Clarivate Plc

On December 27, 2021, Clarivate disclosed that previous financial reports “should no longer be relied upon because of an error in such financial statements.” The Company specified that the error relates “to the treatment under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (‘GAAP’) relating to an equity plan included in the CPA Global business combination, which was consummated on October 1, 2020 (‘the CPA Global Transaction’). In the affected financial statements, certain awards made by CPA Global under its equity plan were incorrectly included as part of the acquisition accounting for the CPA Global Transaction.”

On this news, Clarivate’s stock fell $1.70, or 6.9%, to close at $22.78 per share on December 28, 2021, thereby injuring investors.

The complaint filed alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Clarivate maintained defective disclosure controls and procedures as a result of a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting; (2) the foregoing material weakness was not limited to how the Company accounted for warrants; (3) as a result, Clarivate failed to properly account for an equity plan included in its acquisition of CPA Global; (4) accordingly, the Company was reasonably likely to restate one or more of its previously issued financial statements following its acquisition of CPA Global; and (5) as a result, Defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.