Catalysts in the trading of bankrupt companies and why Republic Airways $RJETQ is going to zero

The rule of thumb in bankruptcy is that 90% of the time shareholders get completely wiped out. Maybe 8% of the time shareholders get a tiny bit of equity in the new (post-bankruptcy) company or out of the money warrants to buy that equity. Only 2% of the time or less do shareholders get a large recovery. Of course, that 2% of the time is what gives hope to shareholders in the 98% of bankruptcies. General Growth Properties (GGP) is a good example from the 2008 financial crisis and American Airlines (AAMRQ at the time) is a more recent example from 2014. A current company in bankruptcy where it is possible that shareholders may get a meaningful return is Peabody Energy (BTUUQ); the current price values the equity at $250 million although the company still says that shareholders will be wiped out. Peabody has yet to file a bankruptcy plan; it has been granted an extension by the court until December 14th. [The above paragraph has been edited to specify that a meaningful return for equity holders is possible; a prior version said it was probable.]

There are a few key events in a bankruptcy proceeding that should drastically affect the stock. First, the bankruptcy filing, which almost always crushes the stock although in cases where that was expected the drop may be 30% rather than 80%. The next event is the formation of an equity committee (or rejection by the judge of an equity committee): this indicates a meaningful probability of shareholders receiving something and not getting completely wiped out. Next comes the filing of the bankruptcy plan, which lays out how much different classes of creditors and equity holders will get. For various reasons the bankruptcy plan is often changed or amended multiple times. Next comes the vote on the bankruptcy plan and approval by the judge: if the plan is approved then the bankruptcy will become ‘effective’ shortly thereafter. The effective date is usually not known more than a few days in advance and it should come a couple weeks after the plan is approved. On the effective date the bankruptcy is closed, old shares are wiped out, and new equity is distributed to creditors.

It is important to note that there are other (less common) ways that a bankruptcy can end: the old equity can remain after essentially all the assets have been sold with the proceeds going to the creditors (this is what happened recently with Saratoga Resources (SARA), and in this case the equity essentially owns a shell company).

Shareholders of a bankrupt company can keep the stock price at an unrealistic level even when they are likely to get wiped out. However, the events mentioned above tend to be catalysts for sending the stock price towards its fair value.

Here is a chart of Cosi (COSIQ); the big down day is when the company declared bankruptcy.

cosiq

Next is the chart of C&J Energy (CJESQ) — November 4th in premarket the bankruptcy plan was revised to give shareholders 2/3 fewer warrants in the new equity.

The evening of November 4th the judge denied the request for formation of an official equity committee.

cjesq

 

Here is the chart of Republic Airways (RJETQ): the bankruptcy plan was filed after-hours on 11/16/2016. The plan calls for shareholders to be completely wiped out and get nothing.

rjetq

Next is the chart of Hercules Offshore (HEROQ) with the big drop on November 1st coming after the judge approved the bankruptcy plan:

The final even in bankruptcy is the effective date. As I stated above this is not known far in advance — it depends on if there are any objects or delays after the plan is confirmed. Below is the chart of Arch Coal (ACIIQ; the post-bankruptcy stock trades as ARCH). On September 30th the company filed an 8-K stating that the effectiveness date was anticipated as being October 5th. The stock promptly dropped bigly.

aciiq

Republic Airways (RJETQ) and understanding a bankruptcy plan

An official equity committee was never approved by the judge because unsecured creditors were set to lose over 50% so the likelihood of equity holders getting any recovery was very low. The evening of November 16th a bankruptcy plan was finally filed. You can see the bankruptcy court docket for free. To find free bankruptcy court dockets, just Google “[company name] bankruptcy docket”. The various corporate bankruptcy trustees all make these available. In the case of Republic Airways, docket 1089 is the bankruptcy plan and docket 1090 is the plan disclosure statement.

The most important part of the bankruptcy plan is the listing of claimant classes and what they will receive at the confirmation of the plan. Here is that list for Republic:

creditor_list

Interests in RAH include the stock of Republic; but don’t take my word for that: the first part of the plan has definitions of all the relevant terms.

From page 9:

“Interest” means any equity security within the meaning of section 101(16) of the Bankruptcy Code including, without limitation, all issued, unissued, authorized or outstanding shares of stock or other equity interests (including common and preferred), together with any warrants, options, convertible securities, liquidating preferred securities or contractual rights to 16-10429-shl Doc 1189 Filed 11/16/16 Entered 11/16/16 18:56:36 Main Document Pg 14 of 68 10 purchase or acquire any such equity interests at any time and all rights arising with respect thereto.

From page 13:

“RAH” means Republic Airways Holdings Inc., a Debtor in these Chapter 11 Cases.

Page 25 has the details of how interests in RAH will be treated (emphasis mine):

i. Interests in RAH (Class 5) i. Impairment and Voting. Class 5 is impaired under the Plan. Holders of Interests in RAH are deemed to reject the Plan under section 1126(g) of the Bankruptcy Code and are not entitled to vote on the Plan.

ii. Treatment. Upon the Effective Date, all existing Interests in RAH shall be deemed cancelled and extinguished and the holders of such Interests shall not receive or retain any property on account of such Interests under the Plan.

If that isn’t clear enough, look at page 92 of the disclosure statement (emphasis mine):

2. Consequences to Holders of Existing Interests in RAH Holders of interests in RAH, which are being cancelled under the Plan, will be entitled to claim a worthless stock deduction (assuming that the taxable year that includes the Effective Date of the Plan is the same taxable year in which such stock first became worthless and only if such holder had not previously claimed a worthless stock deduction with respect to any Interest  in RAH) in an amount equal to the holder’s adjusted basis in the Interest. If the holder held its Interest in RAH as a capital asset, the loss will be treated as a capital loss.

Republic stock gapped down after that bankruptcy plan was filed but thankfully bounced enough for me to short over $0.50. Considering that the company stated in a press release then that it expects to emerge from bankruptcy in the first quarter of 2017 and that the borrow rate on RJETQ at Interactive Brokers is under 4% APR (effectively 12% because that is calculated on short collateral), I continue to believe that RJETQ is a good short. I expect the stock to slowly fade over the coming two months and drop under $0.10 once the plan is confirmed.

Disclaimer. I am short RJETQ and may add to or cover my short at any time. I have traded all the other stocks mentioned but currently have no positions in them. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.

Trading in promoted stock Preston Corp $PSNP suspended by SEC

Friday morning the SEC suspended trading in Preston Corporation (PSNP) which had just been promoted by OTCMagic.com the prior evening. The reason given by the SEC:

The Commission temporarily suspended trading in the securities of PSNP because of questions regarding the adequacy and accuracy of available information about Preston Corp. in light of a false statement about the permitting status of a mine in the company’s August 10, 2016 press release and questions regarding the adequacy and accuracy of clarifications Preston Corp. provided in a September 1, 2016, press release about the mining project.

SEC trading suspension (PDF)
SEC trading suspension order (PDF)

PSNP should resume trading at the open on September 19th.

psnp

There is also an online landing page promoting PSNP at http://theprofitletter.com/psnp/index.html (PDF copy for posterity).

Disclaimer from landing page (emphasis mine):

