ANALYSIS: “Factor” in Coronavirus Risks in Company Disclosures

As of Monday afternoon, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down nearly three percent based largely on concerns about the COVID-19 coronavirus. Stock prices will likely rebound, but the market stumble demonstrates the potential impact of the outbreak on global financial performance.

Beginning with Levi Strauss & Co.’s filing on January 30, 2020, more than 250 companies have included discussions of the coronavirus in their Form 10-K risk factors (see filings here). Many of these are general in nature, mentioning the virus as part of a larger set of potential disruptive events. For example, Pioneer Natural Resources ...