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Keep Inc. Announces 2024 Interim Results

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BEIJING, Aug. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Keep Inc. (“Keep” or the “Company”), the largest online fitness platform in China, today announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

2024 Interim Results Highlights

Total revenues were RMB1,037.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, a 5.4% increase from RMB984.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.Gross profit was RMB477.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, a 12.7% increase from RMB423.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.Gross profit margin was 46.0% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to 43.0% for the six months ended June 30, 2023.Adjusted net loss (non-IFRS measure) was RMB160.7 million, compared to RMB223.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.Adjusted net loss margin narrowed to 15.5% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared with 22.7% for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

2024 Interim Operational Highlights

Six months ended June 30,

2024

2023

Average monthly active users (“MAU(s)”) (in thousands)

29,660

29,549

Average monthly revenues per MAU (in RMB)

5.8

5.6

Average monthly subscribing members (in thousands)

3,282

3,017

Membership penetration rate

11.1 %

10.2 %

Mr. Wang Ning, Chief Executive Officer of Keep Inc., commented, “We are pleased of our solid performance for the first half of 2024, which is a result of our proactive efforts in propelling our corporate strategies and tactics to meet the various needs of our consumers and communities through the new release of App 8.0 version, expanding portfolio of services and benefits, integrating marketing campaign across online fitness services, smart fitness devices and complementary products, as well as enhancing user trust and consumer sentiment in the Keep brand. We are on track to healthy recovery and are committed to sustaining high-quality development.

Total revenues reached RMB1,037 million, up 5.4% year-over-year, driven by the increased resilience and scale of our monetization initiatives across self-branded fitness products, online membership subscriptions, and advertising sales. By prudently reducing costs and increasing efficiency, our gross profit margin expanded to 46.0% while adjusted net loss considerably narrowed by 28.0% year-over-year.  More importantly, we continue to see elevated user experience and activity level as our membership penetration rate increased to 11.1% in the first half of 2024, up from 10.2% in the first half of 2023. Looking ahead, we will continue to implement our strategic priorities of enhancing overall offerings of online content, outdoor categories, AI-centric solution, as well as evaluating potential synergistic cooperation throughout our value chain, driving sustained momentum across our ecosystem for our long-term growth.”

2024 Interim Financial Results

Revenues

Total revenues were RMB1,037.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 5.4% increase from RMB984.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, due primarily to increased revenues from self-branded fitness products and advertising and others.

Revenues from self-branded fitness products were RMB501.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 7.5% increase from RMB466.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, mainly attributable to the increase in wholesale channels sales, as well as the increased sales of fitness gear and apparel products.

Revenues from online membership and paid content were RMB437.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 2.6% decrease from RMB448.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily due to a decrease in revenues from virtual sports events, which was partially offset by the increased revenues from online membership. 

Revenues from advertising and others were RMB98.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a substantial increase of 42.4% from RMB69.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily attributable to online to offline integrated advertising services.

Cost of revenues

Cost of revenues was RMB560.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a decrease of 0.2% from RMB561.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, primary due to a decrease in cost of online membership and paid content, which was partially offset by an increase in cost of advertising and others.

Cost of self-branded fitness products was RMB343.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 2.1% increase from RMB336.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, mainly attributable to an increase in sales of self-branded fitness products. Due to economies of scale, the growth rate of costs is lower than the growth rate of revenues.

Cost of online membership and paid content was RMB140.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 21.8% decrease from RMB179.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The decrease was mainly attributable to decreases of (i) RMB14.4 million in costs associated with virtual sports events; (ii) RMB9.8 million in content related costs as the Company optimized IP costs associated with third party influencer partnerships; and (iii) RMB5.4 million in employee benefit costs (including related share-based compensation expenses) mainly due to the fluctuation of share-based compensation expenses.

Cost of advertising and others was RMB76.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 68.5% increase from RMB45.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, mainly attributable to an increase of RMB23.9 million in advertising production costs associated with the expanded advertising services the Company offers and relatively higher cost of certain offline advertising activities.

