I have been following ASTI (let's face it, really ASTIQ) for a few years and just discovered Investorshub and this thread. It is gold, Jerry. Pure gold. I was wondering where everyone went after it got removed from StockTwits...and now I have my answer.
What I'm about to say I don't even mean "tongue-in-cheek"-I'm absolutely sincere with this- but anyone who has been actively promoting ("pumping" is such a pejorative term) Ascent Solar since...let's say...mid 2016 or so, should consider a career in creative writing. You are able to spin tales that would make Samuel Clemens proud. You would be valedictorian in the Iraqi School of Information Ministry (Class of 2003).
It is the ultimate test in stock promoting. It is the final boss at the end of a stock promoting game. You are truly the grand master of this art if you can manage to craft, spin, weave and bob positive news about the good people at Ascent Solar.
I actually held a speculative small long position right before the NASDAQ delisting and legitimately believed this company had just hit a string of bad luck and bad timing. My thesis was that ASTI's issues were directly attributable to cheap Chinese solar imports propped up by their government (similar to steel until recently), ineffective marketing and really just a need for more time to build things up.
Whoa nelly did I misplay that fly ball. My revisionist history is that ASTI started out as a legitimate company, but what has played out over the last 1.5 to 2 years has clearly shown that at some point it basically became a treading water-like scam. This company should have filed BK (probably BK-7 not BK-11) a long time ago. The fact that they haven't and continue to milk this thing as long as possible shows their true present colors. Between the debt, the Zimbabwe-currency level dilution and lack of, you know, something viable for the marketplace...there is literally no chance of any sort of turnaround. When I say literally no chance, I mean absolute zero. And similar to absolute zero degrees Celsius, it seems impossible to achieve, but Ascent has managed to do it. It's getting to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if the SEC started looking closer. I'll give them credit that they've meticulously document this charade, which is smart if they want to continue milking.
I know there are a lot of bad actors out there, but Ascent Solar is up there at the top. I think what makes their situation more troubling from an investor's perspective is that they seem legitimate on the surface. Most OTC scams look like scams. For example, I saw a press release just yesterday of a company that was moving from some peddling some health product to getting into blockchain. If that doesn't raise red flags, then you are probably color blind.
But Ascent is different. They look like a hard-luck case that could turn it around at any moment, which draws people in. I'm glad that most posters on this thread are essentially warning people, you're doing the Lord's work. And to anyone with the moxy to continue to promote this steaming pile of garbage - my hat tip to you and your lack of ethical compass. And I'm serious about that creative writing career. This is great practice. At least with that, everyone will know it is fiction.