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☆ CVS strikes deal with activist Glenview Capital for four board seats
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CVS Health announced on Monday that it struck a deal with dissident investor Glenview Capital for four board seats, just a few weeks after the healthcare giant ousted former chief Karen Lynch. Glenview CEO Larry Robbins will join the CVS board effective immediately, alongside three other directors, which CVS said emerged from a "productive discussion" with Glenview. CVS' board will expand to 16 members. Glenview amassed a sizable stake in the healthcare conglomerate and worked with management in the lead-up to Lynch's ouster. Elliott Management struck a deal with Southwest Airlines in October in which the activist fund secured six seats on the carrier's board.

Persons: David Joyner, Karen Lynch, Larry Robbins, Roger Farah, Leslie Norwalk, Guy Sansone, Doug Schulman, Glenview's Robbins, Ancora, Alan Shaw Organizations: CVS, Health, Education, Labor, Washington , D.C, CVS Health, Glenview Capital, Glenview, Elliott Management, Southwest Airlines, Norfolk Locations: Washington ,, Glenview, Norfolk Southern

☆ Activist investor ValueAct has $1 billion stake in Meta, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Activist investor ValueAct has a $1 billion stake in Facebook parent Meta , according to people familiar with the matter. ValueAct has a long history of investing in technology companies, and is generally considered to be more constructivist and collaborative than other activist funds. Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It is one of the largest companies to be targeted by an activist investor, with a market cap of nearly $1.5 trillion. Morfit has also pushed for change at other, smaller technology companies, including Spotify.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, ValueAct, Mason Morfit, Nelson Peltz's Trian, Meta, Brad Gerstner's, Gerstner, Morfit, — CNBC's David Faber Organizations: Meta, Inc, Orion, Facebook, Disney, Nelson Peltz's Trian Partners, Microsoft, Spotify Locations: Menlo Park , California

☆ Activist investor Elliott Management has $5 billion Honeywell stake, seeks breakup
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Activist investor Elliott Management has a $5 billion-plus stake in Honeywell , and it is pushing the industrial conglomerate to break itself up into two companies. Elliott managing partner Jesse Cohn and partner Marc Steinberg wrote in a Tuesday letter that "the conglomerate structure that once suited Honeywell no longer does." Elliott believes that dividing Honeywell into two companies could unlock upside of as much as 75% over the next two years. In the past, Cohn and Steinberg wrote, Honeywell's carefully assembled businesses had previously driven "consistent" margin improvements. A Honeywell spokesperson said that the company and its board "acknowledge and appreciate the perspectives of all our shareholders."

Persons: Elliott, Jesse Cohn, Marc Steinberg, Vimal Kapur, Cohn, Steinberg, Honeywell's Organizations: Honeywell, Elliott Management, Aerospace Locations: Morristown , New Jersey

Trump defeated Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republicans claimed a majority of the Senate in elections this week. "We know kind of where the world is headed in a Trump environment because we've seen it before," said Jeffrey Solomon, president of TD Cowen, on CNBC's "Money Movers" Wednesday. One M&A advisor, who also spoke to CNBC anonymously, noted that Trump's disdain for Big Tech companies — historically active deal-makers — might keep them on the sidelines. Apparent GOP opposition to the CHIPS Act means that semiconductor consolidation might be challenging, the advisor noted, while cautioning it is still too early to know what a Trump presidency would mean. That advisor noted that smaller banks had been getting gobbled up for "some time," but that the pace and size of those acquisitions would likely ramp up under a Trump presidency.

