Tsakos Energy Navigation (TK41) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q4, 2020
Risk Change Over Time
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1Our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares represent perpetual equity interests and holders of such shares will have no right to receive any greater payment than the liquidation preference regardless of the circumstances.
The preferred shares represent perpetual equity interests in us and, unlike our indebtedness, will not give rise to a claim for payment of a principal amount at a particular date. As a result, holders of the preferred shares may be required to bear the financial risks of an investment in the preferred shares for an indefinite period of time. The payment due to a holder of our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares upon a liquidation is fixed at the redemption preference of $25.00 per share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends to the date of liquidation. If, in the case of our liquidation, there are remaining assets to be distributed after payment of this amount, you will have no right to receive or to participate in these amounts. Furthermore, if the market price for your preferred stock is greater than the liquidation preference, you will have no right to receive the market price from us upon our liquidation.
- Debt & Financing - Risk 2Uncertainty relating to the LIBOR calculation process and potential phasing out of LIBOR after 2023 may adversely affect the amounts payable under our credit facilities and our preferred shares.
The United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA"), which regulates LIBOR, has announced that it will phase-out LIBOR by the end of 2023. It is unclear whether an extension will be granted or new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2023, or if alternative rates or benchmarks will be adopted. Various alternative reference rates are being considered in the financial community. The Secured Overnight Financing Rate has been proposed by the Alternative Reference Rate Committee, a committee convened by the U.S. Federal Reserve that includes major market participants and on which regulators participate, as an alternative rate to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. However, it is not possible at this time to know the ultimate impact a phase-out of LIBOR may have. The changes may adversely affect the trading market for LIBOR based agreements, including our credit facilities, interest rate swaps and preferred shares. We may need to negotiate the replacement benchmark rate on our credit facilities and interest rate swaps, and the use of an alternative rate or benchmark may negatively impact our interest rate expense. Any other contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business which currently refer to, use or include LIBOR may also be impacted. Our credit facilities bear interest costs at a floating rate based on LIBOR. Uncertainties surrounding changes to the basis of which LIBOR is calculated or the phase-out of LIBOR, which may cause a sudden and prolonged increase or decrease in LIBOR, could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition, as well as our cash flows, including cash available for dividends to our shareholders. While we use interest rate swaps to reduce our exposure to interest rate risk and to hedge a portion of our outstanding indebtedness, there is no assurance that our derivative contracts will provide adequate protection against adverse changes in interest rates or that our bank counter parties will be able to perform their obligations. If a three-month LIBOR rate is not available, the terms of our various credit facilities, and to the extent applicable, our preferred shares will require alternative determination procedures which may result in an interest and/or a dividend rate differing from expectations and could materially affect the value of such instruments, and our ability to comply with covenants in our credit facilities.
- Debt & Financing - Risk 3A decline in the future value of our vessels could affect our ability to comply with various covenants in our credit facilities unless waived or modified by our lenders.
Our credit facilities, which are secured by mortgages on our subsidiaries' vessels, require us to maintain specified collateral coverage ratios and satisfy financial covenants, including requirements based on the market value of our vessels, such as maximum corporate leverage levels and loan-to-asset collateral coverage requirements. The appraised value of a vessel fluctuates depending on a variety of factors including the age of the vessel, its hull configuration, prevailing charter market conditions, supply and demand balance for vessels and new and pending legislation. The oversupply of tankers and depressed tanker charter market adversely affected tanker values from the middle of 2008 to the middle of 2019, and despite the relatively young age of our subsidiaries' fleet and extensive long-term charter employment on many of the vessels, resulted in a significant decline in the charter-free values of certain of our subsidiaries' vessels. Vessel values recovered from the end of 2013, but again declined during 2016 and 2017 and remained at relatively low levels through 2018 due primarily to global fleet overcapacity and lack of financing for potential buyers to acquire second-hand, charter free vessels. Values recovered in 2019 and continued to improve into early 2020. However, the decline in demand for tankers in mid-2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a fall in values, which is expected to continue into 2021. If these values remain at low levels for a prolonged period, or further decline, it may result in an inability to comply with the financial covenants under our credit facilities which relate to our consolidated leverage and loan-to-asset value collateral requirements. If we were unable to obtain waivers in the case of non-compliance with consolidated leverage or other financial covenants, or post additional collateral or prepay principal in the case of loan-to-asset value requirements, our lenders could accelerate our indebtedness. We have paid all our scheduled loan installments and related loan interest consistently without delay or omission.
