Activism’s New Paradigm

By Gregory Taxin and Betsy Atkins*   Shareholder activism in the U.S. has increased greatly over the past decade, measured not only in scope and the pools of capital dedicated to it but also in sophistication and in the range of tactics employed. There is currently more than $120 billion in dedicated activist funds at work, […] Read more »

Activism’s New Rules

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By Montieth M. Illingworth, president of Montieth & Company   There it was in black and white in none other than The New York Times. Quotes from the CEO of DowDuPont, followed by ones from a line up of shareholders echoing the sentiment, that all is now actually much better for the company. The breakup once […] Read more »

The Year in Activism Infographic

From Activist Insight   related content: Consultant Verus Negative on Outlook for Event Driven Hedge Funds (Jan 2017) Can Activism Survive A Down Market? (March 2016) John Paulson on the Benefits of Activism (Dec 2010)   Read more »

Best Practice for Activists Dealing with the CEO

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By Marshall Sonenshine, Chairman and Managing Partner at Sonenshine Partners.   1. Market Forces: Advising the CEO in an Era of Shifting Understandings of Leadership We deal makers represent and counsel CEOs, who are generally unusually talented and demanding people from whom in turn much is demanded. We do this in markets that are often […] Read more »

The Children’s Investment Fund Gets Some Board Support At Japan Tobacco

From Activism Monthly Premium (July 2014 edition)   When Shinzo Abe became Prime Minister of Japan in 2012, investor sentiment began to warm to a country long known for its overvaluations and prickly corporate governance. This year, the government drew Abe’s ‘third arrow’—corporate reform—from its quiver and let loose. Opinion is divided on whether the […] Read more »

Activism On A Roll

By Stephen Bornstein, Principal of Wall Street Counsel Hedge fund activists are sitting in the catbird seat right now.  They had a great 2013, winning 68% of their proxy fights (compared to 43% in 2012), raising more than $7 billion in new capital and targeting 20 companies with market values above $10 billion. There are […] Read more »

Corporate Governance Is More Than A Tool To Today’s Activist Investors

From Activist Insight Traditional activists were essentially value investors, but that profile might be changing. For example,  Carl Icahn has long championed the interests of shareholders. Yet even many who had watched him for years were surprised by the vehemence of his Wall Street Journal Op-ed after withdrawing from the shareholder vote on Dell’s leveraged […] Read more »