NEW YORK, March 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, reminds investors that class actions have been commenced on behalf of stockholders of Ebix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIX), Apache Corporation (NASDAQ: APA), MultiPlan Corporation (NYSE: MPLN), and AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc. (NYSE: UAVS). Stockholders have until the deadlines below to petition the court to serve as lead plaintiff. Additional information about each case can be found at the link provided.

Ebix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBIX)

Class Period: November 9, 2020 to February 19, 2021

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: April 23, 2021

On February 19, 2021, after the market closed, Ebix revealed that its independent auditor, RSM US LLP (“RSM”), resigned “as a result of being unable, despite repeated inquiries, to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence that would allow it to evaluate the business purpose of significant unusual transactions that occurred in the fourth quarter of 2020” related to the Company’s gift card business in India. RSM had also stated that there was a material weakness related to Ebix’s failure to design controls “over the gift or prepaid card revenue transaction cycle sufficient to prevent or detect a material misstatement.” In addition, Ebix and RSM disagreed over the accounting treatment of $30 million that had been transferred into a commingled trust account of Ebix’s outside legal counsel in December 2020.

On this news, the Company’s share price fell as much as $20.24, or approximately 40%, to close at $30.50 on February 22, 2021.

The complaint, filed on February 22, 2021, 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: (1) that there was insufficient audit evidence to determine the business purpose of certain significant unusual transactions in Ebix’s gift card business in India during the fourth quarter of 2020; (2) that there was a material weakness in Company’s internal controls over the gift or prepaid revenue transaction cycle; and (3) that the Company’s independent auditor was reasonably likely to resign over disagreements with Ebix regarding $30 million that had been transferred into a commingled trust account of Ebix’s outside legal counsel; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

For more information on the Ebix class action case go to: https://bespc.com/cases/EBIX

Apache Corporation (NASDAQ: APA)

Class Period: September 7, 2016 to March 13, 2020

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: April 26, 2021

The Class Period begins on September 7, 2016, when Apache, while under immense pressure to show results from its new strategy and reverse its lagging share price, announced the discovery of a new resource play called Alpine High.

Throughout the Class Period, the defendants claimed that Alpine High had valuable oil and gas reserves and promoted Alpine High as the centerpiece of its development business.

The truth about Alpine High and its lack of viability emerged in a series of disclosures between April 2019 and March 2020 that caused Apache’s stock price to decline over 83% from its Class Period high. 

Most recently, on March 16, 2020, a Seeking Alpha article published pre-market explained that Apache was particularly challenged amongst its peers, carrying “the highest debt-to-equity ratio among large-cap independent [exploration and production companies],” and noted that “[t]he company doesn’t have a strong balance sheet” and its “financial health isn’t great.” The article emphasized Apache’s “weak balance sheet marked by high levels of debt” of over $8 billion in 2019, “which translates into a lofty debt-to-equity ratio of almost 250% - the highest among all large-cap independent oil producers.” Regarding Alpine High, the article observed that low gas prices “forced Apache to shift capital away from the wet-gas rich Alpine High play which has been driving the company’s production growth.” The article also noted that “Apache also reduced Alpine High’s value by $1.4 billion.”

Following this news, Apache’s stock price fell $3.61 per share, or approximately 45%, over two trading days, from a close of $8.07 per share on March 13, 2020, to close at $4.46 per share on March 17, 2020.

For more information on the Apache class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/APA

Multiplan Corporation (NYSE: MPLN)

Class Period: Securities purchased between July 12, 2020 and November 10, 2020, inclusive (the “Class Period”) and all holders of Churchill III Class A common stock entitled to vote on Churchill III’s merger with and acquisition of Polaris Parent Corp. and its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, “MultiPlan”), which was consummated in October 2020 (the “Merger”).

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: April 26, 2021

Churchill III is a blank check company that merged with MultiPlan, a healthcare cost specialist.

In July 2020, Churchill III announced that it had entered into a preliminary agreement, subject to shareholder approval, to merge with MultiPlan. MultiPlan is a New York-based data analytics end-to-end cost management solutions provider to the U.S. healthcare industry.

The Multiplan class action lawsuit alleges that defendants made materially false and misleading statements in connection with the Merger and during the Class Period regarding the business, operation, and prospects of MultiPlan.

On November 11, 2020 – only one month after the close of the Merger – Muddy Waters published a report on Churchill III titled “MultiPlan: Private Equity Necrophilia Meets The Great 2020 Money Grab” (the “Muddy Waters Report”). Among other revelations, the Muddy Waters Report revealed that MultiPlan was in the process of losing its largest client, UnitedHealthcare, which was estimated to cost the Company up to 35% of its revenues and 80% of its levered free cash flow within two years.

As a result of this news, the price of Churchill III securities plummeted. By November 12, 2020, the price of Churchill III Class A common stock fell to a low of just $6.12 per share, nearly 40% below the price at which shareholders could have redeemed their shares at the time of the shareholder vote on the Merger.

For more information on the Multiplan class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/MPLN

AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc. (NYSE: UAVS)

Class Period: September 3, 2019 to February 18, 2021

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: April 27, 2021

On October 14, 2020, news broke that Amazon did not have a partnership agreement with AgEagle, and in fact never did. The Wichita Business Journal published a story with the headline: “Exclusive: Who’s AgEagle’s big customer? We now know who it’s not.”

On this news, shares of AgEagle, fell $5.13, or 36.4%, to close at $8.96 on February 18, 2021, damaging investors.

The complaint, filed on February 26, 2021, alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) AgEagle did not have a partnership with Amazon and in fact never had any relationship with Amazon; (2) rather than correct the public’s understanding about a partnership with Amazon, defendants were actively contributing to the rumor that AgEagle had a partnership with Amazon; and (3) as a result, defendants’ statements about AgEagle’s business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

For more information on the AgEagle class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/UAVS

About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact Information:
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.
Brandon Walker, Esq.
Melissa Fortunato, Esq.
Marion Passmore, Esq.
(212) 355-4648
investigations@bespc.com
www.bespc.com