Strategy in TECH...
The relationship between Samsung and its largest union is rapidly deteriorating and suddenly, a strike called by the union initially more for show than impact, has turned very serious. That means that as the union progresses its tactics, the impact on production is likely to quickly reach the point that it will be felt by the company and all of its customers.
Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: Masi) announced on Tuesday that it has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court in California against Politan Capital Management and CIO Quentin Koffey, asking the court for an injunction to force Politan “to correct material misstatements and omissions”…in its “proxy materials.” It also says it has set a new date for its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, with a new record date, “to ensure that the vote of the Company’s stockholders is fair and fully informed.” That move is clearly in reaction to evidence uncovered by Politan of a legal but ethically questionable move called “empty voting” in an apparent attempt by an individual who is a friend of Joe Kiani to swing the vote in management’s favor – a move that Politan says would disenfranchise investors who voted.
In other Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) news this week (other than its raging proxy war, that is), the company released its Fiscal 2024 second-quarter revenue performance, and results were quite mixed between its two major divisions – Masimo Healthcare & Masimo Non-Healthcare (aka Masimo Consumer, the Sound United business). The company doesn’t always release preliminary data, but when they do it is typically just a few top-line numbers.
But this particular preliminary report was surprising for the amazing lack of information offered on its Consumer business unit results.
Every day brings us closer to the Masimo 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders scheduled for July 25th…and virtually every day also brings us more Masimo madness. The proxy war for two seats on the Board of Directors being fought between the company management and activist investor Politan Capital Management continues to heat up. Consequently, we learn new things every week, some of which can be disturbing. This week is no exception as we discover: 1) the company publishes letters from employees that suggest they may all quit; 2) the Joint Venture Partner interested in buying a majority stake in Sound United has offered terms that specify a price range it is willing to pay; and 3) Politan has filed paperwork with the SEC that includes a letter to the Masimo Board of Directors claiming it has detected voting irregularities known as “empty voting.”
The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) announced on Monday that it will launch a general strike against Samsung that will continue until the company meets its demands for better pay and more time off, according to a report by Reuters. The union went on to warn “of [a] more damaging action” against the company than a one-day walkout last month.
In a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Masimo Corporation (Nasdaq: MASI) reveals that Bilal Muhsin, its Chief Operating Officer (COO) has sent a conditional letter of resignation to the Board of Directors. The move is yet another escalation in the proxy war for control of the company between Masimo management and activist investment group Politan Capital Management – one of the company’s largest shareholders that already holds two seats on its Board.
The annual Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI) shareholder meeting is now just four weeks away, and on Wednesday we saw a blizzard of proxy filings by both Masimo management and activist investor Politan Capital Management. The gloves are off and the pugilists are swinging. But how is this fight shaping up? Who has the upper hand?
In yet another sign of mega changes in the electronics industry, news comes to us out of Japan via the Nikkei that Sharp Corp. – a division of Apple supplier Foxconn – is in negotiation to sell off a majority of the property and factory associated with its largest LCD panel manufacturing facility in Japan. That news alone surprised many in Japan, as Sharp has been a world leader in developing LCD TVs, but also surprising is that it would choose to sell this facility, a flagship for them in Sakai, a coastal city in Osaka.
Also surprising, a bidding war has broken out as multiple big players seek to turn the factory into a data center for use in generative AI, a technology in which Japan feels it lags.
Resideo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: REZI), a manufacturer and distributor of security and related products for business and home – and soon to be the new owner of Snap One and Control4 – announced its fiscal 2024, first quarter financial results. Considering the looming event that will make Resideo an important partner to many in the custom integration business – the closing of its acquisition of Snap One/Control4 on Friday, June 14, 2024 – I am launching a more detailed coverage of the company.
So…given that Resideo is about to spend $1.4 billion, or 20% of their gross revenues – to acquire Snap One, you’d think that things must be going really, really well for Resideo. But are they???
High-performance, affordable speaker manufacturer ELAC announced this week that it is launching its Debut 3.0 line of loudspeakers. The Debut 3.0, the company says, is the perfect blend of legendary ELAC sound performance in a style that is upgraded over some of its previous designs.