Gross profit and gross profit margin

Gross profit was RMB477.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 12.7% increase from RMB423.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

Gross profit margin was 46.0% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 3.0 percentage points increase from 43.0% for the six months ended June 30, 2023, mainly attributable to an increase in gross profit margin from online membership and paid content and self-branded fitness products.

Gross profit of self-branded fitness products increased by 21.6% from RMB130.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 to RMB158.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, mainly attributable to the increase in the sales of self-branded fitness products and improvement in gross profit margin.

Gross profit of online membership and paid content increased by 10.1% from RMB269.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 to RMB296.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, as the Company generated higher sales from membership subscription with optimized content related cost.

Gross profit of advertising and others decreased by 6.7% from RMB24.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 to RMB22.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, primarily due to the relatively higher cost of certain offline advertising activities.

Fulfillment expenses

Fulfillment expenses were RMB61.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 25.8% decrease from RMB83.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily due to optimized warehousing, packaging and delivery expenses.

Selling and marketing expenses

Selling and marketing expenses were RMB323.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 25.8% increase from RMB257.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily due to increase in promotional and advertising expenses associated with more marketing activities for brand promotion and user acquisition.

Administrative expenses

Administrative expenses were RMB90.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 19.3% decrease from RMB112.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily attributable to decreases of (i) RMB14.6 million in expected credit loss in accounts receivables because the Company optimized the receivables management measures; and (ii) RMB7.2 million in administrative personnel costs (including related share-based compensation expenses), mainly due to the fluctuation of share-based compensation expenses.

Research and development expenses

Research and development expenses were RMB195.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a 19.6% decrease from RMB243.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily attributable to decreases of (i) RMB39.6 million in research and development personnel costs (including related share-based compensation expenses); (ii) RMB4.6 million in cloud computing service fees; and (iii) RMB2.1 million in outsourcing and other labor costs.

Fair value changes of convertible redeemable preferred shares

Fair value changes of convertible redeemable preferred shares was RMB1.4 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The change in the fair value of convertible redeemable preferred shares was primarily attributable to the changes in the valuation of the Company. The Company did not record any further fair value changes of the convertible redeemable preferred shares following the listing of the shares of the Company on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange (the “Listing”) as preferred shares liabilities were redesignated and reclassified from liabilities to equity after automatically converting into ordinary shares upon the Listing.

(Loss)/profit

Net loss was RMB163.4 million for the six months ended 2024, compared with a net profit of RMB1.2 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Net profit for the six months ended June 30, 2023 was primarily due to fair value changes of convertible redeemable preferred shares.

Adjusted net loss (non-IFRS measure)

Adjusted net loss (non-IFRS measure) was RMB160.7 million for the six months ended 2024, compared to RMB223.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

Liquidity and capital resource

We had cash and cash equivalents of RMB1.4 billion as of June 30, 2024, as compared to RMB1.6 billion as of December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to the use of cash for operating and financing activities. Most of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were denominated in Renminbi while most of the time deposits were denominated in U.S. dollars.

Share repurchase programs

Under the HK$16 million and HK$100 million Share Repurchase Programs announced on February 14, 2024 and May 20, 2024, respectively, as of June 30, 2024, the Company repurchased a total of 5,256,200 shares of the Company on the Stock Exchange at the aggregate consideration of HK$35.49 million before expenses.

Outlook

2024 will mark a year of comprehensive upgrades for Keep platform with continued execution of the strategies. The Company will continue to promote synchronized improvements in scale and efficiency. While overall consumer confidence is gradually recovering, the Company recognizes that both opportunities and challenges exist. Keep will continue to invest in several key areas: (i) enhance overall online offerings; (ii) further explore the outdoor category by enriching member privileges, leveraging the value of fitness data, and actively expanding its offline presence; (iii) expand AI-driven overseas fitness app portfolio to deliver innovative fitness experiences; and (iv) promote the growth of self-branded fitness products. In addition, Keep will continue to actively seek collaboration opportunities along the industry chain to increase commercial value across our ecosystem, ensuring sustainable long-term development.

Conference Call

The Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 p.m. Beijing Time on August 23, 2024.

Participants who wish to join the call should follow the following method:

1)  Please click on the call link and complete the online registration form. Kindly register at least one working day before the event.
https://register.vevent.com/register/BI0e1af0f1c86f4526ac796550f5b10a03

2)  Upon registering you will receive the dial-in info and a unique PIN to join the call as well as an email confirmation with the details.

