Woolworths faces class action on downgrade
WOOLWORTHS is facing a potential $100 million class action launched on behalf of investors whose shares lost value following a shock 2015 profit downgrade by the supermarket giant.
The class action, brought by lawyers Maurice Blackburn, alleges Woolworths breached continuous disclosure obligations and engaged in misleading conduct by giving profit guidance that couldn’t be met.
Woolworths advised the market in February, 2015, that it would not meet its 2014-15 profit guidance, wiping nearly nine per cent, or $3.03 cents, off its share price on one day of trading.
The company downgraded its profit growth forecasts from a range of four to seven per cent to a much lower 1.8 to 6.6 per cent, on the back of plans to boost investment in its core supermarkets business.
Shares slid another seven per cent over two days in May when Woolworths revealed it would have to invest an additional $500 million in lowering its prices to meet heightened competition, including from newcomer Aldi.
Lead plaintiff in the class action Norman Wills, in a statement issued by Maurice Blackburn, said he used to think Woolworths was one of the most reliable businesses on the ASX.
“It looks like (Woolworths) has failed to inform the market of what was going on within the company. I’m really disappointed in the way the company behaved and Woolworths needs to be held to account,” Mr Willis said .
Maurice Blackburn an- nounced it would pursue a class action on behalf of shareholders in April 2017 but it was delayed after financial backer IMF Bentham pulled out.
It filed the case with the Federal Court on Monday supported by International Litigation Funding Partners.
In a statement to the ASX, Woolworths said it would thoroughly defend itself against any proceedings.