Harsco Corp. Value Stock - Dividend - Research Selection

Harsco Corporation (the "Company") is a diversified, multinational provider of industrial services and engineered products serving global industries that are fundamental to worldwide economic growth and infrastructure development. The Company's operations consist of three reportable segments: Harsco Metals & Minerals, Harsco Industrial and Harsco Rail. The Company has locations in approximately 30 countries, including the U.S. The Company was incorporated in 1956.

The Company's executive offices are located at 350 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17011 and the Company's main telephone number is (717) 763-7064. The public may read and copy any material the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") at their Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to such reports filed with or furnished to the SEC under Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available free of charge on the SEC's Internet website at www.sec.gov and on the Company's Internet website at www.harsco.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with the SEC.

The Company's global presence subjects it to a variety of risks arising from doing business internationally.

The Company operates in approximately 30 countries, generating 57% of its revenues outside of the U.S. (based on location of the facility generating the revenue) for the year ended December 31, 2017. In addition, as of December 31, 2017, approximately 75% of the Company’s property, plant and equipment are located outside of the U.S. The Company's global footprint exposes it to a variety of risks that may adversely affect the Company's results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows. These include, but may not be limited to, the following:

• periodic economic downturns in the countries in which the Company does business;

• imposition of or increases in currency exchange controls and hard currency shortages;

• customs matters and changes in trade policy or tariff regulations;

• changes in regulatory requirements in the countries in which the Company does business;

• changes in tax regulations, higher tax rates in certain jurisdictions and potentially adverse tax consequences including restrictions on repatriating earnings, adverse tax withholding requirements and "double taxation;"

• longer payment cycles and difficulty in collecting accounts receivable;

• complexities in complying with a variety of U.S. and foreign government laws, controls and regulations;

• political, economic and social instability, civil and political unrest, terrorist actions and armed hostilities in the regions or countries in which the Company does business;

• increasing complex laws and regulations concerning privacy and data security, including the European Union's ("EU") General Data Protection Regulation;

• inflation rates in the countries in which the Company does business;

• complying with complex labor laws in foreign jurisdictions;

• laws in various international jurisdictions that limit the right and ability of subsidiaries to pay dividends and remit earnings to affiliated companies unless specified conditions are met;

• sovereign risk related to international governments, including, but may not be limited to, governments stopping interest payments or repudiating their debt, nationalizing private businesses or altering foreign exchange regulations; and

• uncertainties arising from local business practices, cultural considerations and international political and trade tensions.

The Company has operations in several countries in the Middle East, including Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Oman, as well as India, some of which have experienced armed hostilities and civil unrest. Additionally, these countries are geographically close to other countries that may have a continued high risk of armed hostilities or civil unrest.

If the Company is unable to successfully manage the risks associated with its global business, the Company's results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows may be negatively impacted.

Due to the international nature of the Company's business, the Company could be adversely affected by violations of certain laws.

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and similar anti-bribery laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA also imposes accounting standards and requirements on publicly traded U.S. corporations and their foreign affiliates, which, among other things, are intended to prevent the diversion of corporate funds to the payment of bribes and other improper payments, and to prevent the establishment of “off the books” slush funds from which improper payments can be made. The Company may not always prevent reckless or criminal acts by employees or agents and may be exposed to liability due to pre-acquisition conduct of employees or agents of businesses or operations the Company may acquire. Violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt the Company’s operations, require significant management involvement and have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. If the Company is found to be liable for violations of these laws (either due to its own acts, out of inadvertence or due to the acts or inadvertence of others), the Company could also be subject to severe criminal or civil penalties or other sanctions; disgorgement; further changes or enhancements to its procedures, policies and controls; personnel changes and other remedial actions.

Furthermore, the Company is subject to the export controls and economic embargo rules and regulations of the U.S., including the Export Administration Regulations and trade sanctions against embargoed countries, which are administered by the Office of Foreign Asset Control within the Department of Treasury, as well as other laws and regulations administered by the Department of Commerce. These regulations limit the Company’s ability to market, sell, distribute or otherwise transfer its products to prohibited countries or persons. Failure to comply with these rules and regulations may result in substantial civil and criminal penalties, including fines and disgorgement of profits, the imposition of a court-appointed monitor, the denial of export privileges and debarment from participation in U.S. Government contracts.