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Voxx Drops Another 18.6% in Sales; Smaller Company Seeks More Profits & Less Debt

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Voxx reports Fiscal 2025 Q2 results

Onkyo, Integra, and Klipsch Owner Stops Bleeding in Profits But Not Sales

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.

See more on the results of the second quarter for Voxx

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Split Decision: A Masimo Win and an Apple Win in High Stakes Legal War

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An annotated illustration from a 2005 smartwatch patent discovered by Masimo containing technology like an Apple patent in 2021
An annotated copy of an illustration from a 2005 patent for a smartwatch (Kotanagi) containing the same or substantially similar technology that Apple was granted a patent for in 2021

While many things have changed in the wake of Joe Kiani’s exit from Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) – and many more changes are likely still to come – one thing continues on, the many lawsuits existing between Masimo and Apple Inc (Nasdaq: AAPL). And in the last few days, we have learned of two significant developments in that regard. One is a significant win for Masimo…and the other a significant win for Apple.

However, the war between these combatants continues…

[Read more…] about Split Decision: A Masimo Win and an Apple Win in High Stakes Legal War

Sonos Announces ‘New Commitments’ to Consumers; Analyst Issues Double Downgrade

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Sonos Ace headphones
Is she winking at me? Or wincing in the pain of Sonos’ problems?

Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) announced this week that it was issuing new quality and customer experience “commitments,” as it seeks to rebuild its deteriorating reputation in the wake of a disastrous app launch earlier this year that has caused many, if not most, Sonos systems to stop operating properly – if they operate at all. There has been tremendous upheaval among Sonos customers who have reacted angrily and negatively on Sonos-related message boards and other social media sites.

And now, just last week, Morgan Stanley analysts issued a rare “double downgrade” on Sonos shares – a significant ratings drop indicating that it expects the value of Sonos stock to underperform the market in the near- and mid-term future. Morgan Stanley’s analysis of why this double downgrade was necessary is pretty devastating.

See more on the Sonos slide and its attempts to turn things around

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Supply Chain Nightmares Return; Union Strikes at 36 Eastern & Gulf Ports

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The supply chain stressed by port strikes
Cargo ship loaded in New York container terminal at night viewed from Elizabeth NJ

On Tuesday this week, at precisely 12:01 a.m., 45,000 dockworkers in 36 ports up and down the East Coast and throughout the Gulf of Mexico went on strike. That sentence should send a shiver down your spine because, yes folks, a new supply chain nightmare has begun. This possibility has been on my radar screen for a couple of weeks, but I hesitated to write about it because I was hopeful that negotiations would yield a resolution that would prevent this nightmare from happening…and then I would have been accused of fear mongering.

But negotiations did not yield a solution…so here we are!

See more on a new supply chain nightmare

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Masimo: Elvis Has Left the Building; New Management Gets to Work

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Masimo headquarters in California

In a public press release and a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) revealed that CEO, Chairman and Founder Joe Kiani resigned his position as CEO on September 19, 2024, in the wake of learning that William Jellison and Darlene Solomon, both Politan nominees, had been elected to the Board of Directors by a decisive margin. The Board has appointed an interim CEO and launched a search for a new permanent CEO.

See all the latest Masimo news as a new day dawns at the company

[Read more…] about Masimo: Elvis Has Left the Building; New Management Gets to Work

The Vote is In, Politan Wins the Proxy War; Both Its Nominees are Elected to the Masimo Board

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Politan Board nominees who won their seats

As Politan Prevails, Board Chairman Joe Kiani Loses His Board Seat & Maybe More

It was a long bloody battle and the outcome was less predictable this time around, due to allegations of vote manipulation and a high intensity – if often misguided – vigorous defense put on by Masimo CEO Joe Kiani and his management team. But now we know the result – Masimo shareholders voted in both of the Politan-backed candidates for nomination to the Board in a sweeping win for activist investor Quentin Koffey and Politan Capital Management. Chairman Joe Kiani, on the other hand, lost his Board seat.

See more about the big changes coming to Masimo thanks to the win by Koffey and Politan

[Read more…] about The Vote is In, Politan Wins the Proxy War; Both Its Nominees are Elected to the Masimo Board

On Eve of Big Vote, Masimo & Politan Make One Last Pitch; Politan Sues Over Vote Manipulation

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Politan lawsuit against Masimo and RTW

Despite explosions going off everywhere all around the combatants, Masimo Corporation’s 2024 Annual Stockholders Meeting will in fact take place as rescheduled tomorrow, September 19, 2024. It has been a long and bloody battle to get to this point and it is not entirely clear who will prevail. But both sides took a last shot at reaching out to investors to try and gain their votes.

Politan’s swing was a little more powerful as it announced it would expand its lawsuit in the Delaware Court of the Chancery – with a new party to be sued, based on evidence it uncovered as part of Masimo’s lawsuit against it in California District Court.

See more on this last blast in the proxy war between Politan and Masimo

[Read more…] about On Eve of Big Vote, Masimo & Politan Make One Last Pitch; Politan Sues Over Vote Manipulation

Masimo Strikes Back: Judge Finds Politan & Koffey in Contempt of Court

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Masimo CEO Joe Kiani

Will Politan Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory?

Last Friday, just hours after I reported to you on what appeared to be a significant “win” for Politan Capital Management L.P. et. al. in its proxy battle with Masimo Corporation, a new ruling is handed down from U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna in which he holds Politan and its Chief Investment Officer Quentin Koffey in Contempt of Court based on a Masimo Ex Parte motion. Judge Selna’s ruling showed some real anger at Koffey and Politan and he has scheduled a new hearing on the sanctions to be administered in the matter, although at this moment, Masimo’s Annual Stockholders Meeting is scheduled to go ahead with its proxy vote this Thursday.

See the latest on this continuing heated battle

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BREAKING NEWS: Politan Wins…Court Denies Masimo Request for Preliminary Injunction

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Politan CIO Quentin Koffey

Politan Candidates & Proxy Vote Goes Forward Next Week; Masimo Demands a ‘Contempt’ Order

Late on Thursday, Politan announced that Judge James V. Selna of the U.S. District Court, Central District of California has denied Masimo’s request for a preliminary injunction in the matter of Masimo Corporation v. Politan Capital Management et.al. that sought to block Politan’s nominees for the Masimo Board of Directors. This is a big win for Quentin Koffey and Politan as it means that despite Masimo’s effort to disqualify its candidates, they remain eligible to run for the open Board positions and that the vote by investors can continue as planned at the Masimo 2024 Annual Stockholders Meeting, scheduled less than a week away, on Thursday, September 19, 2024.

Learn more about this big news in Masimo v. Politan

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Proposals That Build Themselves – See the Game-Changing ‘AI Proposals’ From Portal

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AI Proposals by Portal

Automated Proposals Built Literally in Minutes Before Your Eyes

Portal executives Kirk Chisholm and Josh Willits recently gave me a sneak preview at a dramatic new feature they have developed for Portal users that is a potential game changer for those seeking to increase companywide efficiency by streamlining an essential but time-consuming process all integrators face – building compelling, complete, and accurate proposals. With Portal’s new AI Proposals, your proposals practically build themselves – literally in seconds on simple installations or in a minute or two on more sophisticated projects.

AI Proposals is a new use for artificial intelligence (AI) with real-world consequences that benefit integrators and their clients.

Learn more about the all-new AI Proposals from Portal

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