Persons: Donald Trum, Ronda Churchill, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Jeffrey Solomon, TD Cowen, Solomon, Trump, Lina Khan, Khan, Howard Gutman, Jonathan Miller, —, Jared Holz, Mizuho, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, David Zaslav, David Grogan Organizations: Republican, Nevada GOP, Afp, Getty, Trump, Democratic, Republicans, Biden administration's Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, CNBC, Dow Jones, MorganFranklin Consulting, Big Tech, Qualcomm, Intel, Integrated Media, Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Illumina, FTC, Maze Therapeutics, Sanofi, Senate, DOJ, Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference Locations: Florida, Nevada, Las Vegas , Nevada, Ronda, Trump, Sun Valley , Idaho

☆ Activist Irenic backs Starboard's push to end News Corp's dual-class structure
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Activist Irenic Capital Management said Tuesday that it would back fellow dissident Starboard Value's push to dissolve the dual-class structure at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp , ahead of a closely watched shareholder meeting. Irenic wrote in its Tuesday letter to News Corp's board that while it opposed the dual-class structure, it remained supportive of management's efforts to "unlock immediate value." Irenic also wrote it believes the Murdoch family and other super-voting shareholders should be paid a premium if a conversion to a single-share structure happened. A vote to dissolve the dual-class structure at News Corp nearly a decade ago failed, although it was supported by 90% of non-Murdoch shareholders. The Murdoch family controls roughly 40% of the vote through a family trust and the supervoting Class B shares, making governance changes tough.

Persons: Jeff Smith's, Murdoch, Adam Katz's Irenic, Irenic, Glass Lewis Organizations: Irenic Capital Management, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, Wall Street, News Corp

☆ Activist Engine Capital nominates six directors at software maker Dye & Durham, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Activist investor Engine Capital has nominated a slate of directors Monday at Canadian legal software maker Dye & Durham , according to people familiar with the matter, after the company fielded takeover interest and moved to launch a sale process Engine has described as "reactionary." Dye & Durham delayed the special meeting twice to December. Dye & Durham makes a suite of software for law firms and says it has more than 60,000 customers worldwide. Engine has contended that a sale of the company at this time would "substantially undervalue" the company. "Dye & Durham has substantially refreshed its Board and has a focused and aligned management team."

Persons: Arnaud Ajdler, Ritu Khanna, Hans Gieskes, Aecom, Goldman Sachs, Matthew Proud's, Dye Organizations: Capital, Dye, Durham, LexisNexis, & Durham, DND, Goldman, Bloomberg Locations: Parkland

☆ Super Micro shares plunge 35% as auditor resigns after raising concerns months earlier
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

EY had been hired to audit Super Micro for the first time for the 2024 fiscal year, the company said. Super Micro makes computers that companies use as servers for websites, data storage and other applications, including AI algorithms. Shares of Super Micro, which joined the S&P 500 in March, surged 246% in 2023. EY's concerns were raised prior to a short-seller report that took aim at Super Micro's financial controls and accounting practices. The company hired law firm Cooley and a forensic accounting firm to review Super Micro's internal controls.

Persons: Ernst & Young, Charles Laing, EY, Cooley, Young Organizations: Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Securities and Exchange Commission, Super Micro, Ernst

David Einhorn speaking at the 2024 Sohn Conference in New York City on April 3, 2024. Shares of Peloton spiked more than 11% on Wednesday after Greenlight Capital's David Einhorn said shares of the company are significantly undervalued, CNBC has learned. It was not immediately clear what Einhorn believed Peloton shares should trade at. He made the case for the company as he was riding a Peloton bike, a person familiar with his remarks said. Peloton did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Persons: David Einhorn, Greenlight Capital's David Einhorn, Einhorn, Barry McCarthy Organizations: CNBC, Robin Hood Investors, Greenlight, Costco Locations: New York City

Kenvue CEO Thibaut Mongon at the New York Stock Exchange for its initial public offering, May 4, 2023. Activist investor Starboard Value has a large stake in Kenvue , which spun out of Johnson & Johnson in mid-2023, according to people familiar with the matter. Starboard's push at Kenvue comes just two weeks after news broke it had amassed a roughly $1 billion stake in struggling pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Johnson & Johnson completed its separation from Kenvue in August last year, though the pharmaceutical giant still holds a stake in the new company. Kenvue started trading on the New York Stock Exchange in May 2023, ending its first day of trading with a share price of about $27.

