Federated Hermes Inc

Regulatory Matters) on Federated Hermes’ Financial Condition. Among other potential impacts, increases in regulatory developments and requirements have led, and can continue to lead to greater compliance risks and compliance costs, including increased costs associated with technology, legal, operations and other efforts to address regulatory-related matters. Deregulation also is a possibility. Regulatory developments and requirements also have caused, and can continue to cause: (1) certain offering line-up, structure, pricing and product development changes; (2) changes in the ability to utilize "soft dollars" to pay for certain research and brokerage services (rather than Federated Hermes paying for such services directly); (3) money market, equity, fixed-income, alternative/private markets and multi-asset offerings becoming less attractive to institutional and other investors; (4) reductions in the Federated Hermes Funds offered by intermediary customers; (5) changes in fees charged, asset flows, levels and mix, and customer or shareholder relationships; and (6) reductions in AUM, revenues and operating profits. For example, certain money market funds or other offerings can become less attractive to institutional or other investors, which can change asset mix and reduce AUM, revenues and operating income. Changes in money market fund regulation increase this risk.

On a cumulative basis, Federated Hermes’ regulatory, product development and restructuring, and other efforts in response to regulatory developments and regulatory requirements, including the internal and external resources dedicated to such efforts, have had, and can continue to have, a material impact on Federated Hermes’ expenses and, in turn, Financial Condition. There is no guarantee that additional money market fund reforms will not result in a shift in asset mix away from institutional prime and municipal (or tax-exempt) money market funds and toward government money market funds.

Regulatory developments and new or amended regulatory requirements, and Federated Hermes’ efforts in responding to them, can have a material and adverse effect on Federated Hermes’ Financial Condition. Given the current regulatory environment, Federated Hermes is unable to fully assess the degree of the impact of proposed or adopted regulatory developments and regulatory requirements, and Federated Hermes’ efforts related thereto, on its Financial Condition.

In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act provides for a systemic risk regulation regime under which it is possible that Federated Hermes, and/or any one or more of its offerings can be subject to designation as a SIFI by the FSOC. Similarly, it is possible that the FSB can designate Federated Hermes, and/or one of its offerings (such as the non-U.S. Federated Hermes Funds), as a non-bank, non-insurance company global SIFI. Among other potential impacts, any such designation would result in Federated Hermes and/or its offerings being subject to additional banking regulation and bank-oriented measures and oversight by the Federal Reserve or the FSB. Any such designation of Federated Hermes or one or more of its offerings (particularly money market funds) would be detrimental to Federated Hermes’ business and offerings and can materially and adversely affect Federated Hermes’ Financial Condition.