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Citron Research Says Life Partners (LPHI) Time Is Up

September 22, 2009 1:43 PM EDT
LPHI Hot Sheet
Dividend Yield: 16.8%
Citron Research, a noted short seller, published a negative note on Life Partners (Nasdaq: LPHI) today. Citron says Life Partners has had a nice ride, but "...all good things must come to an end, however, and now the final chapter is being written for Life Partners. The SEC and Wall St. have decided to move in on life settlement industry and it is Citron’s opinion that this sea change will be at the expense of Life Partners Holdings."

Citron says Life Partners entire business model is built on the absence of a transparent market for life settlements and LPHI’s financials don’t seem to make sense, but there's more to this one.

After Citron's first report on LPHI, he received many emails from industry insiders explaining that Life Partners operates in the shadows outside the envelope of standard practice for the rest of the industry and Citron believes that game is about to end.

From Citron's post, "Life Partners has had their share of litigation with state authorities, and has historically found room to maneuver in a few states, but the last year has seen even that door rapidly closing. In a disturbing act of silence, Life Partners never disclosed to the investing public the consent order signed the last week of July of this year with the Sate of Florida. No press release – and no 8-K. This consent order restricts LPHI from doing business in Florida, by far the largest state for life settlements, until is registers as a Florida Viatical Provider. As of this date, we have no proof that LPHI has even attempted to register. Lastly, the consent order requires LPHI to pay the State of Florida a fine of $770,000. Why no proper disclosure?"

See full release here.

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