UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS
PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(Mark One)
S ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2004
OR
£ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM TO .
Commission File No. 001-32236
COHEN & STEERS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
14-1904657 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| 757 Third Avenue, New York, New York (Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
10017 (Zip Code) |
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (212) 832-3232
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class |
Name of each exchange on which registered | |
| Common Stock, $.01 par value | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the proceeding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes S No £
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant's knowledge, in the definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. S
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes £ No S
The aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of August 13, 2004 (the date that the Registrant's common stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange), is approximately $108 million. There is no non-voting common stock of the Registrant outstanding.
As of February 27, 2005, there were 35,388,736 shares of the Registrant's common stock issued and outstanding.
Documents Incorporated by Reference
Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement of Cohen & Steers, Inc. filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the general rules and regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, for the 2005 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on May 9, 2005 (“Proxy Statement”) are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K. The incorporation by reference herein of portions of the Proxy Statement shall not be deemed to specifically incorporate by reference the information referred to in Item 402(a) (8) and (9) and Item 306(c) and (d) of Regulation S-K.
COHEN & STEERS, INC. i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I Item 1. Business Overview Cohen & Steers, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation formed in 2004, together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is a manager of high-income equity portfolios, specializing in U.S. real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), global real estate securities, preferred securities, utilities and other high-income common stocks. We serve individual and institutional investors through a wide range of open-end mutual funds, closed-end mutual funds and institutional separate accounts. As a complement to our asset management business, we also provide investment banking services to companies in real estate and real estate intensive businesses. We completed the initial public offering of our common stock on August 18, 2004. On August 17, 2004, prior to the completion of the initial public offering and pursuant to a reorganization into a holding company structure, we became the parent holding company of Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. (“Cohen & Steers Capital Management”), our asset management subsidiary, and together with our direct and indirect subsidiaries, succeeded to the business conducted by Cohen & Steers Capital Management and its subsidiaries. We operate two distinct business segments: Our principal executive offices are located at 757 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, and our telephone number is (212) 832-3232. Asset Management As of December 31, 2004, we managed $18.3 billion in assets—$9.0 billion in seven closed-end mutual funds, $5.2 billion in five open-end mutual funds and $4.1 billion in 40 institutional separate account portfolios for institutional investors. The assets we manage increased 57% to $18.3 billion at December 31, 2004 from $11.7 billion at December 31, 2003. Changes in the assets we manage can come from two sources—inflows (or outflows) and market appreciation (or depreciation). Of the $6.6 billion increase in the assets we manage from 2003 to 2004, 51% was attributable to net flows and 49% was attributable to net appreciation. While we have maintained our position as the nation's largest manager of real estate mutual funds, we have also diversified our asset management capabilities: 1
•
Asset Management. Our Asset Management business derives revenue primarily from investment advisory, administration, distribution and service fees received from mutual funds and investment advisory fees received from institutional separate accounts. These fees are based on contractually specified percentages of the assets of each client's portfolio. Asset Management's revenue fluctuates with changes in the total value of the portfolios and is recognized over the period that the assets are managed.
•
Investment Banking. Our Investment Banking business derives revenue primarily from advising our clients on mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructurings, recapitalizations and similar corporate finance transactions and placing securities both as agent and underwriter for our clients. These fees are generally earned upon the consummation of the transaction pursuant to the terms of individual agreements.
•
In 2003, we built a capability in corporate preferred securities by attracting a team of investment professionals that includes a leading preferred securities strategist. As of December 31, 2004, our preferred securities team managed $2.5 billion in real estate, corporate preferred stocks, and other fixed income securities.
•
In December 2003, we hired a portfolio manager from a large, well-regarded investment manager to lead our utility securities team. As of December 31, 2004, we managed $1.9 billion in utility common stocks in two closed-end mutual funds and one open-end mutual fund.
Our Products We manage assets in three account types: closed-end mutual funds, open-end mutual funds, and institutional separate accounts. The mutual funds that we currently manage are: The following table provides a breakdown of our revenue from investment advisory and administration fees by account type which are each based on contractually specified percentages of the assets of each client's portfolio. Asset Management Investment Advisory and Administration Fees Closed-End Mutual Funds. The eight closed-end mutual funds for which we are the investment advisor are registered investment companies that have issued a fixed number of shares through public offerings. These shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and cannot be redeemed by their shareholders. The trading price of the shares of a closed-end mutual fund is determined by supply and demand in the marketplace, which means the shares may trade at a premium or discount to the net asset value of the funds. In 2004, investment advisory fees from our closed-end mutual funds accounted for 50% of investment advisory fee revenue and 41% of total revenue. 2
•
In December 2004, we created a global real estate securities capability through the acquisition of 50% of the capital stock of Houlihan Rovers S.A. (“Houlihan Rovers”), a Belgium-based global real estate securities asset manager. As of December 31, 2004, Houlihan Rovers had assets under management of $569 million, which are not included in the assets we manage.
•
In January 2005, we moved into the broader category of high-dividend paying common stocks when we launched a closed-end mutual fund, Cohen & Steers Dividend Majors Fund, Inc., which raised $252 million in assets (before deduction of the sales charge and inclusive of the underwriters' over-allotment).
Closed-end Mutual Funds
•
Cohen & Steers Total Return Realty Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers Advantage Income Realty Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers Premium Income Realty Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers REIT and Preferred Income Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers REIT and Utility Income Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers Select Utility Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers Dividend Majors Fund, Inc.
Open-end Mutual Funds
•
Cohen & Steers Realty Shares, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers Realty Focus Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers Realty Income Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers Institutional Realty Shares, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers Utility Fund, Inc.
•
Cohen & Steers VIF Realty Income Fund, Inc.
Year Ended December 31,
2004
2003
2002
2001
($ in thousands)
Investment advisory and administration fees:
Closed-end mutual funds
$
46,623
50
%
$
18,575
36
%
$
7,837
21
%
$
2,009
7
%
Open-end mutual funds
34,382
37
%
24,225
47
%
20,871
54
%
18,019
58
%
Institutional separate accounts
11,842
13
%
8,808
17
%
9,707
25
%
10,794
35
%
Total
92,847
100
%
$
51,608
100
%
$
38,415
100
%
$
30,822
100
%
As of January 31, 2005, we provided advisory and administrative services to the following eight closed-end mutual funds, each of which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange: The investment advisory fees for the closed-end mutual funds for which we are the investment advisor vary based on each closed-end mutual fund's investment objective and strategy, fees charged by other comparable mutual funds and prevailing market conditions at the time each closed-end mutual fund initially offered its shares to the public. In addition, we receive a separate fee for providing administrative services to seven of the eight closed-end mutual funds for which we are the investment advisor at a rate that is designed to reimburse us for the cost of providing these services. For services under the investment advisory and administration agreements, closed-end mutual funds pay us a monthly fee based on a percentage of the assets we manage for each fund. In order to reduce expenses of certain of our closed-end mutual funds, we have agreed to waive a portion of the investment advisory fees otherwise payable by such funds. These waivers begin to expire in 2006 and continue through 2012. The expiration of the waivers would reduce the investment performance of the funds and consequently, may not occur. Each of our investment advisory agreements with a mutual fund, including the fees payable under the waiver agreements, is subject, following the initial two year term, to annual approval by the mutual fund's board of directors, including at least a majority of the independent directors. The table below describes each closed-end mutual fund's investment advisory fee that is scheduled to be charged, after giving effect to the amount of the fee that we have agreed to waive for each year. Closed-End Mutual Fund Investment Advisory Fees (Actual advisory fee charged or scheduled to be charged as a percentage of managed assets) 3
New York
Stock Exchange
Symbol
Assets Under
Management
as of
January 31, 2005
Year of
Inception
($ in millions)
Cohen & Steers Total Return Realty Fund, Inc.
RFI
$
170
1993
Cohen & Steers Advantage Income Realty Fund, Inc.
RLF
$
835
2001
Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund, Inc.
RQI
$
1,229
2002
Cohen & Steers Premium Income Realty Fund, Inc.
RPF
$
1,052
2002
Cohen & Steers REIT and Preferred Income Fund, Inc.
RNP
$
2,085
2003
Cohen & Steers REIT and Utility Income Fund, Inc.
RTU
$
1,783
2004
Cohen & Steers Select Utility Fund, Inc.
UTF
$
1,467
2004
Cohen & Steers Dividend Majors Fund, Inc.
DVM
$
225
2005
Year
Cohen & Steers Advantage Income Realty Fund, Inc. (through 12/31)
Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund, Inc. (through 12/31)
Cohen & Steers Premium Income Realty Fund, Inc. (through 8/30)
Cohen & Steers REIT and Utility Income Fund, Inc. (through 1/31)
Cohen & Steers Select Utility Fund, Inc. (through 3/31)
Cohen & Steers REIT and Preferred Income Fund, Inc.
