prohibited from purchasing products from our competitors at any time. Accordingly, we are exposed to competitive pricing pressures on each order. Our customers also engage in the practice of purchasing products from more than one manufacturer to avoid dependence on sole-source suppliers for certain of their needs. The existence of these practices makes it more difficult for us to increase price, gain new customers and win repeat business from existing customers.

We may face claims for liability related to damages of customer materials attributed to the failure of our products or services, exposing us to significant financial or reputational harm.

Our automation products for the semiconductor manufacturing market are used in the handling and movement of silicon wafers at various points in the production process, and our automated cold storage systems for the life sciences sample management market are used in the handling, movement and storage of biological and chemical samples. We also provide sample storage services to customers where we store their biological and chemical samples at our facilities and other genomic services at our facilities. In eitherany case, inaccurate or faulty testing services or damage to our customers'customers’ materials may be attributed to a failure of our products whichor services could lead to claims for damages made by our customers and could also harm our relationship with our customers and damage our reputation in each of these industries, resulting in material harm to our business.

Risks Relating to Owning Our Securities

The market price of our common stock has fluctuated widely. From the beginning of fiscal year 20152018 through the end of fiscal year 2016,2019, our stock price fluctuated between a high of $13.96$41.75 per share and a low of $8.48$22.54 per share. Consequently, the current market price of our common stock may not be indicative of future market prices, and we may be unable to sustain or increase the value of an investment in our common stock. Factors affecting our stock price may include:

As of November 15, 2016,December 6, 2019, there were 593518 holders of record of our common stock.

Dividends are declared at the discretion of our Board of Directors and depend on actual cash flow from operations, our financial condition, capital requirements and any other factors our Board of Directors may consider relevant. Future dividend declarations, as well as the record and payment dates for such dividends, will be determined by our Board of Directors on a quarterly basis. We intend to pay quarterly cash dividends in the future; however, the amount and timing of these dividends may be impacted by the cyclical nature of certain markets we serve. We may reduce, delay or cancel a quarterly cash dividend based on the severity of a cyclical downturn.

The following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return (assuming reinvestment of dividends) from investing $100 on September 30, 2011,2014, and plotted at the last trading day of each of the fiscal years ended September 30, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2016,2019, in each of (i) our Common Stock; (ii) the NASDAQ/Nasdaq/NYSE MKT/American/NYSE Index of companies; and (iii) a peer group for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 (“Peer Group”).

The Peer Group for the year ended September 30, 2019 is comprised of:of Advanced Energy Industries, Inc., Axcelis Technologies Inc., Bio Rad Laboratories Inc., Bruker Corp., Cabot Microelectronics Corp., Coherent Inc., Entegris, Inc., Formfactor Inc., Haemonetics Corp., MKS Instruments, Inc., Photronics,MTS Instruments, Inc., TeradyneNovanta Inc., Rudolph Technologies Inc. (now known as Onto Innovation Inc.), Ultra Clean Technology,Holdings, Inc., Varex Imaging Corp. and Veeco Instruments Inc. and Xcerra Corp.

The stock price performance on the graph below is not necessarily indicative of future price performance.