上周,在GameStop史诗一般的上涨过程中,做空机构遭受重创,行业资深人士、香橼研究公司创始人安德鲁•莱福特甚至因此放弃了高风险的卖空行为。
但现在就断定空头已经出局依然为时尚早。
周四,做空研究机构兴登堡研究(Hindenburg Research)发布了一份重磅报告,矛头直指知名风险投资者、“特殊目的收购公司(SPAC)”之王查玛斯•帕里哈皮迪亚参与投资的健康科技初创公司Clover Health。被该健康保险公司列作投资者的还包括谷歌母公司Alphabet,前总统克林顿之女切尔西•克林顿则是该公司的董事会成员。
去年,兴登堡研究因踢爆电动汽车初创企业尼古拉而声名鹊起,这一次,该机构则将做空的矛头指向了Clover Health,指控该公司在上月的SPAC上市交易准备阶段“与其来自华尔街的名人推手查玛斯•帕里哈皮迪亚在该公司业务的许多关键问题上误导了投资者。”
具体而言,该报告指控Clover Health未向投资者披露“其商业模式,也未向投资者披露所谓的‘Clover Assistant’软件服务正在接受美国司法部调查的事实,根据我们获得的民事调查协查要求(Civil Investigative Demand,类似于传票),相关调查至少涉及12项问题,包括回扣问题、营销方式、未披露第三方交易等等。”
兴登堡报告于2月5日股市开盘前约一小时发布,甫一开盘,Clover Health股价应声而落,大跌15%,随后有所回升。
在被《财富》问及兴登堡报告中的指控时,Clover Health表示将在“未来几个小时内”发表评论。而帕里哈皮迪亚的发言人则并未回应《财富》的置评请求。
@查玛斯
在散户投资者、特别是Reddit族群眼中,帕里哈皮迪亚俨然是像“人民英雄”一般的存在。不出所料,Clover Health的投资者及股票观察人士周四纷纷在Twitter上敦促帕里哈皮迪亚发表自己的观点,如此做法显然是为了给直线下跌的股价提供支撑。他们还试图争取其他日内交易者的支持,希望后者买入该公司股票,而这么做显然是为了引发股价反弹,挤出空头。
不过这种策略也有一个很严重的问题,那就是兴登堡研究目前并未参与Clover Health股票的交易。
兴登堡研究在报告中写道:“我们认为,在当前的市场环境中,让民众了解做空机构在揭露欺诈和公司渎职方面所扮演的角色更为重要,因而我们并未参与Clover Health的股票交易,既未做多也未做空。”该机构所传达出的信息是:在当前这样一个散户投资者与做空投资者彼此充满敌意的环境中,兴登堡研究更愿意扮演“吹哨人”的角色,而不是加仓进场,赚取收益。
兴登堡研究的突然袭击让许多Twitter用户大受震动。一位Twitter用户在兴登堡研究有关该报告的推文下回复到:“你们说自己并未参与Clover Health股票的交易,那你们花这么多钱和时间做这件事的动机是什么?”
Clover Health去年秋季被帕里哈皮迪亚旗下的特殊目的收购公司Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings III收购,今年1月8日,仍处于亏损状态的Clover Health成功上市,就此成为帕里哈皮迪亚旗下第三家通过特殊并购成功上市的公司。
支持弱者
作为Facebook的前任高管和持续投资者,帕里哈皮迪亚已成为支持散户投资者的重要代表,他曾多次提醒自己在Twitter上的120万粉丝应当对华尔街保持警惕。他还利用自己的平台多次对短线交易者的另一个死敌——做空机构发起进攻。
巴菲特曾说:在市场上,时机不重要,时间才重要。
随着个人持有股票时间的增长,资本利得税应当降低,每年降低20%,持有5年后降至0%。以此对长期投资进行激励。
— Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) 2021年1月31日
在上周四的报告中,兴登堡指出,在许多地方,该公司与帕里哈皮迪亚拥有相同的理念,报告中写道:
“对于查马斯的一些观点,我们完全赞同:1.华尔街是一个腐败、龌龊的地方……2.市场一出现问题华尔街的银行家和高管就会跳出来呼吁救助和监管,只想着通过疏通关系牟取利益……3.人民不应受到审查。”
但兴登堡研究创始人内森•安德森并不赞同帕里哈皮迪亚对特殊目的收购公司价值的看法。
特殊目的收购公司由于受到的监管相对较少,已逐渐成为牛市中快速筹集大笔资金的首选途径。据高盛介绍,在去年创下全新记录之后,今年迄今为止,特殊目的收购公司的IPO数量和募资金额都已超过传统IPO。高盛在最近的一份研究报告中写道,“2021年前三周,新上SPAC IPO项目共56个,共募集资金160亿美元,而传统IPO仅为9个,共筹集资金约40亿美元。”
去年安德森曾对《财富》表示,他担心这股SPAC热潮或许会使劣质企业借机上市,而不知情的投资者则可能会因此蒙受损失。
兴登堡研究声称,Clover Health便是这样一家劣质企业。
兴登堡研究在报告中写道:”虽然查马斯在不遗余力地打造自己恪尽职守、深谙华尔街内幕的形象,但经过4个月的调查,我们还是发现,Clover Health本身便是建立在谎言之上,并且为了误导客户、投资者、客户和医务人员,该公司不惜利用一切机会挑战规则底线甚至违反规则。”(财富中文网)
译者:梁宇
审校:夏林
上周,在GameStop史诗一般的上涨过程中,做空机构遭受重创,行业资深人士、香橼研究公司创始人安德鲁•莱福特甚至因此放弃了高风险的卖空行为。
但现在就断定空头已经出局依然为时尚早。