Persons: Thibaut Mongon, Johnson, Starboard's Jeff Smith, J's, Haleon, Kenvue Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, Wall Street, Pfizer, Johnson, J, Procter Locations: Kenvue

A Southwest Airlines plane takes off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Friday, July 12, 2024. Elliott Investment Management and Southwest Airlines have been discussing a settlement that would give the activist investor significant representation on the airline's board, according to people familiar with the matter. The settlement talks are predicated on a deal that would give Elliott less than full board control, said the people, who asked not to be named because the negotiations are confidential. Southwest's board will drop to 12 members after Chairman Gary Kelly steps down next year, meaning Elliott would likely end up wither fewer than six selections. The talks are in early stages, and it's possible that no deal could be reached, some sources said.

Persons: Elliott, Gary Kelly, Bob Jordan, Jordan Organizations: Southwest Airlines, Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International, Elliott Investment Management, Bloomberg News, Dallas Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, Atlanta

☆ Intel seeks billions for minority stake in Altera business, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Intel is looking for a deal that values Altera at around $17 billion, said the people, who requested anonymity to speak freely about confidential information. Following a steep drop in its stock price and extended stretch of market share losses, Intel has been looking to make drastic changes. The company made overtures to a number of private equity and strategic investors this week about Altera, the sources said. Intel has expressed to some of those investors that it would be possible to acquire a majority stake in the business. Intel has previously said it could look to monetize Altera business through an IPO, possibly as soon as 2026.

Persons: Pat Gelsinger, Gelsinger Organizations: Intel Corporation, Senate Commerce, Science, Innovation, Russell, Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Devices

☆ Elliott asks for December special meeting at Southwest Airlines, cuts board slate to 8
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Elliott Investment Management has requested a special meeting at Southwest Airlines , formalizing the launch of a long-signaled proxy fight for control of the carrier's board. Elliott has also trimmed the size of its board slate from 10 director candidates to eight, after Southwest shrunk its board size from 15 to 12. CNBC reported last month that Elliott was preparing to call a special meeting. David Hess, who joined Southwest's board in 2021, was also on the board of Arconic in the midst of its proxy fight with Elliott. Elliott has never before called for a special meeting, which at Southwest carries a higher threshold of approval compared with voting at a regularly scheduled shareholder meeting.

Persons: Elliott, Bob Jordan, Gary Kelly, David Hess, Elliott . Hess, Jordan, Southwest's, John Pike, Bobby Xu, — CNBC's Leslie Josephs Organizations: Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International, Elliott Investment Management, Southwest Airlines, Southwest, CNBC, Alcoa, Artisan Partners, Salesforce, Starbucks Locations: Atlanta , Georgia

☆ Former Pfizer CEO, finance chief step back from Starboard's activist campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Pfizer CEO Ian Read and ex-CFO Frank D'Amelio said Wednesday evening that they would step away from Starboard Value's campaign at the struggling pharmaceutical giant, just days after news of the activist's stake broke. Read and D'Amelio said they were "fully supportive" of Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in a joint statement made via an investment bank and confirmed to be authentic. The duo had been in contact with a number of directors shortly before news of Starboard's stake broke Sunday evening, according to people familiar with the matter. For executives to join, and then walk away from an activist's campaign is highly unusual. It was also not immediately clear what impact, if any, the breakaway would have on Starboard's campaign.

Persons: Ian Read, Donald Trump, Frank D'Amelio, Read, D'Amelio, Albert Bourla, Jeff Smith, Bourla Organizations: Pfizer, White, Washington , D.C, Guggenheim Securities, dealmaking, CNBC, Autodesk, Wall Street, Corp Locations: Washington ,

Shaw revealed on Thursday it had amassed a roughly $1 billion stake in industrial gas giant Air Products and Chemicals, the second activist stake at the $71 billion company. Shaw, is seeking a clear succession plan for Air Product's CEO, 80-year-old Seifi Ghasemi. Shaw also took aim at how Air Products has structured some of its largest deals. Shaw said in its presentation to Air Products' board that the company has begun significant hydrogen projects costing many billions of dollars, without any guaranteed cash flow. Air Products declined to comment on either activist engagement.

