NEW YORK, Oct. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Nikola Corporation (“Nikola” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: NKLA) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and docketed under 20-cv-04354, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise, acquired Nikola securities between June 4, 2020, and September 9, 2020, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants’ violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.
If you are a shareholder who purchased Nikola securities during the class period, you have until November 16, 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.
[Click here for information about joining the class action]
Nikola purports to operate as an integrated zero-emissions transportation systems provider. The Company purports to design and manufacture battery-electric and hydrogen-electric vehicles, electric vehicle drivetrains, vehicle components, energy storage systems, and hydrogen fueling station infrastructure. The Company also purports to develop electric vehicle solutions for military and outdoor recreational applications. Nikola was founded in 2015 by Defendant Trevor Milton (“Milton”), and in June 2020, the Company’s securities began trading publicly after the execution of a reverse merger with VectoIQ Acquisition Corp.
The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Defendant Milton had repeatedly misrepresented and/or exaggerated Nikola’s financial, technological, and operational profile; (ii) the foregoing misrepresentations were intended to, and did, present a materially false image of the Company’s growth and success, thereby artificially inflating the Company’s stock price; (iii) the foregoing misrepresentations were foreseeably likely to subject the Company to enhanced regulatory scrutiny and/or enforcement, along with reputational harm when the truth came to light; and (iv) as a result, the Company’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
On September 10, 2020, Hindenburg Research (“Hindenburg”) published a report entitled, “Nikola: How to Parlay An Ocean of Lies Into a Partnership With the Largest Auto OEM in America” (the “Hindenburg Report” or the “Report”). Asserting that it had gathered “extensive evidence—including recorded phone calls, text messages, private emails, and behind-the-scenes photographs,” Hindenburg represented that it had identified “dozens of false statements by” Milton, which had led Hindenburg to conclude that Nikola “is an intricate fraud built on dozen of lies over the course of . . . Milton’s career.” Defendant Milton made these misrepresentations, the Report asserted, to substantially grow the Company and secure partnerships with top auto companies.
On this news, Nikola’s stock price fell $4.80 per share, or 11.33%, to close at $37.57 per share on September 10, 2020.
Then, on September 14, 2020, after the market had closed, Bloomberg reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) was investigating Nikola to assess the merits of the Hindenburg Report.
Finally, on September 15, 2020, during intra-day trading, the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States Department of Justice had joined the SEC’s investigation of Nikola.
On this news, Nikola’s stock fell an additional $0.17 per share during intra-day trading, to close at $32.83 on September 15, 2020, an 8.27% decline from its previous close on September 14, 2020.
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