3)  Select a method for joining the call:

Dial-In: A dial in number and unique PIN are displayed to connect directly from your phone.Call Me: Enter your phone number and click “Call Me” for an immediate callback from the system. The call will come from a US number, and this function is only applicable for participants outside China.

4)  Please dial in 15 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the personal PIN to join the call.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at https://ir.keep.com/en/news_events.php.

About Keep Inc.

Keep Inc. (HKEX Stock Code: 3650) is the largest online fitness platform in China in terms of MAUs and number of workout sessions completed by users in 2022, according to CIC. Keep offers a comprehensive fitness solution to help users achieve their fitness goals. On the Keep platform, extensive, professional, and premium fitness content with diverse activities and services are offered to encourage users to engage in daily exercise. Keep platform leverages AI technology to provide personalized workout programs incorporating recorded courses and interactive live streaming classes, dynamically customized to each user’s athletic levels, fitness goals, daily workout patterns and diet. Keep’s services seamlessly connect the physical and digital realms, spanning smart devices, workout equipment, athletic apparel and food to provide an immersive fitness experience.

For more information on Keep Inc., visit https://keep.com/.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to the business outlook, estimates of financial performance, forecast business plans and growth strategies of the Company. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are stated herein on the basis of the outlook at the time of this press release. They are based on certain expectations, assumptions and premises, some of which are subjective or beyond our control. These forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect and may not be realised in the future. Underlying these forward-looking statements are a lot of risks and uncertainties. In light of the risks and uncertainties, the inclusion of forward-looking statements in this press release should not be regarded as representations by the board of directors of the Company or the Company that the plans and objectives will be achieved, and investors should not place undue reliance on such statements.

Non-IFRS Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are presented in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards as issued by the IASB, we also use adjusted net loss as an additional financial measure, which is not required by, or presented in accordance with, IFRS Accounting Standards.

The Company’s management believe adjusted net loss provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our consolidated results of operations in the same manner as they help our management. However, our presentation of adjusted net loss may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. The use of adjusted net loss has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation from, or as a substitute for an analysis of, our results of operations or financial condition as reported under IFRS Accounting Standards.

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS

Six months ended June 30,

2024

2023

RMB’000

RMB’000

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Revenues

1,037,343

984,656

Cost of revenues

(560,021)

(560,985)

Gross profit

477,322

423,671

Fulfillment expenses

(61,921)

(83,431)

Selling and marketing expenses

(323,412)

(257,103)

Administrative expenses

(90,455)

(112,044)

Research and development expenses

(195,690)

(243,371)

Other income

3,809

10,312

Other gains, net

2,531

3,320

Operating loss

(187,816)

(258,646)

Finance income

25,834

24,755

Finance expenses

(1,371)

(3,246)

Finance income, net

24,463

21,509

Fair value changes of convertible redeemable
    preferred shares

1,432,261

(Loss)/profit before income tax

(163,353)

1,195,124

Income tax expense

(Loss)/profit for the period

(163,353)

1,195,124

(Loss)/earnings per share (expressed in RMB per 
    share)

Basic

(0.35)

8.64

Diluted

(0.35)

(0.52)

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

As at

June 30,

As at

December 31,

2024

2023

RMB’000

RMB’000

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

ASSETS

Non-current assets

Property and equipment

13,076

17,982

Right-of-use assets

44,503

62,256

Intangible assets

9,869

11,561

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

52,167

13,519

Other non-current assets

55,312

51,994

174,927

157,312

Current assets

Inventories

182,057

121,380

Accounts and notes receivables

264,636

228,279

Prepayments and other current assets

202,316

174,842

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

69,111

65,199

Short-term time deposits

56,760

88,960

Cash and cash equivalents

1,376,029

1,612,769

2,150,909

2,291,429

Total assets

2,325,836

2,448,741

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION (CONTINUED)

As at

June 30,

As at

December 31,

2024

2023

RMB’000

RMB’000

(Unaudited)

(Audited)

EQUITY

Share capital

168

168

Other reserves

8,170,955

8,187,464

Accumulated losses

(6,477,836)

