BENSALEM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased Qutoutiao Inc. (“Qutoutiao” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: QTT): (a) American Depositary Shares (“ADSs” or “shares”) pursuant and/or traceable to the Company’s September 2018 initial public offering (“IPO” or the “Offering”); and/or (b) securities between September 14, 2018 and July 15, 2020, inclusive (the “Class Period”).Qutoutiao investors have until October 19, 2020 to file a lead plaintiff motion.
Investors suffering losses on their Qutoutiao investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com.
In September 2018, the Company completed its IPO, selling 13.8 million ADSs at $7.00 per share.
On December 10, 2019, Wolfpack Research published a report, alleging among other things, that the Company had overstated its revenues by recording non-existent advances from advertising customers. Moreover, the report alleged that Qutoutiao replaced its third-party advertising agent with a related party, thereby bypassing the agent’s oversight and allowing the Company to “perpetrate the unmitigated ad fraud that [Wolfpack] observed in [its] sample.”
On this news, the Company’s share price fell $0.12, nearly 4%, to close at $2.86 per share on December 11, 2019, on unusually heavy trading volume
On July 15, 2020, hosts of a consumer rights gala stated that Qutoutiao had allowed ads on its platform promoting exaggerated or impossible claims from weight-loss products. For example, one such ad offered free weight-loss products valued at $14,300 that would help users lose more than 30 pounds a month.
On this news, the Company’s share price fell $0.85, or 23%, to close at $2.84 per share on July 16, 2020, on unusually heavy trading volume.
The complaint filed in this class action alleges that Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Qutoutiao replaced its advertising agent with a related party, thereby bypassing third-party oversight of the content and quality of the advertisements; (2) that the Company placed advertisements on its mobile app for products whose claims could not be substantiated and thus were considered false advertisements under applicable regulations; (3) that, as a result, the Company would face increasing regulatory scrutiny and reputational harm; (4) that, as a result, the Company’s advertising revenue was reasonably likely to decline; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
If you purchased Qutoutiao securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.
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