Washington, June 2 (IANS) A federal jury in Los Angeles has found prominent stock analyst Andrew Left, founder of Citron Research, guilty of orchestrating a years-long scheme that prosecutors said manipulated stock prices and generated at least $21 million in illicit profits by trading against the very recommendations he promoted to investors.
Left, 55, formerly of Beverly Hills and now a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, was convicted of one count of securities fraud scheme and 12 counts of securities fraud after a 15-day trial, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Left leveraged his reputation as a market commentator and frequent guest on major business television networks to influence stock prices while secretly positioning himself to profit from short-term market movements, federal prosecutors alleged.
“Left used his TV appearances to disguise his intentions, manipulate the stock market, and pad his pockets,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “A fair and transparent securities market is a foundation of our nation’s financial system. We will continue to bring to justice individuals who abuse the public trust placed in financial advisors.”
Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said the case highlighted the damage caused by market manipulation.
“Frauds such as the one perpetrated by Left can erode investor confidence which impacts our capital markets,” Grandy said. “While this conviction cannot make up for the significant and emotional harm he inflicted upon his unwitting investors, it does send a message to those who may be looking to profit from similar schemes – think twice because the FBI has a proven track record of rooting out fraudsters who illegally tilt the playing field against honest investors and undermine confidence in our markets.”
According to trial evidence presented in court, Left, operating under the online brand Citron Research, published investment commentary through a website and social media accounts, routinely issued opinions on publicly traded companies, often accompanied by target prices and representations of his own trading positions.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Left knew Citron’s market-moving influence and exploited it. Before publishing commentary, he allegedly built long or short positions in targeted companies, frequently using short-dated options contracts designed to benefit from immediate price swings after his reports were released.
The government said he often closed those positions shortly after publication, sometimes at prices that differed sharply from the longer-term targets he publicly promoted. Behind the scenes, prosecutors argued, he was taking positions opposite to the message he was delivering to investors.
One example presented at trial involved chipmaker Nvidia in November 2018. Prosecutors said Left encouraged a portfolio manager to develop a bullish investment thesis, accumulated positions in the company, and then publicly posted on Citron’s social media account: “Citron buys $NVDA. This is the first time in 2 years stock offers an appealing risk-reward to investors . . . We see $165 before we see $120.” Despite that public projection, prosecutors said he sold his positions less than two hours later, earning more than $960,000 in profit.
The jury acquitted Left on four securities fraud counts related to trades involving four specific companies. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 31 before US District Judge Virginia A. Phillips. Prosecutors said he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison on the securities fraud scheme count and up to 20 years on each securities fraud count.
Citron Research became one of Wall Street’s best-known activist research firms over the past two decades, often publishing reports that challenged valuations of publicly traded companies. Left gained widespread visibility through frequent appearances on financial television networks and developed a substantial following among retail and institutional investors.
–IANS
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