周四,做空研究机构兴登堡研究(Hindenburg Research)发布了一份重磅报告,矛头直指知名风险投资者、“特殊目的收购公司(SPAC)”之王查玛斯•帕里哈皮迪亚参与投资的健康科技初创公司Clover Health。被该健康保险公司列作投资者的还包括谷歌母公司Alphabet,前总统克林顿之女切尔西•克林顿则是该公司的董事会成员。
去年,兴登堡研究因踢爆电动汽车初创企业尼古拉而声名鹊起,这一次,该机构则将做空的矛头指向了Clover Health,指控该公司在上月的SPAC上市交易准备阶段“与其来自华尔街的名人推手查玛斯•帕里哈皮迪亚在该公司业务的许多关键问题上误导了投资者。”
具体而言,该报告指控Clover Health未向投资者披露“其商业模式,也未向投资者披露所谓的‘Clover Assistant’软件服务正在接受美国司法部调查的事实,根据我们获得的民事调查协查要求(Civil Investigative Demand,类似于传票),相关调查至少涉及12项问题,包括回扣问题、营销方式、未披露第三方交易等等。”
兴登堡报告于2月5日股市开盘前约一小时发布,甫一开盘,Clover Health股价应声而落,大跌15%,随后有所回升。
在被《财富》问及兴登堡报告中的指控时,Clover Health表示将在“未来几个小时内”发表评论。而帕里哈皮迪亚的发言人则并未回应《财富》的置评请求。
@查玛斯
在散户投资者、特别是Reddit族群眼中,帕里哈皮迪亚俨然是像“人民英雄”一般的存在。不出所料,Clover Health的投资者及股票观察人士周四纷纷在Twitter上敦促帕里哈皮迪亚发表自己的观点,如此做法显然是为了给直线下跌的股价提供支撑。他们还试图争取其他日内交易者的支持,希望后者买入该公司股票,而这么做显然是为了引发股价反弹,挤出空头。
不过这种策略也有一个很严重的问题,那就是兴登堡研究目前并未参与Clover Health股票的交易。
兴登堡研究在报告中写道:“我们认为,在当前的市场环境中,让民众了解做空机构在揭露欺诈和公司渎职方面所扮演的角色更为重要,因而我们并未参与Clover Health的股票交易,既未做多也未做空。”该机构所传达出的信息是:在当前这样一个散户投资者与做空投资者彼此充满敌意的环境中,兴登堡研究更愿意扮演“吹哨人”的角色,而不是加仓进场,赚取收益。
兴登堡研究的突然袭击让许多Twitter用户大受震动。一位Twitter用户在兴登堡研究有关该报告的推文下回复到:“你们说自己并未参与Clover Health股票的交易,那你们花这么多钱和时间做这件事的动机是什么?”
Clover Health去年秋季被帕里哈皮迪亚旗下的特殊目的收购公司Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings III收购,今年1月8日,仍处于亏损状态的Clover Health成功上市,就此成为帕里哈皮迪亚旗下第三家通过特殊并购成功上市的公司。
支持弱者
作为Facebook的前任高管和持续投资者,帕里哈皮迪亚已成为支持散户投资者的重要代表,他曾多次提醒自己在Twitter上的120万粉丝应当对华尔街保持警惕。他还利用自己的平台多次对短线交易者的另一个死敌——做空机构发起进攻。
巴菲特曾说:在市场上,时机不重要,时间才重要。
随着个人持有股票时间的增长,资本利得税应当降低,每年降低20%,持有5年后降至0%。以此对长期投资进行激励。
— Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) 2021年1月31日
在上周四的报告中,兴登堡指出,在许多地方,该公司与帕里哈皮迪亚拥有相同的理念,报告中写道:
“对于查马斯的一些观点,我们完全赞同:1.华尔街是一个腐败、龌龊的地方……2.市场一出现问题华尔街的银行家和高管就会跳出来呼吁救助和监管,只想着通过疏通关系牟取利益……3.人民不应受到审查。”
但兴登堡研究创始人内森•安德森并不赞同帕里哈皮迪亚对特殊目的收购公司价值的看法。
特殊目的收购公司由于受到的监管相对较少,已逐渐成为牛市中快速筹集大笔资金的首选途径。据高盛介绍,在去年创下全新记录之后,今年迄今为止,特殊目的收购公司的IPO数量和募资金额都已超过传统IPO。高盛在最近的一份研究报告中写道,“2021年前三周,新上SPAC IPO项目共56个,共募集资金160亿美元,而传统IPO仅为9个,共筹集资金约40亿美元。”
去年安德森曾对《财富》表示,他担心这股SPAC热潮或许会使劣质企业借机上市,而不知情的投资者则可能会因此蒙受损失。
兴登堡研究声称,Clover Health便是这样一家劣质企业。
兴登堡研究在报告中写道:”虽然查马斯在不遗余力地打造自己恪尽职守、深谙华尔街内幕的形象,但经过4个月的调查,我们还是发现,Clover Health本身便是建立在谎言之上,并且为了误导客户、投资者、客户和医务人员,该公司不惜利用一切机会挑战规则底线甚至违反规则。”(财富中文网)
译者:梁宇
审校:夏林
Short-sellers took a beating in last week’s epic GameStop rally, resulting in one of the elder statesmen of the trade, Andrew Left of Citron Research, stepping away from the high-risk practice of betting against stocks.
