Pandemics
82 of 521 companies dropped a paragraph in Risk Factors that uses one of these words:
pandemic, COVID, epidemic, outbreak.
The paragraph was in the earlier 10-K and nothing like it is in the latest.
It counts text; it does not say how serious a risk is. Words in capitals only (such as AI) must be in capitals.
By sector
Sector is the SEC's industry description of the company. Each count opens that sector's quotes below.
| Sector | Companies | Compared |
|---|---|---|
| Apparel & Other Finishd Prods of Fabrics & Similar Matl | 1 | 1 |
| Communications Equipment, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Gold and Silver Ores | 1 | 1 |
| Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors | 1 | 1 |
| Meat Packing Plants | 1 | 1 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories | 1 | 1 |
| Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 1 |
| Real Estate Operators (No Developers) & Lessors | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Drug Stores and Proprietary Stores | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Eating & Drinking Places | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Special Industry Machinery, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Telephone & Telegraph Apparatus | 1 | 1 |
| Laboratory Analytical Instruments | 3 | 5 |
| Agricultural Chemicals | 1 | 2 |
| Cigarettes | 1 | 2 |
| Computer Peripheral Equipment, NEC | 1 | 2 |
| Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) | 1 | 2 |
| Industrial Organic Chemicals | 1 | 2 |
| Mining & Quarrying of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) | 1 | 2 |
| Printed Circuit Boards | 1 | 2 |
| Pumps & Pumping Equipment | 1 | 2 |
| Refuse Systems | 1 | 2 |
| Rubber & Plastics Footwear | 1 | 2 |
| Services-Computer Programming Services | 1 | 2 |
| Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, NEC | 1 | 2 |
| Services-Medical Laboratories | 1 | 2 |
| Ship & Boat Building & Repairing | 1 | 2 |
| Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) | 1 | 2 |
| Biological Products, (No Diagnostic Substances) | 2 | 5 |
| Finance Services | 10 | 28 |
| State Commercial Banks | 2 | 6 |
| Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip | 1 | 3 |
| Computer & office Equipment | 1 | 3 |
| Computer Communications Equipment | 1 | 3 |
| Operative Builders | 1 | 3 |
| Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations | 1 | 3 |
| Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies | 1 | 3 |
| Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics | 1 | 3 |
| Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus | 3 | 10 |
| Pharmaceutical Preparations | 3 | 11 |
| Investment Advice | 2 | 8 |
| Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) | 1 | 4 |
| Retail-Eating Places | 1 | 4 |
| Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services | 1 | 4 |
| Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation | 1 | 4 |
| Semiconductors & Related Devices | 3 | 15 |
| Retail-Variety Stores | 1 | 5 |
| National Commercial Banks | 2 | 11 |
| Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance | 2 | 12 |
| Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service | 1 | 6 |
| Electric Services | 2 | 15 |
| Services-Business Services, NEC | 2 | 16 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts | 3 | 27 |
| Services-Prepackaged Software | 2 | 19 |
140 paragraphs · Retail-Eating Places show all sectors
Restaurant dining generally is dependent upon consumer discretionary spending, which may be affected by general economic conditions that are beyond our control. Increasing or prolonged high inflation, international, domestic and regional economic conditions, consumer income levels, financial market volatility, a slow or stagnant pace of economic growth, mass layoffs, rising energy costs, rising interest rates, social unrest, military conflicts and governmental, political and budget concerns or divisions may have a negative effect on consumer confidence and discretionary spending. Persistent inflation and concern about a prolonged economic downturn may lead consumers to decrease their discretionary spending. A significant decrease in guest traffic or average transaction size would negatively impact our financial performance. The actual or perceived threat of a pandemic or communicable disease, terrorist attack, mass shooting, heightened security requirements, including cybersecurity, or a failure to protect information systems for critical infrastructure, such as the electrical grid and telecommunications systems, could harm our operations, the economy or consumer confidence generally. Any of the above factors or other unfavorable changes in business and economic conditions affecting our guests could increase our costs, reduce traffic in our restaurants or limit our ability to increase pricing, any of which could lower our profit margins and have a material adverse effect on our sales, financial condition and results of operations. These factors also could cause us to, among other things, reduce the number and frequency of new restaurant openings, close restaurants or delay remodeling of our existing restaurant locations. Further, poor economic conditions may force nearby businesses to shut down, which could reduce traffic to our restaurants or cause our restaurant locations to be less attractive.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 5, 2025 ↗