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Past performance does not guarantee future results. The information contained herein might contain “forward-looking” statements and/or information regarding expected growth of a public company. In accordance with the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the publisher notes that all information other than historical information, including statements contained herein that look forward in time, involve risks and uncertainties relating to the company’s actual results of operations. “Forward-looking” statements are based upon expectations, estimates and/or projections at the time the statements are made and involve risks that could cause actual events to differ materially from their anticipated unfolding. “Forward-looking” statements may be identified through the use of words such as expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, or by statements indicating certain events may, could, should, or might occur. Any statements that express or involve expectations, beliefs, predictions, plans, projections, objectives, goals or future events or performance may be “forward-looking” statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the company’s ability to fund its capital requirements in the near term and the long term, the size and growth of the market for the company’s products and services, regulatory approvals, pricing pressures and other risks detailed in the company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Securities investment is inherently speculative, carries a degree of risk, and may result in the loss of invested capital. The publisher has relied upon historical information and third-party sources in the evaluation of the company Preston Corporation (hereinafter “Preston”). This paid advertisement does not purport to provide a comprehensive analysis of any company’s financial position, operations, or prospects and this is not to be construed as a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security. All information herein is provided for entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon when making an investment decision. The dissemination of this information might increase public awareness for Preston and thereby be considered a conflict of interest for the paying party or paying parties for this advertisement. Although the information contained within this advertisement is believed to be reliable as of the time of publication, there are no warranties as to the accuracy of any of the content herein and no advice is given as to how readers should or may choose to utilize its content. The information contained herein is based exclusively on information generally available to the public. Readers should perform their own due diligence before investing in any security, including consultation with a qualified and registered investment advisor or analyst within their residential jurisdiction. Furthermore, readers should independently verify all statements made in this advertisement and perform extensive due diligence on this or any other advertised company. The authors and/or endorsers and/or publishers of this advertisement might have received compensation for this and/or related marketing materials relating to Preston. More information can be retrieved from Preston’s corporate website. Furthermore, Preston’s financial information, filings and disclosures can be found at the Securities and Exchange Commission website at www.sec.gov, or appropriate regulatory agency in foreign countries. No one featured in this advertisement represents himself or herself to be a registered investment broker, advisor, or dealer of financial securities. This is not an offering of securities for sale. An offer to buy or sell securities can be made only with accompanying disclosure documents and only within the states and provinces wherein such an offer is acceptable for sale. This advertisement is not intended for readers in any jurisdiction where such advertising is not permissible by local regulations, and readers in those jurisdictions should therefore disregard it. Research and any due diligence was conducted by an outside researcher during the creation of this advertisement. Readers should consult with a qualified and registered investment advisor prior to investing in any securities, and they should thoroughly review the financial statements and other corporate filings about any companies in which they have an interest in investing. Many states have established rules requiring the approval of a security for sale by a state security administrator. Check with www.nasaa.org or call your state security administrator to determine whether a particular security is licensed for sale within your jurisdiction. This stock profile should be viewed as a paid advertisement. The publisher, The Profit Letter, understands that in an effort to enhance public awareness of PSNP and its securities through the distribution of this advertisement. Craigburn Corp. paid all of the costs associated with creating, printing and distribution of this advertisement. Craigburn Corp. is managing a production budget of up to three hundred thousand dollars. The publisher was paid the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars for his contributions. If successful, this advertisement will increase investor and market awareness, which may result in increased numbers of shareholders owning and trading the common stock of PSNP, increased trading volumes, and possibly increased share price of the common stock of PSNP. The publisher has not undertaken to determine if Craigburn Corp. is, or intends to be in the future, directly or indirectly, a shareholder of PSNP. The publisher may receive revenue, the amount of which cannot be determined to any degree of certainty, as a result of this advertising effort and the accompanying subscription offer. This publication is not, and should not be construed to be, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. This publication, its publisher, and its editor do not purport to provide a complete analysis of any company’s financial position. The publisher and editor are not, and do not purport to be, broker-dealers or registered investment advisors. Any investment should be made only after consulting a professional investment advisor and only after reviewing the financial statements and other pertinent corporate information about the company. Further, readers are advised to read and carefully consider the Risk Factors identified and discussed in the advertised company’s SEC filings. Investing in securities, particularly micro cap securities such as PSNP, is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This publication is based exclusively on information generally available to the public and does not contain any material, non-public information. The information on which it is based is believed to be reliable. Nevertheless, the publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information. This publication contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding expected continual growth of the featured company and/or industry. The publisher notes that statements contained herein that look forward in time, which include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company’s actual results of operations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include the size and growth of the market for the company’s products and services, the ultimate degree of success in the company’s business strategy rollout, the company’s ability to fund its capital requirements in the near term and long term, pricing pressures, etc.

Disclaimer. I have no position in any stock mentioned above. I have no relationship with any parties mentioned above. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.

Trading in promoted stock MarilynJean Interactive $MJMI suspended by SEC

This morning the SEC suspended trading in MarilynJean Interactive (MJMI), which had recently been promoted by websites connected to the former Awesomepennystocks.com. The reason for the suspension was:

The Commission temporarily suspended trading in the securities of MJMI because of recent, unusual and unexplained market activity in the company’s stock taking place during a suspicious promotional campaign. This order was entered pursuant to Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act).

SEC trading suspension (PDF)
SEC trading suspension order (PDF)

MJMI should resume trading at the open on September 12th. It was promoted by Mysoaringpennystocks.com and Risingpennystocks.net. See more info on the company at Promotion Stock Secrets.

mjmi

Disclaimer. I have no position in any stock mentioned above. I have no relationship with any parties mentioned above. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.

The market for penny stocks is rarely efficient: Jet.com vs Jetcom

With the news that Wal-Mart is looking to buy Jet.com coming out two days ago, some geniuses looked to buy Jet.com to profit from the potential buyout. The problem is that Jet.com is not publicly traded anywhere. However, they found Jetcom, which is publicly traded on the grey market OTC (so no bids or offers are shown and market makers can’t make a market).

