iRobot files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy just 11 days after its record one-day gain
Last one to leave the Roomba, please turn off the lights.
iRobot, maker of robotic vacuums and other cleaning products, announced on Sunday that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of a restructuring agreement that would see 100% of the company’s equity interests be acquired by its secured lender and its primary contract manufacturer, Shenzhen PICEA Robotics Co., Ltd., and Santrum Hong Kong Co., Limited.
IRBT shares have sunk more than 80% since Friday’s close to hover around the $0.74 level, per Bloomberg data as of 6:18 a.m. ET.
In a press release, the company said that this move “will delever the Company’s balance sheet and enable iRobot to continue operating in the ordinary course, pursue its product development roadmap, and maintain its global footprint.”
Shares of iRobot recently booked their biggest one-day gain on record, rising 74% on December 3 on the heels of a Politico report that the Trump administration was planning on going “all in” to boost the robotics industry.
That report spurred a wave of buying from traders who were presumably looking to get exposure to the theme, enticed by the name of a company that has “robot” in it, and less than fully versed on its financial position. Back in March, management had warned investors that “there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months.”
Volumes exceeded 228 million on December 3, also far and away a daily record for the stock.