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☆ Here’s why Shake Shack’s recent deal with Engaged Capital may have fallen short for shareholders
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Business: Shake Shack owns, operates and licenses Shake Shack restaurants, which offer hamburgers, chicken, hot dogs, crinkle-cut fries, shakes, frozen custard, beer, wine and other products. Shake Shack entered a cooperation agreement with Engaged. Over the past 20 years, he and his team have developed one of the greatest casual hamburger chain restaurants in the country, Shake Shack. They took Shake Shack public in 2015 with 63 restaurants and have expanded to 436 restaurants in eight years. As a public company, Shake Shack has significantly underperformed both the market and its peers.

☆ Elliott proposes adding new directors to Goodyear’s board. How a margin-boosting plan might unfold
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

To implement its plan, Elliott is recommending adding five new directors to the board. Six members of the 12-person board (including CEO Richard Kramer) have served on the board for 11+ years. This, along with the underperformance and tenure of many directors makes for a compelling case for serious board reconstitution. Based on its history, we would expect this to be a diversified and qualified group of industry and professional directors with one Elliott executive. Elliott right now is working amicably with management and recommending potential directors as opposed to threatening to nominate their own slate of directors.

☆ 'The ultimate stock pickers are activists', says 13D's Kenneth Squire after Shake Shack's stock pops
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'The ultimate stock pickers are activists', says 13D's Kenneth Squire after Shake Shack's stock popsKenneth Squire, 13D Monitor founder and president, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to discuss the recent Wall Street Journal report that activist investors are planning a proxy battle at Shake Shack prompting the stock to jump.

☆ Impactive takes a stake in Clarivate and sets the tone for activism in the post-SPAC world
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Business: Clarivate is a global information, analytics and workflow solutions company. Activist Commentary: Impactive Capital is an activist hedge fund founded in 2018 by Lauren Taylor Wolfe and Christian Alejandro Asmar. Impactive Capital is an active ESG (AESG) investor that launched with a $250 million investment from CalSTRS and now has over $2.5 billion. Impactive focuses on positive systemic change to help build more competitive, sustainable businesses for the long run. As with many SPAC companies, there were valuation, corporate governance and compensation incentive concerns at Clarivate.

☆ Farallon steps up activism at biotech company Exelixis. Here’s what could happen next
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Farallon is not an activist investor but will pursue an activist agenda when it feels forced to do so. As the strategy of shareholder activism has become more mainstream, it has been utilized by a larger breadth of investors. The firm has been a shareholder of Exelixis since 2018 and is just now going public with their concerns. Farallon would also like to see Exelixis commit to a much larger share repurchase program than the $550 million it has announced. Farallon is nominating only three directors to this board, and it befuddles us as to how Exelixis does not see this as a gift.

☆ Ubben’s Inclusive sees opportunity to boost value at Dutch chemical maker and help the environment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It operates through the following segments: Methanol U.S., Methanol Europe, Nitrogen U.S., Nitrogen Europe and Fertiglobe. It will be a state-of-the-art facility at the forefront of blue ammonia production and is expected to come online in 2025 and produce 1.1 million tons of blue ammonia annually. This facility will combine nitrogen with blue hydrogen to create blue ammonia. It is considered "blue" ammonia because the carbon emissions produced from the hydrogen production process are captured and stored. Second, this blue ammonia will be sold through an ammonia terminal at the port of Rotterdam that OCI owns and operates.

☆ D.E. Shaw spots an opportunity to boost margins at FleetCor – and do so amicably
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Business: FleetCor is a business payments company that helps businesses spend less by enabling them to manage their expense-related purchasing and vendor payments processes. Additionally, the company agreed to form an ad hoc strategic review committee to assist the board as it considers various strategic alternatives. Shaw agreed to abide by certain voting and standstill restrictions. FleetCor is a business payments company with four main business lines: fuel, corporate payments, tolls and lodging. Shaw settled for two board seats and the company agreed to undertake a strategic review, including the possible separation of one or more businesses.

☆ Inclusive Capital's Ubben named to Vistry board as homebuilder looks to leverage recent acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As a pioneering activist ESG investor (AESG), Inclusive seeks long-term shareholder value through active partnership with companies whose core businesses contribute solutions to this pursuit. Their primary focus is on environmental and social value creation, which leads to shareholder value creation. They build communities that are mixed tenure, placing affordable housing among open market homes, retail stores, etc. This model has the benefits of a secular shift to affordable housing and is capex light since they do not have to acquire the land. But, in this case the community benefits align so perfectly with the company growth prospects – topline company growth means more affordable housing.