A quick look at the description of Jetcom (JTCMF) on OTCmarkets.com shows that it is definitely not the same company as Jet.com: it is reported to have been founded in 1968 and had a market cap of about $2 million as of two days ago. The company’s website is also defunct (Jetcom.com), the company’s address is in Canada, and its business description is “communications and media – cable and entertainment.”

Still, this minimal amount of due diligence proved too much for many traders and at its peak today JTCMF was up 2000% at $2.00 per share, up from $0.10 three days ago. Unfortunately because it trades on the grey market I cannot short JTCMF at Interactive Brokers; otherwise I would have shorted it. This is not the first time something like this has happened and won’t be the last. The most recent similar situation was Riviera Tools (RIVT). During its dumb run trading in RIVT was suspended by the SEC so there is a good chance of that happening to JTCMF.

[Edit August 8th: I see now that JTCMF was halted shortly after I published this blog post at 11:55 AM on August 5th. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart (WMT) has confirmed that it is buying Jet.com for $3.3 billion]

Disclaimer: No position in any stock mentioned. I have no relationship with any parties mentioned above. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.

 

Samuel DelPresto and how to run big pumps and dumps

I never got around to blogging about this but did follow the case closely and had uploaded the plea agreement and indictment in this case. A good summary of the case is here. So here are the links:

Samuel DelPresto guilty plea agreement (PDF)

From the plea agreement:

If DELPRESTO enters a guilty plea and is sentenced on this charge, and otherwise fully complies with all of the terms of this agreement, this Office will not initiate any further criminal charges against DELPRESTO for his involvement in stock market manipulation schemes between in or about 2007 to in or about 2013 involving the publicly traded stock of the following companies, among others: Kentucky USA Energy, Inc., (“KYUS”); Mesa Energy Holdings, Inc. (“MSEH”); Bioneutral Group, Inc., (“BONU”); Clear-Lite Holdings, Inc., (“CLRH”); NXT Nutritionals Holdings, Inc., (“NXTH”); Empire Post Media, Inc. (“EMPM”); Mustang Alliances, Inc. (“MSTG”); IDO Security, Inc. (“IDOl”); Brainy Brands Co., Inc. (“TBBC”); Premier Brands Inc. (“BRND”); and LTS Nutraceuticals, Inc. (“LTSN”).

That is a very impressive list of pump and dumps.

Charges against Samuel DelPresto (PDF) — For some reason this is not called an indictment but it reads like one. It has a good explanation of how the pumps and dumps worked.

The SEC also filed a civil lawsuit against DelPresto.

Interestingly in light of the recent plea deal by the former head trader at BMA Securities (market maker BMAS on the OTC), the accounts listed for forfeiture include one account at BMA Securities. I have no evidence indicating anyone at BMA Securities was involved with DelPresto.

 

Disclaimer. I have no position in any stock mentioned above. I have no relationship with any parties mentioned above. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.

Greg Mulholland: Penny stock manipulator extraordinaire, gone but not forgotten

This post is a few months late, but I have included a few more recent details at the bottom. See the DoJ press release from May 9th.

From the press release:

Between 2010 and 2014, Mulholland controlled a group of individuals (the Mulholland Group) who together devised three interrelated schemes to: (1) induce U.S. investors to purchase stock in various thinly-traded U.S. public companies through fraudulent promotion of the stock, concealment of their ownership interests in the companies, and fraudulent manipulation of artificial price movements and trading volume in the stocks of those companies; (2) circumvent the IRS’s reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA); and (3) launder the fraudulent proceeds from the stock manipulation schemes to and from the United States through five offshore law firms.  Through these schemes, the Mulholland Group laundered more than $250 million in fraudulent proceeds.

To facilitate the interrelated schemes, the Mulholland Group used shell companies in Belize and Nevis, West Indies, which had nominees at the helm.  This structure was designed to conceal the Mulholland Group’s ownership interest in the stock of U.S. public companies, in violation of U.S. securities laws, and enabled the Mulholland Group to engage in more than 40 “pump and dump” schemes.  For example, this structure enabled the Mulholland Group to manipulate the stock of Cynk Technology Corp, which traded on the U.S. OTC markets under the ticker symbol CYNK.  Using aliases such as “Stamps” and “Charlie Wolf,” Mulholland was intercepted on a court-authorized wiretap on May 15, 2014, admitting to his ownership of “all the free trading” or unrestricted shares of CYNK.  Prior to this conversation between Mulholland and his trader at Legacy, there had been no trading in CYNK stock for 24 trading days.  Over the next two months, the stock of CYNK rose from $0.06 per share to $13.90 per share, a more than $4 billion stock market valuation for a company that had no revenue and no assets.

