This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.

STRP Sliding After Another Research Report Accuses Company Of Fraud, "Fair Value Is $1.00-$2.00"

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Following the recent market wobble, the "evil short-sellers" (as opposed to wonderful stock pushers) have come out of the woodwork in force, and piggybacking on the Valeant fiasco which was the result of two research reports which caught something that no other sellside analysts had seen and have sent the stock plummeting, feeling emboldened that their time in the sun has come again.

Case in point microcap Straight Path Communications, or STRP, which a week ago tumbled following a report by Kerrisdale Capital revealed "a company with only seven employees and $426,000 of annual core revenue headed by a 29-year-old whose previous job was serving as the rabbi of a 50-person synagogue in the Bronx – a far cry from telecom" and slammed the supposed value of its Spectrum assets, hinting the value of the stock far lower than its actual price.

The company responded with the usual boilerplate:

Davidi Jonas, Chairman and CEO of Straight Path, stated, “The report appears to be designed to depress the market value of our common stock and ignores key facts about our company and our announced long-term strategy. We know that there is a significant short position in our stock and those holders are facing significant pressure due to our stock’s recent performance and the positive developments at the FCC with regard to our spectrum holdings.

Now, however, a new allegation has emerged in addition to the value of STRP's questionable spectrum valuation: namely fraud, as we read in a report by another "short-focused" research entity, Sinclair Upton Research, whose work we have profiled on numerous occasions in the past.

It says "There is overwhelming evidence that the vast majority of Straight Path Communications' ("Straight Path") 39 GHz spectrum licenses' Required Notification of Construction/Coverage Applications were obtained under fraudulent misrepresentation, because the systems were never built on the sites as specified in the filings."

The conclusion of the report's author (who prudently disclaims "Due to the danger of retaliation from the company and individuals involved, this report was written under a pseudonym, Sinclair Upton Research. People who commit fraud for millions of dollars are willing to do anything to keep their illegitimate gains.") is that the stock is most likely worthless:

Thus, the fair value of Straight Path stock without ownership of the 39 GHz licenses and being banned from future FCC spectrum participation is $1.00-2.00 per share, or approximately liquidation value.

It adds a recommendation to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and regulatory authorities "to immediately open an investigation into the license renewal process of Straight Path's 39 GHz licenses and ask Straight Path for proof that the Required Constructions were met for all of the systems claimed to be built in the 173 Basic Economic Areas. Companies should not be allowed to lie to the US Government and get away with it."

Its conclusion:

The truth about Straight Path’s licenses and the false construction/coverage claims will eventually come out from the source. The fraud is just too massive, too spread out, and too easily verifiable. If the individuals and corporations involved attempt to cover up the truth, they will just compound their mistakes. Lying to the Federal Government is already really bad, covering it up is even worse. We recommend any individuals involved to come clean to the FCC and other regulatory bodies immediately.

 

As short sellers, we have economic incentives in seeing Straight Path’s stock decline. But we aren’t doing this solely for the money. Like police detectives, who earn a living by making our society a better place, we also are paid to illuminate the truth, expose fraud, and uphold justice.

 

Despite the debate, uproar and controversy that will erupt after the claims of this report are verified, please keep in mind that short selling is good for investors, good for the markets, and ultimately good for America.

The stock is already reacting.

The full report below

 

- advertisements -

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:04 | 6753739 Stackers
Stackers's picture

I think the first line from their "About" page sums it up perfectly

"Straight Path Communications is a forward thinking intangible asset monetization company"

A What ?

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:10 | 6753765 NoDebt
NoDebt's picture

It's complicated.

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:52 | 6753896 OrangeJews
OrangeJews's picture

Basically they turn nothing into money.  Kind of like the Fed.

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 13:12 | 6753959 Ward no. 6
Ward no. 6's picture
Rumpelstiltskin
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 18:32 | 6755385 Bazza McKenzie
Bazza McKenzie's picture

I think they got the idea from the Fed.

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:04 | 6753741 pedro314
pedro314's picture

Mr Davidi will be long gone when this will burst

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:05 | 6753744 HedgeAccordingly
HedgeAccordingly's picture

anotherone bites the dust. seems like getting into the "short focused" newsletter game might be fruitful.. 

.@MartinShkreli a Catalyst As Jana Dumps Valeant Ahead Of Big Drop
Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:06 | 6753748 DontFollowMyAdv...
DontFollowMyAdviceImaDummy's picture

in fairness to STRP it's almost impossible to build anything here in the commifornia bay area with all the environmental restrictions... but this sure does look like some good-effort-good-job kinda fraudstering by them!

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:08 | 6753756 youngman
youngman's picture

just like 2000...proforma earnings

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:10 | 6753766 pedro314
pedro314's picture

earning???? what are those sir?

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:11 | 6753767 CHoward
CHoward's picture

29 year old CEO was a former rabbi.

 

OK - enough right there.

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:23 | 6753817 Colonel Klink
Colonel Klink's picture

Another cheatpope, color me surprised!

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:11 | 6753769 NoDebt
NoDebt's picture

How this company doesn't have a market cap in excess of $10 billion is beyond my comprehension.

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:20 | 6753804 SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

Fair value $1.00-$2.00, throw in standard PE of 30, stawk should settle in around $50 by lunch, minimum.

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:11 | 6753773 E.F. Mutton
E.F. Mutton's picture

Too bad the Anti-Semitism card doesn't play in the Obama Game.  Maybe Davidi can still put on a dress and save himself....herself...whatever...

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:55 | 6753905 Raymond_K._Hessel
Raymond_K._Hessel's picture

in the world to come, these men will dig latrines.

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 12:58 | 6753911 tedstr
tedstr's picture

This guy needs to get on the phone ASAP with Hillary Clinton and get some schooling on how this shit is done oerwise he's going to jail...maybe

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 13:02 | 6753925 SoDamnMad
SoDamnMad's picture

LAX to TLV flight now in it's final boarding. Those with tickets please go to gate 37 immediately.

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 13:15 | 6753971 Colonel Klink
Colonel Klink's picture

Sounds like another cheesepope saying he's going to burn the shorts, just like Dick "cheesepope" Fuld.  How'd that work out for you there DICKY?

Long gas and ovens.

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 14:02 | 6754184 commishbob
commishbob's picture

Looks like the co has been public for less than 45 days and as recently as a week ago was trading around $50...down to $16 as I type this (and as low as $13.26 today). 

Thu, 11/05/2015 - 20:19 | 6755805 globalintelhub
globalintelhub's picture

There seems to be no end to these cases.  At least there are remedies for investors who lost - class actions already in motion https://steinmeyerlaw.com/straight-path-communications-inc-strp/

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!