Cohen & Steers Total Return Realty Fund, Inc.
Cohen & Steers Dividend Majors Fund, Inc.
2004
0.43%
0.53%
0.55%
0.65%
0.65%
0.65%
0.70%
*
2005
0.43%
0.53%
0.55%
0.65%
0.65%
0.65%
0.70%
0.75%
2006
0.50%
0.53%
0.55%
0.65%
0.65%
0.65%
0.70%
0.75%
2007
0.57%
0.59%
0.55%
0.65%
0.65%
0.65%
0.70%
0.75%
2008
0.64%
0.65%
0.60%
0.65%
0.65%
0.65%
0.70%
0.75%
2009
0.71%
0.71%
0.65%
0.65%
0.65%
0.65%
0.70%
0.75%
2010
0.78%
0.78%
0.70%
0.70%
0.70%
0.65%
0.70%
0.75%
2011
0.85%
0.83%
0.75%
0.75%
0.75%
0.65%
0.70%
0.75%
2012
0.85%
0.85%
0.80%
0.80%
0.80%
0.65%
0.70%
0.75%
2013
0.85%
0.85%
0.80%
0.85%
0.85%
0.65%
0.70%
0.75%
* Fund not in existence.
Certain of our closed-end mutual funds pay us a monthly administration fee based on a percentage of each fund's average daily managed assets as follows: Our investment advisory and administration agreements with the closed-end mutual funds are generally terminable upon 60 or fewer days notice, and each investment advisory agreement, including the fees payable thereunder, is subject to annual approval after the initial two-year term, by the closed-end mutual fund's board of directors, as well as by a majority of the directors who are not interested persons. Open-End Mutual Funds. The open-end mutual funds for which we are the investment advisor offer and issue new shares continuously as investors invest new money, and redeem shares when investors withdraw money. The share price for purchases and redemptions of each of the open-end mutual funds is determined by each fund's net asset value, which is calculated at the end of each business day. The net asset value per share is the current value of a fund's assets less liabilities, divided by the fund's total shares outstanding. In 2004, investment advisory fees from our open-end mutual funds accounted for 37% of investment advisory fee revenue and 30% of our total revenue. As of January 31, 2005, we provided advisory and administrative services to the following five open-end mutual funds: The investment advisory fees for the open-end mutual funds for which we are the investment advisor vary based on each open-end mutual fund's investment objective and strategy, fees charged by other comparable mutual funds and the nature of the investors to whom the mutual fund is offered. In addition, we receive a separate fee for providing administrative services to each open-end mutual fund for which we are the investment advisor at a rate that is designed to reimburse us for the cost of providing these services. Each of the open-end mutual funds pays us a monthly administration fee based on a percentage of the fund's average daily net assets. Each of the open-end mutual funds has entered into a fund accounting and administration agreement with a third party to provide each fund with certain additional fund administration
services for a monthly administration fee computed on the basis of the net assets of that fund. 4
Fund
Administration Fees
(as % of average daily managed assets)
Cohen & Steers Total Return Realty Fund, Inc.
0.00%
Cohen & Steers Advantage Income Realty Fund, Inc.
0.02%
Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund, Inc.
0.02%
Cohen & Steers Premium Income Realty Fund, Inc.
0.02%
Cohen & Steers REIT and Preferred Income Fund, Inc.
0.06% up to $1.0 billion
0.04% $1.0 billion to $1.5 billion
0.02% in excess of $1.5 billion
Cohen & Steers REIT and Utility Income Fund, Inc.
0.06% up to $1.0 billion
0.04% $1.0 billion to $1.5 billion
0.02% in excess of $1.5 billion
Cohen & Steers Select Utility Fund, Inc.
0.06% up to $1.0 billion
0.04% $1.0 billion to $1.5 billion
0.02% in excess of $1.5 billion
Cohen & Steers Dividend Majors Fund, Inc
0.04%
Fund
Primary
Objective
Assets Under
Management as of
January 31,
2005
($ in millions)
Year of
Inception
Cohen & Steers Realty Shares, Inc.
Total return
$
2,045
1991
Cohen & Steers Realty Focus Fund, Inc.
Capital appreciation
$
74
1997
Cohen & Steers Realty Income Fund, Inc.
Income
$
1,666
1997
Cohen & Steers Institutional Realty Shares, Inc.
Total return
$
928
2000
Cohen & Steers Utility Fund, Inc.
