Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Reminds Investors That Class Action Lawsuits Have Been Filed Against SpaceMobile, Rivian, Compass Minerals, and Malibu Boats and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm

/EIN News/ -- NEW YORK, May 04, 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 AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS), Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIVN), Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE: CMP), and Malibu Boats, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBUU). 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.

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS)

Class Period: November 14, 2023 - April 1, 2024

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 17, 2024

On April 1, 2024, after the market closed, SpaceMobile issued a press release disclosing that production of five Block 1 BlueBird satellites had been “impacted by two suppliers, leading to delays in integration and testing.” As a result, these five satellites were expected to be transported to the launch site between July and August 2024, later than the previously expected launch in the first quarter of 2024.

On this news, SpaceMobile’s stock price fell $0.62, or 23.6%, to close at $2.01 per share on April 2, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume.

The complaint filed in this class action 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: (1) that production of the Company’s five Block 1 BlueBird satellites had been negatively impacted by two suppliers of key subsystems; (2) that a result, the Company had not substantially completed the production of the Block 1 BlueBird satellites; (3) that, as a result, the Company’s five Block 1 BlueBird satellites were not on track to launch in the first quarter of 2024; and (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 SpaceMobile class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/ASTS

Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIVN)

Class Period: March 1, 2023 - February 21, 2024

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 18, 2024

Rivian, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and accessories. The Company sells its products directly to customers in the consumer and commercial markets.

The Complaint alleges that, 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) Rivian had overstated demand for its products, as well as its ability to withstand negative, near-term macroeconomic impacts; (ii) accordingly, Rivian's business was experiencing reduced demand and increased customer cancellations as a result of, inter alia, high interest rates; (iii) as a result, Rivian's order bank had significantly deteriorated; (iv) all the foregoing was likely to, and did, negatively impact the Company's anticipated earnings and vehicle production targets for 2024; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On February 21, 2024, Rivian announced its fourth quarter and full year 2023 financial results. Among other items, Rivian announced that it expected to produce 57,000 vehicles in 2024, significantly lower than analyst expectations of 80,000 vehicles. The Company further forecasted an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization loss of $2.7 billion for full year 2024, compared to analyst expectations of $2.59 billion, and announced plans to cut 10% of salaried staff, citing economic uncertainty. On the subsequent earnings call to discuss these results, Rivian's Chief Executive Officer, Defendant Robert J. Scaringe, revealed that "historically high interest rates . . . ha[ve] negatively impacted demand" and "[o]ur order bank has notably reduced overtime . . . along with the impact of cancellations due to both the macroenvironment and [various] customer factors" such as "delivery timing, location of order, monthly payments, and customer readiness."

On this news, Rivian's stock price fell $3.94 per share, or 25.6%, to close at $11.45 per share on February 22, 2024.

For more information on the Rivian class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/RIVN

Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE: CMP)

Class Period: November 29, 2023 - March 22, 2024

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 24, 2024

According to the filed complaint, defendants throughout the Class Period made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Compass Minerals overstated the likelihood that it would be awarded a renewed U.S. Forest Service contract for the use of its proprietary magnesium chloride-based aerial fire retardants for the 2024 fire season, as a result of safety issues presented by its fire retardant; (2) Compass Minerals materially overstated the extent to which testing had confirmed that its fire retardants were safe; and (3) as a result, defendants’ statements about its business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times.

For more information on the Compass Minerals class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/CMP

Malibu Boats, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBUU)

Class Period: November 4, 2022 - April 11, 2024

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 28, 2024

On February 20, 2024, before the market opened, Malibu Boats announced the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) had “mutually agreed” to cease to serve as CEO.

On this news, the Company’s stock price fell $4.33 or 9.1%, to close at $43.15 per share on February 20, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume.

Then, on April 11, 2024, after the market closed, Malibu Boats revealed that Tommy’s Boats (“Tommy’s”) had filed a complaint against the Company. After the Company disclosed news of the lawsuit, various media outlets publicized the Complaint, which alleged the Company “engaged in an elaborate scheme” to “pump nearly $100 million” worth of inventory into Tommy dealerships since late 2022 to “artificially inflate Malibu’s sales performance.” According to the Complaint, Malibu Boats forced the Company’s highest priced, highest margin, slow moving “Malibu” branded inventory (as opposed to the lower-margin, but faster moving “Axis” brand) onto Tommy’s dealerships. Malibu Boats recognizes a sale when the dealer takes delivery of the boat, regardless of whether it has been sold to the end user. As a result, this scheme enabled the Company to represent that it experienced strong wholesale demand and sales, even as sales to the end user declined. The Complaint revealed that, approximately one week prior to the Company announcing the separation with Defendant Springer, certain “Malibu stakeholders” admitted to the principal of Tommy’s dealerships that Malibu was in fact “intentionally pumping Tommy’s full of inventory.” The Complaint further alleged the Company withheld payment of incentives from Tommy’s for nearly two years before suddenly cutting ties with Tommy’s.

On this news, the Company’s stock price fell $3.34, or 7.99%, to close at $38.48 per share on April 12, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume. The Company’s common stock price continued to fall the next consecutive trading session, falling $2.34 or 6% to close at $36.14 per share on April 15, on unusually heavy trading volume.

The complaint filed in this class action 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: (1) that Malibu Boats engaged in an “elaborate scheme to over manufacture and pump nearly $100 million of its highest priced, highest margin, slow moving boat inventory into fifteen Tommy’s dealerships”; (2) that, as a result, the Company artificially inflated Malibu’s sales performance, market share, and stock value; (3) that the Company was withholding certain incentives and rebates from its dealers; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, the Company faced substantial risk of litigation from one of its top dealers, Tommy’s; (5) that the Company’s CEO departed due to this role in this scheme; and (6) 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 Malibu Boats class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/MBUU

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