Speed Bump

In a filing late Friday afternoon, UDF IV disclosed that it has asked the Nasdaq Panel for an extension to avoid delisting.  Nasdaq had given UDF until September 12, 2016, to file its 2015 audited financial statements along with 2016's first and second quarter financial statements, which I noted here.  According to Friday's statement, UDF IV's auditor needs more time to finish its work.  I do not think this is good news for UDF IV.

UDF IV's entire statement is below, with bold added to the section pertaining to the extension request:

GRAPEVINE, Texas, August 26, 2016 – As previously announced, United Development Funding IV  (“UDF IV” or the “Trust”) (NASDAQ: UDF) has not filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 or its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter of fiscal 2016. The Trust also has not filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) requires the timely filing of periodic reports with the SEC, and therefore, pursuant to the procedures of the Listing Qualifications Department of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), the Trust received formal notice from the staff of the Listing Qualifications Department, announced herein pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(b), indicating that because the Trust failed to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, the Nasdaq Hearings Panel (the “Nasdaq Panel”) will consider the additional deficiency in connection with the Trust’s request for the continued listing of its securities on Nasdaq.

As previously announced, UDF IV attended a hearing before the Nasdaq Panel, which subsequently granted the Trust’s request for continued listing on Nasdaq, subject to the Trust evidencing compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) and with all other applicable requirements for continued listing on Nasdaq by September 12, 2016.

The Trust engaged auditors on June 8, 2016, and the audit process began immediately. After recent conversations with its new auditors regarding the expected filing date for its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2016 and June 30, 2016, respectively (the “Filings”), the Trust notified the Nasdaq Panel that it would need additional time to file all Filings simultaneously. Therefore, the Trust will submit a written request to the Nasdaq Panel for an extension of the September 12, 2016 filing deadline.

Trading in UDF IV’s securities on Nasdaq has been halted since February 18, 2016, and the Trust expects that the trading halt will continue at least until the Trust has become fully current in its periodic filing obligations with the SEC. No assurance can be given regarding the resumption of regular trading of the Trust’s securities on any market.