Total return
$
61
2004
The annual advisory and administration fees for each of the open-end mutual funds are payable on a monthly basis and are calculated as follows: Our investment advisory and administration agreements with the open-end mutual funds are generally terminable upon 60 or fewer days notice, and each investment advisory agreement, including the fees payable thereunder, is subject to annual approval by the open-end mutual fund's board, as well as by a majority of the directors who are not interested persons. Institutional Separate Accounts. The institutional separate accounts for which we are the investment advisor are portfolios of securities we manage for institutional clients. In each institutional separate account, unlike with the mutual funds, we manage the assets in a manner tailored to the investment preferences of that individual client as defined within each client's individual investment advisory agreement. The institutional separate account advisory fee schedules are also subject to wider variation than the mutual funds and are based on an annual percentage of client assets. Our investment advisory agreements with the institutional separate account clients are generally terminable upon 60 days notice. Sub-advisory and wrap-fee assets are included in our institutional separate account assets. Sub-advisory assets represent accounts for which we have been named as a sub-advisor by the investment advisor to that account. We currently serve as sub-advisor for a portfolio of the American Skandia Trust, as well as for certain funds sponsored by Assante Corporation and Daiwa Asset Management. As sub-advisor, we have responsibility for managing the portfolio's investments, while the investment advisor oversees our performance as sub-advisor. Wrap fee assets represent assets received from wrap fee programs. Wrap fee programs bundle a number of investment services for one fee. Portfolio Consulting Services. As portfolio consultant, we provide several services in connection with investment products, such as unit investment trusts (UITs), that contain static portfolios of securities. A UIT is a registered investment company that holds a portfolio of securities that generally does not change during the life of the product (generally two to five years) except that the sponsor of the UIT may sell portfolio securities under certain narrowly defined circumstances. As portfolio consultant to a number of UITs, we construct a portfolio of securities that we believe is well suited to satisfying the investment objective of the UIT. We also provide ongoing supervisory services related to the portfolio. Finally, we also provide a license to certain firms to use our name in
connection with their investment products. We act as portfolio consultant for a series of UITs offered by Van Kampen and Morgan Stanley. As of December 31, 2004, we provided such advisory consulting services to 15 UITs with aggregate assets of $681 million. These assets are not included in the assets we manage. In addition, we maintain a proprietary index, Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index (RMP), listed on the American Stock Exchange, which is the basis for the iShares Cohen & Steers Realty 5
Fund
Advisory and Administration Fees
(as % of average daily net assets)
Cohen & Steers Realty Shares, Inc.
0.87% up to $1.5 billion
0.77% in excess of $1.5 billion
Cohen & Steers Realty Focus Fund, Inc.(2)
0.92%
Cohen & Steers Realty Income Fund, Inc.
0.77% up to $1.5 billion
0.67% in excess of $1.5 billion
Cohen & Steers Institutional Realty Shares, Inc.(1)
0.75%
Cohen & Steers Utility Fund, Inc.(2)
0.77% up to $1.5 billion
0.67% in excess of $1.5 billion
(1)
We bear all of this fund's ordinary operating expenses.
(2)
We have agreed, through December 31, 2004, to waive our fees and/or reimburse the expenses of this fund in order to limit the fund's total expense ratio.
