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Kandi Technologies Group Inc., Kandi AmericaShares of Kandi Technologies Group Inc. hit hard Monday, after Hindenburg Research took a swipe at the China-based electric vehicle and battery packs maker by alleging “fake sales” to undisclosed affiliates of the company.
Kandi’s stock
KNDI,
The stock has now tumbled 32.2% since it closed at a 6-year high of $14.93 on Nov. 23.
Short seller Hindenburg said in a report published on its website that it has uncovered a “brazen scheme” by Kandi to “falsify revenue,” as it recorded revenue to what appeared to be a Kandi subsidiary.
Hindenburg said that after an “on-the-ground inspection of Kandi facilities, as well as interviews with more than a dozen former employees and business partners, it determined that the bulk (almost 64%) of the company’s last 12 months (LTM) sales have been to related parties.
The largest customer, representing more than half (55%) of LTM sales shared a phone number with a Kandi subsidiary, and shared an executive with Kandi.
“We visited the ‘customer,'” Hindenburg’s report said. “It is based in a tiny building right next to Kandi’s factory with a sign indicating that it’s a Kandi company.”
The report said that same building housed an entity used by Kandi in a separate “fake sales scheme” to collect subsidies from China’s government, for which it was fined and sanctioned.
Kandi declined a request by MarketWatch for comment. The company did warn in its 10-Q quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month that it may increasingly become a “target” for scrutiny by the public, including “complaints” to regulatory agencies and “malicious allegations.”
Hindenburg said Kandi’s second-largest customer, representing about 9% of LTM sales, was once owned by Kandi, and its website still uses the Kandi logo. And records show that 91% of U.S. exports by Kandi’s “customer” when to related entities based out of the U.S. headquarters and warehouses.
“To support this, we have photographic evidence of one such Kandi ‘customer’s’ inventory sitting in Kandi’s own warehouse,” Hindenburg wrote.
Among other China EV makers, shares of Nio Inc.
NIO,
Elsewhere, shares of XPeng Inc.
XPEV,
Bucking the weakness in the China-based EV sector, China Automotive Systems Inc.’s stock
CAAS,
China Automotive noted that October sales of China-based EVs about doubled from a year ago to 144,000 vehicles, while China’s government has set an EV car target of 25% of all new cars by 2025.
Separately, Zhengzhou, China-based Yutong Bus Co. Ltd.
600066,
Meanwhile in the U.S., EV market leader Tesla Inc.’s stock
TSLA,
Don’t miss: S&P’s decision on Tesla slated for after the close.
The stock has hiked up 49.9% in November and 595.4% so far this year, compared year-to-date gains for the Nasdaq Composite Index
COMP,
Shares of Nikola Corp.
NKLA,
Also read: Nikola stock drops as GM deal is now ‘nothing to write home about.’
See related: Nikola short sellers up more than $400 million after downsized GM deal.
Fellow U.S. EV truck maker Workhorse Group Inc.
WKHS,
Shares of Blink Charging Co.
BLNK,
Among other US-based EV companies, shares of Acrimoto Inc.
FUV,