Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Risk factors that affect our business and financial results are discussed in Part I, "Item 1A. Risk Factors," of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. There have been no material changes in our risk factors from those previously disclosed in our Annual Report other than as set forth below. You should carefully consider the risks described in our Annual Report and below, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. The risks described in our Annual Report and below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and/or operating results. If any of the risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, and/or results of operations could be negatively affected.
A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of a contagious disease, such as the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19, could adversely affect us .
Public health crises, pandemics, and epidemics, such as those caused by COVID-19, have had, and could continue to have, a material adverse effect on global, national, and local economies, as well as on our business and our tenants’ businesses. The potential impact of a pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of a contagious disease on our tenants and our properties is difficult to predict or assess. The extent to which the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including the outbreaks in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Phoenix, Tampa, and Dallas and actions taken to contain or slow them, impacts our operations and those of our tenants, will depend on future developments. These may include the scope, severity, and duration of the pandemic, and the actions taken to mitigate its impact, all of which are highly uncertain and unpredictable, but could be material. Considerable uncertainty surrounds the nature of COVID-19 and its potential effects, and the extent of and effectiveness of any responses taken on a national and local level to try to contain it. The long-term impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. and global economies is uncertain and could result in a world-wide economic downturn and recession that may lead to corporate bankruptcies among our tenants. Any of these developments, and other effects of the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 or any other pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of contagious disease, could adversely affect us.
In addition to the general economic impact of a pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of a contagious disease, if an outbreak of COVID-19 occurs within the workforce of our tenants or otherwise disrupts their management and other personnel, the business and operating results of our tenants could be negatively impacted. Large-scale “shelter in place”, “stay safe”, or "social distancing" executive orders in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Phoenix, Tampa, or Dallas, where we have high concentrations of our lease revenues, could cause many of our tenants, including retailers and restaurants, to stay closed or operate at reduced capacity for an extended period of time. The negative impact upon our tenants may include an immediate reduction in cash flow available to pay rent under our leases, and although various governmental financial programs may mitigate this, governmental assistance may not be available to all affected tenants or may be significantly delayed. In turn, our tenants' inability to pay rent under our leases could adversely affect our own liquidity, and there can be no guarantee that additional liquidity will be readily available or available on favorable terms in the future. Large-scale executive orders and other measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 may also negatively impact the ability of our properties to continue to obtain necessary goods and services or provide adequate staffing, which may also adversely affect our operating results and reputation. Any increased costs or lost revenue as a result of tenant financial difficulty, or their need to comply with executive orders and other guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may not be fully recoverable under our leases or adequately covered by insurance, which could impact our profitability. In addition to the potential consequences listed above, these same factors may cause prospective tenants to delay their leasing decisions or to lease less space. Even after the pandemic has ceased to be active, the prevalence of work-from-home policies during the pandemic may alter tenant preferences in the long term with respect to the demand for leasing office space.
32
Table of Contents
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.