Majors Index Fund (ICF) sponsored by Barclays. We earn a licensing fee based on the fund's assets for the use of our index. Our fee schedules for these relationships vary widely based on the type of services we provide for each relationship. Our Investment Process. Our investment process is based on fundamental portfolio and company research. Our investment committees and portfolio managers formulate investment strategies that take into account the economy, industry fundamentals and valuation for each of our portfolio strategies. An investment committee oversees the portfolio manager and research team responsible for each of our portfolio strategies. Martin Cohen and Robert H. Steers, our co-chairmen and co-chief executive officers and Joseph M. Harvey, our president, head our investment committees. Our research analysts must subject the companies that he or she covers to a rigorous analysis. They focus on a company's management, business plan, balance sheet, industry segment and corporate governance. We also require our research analysts to spend a significant amount of time interacting with and visiting company management, as well as talking to competitors, vendors, analysts and other industry participants. Investment performance is a primary determinant of incentive compensation for our investment professionals. We have developed valuation models that are unique to each of our portfolio strategies. These models have been shown to be highly effective in identifying the relative value. We use our valuation models daily to build and manage portfolios with the strict discipline to which we adhere. Each of the 13 mutual funds and 40 separate accounts that we currently manage adheres to one of the following investment strategies, which may contain leverage: Realty Total Return is a core REIT strategy that seeks total return with a balance of current income and capital appreciation. We can offer this strategy for U.S., global and international portfolios. Realty Focus is a concentrated REIT strategy that seeks maximum total return. We can offer this strategy for U.S., global and international portfolios. Realty Income is a REIT strategy that seeks above-average income and capital appreciation with lower volatility than the overall REIT market. We can offer this strategy for U.S., global and international portfolios. REIT Preferred Securities is an income-oriented strategy that invests exclusively in REIT preferred securities. Preferred Securities is an income-oriented strategy that invests exclusively in preferred securities and seeks above average income. REIT and Preferred is a balanced strategy combining the equity characteristics of REITs with the fixed income characteristics of preferred securities. REIT and Utility is a balanced strategy combining the equity characteristics of both REITs and utility securities. Dividend Majors is a high-dividend paying U.S. equity securities strategy that seeks above-average current income and capital appreciation through a quantitative approach. Utility Securities is a total return-oriented strategy that invests exclusively in utilities and seeks above average income. Our Distribution Network. Our distribution network encompasses the major channels in the asset management industry, including large brokerage firms, registered investment advisors and institutional investors. We are a leading sponsor in the market for closed-end real estate mutual funds based on capital raised in 2004 and 2003. The open-end mutual funds for which we are the investment advisor are available for purchase with and without commissions through full service and discount broker-dealers and the significant networks serving financial advisors. These distribution channels include Merrill Lynch & Co., Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Fidelity Global 6
Brokerage Group, Inc., UBS, Wachovia, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and Smith Barney. We provide advisory and administration services to five open-end and eight closed-end mutual funds under the Cohen & Steers brand name, which collectively have over 450,000 individual investors. We have also launched a new proprietary open-end mutual fund, Cohen & Steers VIF Realty Income Fund, Inc., that is marketed to the variable insurance market. An agreement has been reached with an insurance company sponsor to begin offering this fund within its variable insurance program in the first quarter of 2005. Our institutional separate account relationships extend to institutions such as pension and endowment funds and insurance companies, and to high net worth individuals. We extend the reach of our distribution network by providing investment sub-advisory services to several mutual funds, with assets of $1.3 billion as of December 31, 2004, which are sponsored by other financial institutions and distributed in the United States, Canada and Japan. These assets are included in the institutional separate account assets we manage. Investment Banking As a complement to Asset Management, and to capitalize on our extensive expertise in public real estate securities and companies, in 1999 we established a specialized investment banking practice that serves companies in real estate and real estate intensive businesses, including REITs. We have assembled a highly experienced team of investment banking professionals with a long-standing transactional track record in the real estate and health care industries. Since 1999, we have completed 49 transactions representing over $5.4 billion in transaction value. Our professionals have developed long-standing relationships with many companies and have established a strong presence in our targeted market. As a result, we believe we are well positioned to take advantage of new advisory opportunities. Each Investment Banking engagement for which a fee is earned is generally highly profitable. However, only a limited proportion of Investment Banking engagements result in a completed transaction for which a fee is earned and, accordingly, the employees of Investment Banking spend significant amounts of time on transactions that are not completed and for which no fee will be earned. As a result, the revenue and profitability of Investment Banking can be very volatile. For example, Investment Banking had a net loss of $0.7 million on $8.1 million of revenue in 2004, a 28% decrease in revenue as compared to net income of $3.2 million on $11.3 million of revenue in 2003. Our investment banking business strategy focuses on providing a full range of services to a universe of companies in select real estate intensive businesses. These services include the following areas: Mergers & Acquisitions—We provide a full range of merger and acquisition advisory services involving the purchase or sale of public or private companies or their business units through a combination of broad auctions or highly targeted negotiations. We also facilitate leveraged buyouts and strategic capital infusions, and provide our clients with advice relating to takeover defenses. Restructurings—We have developed a broad range of corporate restructuring advisory services. These services include advice with respect to debt and lease restructurings, recapitalization transactions, exchange offers and bankruptcy advisory services. Capital Raising—We provide capital raising services as both agent and underwriter in connection with the sale of public and private debt, preferred, equity linked and equity securities. In January 2005, the NASD approved Cohen & Steers Capital Advisors L.L.C.'s (our wholly-owned investment banking subsidiary, “Cohen & Steers Capital Advisors”) application to conduct firm commitment underwritings. As such, we may act as an underwriter or selling group member in both equity and fixed income product offerings. Investment Banking fees are negotiated on a client-by-client basis depending upon the nature and scope of the assignment and the market for such services. These fees are typically calculated as a percentage of the value of the transaction contemplated. For example, for a capital raising 7
