New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - August 10, 2020) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, reminds investors in United States Oil Fund, LP ("USO" or the "Company") (NYSE: USO) of the August 18, 2020 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.
If you invested in United States Oil Fund stock or options between March 19, 2020 and April 28, 2020 and would like to discuss your legal rights, click here:www.faruqilaw.com/USO. There is no cost or obligation to you.
You can also contact us by calling Richard Gonnello toll freeat 877-247-4292 or at 212-983-9330 or by sending an e-mail torgonnello@faruqilaw.com.
CONTACT:
FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP
685 Third Avenue, 26th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Attn: Richard Gonnello, Esq.
rgonnello@faruqilaw.com
Telephone: (877) 247-4292 or (212) 983-9330
The lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of all those who purchased USO securities between March 19, 2020 and April 28, 2020 (the "Class Period"). The case, Lucas v. United States Oil Fund, LP et al., No. 1:20-cv-04740 was filed on June 19, 2020, and has been assigned to Judge Paul G. Gardephe.
The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, defendants stated that USO would achieve its investment objective by investing substantially all of its portfolio assets in the near month West Texas Intermediate ("WTI") futures contract. However, unbeknownst to investors, extraordinary market conditions in early 2020 made USO's purported investment objective and strategy unfeasible.
Oil demand fell precipitously as governments imposed lockdowns and businesses halted operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, in early March 2020, Saudi Arabia and Russia launched an oil price war, increasing production and slashing export prices in a bid to increase the global market share of their domestic petrochemical enterprises. As excess oil supply increased and oil prices waned, the facilities available for storage in Cushing, Oklahoma approached capacity, ultimately causing a rare market dynamic known as "super contango" in which the futures prices for oil substantially exceeded the spot price. At the same time, retail investors began pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into USO in an attempt to "buy the dip," believing that the price of oil would rebound as economies exited lockdown periods and the Russia/Saudi oil price war ended.
Because of the nature of USO's investment strategy, these converging factors caused the Fund to suffer exceptional losses and undermined the Fund's ability to meet its ostensible investment objective.
Ultimately, the Fund suffered billions of dollars in losses and was forced to abandon its investment strategy. Through a series of rapid-fire investment overhauls, USO was forced to transform from the passive Exchange Traded Fund ("ETF") designed to track spot oil prices that defendants had pitched to investors to an almost unrecognizable actively managed fund struggling to avoid a total implosion. In April and May 2020, defendants belatedly acknowledged the extreme threats and adverse impacts that the Fund had been experiencing at the time of the March offering, but which they had failed to disclose to investors.
The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding USO's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.
Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
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