SP today

[admin]

I try to respect all opinions even when I disagree.

For example, and to be honest I have been a proponent of this for a long time, and expressed as much, but never got the time of day..

I think given the delays and the cheapness of shares it would have been nice if before the black out period they had a tender offer for say 10% of their shares at whatever price that could provide a floor, tender offers don't happen overnight, there's a timeframe to work around and it buys time. Given the circumstances and the future, and the fact that they were likely thinking about the VC deals for some time, this would have been a logical step to maintain stability, and buyback stock all in one shot. Holders who wanted out, could tender, those who wanted to hold on, could hold on, and it would just help the situation. Instead they bought back some stock when they were able to, and have been unable to do virtually anything with the blackout period now in effect for some time. They needed to think ahead, sure there have been many delays that they didn't expect but it should have been a tool in the toolbox ready to be deployed if there was any inkling of a delay..

Of course hindsight is 20/20, but if this has been on my mind for many many months, they should have also been thinking about this as a tool to utilize. Instead, we are shareholders in a blackout period without protection, I'm sorry but that's not exactly kosher with me, when they had options. Just my two cents, and I've been holding during this bludgeoning.

All good Bill. What I'm saying is that:

• I generally prefer management to run a company and don't worry too much about the share price
• That is, a tech company should be run by tech savy people
• Normally, if the business is well run, the share price will follow
• However, what NQ finds itself in are not 'normal' circumstances, there has been a market onslaught and market savy is required to deal with that, but I think people can be hired as an addition for that purpose, they shouldn't run the company IMHO
• I'm not saying NQ hasn't made mistakes in dealing with the MW saga, but I'm not even sure whether that is because of a lack of market savy. It's very difficult to judge from the comfort of my chair, as it happens, and like you say, 20/20 hindsight is considerably easier..

[maplell2002]

I heard one big investor (that I respect) saying ‘After so many years in investment business, this is the most malicious and fierce short attack I’ve ever seen. But once you experienced this one, I can almost say you can relax a bit as you'll hardly see any future short attacks on any stock that can hold a candle to this one. “

I believe we've seen most of it and the end is not too far away.

[thecrazykevy]

I heard one big investor (that I respect) saying ‘After so many years in investment business, this is the most malicious and fierce short attack I’ve ever seen. But once you experienced this one, I can almost say you can relax a bit as you'll hardly see any future short attacks on any stock that can hold a candle to this one. “ I believe we've seen most of it and the end is not too far away.

I guess this NQ attack is a little different.  I've certainly never seen short attacks where they bothered with making twitter accounts just so they can throw out personal insults and edit pictures to make fun of the company. https://twitter.com/EngineerAndroid/with_replies

Looks more like someone has a personal grudge rather than they just want to make money from shorting.

[js253]

I think it's more of a case where CB needs a win...very very badly. Sure he certainly has made his money on NQ already(like he did on FMCN, EDU even he was 100% wrong), but he needs a conviction a la Sino Forest. Otherwise, his whole business model may not survive.

[BillNeuburger]

I heard one big investor (that I respect) saying ‘After so many years in investment business, this is the most malicious and fierce short attack I’ve ever seen. But once you experienced this one, I can almost say you can relax a bit as you'll hardly see any future short attacks on any stock that can hold a candle to this one. “ I believe we've seen most of it and the end is not too far away.

I guess this NQ attack is a little different.  I've certainly never seen short attacks where they bothered with making twitter accounts just so they can throw out personal insults and edit pictures to make fun of the company. https://twitter.com/EngineerAndroid/with_replies

Looks more like someone has a personal grudge rather than they just want to make money from shorting.

I tend to think the new playbook is to disseminate as much information, malicious, exaggerated, without pure facts as possible to influence perception, and negative chatter. AKA: Bill Ackman's playbook against Herbalife, I'm positive, Carson Block hired a bunch of minions, to spread nonesense, create you tube videos, spam message boards, etc to cause as much mayhem as possible. Then waited a while before writing PWC to extend the investigation and work in order to capitalize on the situation for longer. Otherwise, it doesn't seem plausible that the "Engineer" guys who are likely the same person would spend countless hourse doing what they do, if they aren't being compensated.

The point is that if they can't destroy the company with real facts, they will go above and beyond to destroy the company fundamentally if possible. ie: influencing partners, and hurting the bottom line. Look at how much NQ is spending to defend themselves, and likely will cost far more than we first were told due to this extended period of work. I think players like Carson Block, and Bill Ackman will continue this type of strategy on future attacks.

NQ does not have a combative shareholder like Herbalife had in Icahn, and so given the longer it has taken we really haven't had any solace through a shareholder publicly calling out the short seller for thier misdeeds.

[admin]

I've seen this all before, to be honest. InterOil was in a much more dire straits, financially, but they survived. Consecutive years on RegSHO (we haven't seen that here), hired trolls and even criminals, defamation of the company and those who defended it, etc. etc. It was absolutely nauseating.

But they survived.

A tell-tale sign is when shorts simply shift "arguments" faster than Imelda changes shoes. I remember when one of the shorts tried to argue that they were "conviction shorts" betting on the demise of Japan (which the largest LNG importer). The only "conviction" the shorts had was the conviction to throw everything and anything at the wall in the hope something would stick, and even if nothing did, they could still argue the company was "controversial"

Like I say, absolutely, thoroughly nauseating, but if/when PwC signs off, the worst will be over.

[Haggerston]

At this point it's not just MW as many shorts, traders, investors have jumped on the band wagon so we have a lot going against us. But I'm sill bullish and fwiw IR/Kim has been very to my questions and comments. So I'll see this through...

[Moondog]

This short attack is being run out of Hong Kong. It is hedge fund led.

However, there is one particular short writer on seeking alpha who may have a particular axe to grind. He is the CEO of another mobile company based in Korea.

[thecrazykevy]

This short attack is being run out of Hong Kong. It is hedge fund led. However, there is one particular short writer on seeking alpha who may have a particular axe to grind. He is the CEO of another mobile company based in Korea.

Is it Robert Zangrilli ? He certainly doesn't look like the CEO of a Korean mobile company.

I'm assuming some of the attacks are not from within the US since they aren't afraid to make fake twitter accounts of Chinese news agencies just to post fake tweets that NQ's auditors have resigned.

The fake tweets I can understand since they may help drive down the stock price even though it should be highly illegal. But the tweets with the edited pictures of Omar on a socket puppet or in jail seems like they are done because someone doesn't like the company and not for financial gain.

[maplell2002]

Short sellers are getting more sophisticated and coordinated day by day. Their business is almost like an Industry chain which includes multiple short sellers, media, lawyers, accountants, analysts, etc working together. And they have a ‘house edge’ like a blackjack dealer - they don't have to show their hands to prove anything first. But the targeted company will be presumed guilty until proven innocent.

If you are lucky, they leave you alone once the money is made; If you are not lucky, they’ll try to get you delisted as they have to preserve their ‘reputation’ for future business. Watching the whole thing is like watching House of Cards.