transaction, we would receive a fee based on a percentage of the gross proceeds raised in such transaction. Of the 30 clients from which Investment Banking has generated revenue since it was established in 1999, five are companies in which Asset Management has invested client assets. Investment Banking assisted these clients in raising capital by finding investors willing to invest in these clients' securities and generated revenue of: Risks As a leading investment management firm, risk is an inherent part of our business. Global markets, by their nature, are prone to uncertainty and subject participants to a variety of risks. Risks Related to Our Business We depend on Mr. Cohen and Mr. Steers, and the loss of their services would have a material adverse effect on us. We depend on the efforts of Mr. Cohen and Mr. Steers, our co-chairmen and co-chief executive officers. Mr. Cohen and Mr. Steers head each of our investment committees with our president, Mr. Harvey, and they oversee the portfolio manager and research teams responsible for each of our portfolio strategies. In August 2003, we instituted certain organizational changes that, among other things, were designed to address future succession issues. Pursuant to these changes, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Steers each assumed the titles of co-chairman and co-chief executive officer, Mr. Harvey was appointed president and Adam M. Derechin was appointed chief operating officer. These changes created an organizational structure that is designed to function effectively without Mr. Cohen and/or Mr. Steers. Although we expect Mr. Cohen and Mr. Steers to continue to act in their current positions, the loss of their services would have a material adverse effect on us. Our ability to operate our company effectively could be impaired if we lose key personnel. The market for qualified portfolio managers is extremely competitive. We anticipate that it will be necessary for us to add portfolio managers and investment analysts as we further diversify our investment products and strategies. However, we may not be successful in our efforts to recruit and retain the required personnel. In addition, our investment professionals and senior marketing personnel have direct contact with our institutional separate account clients, which can lead to strong client relationships. The loss of these personnel could jeopardize our relationships with certain institutional separate account clients, and result in the loss of such accounts. Further, Investment Banking relies on the expertise, business origination efforts and client relationships of our three senior investment banking professionals.
The loss of these professionals could result in the loss of our Investment Banking clients and jeopardize the viability of our investment banking business. Moreover, we employ compensation mechanisms involving the use of equity compensation that may not be effective, especially if the market price of our common stock declines. The loss of key personnel or the inability to recruit and retain portfolio managers, marketing personnel or investment banking professionals could have a material adverse effect on our business. A decline in the prices of securities could lead to a decline in the assets we manage, revenue and earnings. A significant portion of our revenue—approximately 81% for the year ended December 31, 2004—is derived from investment advisory and administration agreements with our clients. Under these agreements, the investment advisory and administration fees we receive are typically based 8
•
$0.6 million (or 7% of Investment Banking revenue) in 2004;
•
$3.6 million (or 32% of Investment Banking revenue) in 2003; and
•
$0.3 million (or 2% of Investment Banking revenue) in 2002.
on the market value of the assets we manage. In 2004, 49% of our increase in assets under management was attributable to market appreciation. Accordingly, a decline in the prices of securities generally, and real estate securities in particular, may cause our revenue and income to decline by: The securities markets are highly volatile, and securities prices may increase or decrease for many reasons, including economic, financial or political events that we cannot control. A general decline in the performance of securities in the real estate sector could have an adverse effect on the assets we manage and revenue. As of December 31, 2004, 82% of the assets we managed were concentrated in real estate securities. Real estate securities and real property investments owned by the issuers of real estate securities are subject to varying degrees of risk. The returns from investments in real estate depend on the amount of income and capital appreciation generated by the related properties. Income and real estate values may also be adversely affected by such factors as applicable laws (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act and tax laws), interest rate levels, and the availability of financing. If the properties do not generate sufficient income to meet operating expenses, the income and ability of the real estate company to make payments of any interest and principal on debt securities or any dividends on common or preferred stocks
will be adversely affected. In addition, real property and loans on real property may be subject to the quality of credit extended and defaults by borrowers and tenants. Real estate investments are relatively illiquid and, therefore, the ability of real estate companies to vary their portfolios promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions is limited. A real estate company may also have joint venture investments in certain properties and, consequently, its ability to control decisions relating to such properties may be limited. Declines in the performance of real estate securities could reduce the assets we manage and our revenue. Our growth may be constrained by the limited size and number of issuers in the real estate securities market. Real estate securities investment continues to play an important role in the overall prospects of our business. Our ability to continue our growth in real estate securities management depends in part on growth in the size and number of issuers in the real estate securities market, particularly in the United States. For example, due to the constraints in the size and number of U.S. public real estate securities and issuers, we have in the past and may in the future stop accepting new assets in real estate securities institutional separate account portfolios in certain strategies and in certain open-end mutual funds. We also may be constrained in our ability to sponsor new closed-end mutual funds that invest primarily or significantly in domestic real estate securities. Such constraints may impair our ability to increase
the assets we manage and our revenue. A decline in the market for closed-end mutual funds could reduce our ability to raise future assets to manage. Market conditions may preclude us from increasing the assets we manage in closed-end mutual funds. A significant portion of our recent growth in the assets we manage has resulted from public offerings of the common and preferred shares of closed-end mutual funds, and we have raised $7.3 billion in closed-end mutual fund offerings since May 2001. The market conditions for these offerings may not be as favorable in the future, which could adversely impact our ability to grow the assets we manage and our revenue. 9
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causing the value of the assets we manage to decrease, which would result in lower investment advisory and administration fees; or
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causing our clients to withdraw funds in favor of investments they perceive as offering greater opportunity or lower risk, which would also result in lower investment advisory and administration fees.