Mulholland used the services of a U.S.-based lawyer to launder the more than $250 million generated through his stock manipulation of CYNK and other U.S. companies – directing the fraud proceeds to five law firm accounts and transmitting them back to members of the Mulholland Group and its co-conspirators.  These concealment schemes also enabled Mulholland to evade reporting requirements to the IRS.

The plea change is here (PDF) although the details are not yet available. Mulholland’s sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2016.

You can see some of the nice toys Mulholland has agreed to forfeit here (PDF), including a Dassault Falcon 50 private jet, a $5 million house in West Vancouver (3630 Mathers Avenue), multiple other properties in Belize in Canada, all funds in 26 different bank and securities accounts in Belize, Denmark, Cayman Islands, and the USA.

The original indictment of Mulholland and many others came back in September 2014.

Disclaimer. I have no position in any stock mentioned above. I have no relationship with any parties mentioned above. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.

 

Fake (or just dumb) tender offer PR leads to brief Freeseas $FREEF spike

Yesterday Havensight Capital LLC put out a press release announcing a tender offer for the shares of FreeSeas (FREEF), a distressed shipping company. For posterity the press release is quoted in full below. As of the writing of this post the PR has been removed from Yahoo Finance but is still on the OTCMarkets website.

Havensight Capital makes Tender Offer for Free Seas Inc. and Launches theSuperMallofWebsites.com

Jun 16, 2016
OTC Disclosure & News Service

CHRISTIANSTED, United States Virgin Islands, June 16, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Havensight Capital LLC makes tender offer for 85% of the outstanding common shares of Free Seas Inc. (FREEF) for U.S. $0.43 a share, commencing on July 25th, 2016, and ending November 25, 2016. Havensight Capital LLC will serve as the paying agent. Mr. Benjamin Woodhouse, Director, Havensight Capital LLC said, “Global transportation logistics are a critical component to the World economy, we are very excited about the potential to now capitalize on growth trends in this market.”

Havensight Capital LLC also announced the launch of the Super Mall of Websites.com. The Super Mall of Websites.com offers world class website design, hosting, and maintenance, all, for one low published rate. Customers can access the Super Mall of Websites.com team by going to www.thesupermallofwebsites.com and placing an order online. Mr. Benjamin Woodhouse, Director, Havensight Capital LLC said, “we have been pleased with the incredible global demand for our soccer brand, St. Thomas F.C., www.stthomasfc.com, and we are now capitalizing on such momentum, by adding a leading technology service provider to our portfolio.”

About Havensight Capital LLC

Havensight Capital LLC is a leading private equity firm, which is based in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Firm specializes in investing in stellar consumer product companies that have, either, a technological advantage, or, have the potential to be exceptionally disruptive in their respective markets. The Firm seeks to actively maximize the potential of each, and every investment. Currently, Havensight Capital LLC owns, and operates, St. Thomas F.C. soccer brand, St. Thomas G.C. golf brand, Creditcard2cash.com, Coffee Ostrich consumer products, and the Super Mall of Websites.com.
Contact:

Ben Woodhouse
Director
Havensight Capital LLC
5030 Anchor Way
Christiansted, VI. 00820
(805) 478 1958
Copyright © 2016 GlobeNewswire. All Rights Reserved

Unfortunately I was away from my computer for 20 minutes when the press release was put out otherwise I would have shorted into the stock’s spike. With the clarity of hindsight I can say now that I should have shorted even after it had already dropped because it was likely to completely erase the gains from that press release. Below is a one-minute chart of the stock.

There were a few things about the press release that struck me as odd and made me suspect that it was a fake. First, Havensight Capital is a no-name firm and their website lists their portfolio companies (also no-name companies) and includes Freeseas (when they have never filed a 13G or 13D or form 4 to indicate ownership of Freeseas stock). Also, the tender offer is way higher than the current stock price of FreeSeas and with the company’s troubles (all shippers have had a hard time the last few years) it would not make sense to me to buy the equity. Anyone interested in Freeseas could likely buy its debt at a steep discount and then take over after the company enters bankruptcy. For me though the biggest indicator that the press release was not serious was that half the press release was about Havensight Capital’s other companies; I have never seen anything like that before in a tender offer or buyout offer press release.

