Penson GHCO (PNSN) Issues Statement Regarding Transaction by Sentinel Management Group
08/17/2007 09:19EDT by StreetInsider.com
Sentinel Management Group, Inc., a futures commission merchant and registered investment advisor that engages in the investment of funds for other futures commission merchants, recently announced a temporary halt in redemptions in its investment funds due to market liquidity issues. Penson GHCO, the futures clearing subsidiary of Penson Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: PNSN) is a customer of Sentinel. Until yesterday, Sentinel had informed Penson GHCO that Sentinel was working to solve the liquidity issues it was facing and to return all customer assets, either in cash or in kind.
Late yesterday, Sentinel informed us that it has sold certain of the assets it manages, including our assets and the assets of other futures commission merchants, to Citadel Investments Group LLC. This sale occurred with no notice, without our approval and in breach of our contract with Sentinel. Based on what we have heard of the proposed terms, we believe that this sale occurred at discounts of up to 30% from market prices. This portfolio consisted of short term AA or better corporate bonds or US government agency bonds, as required under CFTC rules. We believe that to liquidate such a portfolio at such a discount to market value constitutes, among other things, a reckless disregard of industry fair practice responsibilities by all parties involved.
have informed Sentinel and Citadel that we oppose the sale and have demanded that it be reversed. Should the sale not be reversed, based on what we currently know, we anticipate incurring a potential one-time after-tax loss of approximately $6.5 million on the Sentinel investment.
We and other customers of Sentinel have proposed alternative arrangements to Sentinel that we believe would be far more beneficial for all parties concerned. To date, such proposals have been ignored.
It is our intention to pursue all legal remedies against Sentinel, Citadel and related parties in order to obtain an improved resolution to this issue.