We may incur losses associated with our underwriting activities, which could adversely affect results and may negatively affect our earnings. In January 2005, the NASD approved Cohen & Steers Capital Advisor’s application to conduct firm commitment underwritings. As such, Cohen & Steers Capital Advisors may act as an underwriter or selling group member in both equity and fixed income product offerings. Particularly when acting as lead or co-lead manager, Cohen & Steers Capital Advisors has legal exposure. To manage this exposure, a committee of senior executives will review proposed underwriting commitments to assess the quality of the offering and the adequacy of due diligence investigation. Underwriting involves both economic and litigation risks. An underwriter may incur losses if it is unable to resell the securities it is committed to purchase, or if it is forced to liquidate its commitments at less than the agreed purchase price. In addition, an underwriter is subject to substantial potential liability for material misstatements or omissions in prospectuses and other communications with respect to underwritten offerings. Furthermore, because underwriting commitments require a charge against net capital, Cohen & Steers Capital Advisors could find it necessary to limit its underwriting participations to remain in compliance with regulatory net capital requirements. See “Regulation.” Our clients can withdraw the assets we manage on short notice, making our future client and revenue base unpredictable. Our investment advisory and administration agreements are generally terminable upon 60 or fewer days' notice. In addition, open-end mutual fund investors may redeem their investments in the mutual funds at any time without prior notice. Moreover, each investment advisory agreement, including the fees payable thereunder, with a mutual fund is subject to annual approval by the mutual fund's board, including at least a majority of the independent directors; such approval may not occur. Institutional and individual clients, and firms with which we have strategic alliances, can terminate their relationships with us, reduce the aggregate amount of the assets we manage or shift their funds to other types of accounts with different rate structures for any of a number of reasons, including investment performance, changes
in prevailing interest rates and financial market performance. In a declining stock market the pace of mutual fund redemptions could accelerate. Poor performance relative to other asset management firms tends to result in decreased purchases of mutual fund shares, increased redemptions of mutual fund shares, and the loss of institutional or individual accounts. Under certain circumstances, stockholder activists may pressure closed-end mutual funds for which we are the investment advisor to tender for their shares, open-end, liquidate or take other actions that may adversely affect the fees we receive from the affected closed-end mutual funds. The decrease in revenue that could result from any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, as required by the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, each of our investment advisory agreements automatically terminates upon its “assignment.” A sale of a sufficient number of shares of our voting securities could be deemed an “assignment” in certain circumstances. An assignment, actual or constructive, will trigger these termination provisions and may adversely affect our ability to continue managing open-end and closed-end mutual funds and institutional separate accounts. Loss of significant institutional separate accounts would decrease our revenue. We managed 40 institutional separate account portfolios at December 31, 2004, of which the five largest represented approximately 52% of the institutional separate account assets we managed and approximately 11% of the total assets we managed. Approximately 5% of our total revenue during 2004 was derived from these five largest institutional separate account portfolios. Loss of any of these institutional separate accounts would reduce our revenue. We have, from time to time, lost institutional separate accounts because of decisions by our clients to reallocate their assets to different asset classes or to move their assets to our competitors. In the future we could 10
lose accounts under these or other circumstances, such as adverse market conditions or poor investment performance. Future investment performance could reduce the assets we manage and our revenue and income. Success in the asset management business is dependent on investment performance as well as distribution and client service. Relatively poor performance tends to result in decreased sales, increased withdrawals and redemptions in the case of the open-end mutual funds, and in the loss of separately managed accounts, with corresponding decreases in revenue. Many analysts of the mutual fund business believe that investment performance is the most important factor for the growth of open-end mutual funds. Failure of our investment products to perform well could, therefore, have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and future growth. Rising interest rates could negatively impact our business. Asset Management could be negatively impacted by rising interest rates. An increase in interest rates could cause the price of certain REITs and other securities in our clients' portfolios to decline. In addition, an increase in interest rates could