I suggested that any long position in Syntax-Brillian (BRLC) was
pure speculation, given how far behind the company is on updating its
financials. With current 10-Qs behind at least six months, I said there just
isn’t a reason to own a company that can’t get its bookkeeping straight – and
the changes the company was making at the time weren’t material.
Boy, did I get a lesson in material changes.
First, Syntax-Brillian announced today that CEO James Li was taking a leave
of absence to “address personal issues.” I had liked the kinds of things Li had
been saying and doing since taking over – although the continued lack of
tangible results was problematic.
More than just management changes were in the works today, however.
Syntax-Brillian also said two members of its Board of Directors are resigning;
Man Kit Chow and Christopher Liu were both (relatively) long-serving executives
with the company.
With all of these departures, Syntax-Brillian has interim officers at several
key positions – and while that in itself is troublesome, it’s all the more
disconcerting that all of these seemingly-committed executives are leaving at
the same time. This has to raise more questions about the financial state of the
company, and since I continue to get stonewalled as to any indication of the
presentation of up-to-date financials, this just serves as another black mark on
the stock.
While some might look at the company as a below-book value play, without
recent financials and the appropriate disclosures as to why Syntax-Brillian fell
so far behind in its accounting, you simply can’t have any confidence in this
company.
