Canopy Growth may no longer be a going concern. The cannabis multinational, once valued at C$19 billion, has suffered a 78% drop in its share price this year as it burnt through cash, It is now valued at C$400 million, but that is now in doubt.

Benchmark analyst Mike Hickey said in a note on Monday, 27 June 2023 that he now rated Canopy Growth stock at zero!

The company’s aggressive expansion into the US “could be a signal of desperation, given that the US market remains federally illegal,” he said.

READ: A South African perspective on the Canadian cannabis stock fiasco

Even if the US were to legalize marijuana, it would be “no saviour” for Canopy, which is burning cash despite multiple cost cutting programs,” CIBC Capital Markets analyst John Zamparo wrote in a separate note Sunday, 26 June 2023

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Zamparo trimmed his price target on the stock to C$0.45 from C$0.50, writing that its “debt worries are no paranoia.”

On Tuesday 28 June 2023, auditing firm KPMG announced it was dropping Canopy Growth as a client as it "did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2023." KPMG added that "an ineffective control environment, resulting from a lack of the required number of trained operational and IT personnel with the appropriate skills and knowledge and with appropriate assigned authorities, responsibilities and accountability related to the design, implementation and operating effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.”

The company has hired PKFOD as its accountant for fiscal 2024.

READ: Bad Glut feeling: Canada destroyed 500 tons of legal cannabis since 2018.

Reuters reports that Canopy reported a net loss of C$648 million ($490.69 million) for the fourth-quarter ended 31 March 2023 from last year's C$589 million, hurt by impairment charges and restructuring costs.

The company's revenue also fell short of expectations due to weak results at its BioSteel unit, which produces sports nutrition products.

"Internally at Canopy, we faced executional challenges," Klein said.

Canopy said it identified certain trends in the booking of sales for BioSteel, leading it to launch an internal review. As a result of the review, Canopy said it has let go of several members of BioSteel's leadership team.

Once a multi-billion company, Canopy has seen its fortunes dwindling over the years and is now valued at just under C$400 million.

The company continues to double down on its efforts to turn profitable, including cost cuts through layoffs, exits from some international markets, store closures and divestiture of its retail business across Canada.

Cost reductions undertaken during the year were on track to reduce headcount by over 1,200 positions.

"Looking ahead, visibility remains limited," said Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat.

Sarwat added that Canopy was still burning through cash and including going concern risk in the filing makes Canopy USA's rationale unclear, as cash won't flow back to the U.S. unit without federal legalization.

Canopy is eyeing an entry into the U.S. cannabis market through Canopy USA.

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