Conagra Brands (CAG) Is Being Sued For Allegedly Misleading Shareholders

Owners of Conagra Brands stock (CAG) are suing the packaged foods giant, alleging they were tricked into approving their nearly $11 billion acquisition of Pinnacle Foods.

Conagra Justifies Acquisition Of Pinnacle Foods

Conagra, which is a component of the S&P 500, announced that it would acquire Pinnacle Foods in June, 2018. CEO Sean Connolly publicly assured investors that Conagra had done its due diligence into Pinnacle, which owns brands such as Birds Eye and Duncan Hines, and said that the two companies were a natural fit for each other.

Investors were told that acquiring Pinnacle Foods was a “no brainer” that would help Conagra expand its frozen food and snack offerings.

Struggling Pinnacle Hammers Conagra Brands Stock

Two months after Pinnacle was acquired, Conagra held a conference call and revealed that Pinnacle’s brands were struggling. The market was shocked by this disclosure and Conagra’s stock got hammered, falling 30% in three trading sessions and wiping out billions of dollars in value.

A complaint filed by a pension fund that owned Conagra stock states: “Unbeknownst to shareholders … Conagra and its management were aware or recklessly disregarded that the transaction would not result in anywhere near the sort of benefits that defendants had publicly represented.”

It’s alleged that Conagra’s misstatements and omissions “overvalued and artificially inflated” Pinnacle’s price. The lawsuit is seeking to represent anyone who purchased Conagra stock between June 27, 2018 and December 19, 2018, and says those investors are entitled to damages, interest and court fees. No class has been certified and investors may still apply to be the lead plaintiff.

Conagra Shareholders Have Legal Rights

If you were a Conagra or Pinnacle shareholder and want to learn more about your legal rights contact the Silver Law Group.

Silver Law Group represents the interests of investors who have been the victims of investment fraud. Scott Silver is the chairman of the Securities and Financial Fraud Group of the American Association of Justice and represents investors nationwide in securities investment fraud cases. Please contact Scott Silver of the Silver Law Group for a free consultation at ssilver@silverlaw.com or toll free at (800) 975-4345.