he First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the complaint alleging several violations of the Securities Act of 1933 should have been dismissed. The complaint alleged that it was induced to buy stock by defendant’s registration statement. The First Department concluded the statements not false or misleading and therefore were not actionable:
The … registration statement … includes the following statements: “We believe we have created a financially strong company built upon a foundation of three thriving, independent brands with significant global growth potential.” “New product development is a key driver of the long-term success of our brands. We believe the development of new products can drive traffic by expanding our customer base.” “We face intense competition in our markets, which could negatively impact our business. . . Our ability to compete will depend on the success of our plans to improve existing products, to develop and roll-out new products, [and] to effectively respond to consumer preferences.” * * *
… [T]he statements were nonactionable immaterial puffery and/or nonactionable opinion … .
The statements did not become misleading by omission as a result of a failure to disclose a slight decline in “same-store sales” for a single quarter’s sales … . City of Warwick Mun. Empls. Pension Fund v Restaurant Brands Intl. Inc., 2022 NY Slip Op 06315, First Dept 11-10-22
Practice Point: Statements which are mere puffery are not actionable violations of the Securities Act of 1933. Here plaintiff alleged false and misleading claims in defendant corporation’s registration statement induced plaintiff to buy defendant corporation’s stock. Supreme Court should have granted defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint.