A class action has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of purchasers of General Growth Properties, Inc. (NYSE: GGP) common stock during the period between April 30, 2008 and October 26, 2008 (the “Class Period”). The complaint charges General Growth and certain of its officers and directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. General Growth is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust.
The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, defendants made false and misleading statements about General Growth’s access to financing. Specifically, defendants represented that General Growth had the ability to refinance billions of dollars in debt that was coming due in the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009 on acceptable terms. In fact, General Growth did not have access to such financing. Further, defendants failed to disclose that the Company’s President/Chief Operating Officer and its Chief Financial Officer had received loans from the Chief Executive Officer’s family trust in violation of the Company’s own Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
On September 22, 2008, the Company announced that it was pursuing a comprehensive evaluation of its financial and strategic alternatives. On October 3, 2008, the Company suspended its dividend and then, on October 27, 2008, announced it was marketing for sale its portfolio of retail properties in Las Vegas. On this series of disclosures, General Growth’s stock price collapsed, falling from $21.42 on September 19, 2008 to less than $2.00 per share on October 27, 2008, or nearly 95% from its Class Period high of $43.83 per share.
If you are a current shareholder and purchased during period between April 30, 2008 and October 26, 2008 and would like to discuss your options of exercising your rights as a shareholder, please contact us.
Please submit the following information so we can determine if you qualify for the suit. If you don't know all the specific details, partial information is also acceptable.