Strategy in TECH...
The long-awaited closing of Masimo Corp.’s (NASDAQ: MASI) sale of Sound United (formerly Masimo Consumer) to Harman International, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, has been formally completed. Both parties of the transaction put out their own separate announcements, with Masimo’s version quite short and perfunctory, while Harman’s gave little more than an inkling of what is to become of Sound United.
Crestron Electronics, a leading smart home and automation brand in residential and commercial custom integration, is introducing several exciting new products at CEDIA Expo 2025, such as new Cameo keypads, Horizon keypads, and the very cool-looking Cevo Mini Remote. But by far, my favorite launch is the Crestron Home Configure Pro system configuration tool.
I wrote last week about the sudden announcement from Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) that director Bill Jellison had resigned his position on the board, a position he had held for less than a year. What was remarkable about the Masimo announcement was not so much because of what it said – rather, even more mysterious was what it didn’t say – with no clue offered as to why or under what circumstances this resignation occurred.
Now we know more…and it is big! Former director William “Bill” Jellison is one of two new directors at Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), one of Masimo’s biggest competitors in the pulse oximetry segment.
AVPro Global Holdings, LLC – parent company of AVPro Edge, AudioControl Pro, RTI, Murideo, Bullet Train, and ThenAudio – has been officially recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The magazine has officially placed AVPro Global on its annual list of fast-growing companies known as – the Inc. 5000.
On Monday, in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) informed regulators that William Jellison, a member of the Masimo Board of Directors, has resigned his position as of that same day. No reason was offered as to why Jellison chose to leave his relatively new role with the company, presenting us all with a bit of a mystery.
Multiple sources over the last several weeks have reported that LG Electronics has decided not to exhibit at the upcoming 2025 CEDIA Expo, which begins in less than three weeks at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. While many industry people appear to be aware of this fact, most have no idea why the leading TV maker has made this decision.
Making what it calls a “renewed commitment to the American market,” Hamburg, Germany-based Velodyne Acoustics announced today that it has appointed Playback Distribution as its exclusive distributor for the U.S. market. The new partnership will kick off at the upcoming CEDIA Expo in Denver, CO, on September 4-6, 2025.
Sonos, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONO) released its financial results for the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2025, which included a double-digit percentage revenue decline and a significant net loss in the millions of dollars. Yet Sonos management declared victory with new CEO Tom Conrad calling the quarter a “…solid step forward for Sonos,” and CFO Saori Casey joining in by saying, “Q3 was another quarter of solid execution…”
Are we watching the same movie here?
After markets closed on Tuesday, Masimo Corporation [Nasdaq: MASI] released its results for the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2025, and to my eyes, they looked really solid. Revenues grew by a respectable 8%, operating profits grew by 54%(!), operating margins improved by 520 basis points (that’s 5.2% more than last year), and earnings per share shot up an eye-popping 78%(!) What’s not to like?
Yet on Wednesday, the first trading day after these results were announced, the value of MASI shares actually dropped 12%! What?!?!
Sonos, Inc. [Nasdaq: SONO] announced today that its Board of Directors has decided to appoint Tom Conrad – current Interim CEO – as the new official Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Conrad, who was a member of the Board of Directors when it chose to dismiss previous CEO Patrick Spence, was named as the Interim CEO back in January.
