Plantronics, Inc. (PLT) Accused of Misleading Shareholders
According to the complaint against the Company for alleged violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 between July 2, 2018 and November 5, 2019, Plantronics, Inc. (PLT) reported increasing net revenues in the hundreds of millions and in August 2019, the Company announced expected revenue between $1.87 and $1.97 billion for fiscal year 2020. However, Plantronics had failed to disclose to investors that the Company had engaged in channel stuffing to artificially boost sales and that the Company lacked internal control over inventory, including an inability to monitor inventory levels ahead of multiple product launches. The adverse impact of these issues became realized on November 5, 2019, when Plantronics disclosed a $65 million reduction in channel inventory “by reducing sales to channel partners” and slashed its fiscal 2020 guidance. On this news, Plantronics’ stock price fell $14.44 per share, nearly 37%, to close at $25.00. The stock has yet to recover.