☆ Icahn proposes three candidates for Illumina’s board — Here’s what could be next in the battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

However, Icahn has had extensive activist experience at health-care companies. Since the acquisition closed in August 2021, Illumina's stock price fell by 57% from $522.89 to $225.88, eliminating $47 billion of shareholder value. Icahn's nominees have significant restructuring, corporate governance, M&A, capital markets and legal experience — five things the company desperately needs. Moreover, even after this battle started, they did not add anyone with legal experience to the board. Now, when Icahn suggests they add to the board Jesse Lynn, general counsel to Icahn Enterprises with 27 years of legal experience, the board responds that he lacks the relevant skills and experience.

☆ Salesforce losing leverage as activist investors expand board numbers, says 13D Monitor's Kenneth Squire
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSalesforce losing leverage as activist investors expand board numbers, says 13D Monitor's Kenneth SquireKen Squire, founder and president of '13D Monitor,' joins 'The Exchange' to discuss activist investors' involvement in Salesforce, the potential upside of Salesforce's margins and what's behind Salesforce's proxy battle.

☆ Third Point’s Dan Loeb pens a pointed letter to Bath & Body Works – What could happen next
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

As an example, in April 2019, ABB chairman Peter Voser stepped in as interim CEO of ABB. She would receive this $18 million regardless of how long she served as interim CEO. Ultimately, she served as interim CEO for a full seven months for the $18 million. The Nash-led BBWI board is now doing whatever it can to protect itself from having a shareholder representative on the board. If this goes the distance, we believe Third Point will show the BBWI board how powerful a good argument is.

☆ Third Point's Dan Loeb initiates proxy fight against Bath & Body Works
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThird Point's Dan Loeb initiates proxy fight against Bath & Body WorksKen Squire, 13D Monitor Founder and President, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss Dan Loeb, Third Point CEO, initiating a proxy fight against Bath & Body Works, the reasons behind the fight and the atmosphere for activist investors.

☆ Here's how Wall Street pros traded 13 Club stocks last quarter, including Salesforce and Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Big-name investors and hedge funds made moves in Club holdings Disney (DIS), Nvidia (NVDA) and TJX Companies (TJX) in the fourth quarter. Starboard's position stood at 3.03 million shares — valued at $401.22 million — at the end of the fourth quarter, according to the firm's 13F. Inclusive's 1.63 million shares were worth $216.77 million and ValueAct's 560,221 shares carried a market value of $74.28 million. CRM YTD mountain Salesforce (CRM) YTD performance In addition to Salesforce, a number of other Club holdings appeared in hedge funds' quarterly disclosures. Some of the activists swarming at Salesforce have positions in other Club holdings and made changes to them during the fourth quarter.

☆ Starboard nominates directors to the board at Rogers. Here’s how the firm could boost margins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Activist Commentary: Starboard Value is a very successful activist investor and has extensive experience helping companies focus on operational efficiency and margin improvement. On Dec. 15, 2022 , Starboard delivered a letter to the company nominating four directors for election to the board at the 2023 Annual Meeting. Both sides seem to share the same views regarding margin improvement, and there is a new CEO who Starboard likely supports. Having Starboard representation on the board would help management stay focused and get the support it needs. While Starboard is not advocating for any strategic transaction, the firm is an economic animal with fiduciary duties.

☆ Op-ed: Salesforce appoints ValueAct’s Morfit to its board and a proxy fight may loom ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The firm's principals are generally on the boards of half of ValueAct's core portfolio positions and have had 55 public company board seats over 22 years. Adding Morfit to the board of Salesforce makes a ton of sense regardless of the activist environment. Morfit has experience helping management increase both growth and margins from a board level, and both can be improved at Salesforce. The looming question is whether he will initially be doing this with an activist cloud hanging over the company's head in the form of a proxy fight by one of the other activists involved. It likely had been engaging with Salesforce management for several months, and this appointment may have happened just as a threatened proxy fight was reported.

☆ Inclusive Capital takes a stake in Bayer — 3 ways it may build value with a sustainable focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Activist Commentary: Inclusive Capital Partners is a San Francisco-based investment firm focused on increasing shareholder value and promoting sound environmental, social and governance practices. As a pioneering active ESG ("AESG") investor, Inclusive seeks long-term shareholder value through active partnership with companies whose core businesses contribute solutions to this pursuit. Bayer's crop science division accounts for approximately 25% of global crop farming. There are several ways to create this shareholder value. Bayer currently trades at approximately 7x earnings while its pure-play crop science peer, Corteva, trades at closer to 20x earnings.

☆ 13D Monitor founder Ken Squire offers 3 buys and a bail: DIS, FRPT, DLTR & CCK
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email13D Monitor founder Ken Squire offers 3 buys and a bail: DIS, FRPT, DLTR & CCKKen Squire, 13D Monitor founder, joins ‘The Exchange’ to discuss his three investment picks and a bail.

