Greenbackd

Soapstone Networks Inc (NASDAQ:SOAP) has announced that it is reducing its headcount by approximately 40% “to reduce expenses and conserve cash in the current economic environment without diminishing the overall value of the Company.”

We been following SOAP (see our post archive here) because it is trading well below its net cash value with an activist investor, Mithras Capital, disclosing an 8.7% holding in October last year. The stock is up 40.0% from $2.50 when we initiated our position to close yesterday at $3.50, giving SOAP a market capitalization of $52.0M. We estimate the company’s net cash value to be $86.1M or $5.59 per share. We continue to believe that SOAP is a very good opportunity. The company’s ongoing business is small in comparison to its net cash position, so it shouldn’t dissipate its cash any time soon. It has no off-balance sheet arrangements, little in the way of ongoing contractual obligations and no material litigation, so the cash position seems reasonably certain. The company’s engagement of an investment bank to explore strategic alternatives is a promising step in the right direction. Of concern is the continued issuance of stock and options at a huge discount to liquidation value. The sooner Mithras Capital gets control of this situation the better.

The press release from SOAP is as follows:

Billerica, MA, April 14, 2009 – Soapstone Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: SOAP) today announced that it has undertaken an initiative to further reduce its total headcount by approximately 40%, in order to reduce expenses and conserve cash in the current economic environment without diminishing the overall value of the Company.

The Company expects to incur charges for severance and related costs of approximately $0.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 in connection with this action and anticipates overall incremental cost savings of approximately $3.0 million during 2009 as a result of these reductions, in addition to the $5.0 million in cost savings anticipated to result from the reduction in force previously announced February 12, 2009.

“We have taken these additional steps as we continue to aggressively explore strategic alternatives with the help of our financial advisor, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated,” said Bill Leighton, Soapstone’s CEO. “We believe that this is a level at which we can continue with our PNC development and sales effort into the Carrier Ethernet market, while conserving a significant amount of cash.”

Hat tip to Double F.

[Full Disclosure:  We have a holding in SOAP. This is neither a recommendation to buy or sell any securities. All information provided believed to be reliable and presented for information purposes only. Do your own research before investing in any security.]