This morning FreeSeas put out a press release calling the Havensight Capital LLC tender offer “false and misleading.” The full press release is below:

FreeSeas Inc. Responds to Havensight Capital Misleading Press Release

Athens, June 17, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreeSeas Inc. (FREEF) (“FreeSeas” or the “Company”), a transporter of dry-bulk cargoes through the ownership and operation of a fleet of Handysize vessels and an owner of a controlling stake in a company commercially operating tankers, responded today to a press release published yesterday afternoon by Havensight Capital LLC (“Havensight”).

In its press release, Havensight indicated that it was making a purported tender offer to acquire 85% of the Company’s common stock at a price of $0.43 per share.  FreeSeas was not aware of Havensight’s intention to issue such a press release and did not authorize Havensight to use the Company’s name and symbol so that the press release would appear in the FreeSeas’ news feed.  Further, upon learning of the press release, the Company reached out to regulatory authorities to alert them to the actions of Havensight.

FreeSeas believes that the Havensight press release is false and misleading, in that it failed to disclose material facts.  In particular, the Havensight press release fails to disclose that Havensight has not made the necessary filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in order to commence a tender offer.  Such tender offer filing would require Havensight to provide significant disclosures about itself, its financial position, the source of the funds in order to complete the tender offer, among other required disclosures.

Unless and until a valid tender offer is made, the Company will not comment further regarding the actions of Havensight.  The Company believes Havensight may continue to disseminate false and misleading information. Public investors are urged to rely only on information authorized for dissemination by FreeSeas.

About FreeSeas Inc.

FreeSeas Inc. is a Marshall Islands corporation with principal offices in Athens, Greece. FreeSeas is engaged in the transportation of drybulk cargoes through the ownership and operation of drybulk carriers and also is an owner of a controlling stake in a company commercially operating tankers. Currently, it has a fleet of Handysize vessels. FreeSeas’ common stock trades on the OTCQB Market run by OTC Markets Inc. under the symbol FREEF. Risks and uncertainties are described in reports filed by FreeSeas Inc. with the SEC, which can be obtained free of charge on the SEC’s website at  http://www.sec.gov . For more information about FreeSeas Inc., please visit the corporate website, www.freeseas.gr.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events and the Company’s growth strategy and measures to implement such strategy. Words such as ”expects,” ”intends,” ”plans,” ”believes,” ”anticipates,” ”hopes,” ”estimates,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to be correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates, which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, changes in the demand for dry bulk vessels; competitive factors in the market in which the Company operates; risks associated with operations outside the United States; and other factors listed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

Contact Information:

At the Company

FreeSeas Inc.
Dimitris Papadopoulos, Chief Financial Officer
011-30-210-45-28-770
Fax: 011-30-210-429-10-10
dp@freeseas.gr
www.freeseas.gr

The one big question I am left with at this point is why Havensight Capital LLC would put out such an obviously misleading press release. I have seen fake tender offers and buyouts before but they are usually from fake companies. Havensight Capital is real (see for example their lawsuit against Google from a year ago). Either they put out a fake PR to manipulate the stock (in which case they will be quickly sued and sanctioned by the SEC) or they actually intend to buy those shares (there aren’t many outstanding), in which case they are complete morons because their ownership position will be highly diluted by convertible shares and warrants already outstanding:

As of May 10, 2016, we had 1,832,807 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, convertible notes outstanding that may be converted into an estimated 138,774,955 shares of common stock at current market prices and outstanding warrants to purchase 7.346 shares of our common stock that could result in our issuance of 131,262,660 shares of common stock based upon the exchange formula contained therein at current market prices. Although the investors may not convert their secured convertible note and/or exchange the Series C Preferred Shares if such conversion or exchange would cause them to own more than 4.99% of our outstanding common stock, this restriction does not prevent the investors from converting and/or exchanging some of their holdings and then converting the rest of their holdings. In this way, the investors could sell more than this limit while never holding more than this limit. There is no upper limit on the number of shares that may be issued which will have the effect of further diluting the proportionate equity interest and voting power of holders of our common stock. The conversion or exercise of our outstanding convertible securities could result in substantial dilution to our existing holders, and the sales of such material amounts of our common stock issued upon conversion or exercise could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.

The above is from Freeseas’ most recent 20-F (annual report) filing.

Disclaimer. I have no position in any stock mentioned above. I have no relationship with any parties mentioned above. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.