(6,314,483)

Total equity

1,693,287

1,873,149

LIABILITIES

Non-current liabilities

Lease liabilities

14,940

32,453

Other non-current liabilities

5,505

10,968

20,445

43,421

Current liabilities

Accounts payables

233,674

157,417

Accrued expenses

209,285

177,355

Other current liabilities

40,144

57,838

Contract liabilities

97,633

93,280

Borrowings

10,009

Lease liabilities

31,368

36,272

612,104

532,171

Total liabilities

632,549

575,592

Total equity and liabilities

2,325,836

2,448,741

The following table reconciles the adjusted net loss for the periods presented to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards, which is (loss)/profit for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023:

For the six months ended June 30,

2024

2023

RMB’000

RMB’000

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Reconciliation of  (loss)/profit to adjusted net loss

(Non-IFRS measure):

(Loss)/profit for the period

(163,353)

1,195,124

Adjustments for:

Share-based payment expenses

2,663

13,994

Fair value changes of convertible redeemable
    preferred shares

(1,432,261)

Adjusted net loss for the period

    (Non-IFRS measure)

(160,690)

(223,143)

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/keep-inc-announces-2024-interim-results-302229389.html

SOURCE Keep Inc.

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Tech employment ends year with uptick in hiring, CompTIA analysis finds

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Tech unemployment rate falls to 2%

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Tech hiring increased during the latest jobs data release, resulting in a corresponding decrease in the tech unemployment rate, CompTIA, the world’s leading provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products, reported today.

Analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) #JobsReport data reveals the tech unemployment rate dropped to 2% in December, the lowest level since November 2023. The national unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.1% for the month.

The base of tech employment throughout the economy increased by a net new 7,000 positions. In the aggregate the core tech workforce totals nearly 6.5 million workers.¹

Employment within the technology industry sector, encompassing all types of workers, declined by 6,117 jobs.² Positions in PC, semiconductor and components manufacturing accounted for the bulk of the cuts. The tech sector employs nearly 5.6 million people, which translates to a percentage decline of 1%.

“This marks the 100th release of the CompTIA Tech Jobs report,” noted Tim Herbert, chief research officer, CompTIA. “What an incredible journey in tracking tech workforce trends over the past decade. A true honor to be at the center of such an innovative and dynamic space.”

There were 434,415 active employer job postings for tech positions in December, including 165,189 newly added during the month.³ Both totals were down from November. Positions in software development and engineering, IT project management, cybersecurity, data science and analysis and tech support had the most activity.

Companies with the largest numbers of December job postings included Amazon, Accenture, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, GovCIO, Robert Half, Lumen Technologies and Insight Global.

Employers listed open positions at all career levels. Among postings that specified a work experience requirement, 22% sought candidates with 0-3 years of experience; 28% of openings sought workers with 4-7 years of experience; and 16%, 8 years or more.

Across all tech occupations 45% of December job postings did not specify a four-year degree requirement for applicants. Openings for network support specialists (85%), tech support specialists (72%) and computer programmers (54%) had notably higher percentages.

The “CompTIA Tech Jobs Report” is available at https://www.comptia.org/content/tech-jobs-report.

About CompTIA
CompTIA Inc. is the world’s leading provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products. CompTIA unlocks potential in millions of aspiring technology professionals and careers changers. Working in partnership with thousands of academic institutions and training providers, CompTIA helps students build career-ready skills through best-in-class learning solutions, industry-recognized certifications and career resources.
Learn more at https://www.comptia.org/.

Media Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
sostrowski@comptia.org
+1.630.678.8468

¹ Monthly occupation level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tends to experience higher levels of variance and volatility.
² Labor market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and employer job postings from Lightcast may be subject to backward revisions.
³ Active job postings include open postings carried over from previous months and new postings added by employers.

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SOURCE CompTIA

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Iktos and Cube Biotech Announce Launch of Small Molecule AI Drug Discovery Collaboration

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Partnership will leverage Iktos’s AI-enabled drug discovery platform and Cube Biotech’s advanced protein technologies to develop novel agonists of the Amylin Receptor

PARIS and MONHEIM, Germany, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Iktos, a leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics for drug design, and Cube Biotech, a pioneer in membrane protein production and purification technologies, today announced a strategic collaboration to discover novel small molecule agonists of the Amylin Receptor.

