NEW YORK , March 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Neptune Wellness Solutions, Inc. ("Neptune" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: NEPT) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York , and docketed under 21-cv-01386, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Neptune securities between July 24, 2019 and February 16, 2021 , both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b -5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.
If you are a shareholder who purchased Neptune securities during the Class Period, you have until May 17, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.
[Click here for information about joining the class action]
Neptune operates as an integrated health and wellness company. The Company builds a portfolio of lifestyle brands and consumer packaged goods products under the Forest Remedies and, Ocean Remedies, Neptune Wellness, Mood Ring, and OCEANO3 brands. Neptune offers turnkey product development and supply chain solutions to businesses and government customers in various health and wellness verticals, such as legal cannabis and hemp, nutraceuticals, and white label consumer packaged goods. The Company also provides extraction and purification services from cannabis and hemp biomass; raw material sourcing, formulation, quality control, and quality assurance primarily for omega-3 and hemp-derived ingredients under various delivery forms, such as soft gels, capsules, and liquids; and formulation and manufacturing solutions for value added product forms comprising tinctures, sprays, topicals, vapor products, and edibles and beverages.
On May 9, 2019 , Neptune announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of SugarLeaf Labs, LLC and Forest Remedies LLC (collectively, "SugarLeaf"), a registered North Carolina -based commercial hemp company providing extraction services and formulated products (the "SugarLeaf Acquisition"). On July 24, 2019 , Neptune announced the closing of the SugarLeaf Acquisition.
The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (i) the cost of Neptune's integration of the assets and operations acquired in the SugarLeaf Acquisition would be larger than the Company had acknowledged, placing significant strain on the Company's capital reserves; (ii) accordingly, it was reasonably foreseeable that the company would need to conduct additional stock offerings to raise more capital; and (iii) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
On February 15, 2021 , Neptune announced disappointing financial results for the third quarter of the Company's fiscal year 2021, missing analyst expectations. Among other results, Neptune reported third quarter revenues of CA$3.32 million and a net loss of CA$73.8 million, down 63.81% and over 1,000% year-over-year, respectively. Neptune attributed the net loss, in part, to a CA$35.6 million impairment of goodwill and a CA$2.1 million impairment of "property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets related to the acquisition of SugarLeaf in July 2019 ," as well as accelerated amortization of CA$13.95 million "also related to the SugarLeaf acquisition." Additionally, the Company disclosed that its "[g]ross margin declined to a loss of 268.3%," which included a non-cash CA$7.39 million "write-down of inventory and deposits to reflect their net realizable value."
On this news, Neptune's stock price fell $0.86 per share, or 30.71%, to close at $1.94 per share on February 16, 2021 .
Then, on February 17, 2021 , prior to the start of the day's trading session, Neptune issued a press release announcing the termination of an at-the-market offering conducted by the Company, selling 9,570,735 of its common shares and raising approximately $18.6 million in gross proceeds. Just minutes later, Neptune issued a second press release announcing that the Company was conducting a $55 million registered direct offering.
On this news, Neptune's stock price fell another $0.21 per share, or 10.82%, to close at $1.73 per share on February 17, 2021 .
The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York , Chicago , Los Angeles , and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz , known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP