** Shares of Xponential Fitness Inc XPOF.N drops nearly 19%,
plunging to record low of $8.62 on Mon, after disclosing a
recently received request from Securities and Exchange
Commission to provide certain documents
** Stock is on track for its biggest daily pct decline since
June this year and was last down 12.3% at $9.30
** Co says it was contacted by SEC on Dec. 5 and it "intends
to cooperate fully with the SEC in this matter"
** "The Company is making this disclosure at this time in
order to provide an update regarding a press inquiry about the
SEC contacting the Company, whereby the Company responded to the
press inquiry before it had actually been contacted by the SEC,"
according to a regulatory filing
** Co says it would provide no further information "until it
believes there is a material development that warrants public
disclosure"
** A Bloomberg report last week says XPOF deliberately misled
individual investors about the financial strength of its
franchisees, including brands such as Pure Barre, CycleBar, Club
Pilates, Row House, Rumble Boxing
** Median PT of 13 analysts covering XPOF is $27, down from
$28 a month ago, and their current recommendation is "buy", per
LSEG data
** XPOF was the subject of a short-seller attack by Fuzzy
Panda Research, claiming co was hiding that its brands and
franchisees were struggling. The stock plunged 37% on Jun 27
after the report
** With today's move, XPOF is now down ~60% YTD
(Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York)
((Chibuike.Oguh@thomsonreuters.com; +332-219-1834; Reuters
Messaging: chibuike.oguh.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))