The partnership combines Iktos’ generative AI-driven drug discovery and robotic synthesis platform with Cube Biotech’s advanced native membrane protein technology NativeMPTM, as well as their purification and biophysical assay expertise, to accelerate the development of breakthrough therapies. This paves the way for a joint collaborative offering directed towards pharmaceutical companies, combining the strengths of both platforms to undertake their most challenging drug discovery programs.

Amylin receptor agonists hold significant promise for addressing unmet medical needs in cardiometabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic hepatitis (MASH). The Amylin Receptor regulates appetite and satiety, making it a compelling target for obesity, which affects over one-third of the global population. Existing GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies like semaglutide or the peptide Amylin analogue Pramlintide have limited impact due to high costs, accessibility, and undesirable side effects.

Orally administered novel small molecule agonists of the Amylin receptor could overcome these barriers, offering scalable and effective treatments and providing better management for the growing obesity epidemic and its comorbidities. However, the receptor’s structural and biological complexity has long posed challenges for discovering viable low-molecular-weight modulators.

“By tackling one of the most pressing unmet needs in cardiometabolic disorders, our partnership with Cube Biotech aims to discover improved treatments for patients affected by obesity, diabetes, and related conditions,” said Yann Gaston-Mathé, Co-founder and CEO of Iktos. “We are excited to add the Amylin Receptor to our pipeline as this complex, yet promising target demands innovation at every stage. We see this collaboration as a foundation for future initiatives, extending the reach of our combined platform to address the most challenging membrane targets for the benefit of our pharma partners.”

Iktos has developed a cutting-edge 3D generative chemistry technology for structure-guided de novo design that natively accounts for protein flexibility during molecule optimization—a key advantage over models like AlphaFold, which can only be applied post-molecule generation. Cube Biotech has developed a world-leading protein production platform, based on NativeMP™ technology, which preserves the natural configuration of membrane proteins – a key advantage in accessing biologically active drug targets for testing. The company’s native protein stabilization technology enhances the reliability and precision of functional assays, structural insights, and downstream applications.

“Amylin Receptor is a challenging but highly promising target for metabolic disorders”, said Dr. Barbara Maertens, Co-founder and COO of Cube Biotech. “Through our collaboration with Iktos, we aim to leverage our advanced protein stabilization and structural analysis technologies to validate and accelerate the discovery of novel small molecule agonists. Together, we are setting a new standard for efficiency and innovation in drug discovery.”

These integrated technologies endeavor to overcome longstanding inefficiencies in drug discovery, shortening timelines, improving success rates, and unlocking new possibilities for targeting complex and historically elusive membrane proteins, such as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), membrane transporters, ion channels, and others.

About Iktos

Iktos is a leader in artificial intelligence and robotic solutions applied to research in medicinal chemistry and new drug design. Iktos’ proprietary and innovative generative AI solution enables the design of molecules that are optimized in silico to meet all the success criteria of a small molecule discovery project. The use of Iktos technology enables major productivity gains in upstream pharmaceutical R&D. Iktos offers its technology through the SaaS software platforms Makya™ for generative drug design and Spaya™ for retrosynthesis, and through strategic collaborations with pharma companies where Iktos mobilizes its unique platform and leading-edge capabilities to expedite small molecule drug discovery for the benefit of its partners. Iktos has also developed Iktos Robotics, a unique AI-driven synthesis automation platform that dramatically accelerates the Design-Make-Test-Analyze cycle in drug discovery and is developing its own pipeline of drug candidates targeting oncology and auto-immune and inflammatory diseases. In March 2023, Iktos completed a 15.5M€ Series A financing round co-led by M Ventures and Debiopharm Innovation with contribution by Omnes Capital. In July 2024, Iktos announced the acquisition of Synsight, thereby complementing its Chemistry AI platform with a groundbreaking biology platform for the discovery of new drugs targeting Protein-Protein Interactions (PPI) and RNA-Protein Interactions (RPI).