- Debt & Financing - Risk 4Market interest rates may adversely affect the value of our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares.
One of the factors that influences the price of our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares is the dividend yield on these preferred shares (as a percentage of the price thereof) relative to market interest rates. An increase in market interest rates, which are currently at low levels relative to historical rates and have recently been increasing, may lead to lower prices for our shares when valued using their dividend yields. Higher interest rates would likely increase our borrowing costs and potentially decrease funds available for dividends. Accordingly, higher interest rates could cause the market prices of our preferred shares to decrease.
Risk Highlights Q4, 2020
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 59
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1The Tsakos Holdings Foundation and the Tsakos family can exert considerable control over us, which may limit your ability to influence our actions.
As of April 2, 2021, companies controlled by the Tsakos Holdings Foundation or affiliated with the Tsakos Group own approximately 34.5% of our outstanding common shares. The Tsakos Holdings Foundation is a Liechtenstein foundation whose beneficiaries include persons and entities affiliated with the Tsakos family, charitable institutions and other unaffiliated persons and entities. The council which controls the Tsakos Holdings Foundation consists of five members, two of whom are members of the Tsakos family. As long as the Tsakos Holdings Foundation and the Tsakos family beneficially own a significant percentage of our common shares, each will have the power to influence the election of the members of our board of directors and the vote on substantially all other matters, including significant corporate actions.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2Holders of our Preferred Shares have extremely limited voting rights.
The voting rights of holders of our preferred shares are extremely limited. Our common shares are the only class or series of our shares carrying full voting rights. The voting rights of holders of our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares are limited to the ability, subject to certain exceptions, to elect, voting together as a class with all other classes or series of parity securities upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable, one director if dividends for six quarterly dividend periods (whether or not consecutive) payable thereon are in arrears and certain other limited protective voting rights described in "Item 10. Additional Information-Description of Share Capital-Preferred Shares."
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3Provisions in our Bye-laws and our management agreement with Tsakos Energy Management would make it difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if such a transaction is beneficial to our shareholders.
Our Bye-laws provide for a staggered board of directors, blank check preferred stock, super majority voting requirements and other anti-takeover provisions, including restrictions on business combinations with interested persons and limitations on the voting rights of shareholders who acquire more than 15% of our common shares. In addition, Tsakos Energy Management would have the right to terminate our management agreement and seek liquidated damages if a board member were elected without having been approved by the current board. These provisions could deter a third party from tendering for the purchase of some or all our shares. These provisions may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes of control of the ownership and management of our company.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4Because we are a foreign corporation, you may not have the same rights as a shareholder in a U.S. corporation.
We are a Bermuda company. Our Memorandum of Association and Bye-laws and the Companies Act govern our affairs. While many provisions of the Companies Act resemble provisions of the corporation laws of several states in the United States, Bermuda law may not as clearly establish your rights and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors as do statutes and judicial precedent in some U.S. jurisdictions. In addition, apart from three non-executive directors, our directors and officers are not resident in the United States and all or substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. As a result, investors may have more difficulty in protecting their interests and enforcing judgments in the face of actions by our management, directors or controlling shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a U.S. jurisdiction. In addition, you should not assume that courts in the country in which we are incorporated or where our assets are located would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us based upon the civil liability provisions of applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws or would enforce, in original actions, liabilities against us based on those laws.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5We are a "foreign private issuer" under NYSE rules, and as such we are entitled to exemption from certain NYSE corporate governance standards, and you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the NYSE corporate governance requirements.
