Under Armour reportedly borrowed business from future quarters to prop up weak sales growth in 2016, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.
The sports apparel company reportedly pushed retailers to accept its products early and diverted inventory bound for its own stores to off-price chains like TJX Companies during the last days of a quarter, the WSJ reported.
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The practice allowed Under Armour to record the goods as revenue as opposed to wait for them to sell at its retail locations, according to the WSJ. The tactic and others were used to continue a 26-quarter streak of 20% sales growth that ended in late 2016, the report added.
Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank sent an email to employees Friday addressing the WSJ's report.
"Given recent events that have entered the realm of public opinion without full context, it is disappointing to have our integrity and reputation called into question," Plank wrote in the email, according to a copy obtained by
Business Insider.
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The news comes less than two weeks after the company announced its accounting practices are under investigation. According to the WSJ, the company's results toward the end of 2016 are being reviewed as part of the probe.
Under Armour's stock plunged more than 17% after the investigation was revealed, handing
short-sellers $130 million in paper gains in a single day. The stock has struggled since it hit a year-to-date high of more than $27 per share in late July. The recent rout following the announcement of the accounting probe erased most of the shares' gains for the year.
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