But don’t count the shorts out just yet.
On Thursday, short-activist research firm Hindenburg Research published a blistering report targeting Clover Health, the health-tech startup backed by prominent venture capitalist and so-called King of SPACs, Chamath Palihapitiya. The health insurer also counts Google parent Alphabet as an investor; Chelsea Clinton sits on the board.
Hindenburg, best known for its takedown last year of EV startup Nikola, charges Clover Health “and its Wall Street celebrity promoter, Chamath Palihapitiya, misled investors about critical aspects of Clover’s business in the run-up to the company’s SPAC go-public transaction last month.”
Specifically, the report accuses the Nasdaq-listed Clover Health (ticker: CLOV) of failing to disclose “that its business model and its software offering, called the Clover Assistant, are under active investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which is investigating at least 12 issues ranging from kickbacks to marketing practices to undisclosed third-party deals, according to a Civil Investigative Demand (similar to a subpoena) we obtained.”
Shares in Clover Health fell 15% at the open of trading today, about an hour after the Hindenburg report went public, before recovering some.
Asked by Fortune to address the allegations in the report, Clover Health said it would provide a comment “in the next few hours.” A spokesperson for Palihapitiya, meanwhile, did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
@Chamath
Palihapitiya has become something of a populist hero to retail investors, particularly the Reddit brigade. Sure enough, Clover Health investors and stock watchers took to Twitter on Thursday to urge Palihapitiya to give his side of the story, ostensibly to support the stock price amid a free fall. They also sought to martial investor support from fellow day traders to buy into the stock, evidently to trigger a rally, and squeeze out the shorts.
There was one big problem with that tactic: Hindenburg has zero exposure to Clover Health at the moment.
“We have no position (short or long) in Clover Health because we think in this moment for public markets, it is more important for people to understand the role short sellers play in exposing fraud and corporate malfeasance,” Hindenburg wrote in the report. The point: In this climate of hostility between retail investors and the short investor community, Hindenburg would rather send a message than pad out its portfolio.
That curveball seemed to unsettle some of the Twitter masses. “You state you have no position in $CLOV,” one Twitter user replied to Hindenburg’s tweet about the report. “What is your motivation to put so much money and time into such a report?”
The loss-making Clover Health went public on Jan. 8. after the company was acquired by Palihapitiya’s special purpose acquisition company, Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings III last autumn. Clover Health is the third of Palihapitiya’s SPACs to go public.
Supporting the little guy
Palihapitiya, the former Facebook executive and serial investor, has emerged as a prominent voice in support of retail investors, repeatedly warning his 1.2 million Twitter followers that they are right to be wary of Wall Street. He’s also used his platform to go on the offensive against short-sellers, another target of day traders’ ire.
Buffett once said: It’s not about timing the market, it’s about time in market.
There should be a step down in capital gains tax for individuals as they hold stocks. 20% per year decrease in cap gains tax. 0% after a five year hold period. Incentivize long term behavior.
— Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) January 31, 2021
In Thursday’s report, Hindenburg pointed out in numerous places where it shares the same philosophy as Palihapitiya, writing:
“Chamath has expressed views we wholeheartedly agree with: 1. Wall Street is a corrupt cesspool…2. When things go south, bankers and executives cry for bailouts and regulation to stack the deck…3. People should not be censored.”
Where Palihapitiya and Hindenburg founder Nathan Anderson remain far apart is on the value of SPACs.
Lesser-scrutinized SPACs have become the favored vehicle to raise big money on the quick in a bull market. According to Goldman Sachs, SPACs have outnumbered traditional IPOs in both number and heft so far this year—that’s after a record 2020. “During the first three weeks of 2021,” Goldman wrote in a recent research note, “SPAC IPO proceeds have totaled $16 billion across 56 new SPAC IPOs while just $4 billion was raised across nine traditional IPOs.”
Anderson told Fortune last year he worries that the billions raised in the SPAC boom could create an investment climate where dodgy businesses go public and unwitting investors get burned.
Hindenburg alleges one such company is Clover Health.
“While Chamath has seemingly taken every opportunity available to present himself as a beacon of rigorous due diligence and Wall Street know-how, our 4-month investigation led us to conclude that Clover Health’s culture is rooted in deception and has taken every opportunity to push or break the rules to mislead its customers, investors, and Medicare,” Hindenburg writes.