NEW YORK, Jan. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, reminds investors that class actions have been commenced on behalf of stockholders of Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG), Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL), VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET), and Assertio Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASRT). Stockholders have until the deadlines below to petition the court to serve as lead plaintiff. Additional information about each case can be found at the link provided.
Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG)
Class Period: May 28, 2020 - August 31, 2023 (Common Stock Only)
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: January 26, 2024
The Dollar General class action lawsuit alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Dollar General stores were chronically understaffed and suffering from logistical and inventory management problems which left stores with tens of millions of dollars’ worth of outdated and unwanted inventory, mispriced goods, and lost and damaged items; (ii) large backlogs of unsellable merchandise had built up at Dollar General’s stores, which inventory had not been timely written down due to understaffing and Dollar General’s failure to manage its inventory; (iii) the allotment of employee hours per store per week imposed by Dollar General management placed employees in virtually impossible situations where assigned tasks, including those necessary to effective store operations, could not be completed within the allotted time; (iv) Dollar General was systematically overcharging customers for items upon checkout above the listed price in violation of state laws, including state law violations identified by state regulators in Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio; (v) Dollar General’s reported revenue and earnings during the Class Period were artificially inflated by defendants’ over-pricing scheme; (vi) Dollar General’s failure to manage store inventories and accurately price items upon checkout risked the loss of customers, lower sales, adverse regulatory actions, and reputational fallout; and (vii) Dollar General was not on track to achieve its guidance during the Class Period and such guidance lacked a reasonable factual basis.
On February 23, 2023, Dollar General announced that fourth quarter of 2022 sales and earnings would come in materially below what Dollar General had led investors to expect as recently as December 2022. On this news, the price of Dollar General common stock fell.
Then, on March 16, 2023, Dollar General revealed, among other things, that it missed its prior annual net sales guidance by approximately $140 million. On this news, the price of Dollar General common stock fell nearly 3%.
Thereafter, on June 1, 2023, Dollar General reported first quarter of 2023 revenue of $130 million below analysts’ estimates. Dollar General also slashed its full year 2023 financial forecast and that it further only expected full year 2023 net sales growth in the range of 3.5% to 5%, down 26% at the midpoint from the prior 5.5% to 6% range provided in March 2023. On this news, the price of Dollar General common stock fell nearly 20%.
Finally, on August 31, 2023, Dollar General reported lower than expected second quarter of 2023 financial results and again slashed its sales and profit outlook for full year 2023. Dollar General blamed weaker consumer spending on non-essential purchases and increasing theft for the shortfall. On this news, the price of Dollar General common stock fell more than 12%.
For more information on the Dollar General class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/DG
Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL)
Class Period: August 18, 2022 - May 2, 2023 (Common Stock Only)
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: February 5, 2024
The filed complaint alleges that defendants misled investors with unrealistic and materially false statements about market demand Estee’s products and its inventory levels. These statements concealed the truth about Estee’s weakness in the market until, on May 3, 2023, Estee announced weaker sales and profit for the year than estimated and accordingly cut its fiscal year outlook for a third consecutive time.
As a result, the price of Estee stock declined from $245.22 per share on May 2, 2023 to $202.70 per share on May 3, 2023.
For more information on the Estee class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/EL
VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET)
Class Period: April 8, 2022 - February 15, 2023
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: February 26, 2024
As of February 28, 2022, the Company’s co-founder, Defendant Josh Sheng Chen, beneficially owned approximately 78.52 million VNET shares individually and through his sole ownership of certain companies, including GenTao Capital Limited (“GenTao”) and Sunrise Corporate Holding Ltd. (“Sunrise”). On August 19, 2021, he and his companies entered into a $50.25 million margin loan facility with Bold Ally (Cayman) Limited (“Bold Ally”), pledging all of his shares of GenTao, Sunrise, and Beacon Capital Group Inc. as collateral, thus effectively pledging a significant percentage of his VNET shares as collateral (the “Facility Agreement”).
On February 13, 2023, before the market opened, Bold Ally announced it would exercise its rights under the Facility Agreement following a default by GenTao and was entitled to 48,515,634 Class A ordinary shares (in the form of 8,085,939 American depositary shares, or “ADSs” or “shares”) and 27,757,992 Class B ordinary shares of the Company.
On this news, the Company’s share price fell $0.20, or 3.2% on February 13, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume. The Company’s share price continued to decline by $1.09, or 17.8%, over the next consecutive trading session to close at $5.02 per share on February 14, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.
Then, on February 15, 2023, before the market opened, VNET disclosed that the board of directors had approved and authorized the issuance of up to 555,000 newly created Class D ordinary shares to the Executive Chairman of the Board, and that these shares would be granted a 500-to-1 vote per share power. The Company stated this measure was required in order to “protect the Company’s interests and continued stability.”
On this news, the Company’s share price fell $0.10, or 2%, to close at $4.92 per share on February 15, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.
According to the filed complaint, 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: (1) that GenTao was experiencing financial difficulties and was at risk of defaulting on the Facility Agreement; (2) that, as a result, there was a substantial likelihood that Bold Ally would acquire Defendant Sheng Chen’s significant ownership stake in VNET; (3) that, to restore Defendant Sheng Chen’s voting interest in VNET, the Company would issue newly created shares to Defendant Sheng Chen, diluting investors’ interest; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
For more information on the VNET class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/VNET
Assertio Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASRT)
Class Period: March 9, 2023 - November 8, 2023
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: March 5, 2024
Assertio is a commercial pharmaceutical company that purportedly offers differentiated products to patients utilizing a non-personal promotional model. One of the Company's primary pharmaceutical products is Indocin, an oral and suppository solution for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. However, because there are no patents covering the Indocin products, Assertio can potentially face competition at any time from the introduction of generic versions of these products made by competitors.
In July 2023, Assertio acquired Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Spectrum"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on novel and targeted oncology, along with Spectrum's injection asset Rolvedon (the "Spectrum Acquisition"). In a press release announcing the closing of the acquisition, Assertio's Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") Defendant Dan Peisert ("Peisert") was quoted as stating, in relevant part, "[w]e look forward to building on the successful early results in the [Rolvedon] Injection launch for the remainder of 2023, driving the business toward [its] goal of accretive contribution to our Adjusted EPS and operating cash flow in 2024."
According to the complaint, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company's reliance on Indocin products to boost its net income was unsustainable given the risk of generic competition; (ii) the Spectrum Acquisition was less valuable than Assertio had represented to investors; (iii) accordingly, Assertio had overstated the positive impact the sale of Indocin products and the Spectrum Acquisition were likely to have on the Company's profitability; and (iv) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times.
On August 3, 2023, Zydus Lifesciences Limited ("Zydus"), a generic pharmaceutical company, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") to manufacture and market 50mg indomethacin suppositories, the generic version of the Company's Indocin Suppositories. Specifically, the FDA granted Zydus 180-day Competitive Generic Therapies exclusivity to market the product. Following the FDA's decision, Assertio withdrew its 2023 financial outlook previously issued in May 2023.
On this news, Assertio's stock price fell $2.44 per share, or 45.6%, to close at $2.91 per share on August 4, 2023
Then, on November 8, 2023, Assertio issued a press release announcing its financial results for its third quarter ("Q3") of 2023. Among other results, Assertio reported Q3 non-GAAP earnings-per-share of $0.01, missing consensus estimates by $0.09, and revenue of $35.63 million, missing consensus estimates by $14.8 million. Defendant Peisert called the Company's Q3 2023 results "disappointing," noting that "the loss of Indocin exclusivity and Rolvedon results below expectations [drove] significant charges to our net income" and that the Company was "learning" that "certain aspects" of its July 31, 2023 acquisition of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. "may not be everything we initially expected."
On this news, Assertio's stock price fell $0.92 per share, or 43.19%, to close at $1.21 per share on November 9, 2023.
On, January 3, 2024, Assertio issued a press release announcing that Defendant Peisert was stepping down from his role as the Company's CEO.
On this news, Assertio's stock price fell $0.12 per share, or 10.96%, to close at $1.01 per share on January 4, 2024.
The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants' wrongful acts and omissions, and the precipitous decline in the market value of the Company's securities, Plaintiff and other Class members have suffered significant losses and damages.
For more information on the Assertio class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/ASRT
About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Contact Information:
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.
Brandon Walker, Esq.
Marion Passmore, Esq.
(212) 355-4648
investigations@bespc.com
www.bespc.com
