Forbes.com channels AP's report on the recent settlement of the Sprint Nextel securities class action in Judge OKs $57.5M Sprint Stock Settlement. 

This hefty settlement follows recent predictions  that settlement values of securities class actions will decline. 

In its October post Will Settlement Values Decline?, for instance, we learn from the Risk and Governance Blog that at least one analyst (NERA): 

predict[ed] that settlement values may start trending downward after reaching a record high this year. The median settlement during the first six months of this year was $9 million, up from $7 million in both 2006 and 2005, according to NERA.

The NERA researchers base this prediction on recent declines in the median investor loss, which historically has been a “strong predictor” of settlement values. For cases that settled in 2007, the median loss was $381 million, less than the $407 million median loss for cases that were resolved in 2006. This trend is also apparent if one looks at new lawsuit filings. The median investor loss for cases filed in 2007 was $240 million, down from $265 million in 2006 and $340 million in 2005.

These trends are early hints that recent filings might not lead to continued increasing average settlement values in the future, although it is still too early to know which of the recently filed cases will result in settlement as opposed to dismissal,” the NERA researchers explain.

Meanwhile, Forbes reports that that the Court in the Sprint Nextel settlement set aside 27.5 percent, or $15.8 million, for plaintiffs' legal fees, as well as an additional $2.2 million for plaintiff expenses.

For the full Forbes article, click here.