Strategy in TECH...
On Tuesday, Bose Corporation – a privately held manufacturer and marketer of a variety of predominantly audio products like headphones, speakers, soundbars and car audio – announced it has acquired McIntosh Group, a high-end manufacturer of electronics under the McIntosh brand and speakers/phono cartridges under the Sonus faber brand. Terms of the deal were not revealed and a buzz has descended around the industry as to whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.
Resideo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: REZI) – the new parent company of residential integration company Snap One – recently released the financial results for its third quarter of fiscal 2024, the 90-day period that ended September 28, 2024. While the overall numbers looked fairly strong with revenues increasing 18% to $1.83 billion with gross profit expansion, when looked at organically, the results show a more moderate revenue growth of 4%.
On Tuesday, Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) announced the results of its financial performance for the third quarter (3Q) of Fiscal 2024 (FY2024) – the first such report under the new management. While the report comes from the new management, including interim CEO Michelle Brennan, the period of this report is for the quarter that ended September 28, 2024 – meaning the bulk of the actual performance occurred under previous CEO Joe Kiani. Still, the numbers, for the most part, looked pretty good.
Samsung Electronics, Inc. – a giant in the global consumer electronics industry – saw operating profits drop a stunning 40% in its all-important Device Solutions Division compared to the previous quarter. Device Solutions is its semiconductor division and many in the industry are watching this division closely, as it is a key part of Samsung’s business. But recently, the company – in a rare miss – failed to get on board with the rapid growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry early on. It is now running to catch up to competitors and this result shows they are not yet there.
Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE: EEX) reported its third quarter (3Q) of Fiscal 2024 financial results on Wednesday prior to the market open and it was a tough result with revenues flat – even with newly acquired shows included – and net income dropping to a double-digit million dollar net loss. The company announced it was engaging in a tougher “portfolio optimization” plan to cut unprofitable events and add newer, more profitable options.
In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the new Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI) Board of Directors reaffirmed its non-GAAP 3Q and full-year financial guidance as previously provided by the company to investors. It also notified the commission that the Board has officially terminated the employment of former CEO Joe Kiani.
Perhaps most surprisingly, it has additionally filed a major lawsuit against Joe Kiani and RTW Investments alleging, among other things, that they colluded to create a group that violated federal securities laws.
Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) announced that it has expanded the company’s Board of Directors with two new appointees. The medical products manufacturer, which also owns the Sound United audio brands, will now have a total of eight directors on its board.
This week, Moody’s Ratings, part of Moody’s Investors Services, announced that it was cutting Guitar Center’s credit rating to Caa3, down from Caa2. Guitar Center came on Strata-gee’s radar screen back in 2017 when it acquired AudioVisual Design Group (AVDG), a multi-regional integration group that to me seemed an odd fit with the mission of a struggling mass market musical instrument dealer. In 2020, Guitar Center filed for bankruptcy but has since exited on court approval of a new operating plan.
Voxx International Corporation (Nasdaq: VOXX) announced the financial results for its second quarter and first half of Fiscal 2025 on Thursday after the close of markets. The company, which is in the middle of a major transformation of its business, hailed the results in which it has dramatically cut the level of its total and net debt, and finished with a small net income after several quarters of net losses.
But these positive results were generated at the expense of net sales which continue to decline.
Masimo Corporation’s [Nasdaq: MASI] 2024 Annual Stockholders Meeting concluded yesterday, September 19, 2024, to the surprising news that the battle for control of the company’s Board of Directors was over…and there’s a new sheriff in town. According to a public statement released from Politan, activist investor Quentin Koffey, and his Politan Capital Management group’s nominated candidates, both won election to the two open Board seats – guaranteeing that the new independent directors are a majority of…and control…the Board.
Investors reacted to the news…and it was a strong reaction.
