Ascendiant: Groupon's Rich Valuation Unjustified

In a research report published earlier today, Ascendiant commented on Groupon

lowering its previously reported Q4 results. According to Ascendiant, “In our view, the Q4 restatement and weakness in controls are likely to bolster the pervasive skepticism as to the company's valuation, growth prospects, and profit potential. Profitability has already been weak, and higher refund levels will further challenge this. We question whether Groupon can sustain its high growth and begin to generate sizeable profits while scaling back marketing and other operating costs.” Ascendiant maintains its Sell rating and $14 PT on Groupon, which closed Friday at $18.38.