Analysts, Investors In The Dark On NQ Mobile

December 17, 2014

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NQ Mobile Inc (NYSE: NQ) has analysts and investors in the dark about its performance ahead of plans to unveil results for no less than its three most recent three quarters on Thursday night.

Rosenblatt Securities Jun Zhang said that regardless of the numbers, there isn't much downside risk lurking in recent results.

The Chinese Internet service provider, accused of fraud more than a year ago by short-seller Carson Block's Muddy Waters LLC, is off more than 65 percent year-to-date.

NQ shares closed Thursday at $5.03, up 3.5 percent. In the after-hours session, share were up 3.4 percent at $5.20.

Zhang said the company's release of its 2013 audited results in October after a series of painful delays have already put to rest fraud allegations.

"[It] just says the company is clean, no matter what," Zhang said.

The December 10 departure of NQ's co-chief executive Henry Yu Lin is "a tough thing to see, even if they give you the excuse of it was not related to the company,” Dinsmore Capital's James Dinsmore told Benzinga.

NQ said Lin left for "family reasons."

Dinsmore, a top 10 shareholder in NQ Mobile, said he's "not necessarily bullish," but called the release of recent results "a step in the right direction" toward regaining investor confidence.

But since the company hasn't posted results in nearly a year, regaining that confidence will require a "re-education" of investors, Topeka analyst Frederick Ziegel told Benzinga.

"The story is going to be dramatically different than it was a year ago," Ziegel said, adding that without recent numbers he "has no idea" how the company is performing.

“My guess is revenues will be higher than people had thought previously," Ziegel said, "and I suspect margins will be lower.”