About Cube Biotech Cube Biotech is a leader in membrane protein production, purification, and characterization technologies. With proprietary copolymer-based solutions that maintain biological integrity in native-like protein states, Cube Biotech enables groundbreaking research in challenging drug targets, including membrane receptors, protein co-expressions, and even larger complexes.

The company’s expertise in assay development, biophysical characterization, and structural resolution supports efficient drug discovery workflows across the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries. Additionally, an extensive purification resin and magnetic bead portfolio for affinity chromatography and efficient protein purification is manufactured in-house at high quality. For more information, visit www.cube-biotech.com.

Media Contact:
Eleonora Echegaray
P: 35 823189279
E: 388591@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Iktos

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Rule 10b-5 Private Securities-Fraud Litigation Peaked in 4Q’24

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BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SAR, a data analytics company specialized in the securities litigation risk of U.S. public companies, today published the Securities Class Action Rule 10b-5 Exposure Report for 4Q 2024. According to the report, securities litigation exposure of public company defendants that trade in the NYSE and NASDAQ peaked during the fourth quarter of 2024, when records were set across the buoyant U.S. equity markets. During the bullish market conditions of 2024, shareholders claimed approx. $665.2 billion in market capitalization losses due to alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 – the most in the last five years.

Rule 10b-5 settlements increased over 20% in 2024 relative to the last 6 years.

According to the report, global quarterly Rule 10b-5 securities litigation exposure in 2024 was 17% greater than the average of 2023. Actual monetary settlements with investor plaintiffs last year were, on average, 23% greater than during the last six years.

SAR data and analysis indicate that the litigation exposure of U.S. public company defendants amounts to approximately $380.3 billion in 2H 2024. Shareholders claimed approximately $4.0 billion in market capitalization losses per securities class action filing, and approximately $2.0 billion per allegedly fraud-related stock drop in 2H 2024. The former metric increased by 32.1%, and the latter by 15.4% during the second half of 2024.

“Our data and analyses indicate that securities litigation exposure against U.S. public companies peaked in the fourth quarter of last year. This peak may be short-lived with an expected increase in volatility and new headwinds for U.S. equities given greater shareholder scrutiny of corporate disclosures. With average Rule 10b-5 settlements over 20% greater in 2024 than during the last six years, litigation activity is expected to increase in 2025,” said Anthony Kabanek, EVP of SAR.

According to the report, in 2023 and 2024 investor plaintiffs claimed $13.6 billion and $20.5 billion, respectively, in private Rule 10b-5 securities-fraud class actions that relied on short-seller research.

Key takeaways:

86 U.S. issuers were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 during 2H 2024. Based on allegations presented in the first-filed class action complaint against each defendant issuer, U.S. SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $259.4 billion. U.S. SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure decreased -5.4% relative to 1H 2024.

U.S. SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure peaked in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, followed by a decline to trend in the 4th quarter of 2024.

9 Non-U.S. issuers were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 during 2H 2024. Based on allegations presented in the first-filed class action complaint against each defendant issuer, ADR SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $120.9 billion. ADR SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure increased by 11.3x relative to 1H 2024.

An anomalously high 4th quarter exposure among Non-U.S. issuers contributed to a remarkably volatile year for ADR SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure.

Rule 10b-5 private securities-fraud filing frequency and potential loss severity need not move in tandem. Global exposure increased by approximately 34% in the 2H 2024 relative to 1H 2024, while filing frequency remained relatively stable.

38 U.S. Large Caps were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 in 2H 2024, the same observed frequency as 1H 2024. The U.S. Large Cap SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $233.7 billion, a decrease of 10.1% relative to 1H 2024.

22 U.S. Mid Caps were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5 In 2H 2024. The U.S. Mid Cap SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $19.8 billion, more than 3 times the amount in 1H 2024.

26 U.S. Small Caps were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5. The U.S. Small Cap SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure amounts to $5.9 billion, a decrease of 33% relative to 1H 2024.

9 Non-U.S. issuers that trade via ADRs in the U.S. public markets were sued for alleged violations of Rule 10b-5. The ADR SCA Rule 10b-5 Exposure increased by over 11.3x to ~$121 billion, relative to 1H 2024.

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