We are a "foreign private issuer" under the securities laws of the United States and the rules of the NYSE. Under the securities laws of the United States, "foreign private issuers" are subject to different disclosure requirements than U.S. domiciled registrants, as well as different financial reporting requirements. Under the NYSE rules, a "foreign private issuer" is subject to less stringent corporate governance requirements. Subject to certain exceptions, the rules of the NYSE permit a "foreign private issuer" to follow its home country practice in lieu of the listing requirements of the NYSE, including (i) the requirement that a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors, (ii) the requirement that the nominating/corporate governance committees be composed entirely of independent directors and have a written charter addressing the committee's purpose and responsibilities, (iii) the requirement that the compensation committee be composed entirely of independent directors and have a written charter addressing the committee's purpose and responsibilities, and (iv) the requirement of an annual performance evaluation of the nominating/corporate governance and compensation committees. Nonetheless, a majority of our directors are independent, all of the members of our compensation, nominating and corporate governance committee are independent directors, and all of our board committees have written charters addressing their respective purposes and responsibilities.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6Future sales of our common shares could cause the market price of our common shares to decline.
Sales of a substantial number of our common shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, may depress the market price for our common shares. These sales could also impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of our equity securities in the future. We may issue additional common shares in the future, including upon conversion of our currently outstanding Series G Convertible Preferred Shares, which are convertible into an aggregate of 544,232 of our common shares, and our shareholders may elect to sell large numbers of shares held by them from time to time.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7The market price of our common shares and preferred shares may be unpredictable and volatile.
The market price of our common shares and Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares may fluctuate due to factors such as actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly and annual results and those of other public companies in our industry, mergers and strategic alliances in the tanker industry, market conditions in the tanker industry, changes in government regulation, shortfalls in our operating results from levels forecast by securities analysts, announcements concerning us or our competitors, our sales of our common shares or of additional preferred shares, changes in prevailing interest rates and the general state of the securities market. The tanker industry has been highly unpredictable and volatile. The market for common stock and preferred stock in this industry may be equally volatile. Therefore, we cannot assure you that you will be able to sell any of our common shares and preferred shares you may have purchased, or will purchase in the future, at a price greater than or equal to the original purchase price. If the market price of our common shares again falls below $5.00 per share, under stock exchange rules, our shareholders will not be able to use such shares as collateral for borrowing in margin accounts. This inability to use common shares as collateral may depress demand and certain institutional investors are restricted from investing in or holding shares priced below $5.00, which could lead to sales of such shares creating further downward pressure on and increased volatility in the market price of our common shares.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping and TCM are privately held companies and there is little or no publicly available information about them.
The ability of Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping and TCM to continue providing services for our and our subsidiaries' benefit will depend in part on their own financial strength. Circumstances beyond our control could impair their financial strength and because each of these companies is privately held, it is unlikely that information about their financial strength would become public. Any such problems affecting these organizations could have a material adverse effect on us.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9Charters at attractive rates may not be available when our current time charters expire.
During 2020 we derived approximately 60% of our revenues from time charters, as compared to 64% in 2019. As our current period charters on nine of the vessels owned by our subsidiary companies expire in the remainder of 2021, considering the volatile nature of the tanker market and current cyclically low charter rates, it may not be possible to re-charter these vessels on a period basis at attractive rates. If attractive period charter opportunities are not available, we may seek to charter the vessels owned by our subsidiary companies on the spot market, which is subject to significant fluctuations. In the event a vessel owned by one of our subsidiary companies may not find employment at economically viable rates, management may opt to lay up the vessel until such time that rates become attractive again (an action which our subsidiary companies have never undertaken). During the period of any layup, the vessel would continue to incur expenditures such as debt service, insurance, reduced crew wages and maintenance costs.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10ChangedOur Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares represent perpetual equity interests and holders of such shares will have no right to receive any greater payment than the liquidation preference regardless of the circumstances.
The preferred shares represent perpetual equity interests in us and, unlike our indebtedness, will not give rise to a claim for payment of a principal amount at a particular date. As a result, holders of the preferred shares may be required to bear the financial risks of an investment in the preferred shares for an indefinite period of time. The payment due to a holder of our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares upon a liquidation is fixed at the redemption preference of $25.00 per share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends to the date of liquidation. If, in the case of our liquidation, there are remaining assets to be distributed after payment of this amount, you will have no right to receive or to participate in these amounts. Furthermore, if the market price for your preferred stock is greater than the liquidation preference, you will have no right to receive the market price from us upon our liquidation.
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