UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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| Item 8.01 | Other Events. |
Athene Holding Ltd. (the “Company”) is providing the disclosure below and supplementing the risk factors described in Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (the “Form 10-K”) with the following risk factor. The information in this report on Form 8-K should be read in conjunction with the risk factors described in the Form 10-K and the information under “Forward-Looking Statements” in the Form 10-K.
Major public health issues, and specifically the pandemic caused by the spread of COVID-19, could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations and other aspects of our business.
We are closely monitoring developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic to assess its impact on our business. While still evolving, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant economic and financial turmoil both in the U.S. and around the world, and has fueled concerns that it will lead to a global recession. These conditions are expected to continue and worsen in the near term. At this time, it is not possible to estimate how long it will take to halt the spread of the virus or the longer term-effects that the COVID-19 pandemic could have on our business. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity or prospects will depend on future developments which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions taken to contain or address its impact, and may cause us to revisit or revise estimates of future earnings or other guidance we have previously provided to the markets. In particular, certain projected financial information previously provided to our shareholders in connection with our recent share issuance transaction with Apollo may as a result of the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic materially differ from our actual results, and should not be relied upon.
While we have implemented risk management and contingency plans and taken preventive measures and other precautions, no predictions of specific scenarios can be made with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic and such measures may not adequately predict the impact on our business from such events. Currently, most of our employees are working remotely with only operationally critical employees working at our facilities for business continuity purposes, to the extent lawfully permitted. An extended period of remote work arrangements could strain our business continuity plans, introduce operational risk, including but not limited to cybersecurity risks, and impair our ability to manage our business. We also outsource certain critical business activities to third parties. As a result, we rely upon the successful implementation and execution of the business continuity planning of such entities in the current environment. While we closely monitor the business continuity activities of these third parties, successful implementation and execution of their business continuity strategies are largely outside our control. If one or more of the third parties to whom we outsource certain critical business activities experience operational failures as a result of the impacts from the spread of COVID-19, or claim that they cannot perform due to a force majeure, it may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows.
Our companies that are treated as foreign corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes have historically intended to operate in a manner that will not cause them to be subject to current U.S. federal income taxation on their net income, and certain of them intend to be United Kingdom (“U.K.”) tax resident by reason of having their central management and control exercised in the U.K. However, our directors and personnel reside in various jurisdictions and often must travel to carry out their duties in accordance with such intended tax positions. Travel restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have limited, and may continue to limit, such travel. While we have implemented contingency plans to mitigate the impact of such travel restrictions, no assurances can be provided that we will not become subject to greater tax liabilities than anticipated due to restrictions on the ability of our directors and personnel to carry out their activities from the intended jurisdictions.
Increased economic uncertainty and increased unemployment resulting from the economic impacts of the spread of COVID-19 may also result in policyholders seeking sources of liquidity and withdrawing at rates greater than we previously expected. If policyholder lapse and surrender rates significantly exceed our expectations, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. Such events or conditions could also have an adverse effect on our sales of new policies. In addition, such events or conditions could result in a decrease or halt in economic activity in large geographic areas, adversely affecting our business within such geographic areas and/or the general economic climate.
Our investment portfolio (and, specifically, the valuations of investment assets we hold) has been, and may continue to be, adversely affected as a result of market developments from the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty regarding its outcome. Moreover, changes in interest rates, reduced liquidity or a continued slowdown in the U.S. or in global economic conditions may also adversely affect the values and cash flows of these assets. Our investments in mortgages and mortgage-backed securities could be negatively affected by delays or failures of borrowers to make payments of principal and interest when due or delays or moratoriums on foreclosures or enforcement actions with respect to delinquent or defaulted mortgages imposed by governmental authorities. Further, extreme market volatility may leave us unable to react to market events in a prudent manner consistent with our historical investment practices in dealing with more orderly markets. Market dislocations, decreases in observable market activity or unavailability of information, in each case, arising from the spread of COVID-19, may restrict our access to key inputs used to derive certain estimates and assumptions made in connection with financial reporting or otherwise, including estimates and changes in long term macro-economic assumptions relating to accounting for current expected credit losses, more commonly referred to as “CECL.” Restricted access to such inputs may make our financial statement balances and estimates and assumptions used to run our business subject to greater variability and subjectivity.
While governmental and non-governmental organizations are engaging in efforts to combat the spread and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health issues, these measures may not be effective. We also cannot predict how legal and regulatory responses to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health issues will impact our business. Such events or conditions could result in additional regulation or restrictions affecting the conduct of our business in the future.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| ATHENE HOLDING LTD. | ||||||
| Date: March 31, 2020 |
By: |
/s/ John Golden | ||||
| John Golden | ||||||
| Executive Vice President and General Counsel | ||||||