Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. and Certain Officers – WOOF

Core Viewpoint - A class action lawsuit has been filed against Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. and certain officers for alleged violations of federal securities laws during the Class Period from January 14, 2021, to June 5, 2025, seeking damages for misleading statements regarding the company's business and financial performance [1][8]. Company Overview - Petco is a specialty retailer offering a variety of pet products and services, including consumable and non-consumable products, as well as in-store veterinary and grooming services [4]. - A key business metric for Petco is comparable sales, which measures the change in period-over-period net sales from physical locations and digital sites [4]. Financial Performance and Misrepresentation - Petco claimed to benefit from pandemic-related tailwinds, including increased pet adoption rates, and positioned itself as a health-focused pet company capitalizing on trends of "pet humanization" and "premiumization" [5]. - However, as these pandemic-related tailwinds diminished, Petco's sales and profitability metrics began to decline significantly, with a notable downturn in mid-2023 [6]. - Despite worsening financial conditions, Petco's management continued to affirm optimistic financial guidance for FY 2023, including adjusted EBITDA of $520 million to $540 million and adjusted EPS of $0.40 to $0.48 [7]. Class Action Allegations - The complaint alleges that Petco's management made materially false and misleading statements about the sustainability of its business model and the strength of its product strategy, which were overstated [8]. - Specific allegations include the unsustainability of pandemic-related tailwinds, downplaying the severity of issues affecting sales, and overstating the company's ability to deliver sustainable growth [8]. Recent Financial Disclosures - On August 24, 2023, Petco revised its FY 2023 adjusted EBITDA guidance down to $460 million to $480 million and adjusted EPS to $0.24 to $0.30, leading to a 20.64% drop in stock price [9][10]. - Further negative revisions were made on November 29, 2023, with adjusted EBITDA guidance lowered to approximately $400 million and adjusted EPS to approximately $0.08, resulting in a 28.91% decline in stock price [11][12]. - In March 2024, Petco reported a GAAP net loss of $1.3 billion and acknowledged that its premium product-focused business model was not sustainable [13]. Market Reaction - Following the negative financial disclosures, Petco's stock price experienced significant declines, including a drop to $2.06 per share after the March 2024 results [14]. - On June 5, 2025, Petco reported a 1.3% year-over-year decline in comparable sales, larger than Wall Street estimates, leading to a further 23.2% drop in stock price [17][18].