 

Cantabio Pharmaceuticals $CTBO promoted on purported Alzheimer’s cure

A recent low-volume landing page pump and dump is of Cantabio Pharmaceuticals. See landing page here: http://biosciencereport.com/ctbo/main/ctv1.php

ctbo

Disclosed budget: $150,000 per week
Promoter:  Biosciencereport.com / KyIne Ltd
Paying party:  Ikon Media
Shares outstanding: 26,805,270
Previous closing price: $2.27
Market capitalization: $60 million

Disclaimer (emphasis added by me):

IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER: This stock profile should be viewed as a paid advertisement. The BioScience Report is published by Kylne Ltd. In an effort to enhance public awareness of Cantabio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“CTBO”) and its securities through the distribution of this advertisement, Ikon Media has provided the publisher with a weekly budget of approximately $150,000 to cover the costs associated with creating, printing and distribution of this advertisement. The publisher will retain any excess sums after expenses as its compensation. The publisher has not undertaken to determine if Ikon Media is, or intends to be in the future, directly or indirectly, a CTBO shareholder as it has no meaningful way to verify such facts. Readers should take this into consideration in evaluating bias. The name Cooper Stevens is a pseudonym for the editor who was paid $5,000 for his/her contributions to the report. If successful, this advertisement will increase investor and market awareness, which may result in increased numbers of shareholders owning and trading the common stock of CTBO, increased trading volumes, and possibly increased share price of CTBO’s common stock. This publication is not, and should not be construed to be, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. This publication, its publisher, and its editor do not purport to provide a complete analysis of any company’s financial position. The publisher and editor are not, and do not purport to be, broker-dealers or registered investment advisors. This publication is not, and should not be construed to be, personalized investment advice directed to or appropriate for any particular investor. Any investment should be made only after consulting a professional investment advisor and only after reviewing the financial statements and other pertinent corporate information about the company. Further, readers are advised to read and carefully consider the Risk Factors identified and discussed in the advertised company’s SEC filings. Investing in securities, particularly micro cap securities such as CTBO, is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This publication is based exclusively on information generally available to the public and does not contain any material, non-public information. The information on which it is based is believed to be reliable. Nevertheless, the publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information. This publication contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding expected continual growth of the featured company and/or industry. The publisher notes that statements contained herein that look forward in time, which include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company’s actual results of operations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include the size and growth of the market for the company’s products and services, the ultimate degree of success in the company’s gaming apps in the near term and long term, etc. The BioScience Report is the publisher’s trademark. All other trademarks used in this publication are the property of their respective trademark holders. The publisher is not affiliated, connected, or associated with, and is not sponsored, approved, or originated by, the trademark holders unless otherwise stated. No claim is made by the publisher to any rights in any third- party trademarks.

Copy of pump landing page (PDF)

Disclaimer. I have no position in any stock mentioned above. I have no relationship with any parties mentioned above. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.

Life Clips $LCLP: The biggest recent landing page pump & dump

With the SEC and DoJ cracking down on illegal stock promotions (it is possible to legally promote a stock but misleading statements and manipulation are more effective) over the last couple years the number of effective pumps has declined tremendously. The number of hard mailer pumps with good volume has decreased from dozens per year to just one last year (Nugene NUGN) and none so far this year.

The only landing page promotion so far this year that has gotten much volume has been Life Clips (LCLP) and it is ongoing. I have been short Life Clips for awhile and it looks to be slowly fading now. The promotion landing page can be found at http://techstockinsider.com/wp-content/landing-pages/sitefiles/index.html and there is also a PDF version of the promotion: http://fliphtml5.com/nueh/ehcc

Life Clips is one of the few pumps actually paid for by the company itself.lclp_chart

Disclosed budget: $150,000
Promoter:  Midam Ventures LLC / Techstockinsider.com
Paying party:  Life Clips, Inc
Shares outstanding: 53.332.576
Previous closing price: $0.643
Market capitalization: $34 million

Below are a few ads for Life Clips that I have seen.

lclp_ad

Banner ad for LCLP on Ad Choices network on a stock trading website:

LCLP_ad2

LCLP disclaimer:

© 2016 TECHSTOCKINSIDER.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PLEASE NOTE WELL: THIS LCLP STOCK REPORT IS A COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT AND IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WE ARE ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF MARKETING AND ADVERTISING COMPANIES FOR MONETARY COMPENSATION. MIDAM VENTURES, LLC OWNER AND OPERATOR OF TECHSTOCKINSIDER.COM WAS PAID AN ADVERTISING FEE OF $75,000 CASH PER MONTH & ZERO RESTRICTED COMMON SHARES BY LIFE CLIPS, INC. (LCLP) FOR VISUAL SPONSORSHIP OF TECHSTOCKINSIDER.COM AND FOR VISUAL PLACEMENT LIFE CLIPS, INC. (LCLP) WITHIN WRITTEN MATERIALS. FOR A DURATION OF 30 DAYS BEGINNING 5/4/2016. & ENDING 11/3/2016 * PLEASE NOTE WELL: TECHSTOCKINSIDER.COM AND ITS EMPLOYEES ARE NOT A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR, BROKER DEALER OR A MEMBER OF ANY ASSOCIATION FOR OTHER RESEARCH PROVIDERS IN ANY JURISDICTION WHATSOEVER AND WE ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO GIVE FINANCIAL ADVICE. TECHSTOCKINSIDER.COM WILL NEVER SELL, TRADE, BARTER, GIVEAWAY AND OR LOAN ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED TO TECHSTOCKINSIDER.COM. BY FILLING OUT THE ABOVE FORM YOU GIVE TECHSTOCKINSIDER.COM EXPLICIT PERMISSION TO CONTACT YOU. * OUR WEBSITE AND NEWSLETTER ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. THIS NEWSLETTER IS NOT A SOURCE OF UNBIASED INFORMATION. NEVER INVEST IN ANY STOCK FEATURED ON OUR SITE OR EMAILS UNLESS YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT. THE DISCLAIMER IS TO BE READ AND FULLY UNDERSTOOD BEFORE USING OUR SITE, OR JOINING OUR EMAIL LIST. FULL DISCLAIMER CAN BE READ AT

 

PDF copy of pump.

 

Disclaimer. I am short LCLP and may close out or add to that position at any time. I have no relationship with any parties mentioned above. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.

SEC Obtains asset freeze of trader who filed false $IDT takeover filing

On April 12th Nauman A. Aly made an SC-13D SEC filing indicating that a group of investors had taken a 5.1% stake in IDT Corp (IDT) and was offering to take over the company at a 65% premium to the then-current stock price. Soon after, a revised filing showed that the group had sold a number of call options and was no longer attempting to take the company over.

The SEC was able to identify the alleged perpetrator of the scheme, who used the same IP address to make the SEC filings as to access his trading account. And prior to the first filing he had bought a large number of short-dated out of the money calls that he quickly sold for $425,000 in profits (on a $18,500 initial investment). The SEC was able to freeze Aly’s brokerage account so the profits could not be withdrawn.

According to the SEC:

  • At 12:08 p.m., Aly filed a form known as a Schedule 13D on the SEC’s EDGAR system and falsely stated that his group of investors had a 5.1 percent beneficial ownership of IDT and had sent a letter to the board of directors offering to acquire all of the company’s shares for a price that represented a 65 percent premium.
  • The market reacted quickly to the filing, and IDT’s stock price increased by more than 25 percent in less than 10 minutes.
  • At 12:18 p.m., Aly sold all of the options for the illicit $425,000 profit.  He then filed another Schedule 13D stating that his group of investors no longer owned more than 5 percent of IDT after his options sales.
  • Aly used the same IP address for the options trades that he used to make the false filings.
  • Aly’s group of investors never actually owned 5.1 percent of IDT and never contacted IDT to buy all of its shares.

This is not the first time someone has filed a false SEC filing to manipulate the market and it won’t be the last. Aly’s alleged actions were stupidly obvious but the next market manipulator might not be so dumb. Rather than acquiring short-dated out of the money call options, a smarter trader could wait until his false filing spiked the stock before then buying a bunch of short-dated out of the money put options. Still, to generate a significant profit the trade size would have to be large and those large and highly profitable trades would be a huge red flag, particularly if done in an account that has not made many similar trades.

Here is a 1-minute intraday chart of IDT showing the stock’s reaction to the false filings (click to embiggen):2016-4-12 IDTI 1m fake buyout 13D

As you can see from the little green and red arrows I shorted IDT after it had already dropped most of the way back down. I regret being so slow to react to the false filings.

Disclaimer: I have no position in any stock stock mentioned above. I have no relationship with any parties mentioned above. This blog has a terms of use that is incorporated by reference into this post; you can find all my disclaimers and disclosures there as well.