{"id":41630,"date":"2020-03-20T12:54:58","date_gmt":"2020-03-20T16:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eresearch.com\/?p=41630"},"modified":"2020-05-26T15:45:49","modified_gmt":"2020-05-26T19:45:49","slug":"cannabis-update-lay-offs-facility-closures-write-downs-u-s-exchange-delisting-and-retail-store-closures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eresearch.com\/2020\/03\/20\/eresearch-reports\/analyst-articles\/cannabis-update-lay-offs-facility-closures-write-downs-u-s-exchange-delisting-and-retail-store-closures\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannabis Update: Lay Offs, Facility Closures, Write-downs, U.S. Exchange Delisting, and Retail Store Closures"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>e<\/em><\/strong>Research<\/strong> |<\/strong> The first established cannabis ETF, Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF (TSX: HMMJ)<\/strong>, has fallen almost 80% in share price in the past year due to overinflated expectations for demand coupled with failed executions from both cannabis companies and regulating governments in providing transparency and prudence.\n As the cannabis industry continues to fall short in meeting expectations, a multitude of negative material events have impacted businesses including: (1) layoffs and facility shut downs, (2) Goodwill write downs and impairments, (3) U.S. stock exchange de-listing, and (4) Cannabis retail store closures.<\/p>\n The cannabis industry has been on one of its largest down trends in its history mainly due to a misalignment of supply and demand. The Canadian cannabis market forecasted anywhere from C$5 billion to C$10 billion in sales for last year but due to several factors including inefficient government implementation and overestimations, the industry only recorded C$1.2 billion in sales.<\/p>\n Aggressive supply production for an overestimated market has made it difficult for companies to manage working capital and profitability. In addition, companies invested in developing high-cost indoor greenhouse facilities before federal regulations permitted low-cost outdoor cultivation. The combination of these factors has forced cannabis companies to cut employees, shut down facilities, and stop plans for future facilities.<\/p>\n Below are recent related events:<\/em><\/p>\n Market leaders in the cannabis industry were created through aggressive acquisitions and mergers, but the carrying value of both tangible and intangible assets of these companies have been sitting on balance sheets at valuations made when acquisition multiples were at its peak, resulting in many companies with total net asset values exceeding their market capitalization.<\/p>\n Accounting firms have been lenient with cannabis companies due to the uncertain nature of the new industry, but cannabis companies are now being pushed to take drastic measures to make sure their balance sheet and financials are in accordance to accounting regulations, including companies\u2019 assets being valued at a reasonably justified fair market value.<\/p>\n Below are recent related events:<\/em><\/p>\n The cannabis industry has been fueled by investment capital to develop new products and build production facilities, therefore several companies have been making an effort to list publicly on U.S. stock exchanges such as the NASDAQ and NYSE to achieve greater investor visibility and heightened Wall Street coverage.<\/p>\n Although listing on the U.S. stock exchanges come with many benefits and advantages, the NASDAQ and NYSE have strict standards, including a minimum share price of US$1 for a period of 30 consecutive days.<\/p>\n The already struggling cannabis industry has been further negatively impacted by the downturn of the global economy due to the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, resulting in several U.S. listed cannabis companies dropping below US$1.00\/share early this month.<\/p>\n Below are recent related events:<\/em><\/p>\n The Covid-19 virus, which has recently been labeled as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (\u201cWHO\u201d), is spreading globally, and economies are slowly locking down to contain the virus. This is affecting retail businesses of all industries as both the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (\u201cCDC\u201d) and the WHO recommend people stay at home.<\/p>\n In response to Covid-19, cannabis companies and governments have slowly been closing retail locations to support the collective effort of containing the virus.<\/p>\n Below are recent related events:<\/em><\/p>\n For Canadian cannabis companies, stock prices will continue to be under pressure as the overall market struggles to find footing amid the coronavirus crisis. Once the overall market recovers, cannabis company investors should focus on companies that are increasing sales quarter-over-quarter, improving margins, and posting positive cash flows, and companies with a solid balance sheet to weather any new black swans.<\/p>\n \/\/<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Aurora<\/B> lays off 500 employees and writes down $1B; Hexo<\/B> dismisses 200 employees and writes down $270M; Canopy<\/B> closes two facilities with 500 employees and stops plans for third facility; many U.S. listed cannabis companies fall under $1\/share; Canopy<\/B> closes all retail stores. [more]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":592,"featured_media":41634,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,100],"tags":[386,168,220,167,1466,169,313,432,1465,1464,398],"class_list":{"0":"post-41630","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-analyst-articles","8":"category-cannabis","9":"tag-aphria","10":"tag-aurora","11":"tag-canntrust","12":"tag-canopy","13":"tag-delta-9","14":"tag-hexo","15":"tag-hmmj","16":"tag-ianthus","17":"tag-p-e-i-cannabis","18":"tag-sundial-growers","19":"tag-tilray"},"yoast_head":"\nChart 1: Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF (TSX: HMMJ)<\/strong> vs. S&P 500<\/h4>\n
Lay Offs and Facility Shut Downs <\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Goodwill Write-downs and Impairments<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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U.S. Stock Exchange De-listing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Cannabis Retail Store Closures<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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