☆ Wall Street analyst calls on Thursday including Tesla & Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Barclays names Starbucks a top 2023 pick Barclays said the coffee giant is a "best-in-class" stock for 2023. UBS names Chipotle a top 2023 pick UBS said the Mexican chain restaurant is defensive in a "tough macro." Bank of America downgrades PNC to underperform from neutral Bank of America said shares of PNC are trading at a premium. Bank of America downgrades Ally Financial to underperform from buy Bank of America said Ally is most exposed to auto loans. Bank of America reiterates Amazon as buy Bank of America said Amazon layoffs are "not a positive signal, but good for sentiment."

☆ Land & Buildings spots a chance to build value in a real estate play with Six Flags
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It invests in deeply discounted real estate in the public markets and select corporate engagements. Land & Buildings ("L&B") is a real estate focused investor, and this is primarily a real estate play. In its analysis, L&B assumes a 7.25% cap rate and a $2.8 billion value for the real estate. Without stabilizing operations, the real estate strategy can only create so much shareholder value. However, optimizing attendance and stabilizing operations will magnify any value created by the real estate strategy.

☆ Third Point could see big returns from small changes at Bath & Body Works
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Business: Bath & Body Works is a specialty retailer of home fragrance, body care, soaps and sanitizer products. In August 2021, Bath & Body Works (formerly known as L Brands) completed the separation of its Victoria's Secret business. Loeb is one of the true pioneers in the field of shareholder activism and definitely one of a handful of activists who shaped what has become modern day shareholder activism. He invented the poison pen letter in a time when a poison pen was often necessary, and as times have changed, he has transitioned from the poison pen to the power of the argument. Third Point expressed its concern with Bath & Body Works' executive compensation structure , noting that excessive awards have been made that are disconnected to important performance metrics.

Carl Icahn had a textbook strategy for the Nevada-based energy utility Southwest Gas Holdings. In August, Southwest Gas' board decided against a divestiture, and the sale of subsidiaries that Icahn had urged remains uncertain. "Shareholders don't want to hear it, but you really have great difficulty selling a company at a good price today," the widely followed activist investor Icahn told Insider. via CNBCBut, like Icahn in the case of Southwest Gas, participants in this new onslaught may find themselves confounded by an increasingly complex and fraught business environment. According to Lazard, 37% of activist campaigns this year were launched by first-timers, the highest proportion since the company started tracking these figures in 2015.

Carl Icahn had a textbook strategy for the Nevada-based energy utility Southwest Gas Holdings. In August, Southwest Gas' board decided against a divestiture, and the sale of subsidiaries that Icahn had urged remains uncertain. That means that the sale of companies like Southwest Gas is off the table for the time being — or will get done at prices far lower than before. via CNBCBut, like Icahn in the case of Southwest Gas, participants in this new onslaught may find themselves confounded by an increasingly complex and fraught business environment. According to Lazard, 37% of activist campaigns this year were launched by first-timers, the highest proportion since the company started tracking these figures in 2015.

☆ Hestia Capital could be preparing to shake up the board at Pitney Bowes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

As a result, Hestia often invests in companies that might be misunderstood or not favored by the market, like GameStop, Best Buy and Pitney Bowes. Pitney Bowes' SendTech solutions business is the core enterprise that the company is generally known for: postage meters. The SendTech Solutions segment accounts for 38% of Pitney Bowes' revenue and generated $429 million in earnings before interest and taxes in 2021. Global Ecommerce comprises 46% of Pitney Bowes' revenue but lost $99 million of EBIT in 2021. Hestia will likely need more than just one board seat to drive change at Pitney Bowes.

☆ An uphill battle could await activist Trian as the firm snaps up a stake in Disney
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Trian calls itself a "constructivist," implying a more friendly activist investor. Trian, like most activist investors, intends to be friendly and always starts off that way, and then it is up to the company to respond. The firm is an activist investor, plain and simple. On Nov. 21, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trian Fund Management took an approximately $800 million stake in Disney. In this situation, Trian seems to be looking for a board seat and is urging Disney to make operational improvements and reduce costs.

☆ Impactive Capital takes an unprecedented step to seek change at Envestnet. This is what could happen next
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Activist Commentary: Impactive Capital is an activist hedge fund founded in 2018 by Lauren Taylor Wolfe and Christian Alejandro Asmar. Impactive wants board representation to get Envestnet to better align pay for performance, refocus on capital allocation and bolster long-term shareholder value. Anyone with any understanding of Impactive, Envestnet's performance and the incumbent board would know that Impactive is sure to get at least one board seat in a proxy fight. Impactive offered one of eight with no incumbent losing a board seat. Squire is also the creator of the AESG™ investment category, an activist investment style focused on improving ESG practices of portfolio companies.

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