negatively impact net flows into open-end mutual funds and institutional separate accounts and our ability to offer new closed-end mutual funds. These events would negatively affect our revenue and net income. The inability to access clients through intermediaries could have a material adverse effect on our business. Our ability to distribute mutual funds and subadvisory services is highly dependent on access to the client base of national and regional securities firms, banks, insurance companies, defined contribution plan administrators and other intermediaries which generally offer competing investment products. To a lesser extent, our institutional separate account asset management business depends on recommendations by consultants, financial planners and other professional advisors, as well as our existing clients. We cannot be sure that we will continue to gain access to these channels. The inability to have this access could have a material adverse effect on our business. While we continue to diversify and add new distribution channels for open-end and closed-end mutual funds, a significant portion of the growth in the mutual fund assets we manage in recent years has been accessed through intermediaries, including Merrill Lynch & Co., UBS and Wachovia. Loss of any of these distribution channels, and the inability to access clients through new distribution channels, could adversely affect our results of operations and business prospects. Fee pressures could reduce our revenue and profitability. There has been a trend toward lower fees in some segments of the asset management business. In order for us to maintain our fee structure in a competitive environment, we must be able to provide clients with investment returns and service that will encourage them to be willing to pay such fees. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has adopted rules that are designed to improve mutual fund corporate governance. These rules could result in further downward pressure on investment advisory fees in the mutual fund industry. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain our current fee structure or take advantage of scheduled fee increases. Fee reductions on existing or future new business would have an adverse impact on our revenue and profitability. Our business strategy may not be successful. Our business strategy involves diversifying Asset Management to include products and services outside the U.S. real estate securities area. This may entail hiring additional portfolio managers in areas in which we do not have significant prior experience or acquiring other asset management firms. We may not be successful in locating and hiring or acquiring such portfolio managers or 11
asset management firms and any such hiring activity or acquisitions may not be successful. In addition, in the event the recently enacted U.S. Federal income tax legislation, which generally provides for a 15% maximum tax rate on dividends, is rescinded or is not extended beyond its January 1, 2009 expiration date, our business strategy could be adversely impacted as a result of diminished demand for income producing equity securities. We could experience losses and significant volatility in connection with the activities of Investment Banking. Investment Banking operates in a highly competitive environment where there are no long term contracted sources of revenue. Investment Banking assignments are generally related to specific capital raising, merger or acquisition transactions or restructuring projects. Because these transactions are singular in nature and are not likely to recur, Investment Banking must seek new assignments when current assignments are successfully completed or are terminated. While each Investment Banking engagement for which a fee is earned is generally highly profitable, only a limited proportion of Investment Banking engagements result in a completed transaction for which a fee is earned. The employees of Investment Banking can spend significant amounts of time on transactions that are not completed and for which no fee will be earned.
As a result, high activity levels in any period are not necessarily indicative of continued high levels of activity in any other period and the revenue and profitability of Investment Banking can be very volatile. For example, Investment Banking had a net loss of $0.7 million on $8.1 million of revenue in 2004, a 28% decrease in revenue, as compared to net income of $3.2 million on $11.3 million of revenue in 2003. In addition, when an investment banking engagement is terminated, whether due to the cancellation of a transaction due to market reasons or otherwise, we may earn limited or no fees and may not be able to recover the costs that we incurred prior to that termination. Moreover, each year we advise a limited number of investment banking clients. The composition of the group comprising our largest clients varies significantly from year to year. We expect that our investment banking engagements will continue to be limited to a relatively small number of clients and that an even smaller number of those clients will account for a high percentage of revenue in any particular year. For example, four of our clients represented 86% of Investment Banking revenue in 2004. Consequently, the adverse impact on the results of Investment Banking of one lost mandate or the failure of one transaction or restructuring on which we are advising to be completed could be significant. Compliance failures a