Strategy in TECH...
For the last two days or so, I have been diligently attempting to find out what is going on at Masimo as the company’s main website – Masimo.com – has been down for at least the last 2½ days (as of the time of this writing on mid-day Thursday)! The only thing visitors find when they navigate to the site is the “be back shortly” message shown above, along with a Masimo logo above it.
Gentex Corporation (Nasdaq: GNTX), the new owner of Voxx, Premium Audio Company, Onkyo, Integra, and Klipsch reported the financial results for its first quarter of fiscal 2025 – the period that ended on March 31, 2025. Note that these results do not include the Voxx et. al. acquisition in its numbers, as that merger did not close until April 1, 2025. Gentex reported declines in sales, gross profit dollars, income from operations, and net income.
And all that happened before the new tariffs launched by the Trump administration took effect in full force.
On Tuesday, a Schedule 13G/A Form was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on behalf of former Masimo Corporation CEO Joe Kiani. The form is a “Statement of Ownership” and it is used to disclose the amount of ownership of top holders of public company stock. In this filing, Kiani reports to the SEC that he holds 13.2% of Masimo stock.
There’s just one problem…he doesn’t…
According to the latest Chinese customs data, outbound shipments in March increased by 12.4% year-over-year (YoY) far exceeding all previous estimates. In addition to that, first quarter GDP lept 5.4% in China, a huge increase over recent historical moves. It appears that exporters are seeking to beat the newly aggressive U.S. tariff policy by front-loading their needs.
The University of Michigan (U of M) has released a preliminary reading of its Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) for April and it shows a continuing and startling slide in consumer sentiment, dropping another double-digit percentage from last month’s reading. In fact, this preliminary reading for April is the second-lowest reading in consumer sentiment in the entire 73-year history of the survey!
Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) latest filing with the SEC continues to project an undeniable shift in style that is sure to please investors. The filing, a Schedule 14A (DEF14A) filing with information for shareholders in advance of the April 29, 2025, Annual Meeting of Stockholders, is absolutely stuffed with information on its new management, new goals, new policies, and new shareholder-friendly approach to running this business.
It also had plenty of tasty tidbits for those curious as to what is going on at the company.
On Wednesday, the Trump Administration unveiled its long-anticipated tariff policy, the details of which showed tariff rates turned out to be much higher than expected and a rollout plan that turned out to be much faster than expected. Overseas markets dropped as investors feared the onset of a trade war was brewing. Thursday morning, U.S. markets followed the rest of the world and saw stock values collapse in the wake of the announcement.
On Monday, March 31, 2025, Voxx International Corp. held a special meeting of stockholders who voted “overwhelmingly” in favor of the final closing of its acquisition by auto parts maker Gentex. According to an announcement by the company, “With all regulatory and stockholder approval obtained and all closing conditions met” the transaction is now closed and Gentex now owns Voxx lock, stock, and barrel.
Sonance has introduced an expansion to its very popular VX or Visual Experience line of architectural loudspeakers with a new Thin-Line Series. An ultra-thin option, the Thin-Line Series opens up even more installation opportunities for integrators, especially in space-challenged locations.
Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE: EEX), the parent company of Emerald Expositions, CEDIA Expo, and publications CEPro and Commercial Integrator, announced the financial results of its fourth quarter and full year of Fiscal 2024 earlier this month. Results showed modest revenue growth and a return to profitability as the COVID years continued to disappear in the rearview mirror. The company has acquired more shows in the first quarter and is feeling good about 2025.
Still, its reorganized Content segment continues to be troubled.
