Midas Letter Lead Financial Writer Ben Smith dissects what CannTrust Holdings Inc’s (TSE:TRST) (NYSE:CTST) (FRA:C9S) recent financial reporting means for the company and the cannabis space more broadly. Smith notes that CannTrust typically hits its targets and had been trading near recent highs. As a result, the news that CannTrust missed its targets acted like a “bombshell to the market.” Smith cautions investors to pay attention to the news flow in the sector and not just individual names. In addition to CannTrust’s missed revenues, there have also been four downgrades in recent weeks, including Cronos Group Inc (TSE:CRON) (NASDAQ:CRON) (FRA:7CI). Smith emphasizes that the current cannabis news cycle is not conducive to multiple expansions in the sector. Smith also addresses the SAFE Banking Act, which would reform banking laws in the United States and would make it easier for US MSOs to access capital. While the legislation has made it through committee, Smith feels it is highly unlikely to be passed before Q4 2019.
Howard Glassman: Benjamin, you were just talking about CannTrust earnings hitting the stock hard. It’s – what are your thoughts, because I know a lot of people are waiting to hear what you have to say about this.
Benjamin Smith: Yeah, so CannTrust earnings, I think, delivered a little bit of a bombshell to the market, just because investors aren’t used to CannTrust missing. Traditionally, they’re, you know, one of the best-performing stocks companies in terms of financial reporting; they usually hit their numbers, they usually do pretty well. I think the last financial report, Q3, that came out in November, they absolutely hit it out of the park, and even though the market had been trending down and had been, you know, in the heart of the post-legalization selling, CannTrust, you know, was up double digits that day on a percentage basis.