NEW YORK, Oct. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Colony Credit Real Estate, Inc. (“Colony Credit” or the “Company”) (NYSE: CLNC) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the Central District of California, and docketed under 20-cv-08305, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise, acquired the common stock of Colony Credit pursuant and/or traceable to the Company’s false and/or misleading Registration Statement and Prospectus (collectively, the “Registration Statement”) issued in connection with the combination of Colony NorthStar, Inc. (“Colony NorthStar”) and NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (“NorthStar I”) and NorthStar Real Estate Income II, Inc. (“NorthStar II”) on or about February 1, 2018 (the “Merger”), seeking to pursue remedies under Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”).
If you are a shareholder who purchased Colony Credit securities during the class period, you have until November 9, 2020, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.
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Colony Credit is a commercial real estate (“CRE”) credit real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that purports to manage a diversified portfolio of CRE senior mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, debt securities, and net leased properties predominantly in the U.S.
The Company’s common stock was registered with the SEC in connection with the Merger. Following the Merger, Colony Credit’s common stock was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) without an initial public offering: stockholders of NorthStar I received 0.3532 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for each share of NorthStar I common stock they owned; and stockholders of NorthStar II received 0.3511 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for each share of NorthStar II common stock they owned.
The Registration Statement was materially false and misleading and omitted to state: (i) that the credit quality of certain of the Company’s assets had deteriorated prior to the Merger and were continuing to deteriorate at the time of the Merger; (ii) that certain of the Company’s loans, including four loans of approximately $261 million related to a New York hotel, were substantially impaired, there was insufficient collateral to secure the loans, and it was unlikely that the loans would be repaid; (iii) that, as a result, the valuation attributed to certain of the Company’s assets was overstated; (iv) that certain of the assets contributed as part of the Merger were of substantially lower value than reflected in the Company’s financial statements and the Registration Statement; (v) that, as a result, the Company’s financial condition, including its book value, was materially overstated; and (vi) that, as a result of the foregoing, the positive statements in the Registration Statement about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
On August 8, 2019, Colony Credit issued a press release to report its second-quarter 2019 financial results, in which it reported a $119 million provision for loan losses.
On this news, the Company’s share price fell $2.00 per share, or more than 12%, over two consecutive trading sessions to close at $14.05 per share on August 12, 2019.
On November 8, 2019, the Company announced a portfolio bifurcation of certain assets and disclosed a $127 million provision for loan losses.
On this news, the Company’s share price fell $2.50 per share, or nearly 18%, to close at $11.75 per share on November 8, 2019.
As of the date of the filing of this complaint, Colony Credit’s shares last closed at $5.40 per share, representing a more than 78% decline from the $25 book value per share valued at the time of the Merger.
The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com .
CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 7980