Persons: Shaw, Paul Hilal's, Mantle, Ghasemi, Scott Sutton, Olin, D.E, Hilal's, Linde Organizations: Air Products, Chemicals, Air Product's, D.E, Products

Ian Read, chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer Inc., gestures as he speaks during a panel session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Activist Starboard Value accused Pfizer of threatening litigation against the company's former CEO and CFO in order to get them to break ranks with the investor's nascent turnaround campaign at the pharmaceutical giant. Pfizer shares slipped overnight as news of the two executive's breakaway emerged, and opened down roughly 2.5% in Thursday morning trading. Starboard's Smith said that when the activist approached the two executives, both expressed "concerns" about Pfizer's direction under Bourla and offered to help Starboard in its turnaround campaign. Starboard's Smith and Bourla are slated to meet in person next week, Smith said, confirming earlier reports.

Persons: Ian Read, Pfizer, Jeff Smith, Frank D'Amelio's, Smith, Albert Bourla, Starboard's Smith Organizations: Pfizer Inc, Economic, Pfizer Locations: Davos, Switzerland

☆ Activist Starboard Value has $1 billion Pfizer stake, taps former executives for help, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Activist investor Starboard Value has a roughly $1 billion stake in pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and is seeking to mount a turnaround at the struggling company, according to people familiar with the matter. Starboard believes that Pfizer's current leadership, under CEO Albert Bourla, has stepped away from historically disciplined cost structure and investment in novel drugs. One particularly concerning example to Starboard was Pfizer's acquisition of Global Blood Therapeutics. Pfizer pulled a drug for sickle cell disease it got just two years ago via the roughly $5 billion acquisition. Still, more than $100 billion in shareholder value has evaporated since the Covid-19 pandemic faded largely into the rearview mirror.

Persons: Ian Read, Frank D'Amelio, Albert Bourla, Oxbryta, Read, Jeff Smith, Angelica Peebles Organizations: Pfizer, Blood Therapeutics, Autodesk, Street

☆ Activist firm Mantle Ridge has $1 billion-plus stake in Air Products
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Activist investor Mantle Ridge has a $1 billion-plus stake in industrial gas supplier Air Products and Chemicals , according to a person familiar with the matter. The activist investor also wants to push the company on succession planning for Seifi Ghasemi, Air Products' 80-year-old CEO, the person said. Air Products is badly underperforming the S&P 500 for a second straight year. Air Products has a market cap of about $63 billion as of Friday's close. Air Products supplies chemicals and gases primarily to industrial customers, but has in recent years diversified into other businesses.

Persons: Seifi Ghasemi, Mantle, Paul Hilal, Seifi, Samir Serhan, Ghasemi, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Ken Squire Organizations: Air Products, Oiltanking, Chemicals, Products, Berkshire, CSX

Glenview Capital, a major CVS Health shareholder, is expected to meet with company leadership on Monday to lay out proposed fixes for the struggling business, according to people familiar with the matter, a potential precursor to an activist push. A CVS spokesperson said the company "maintains a regular dialogue with the investment community as part of our robust shareholder and analyst engagement program." Jeff Smith's Starboard Value also built a stake in the company in 2019, and engaged in discussion with the company's leadership as well. The company's insurance unit includes plans by Aetna for the Affordable Care Act, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid, along with dental and vision. In its second-quarter results in August, CVS announced a leadership shakeup based on the performance and outlook of its insurance unit.

Persons: Karen Lynch, Scott Ferguson, Jeff Smith's, Lynch, Brian Kane Organizations: Glenview, CVS Health, CVS, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Street Journal, Sachem, Capital Management, Aetna, American Medical Association, Affordable, Medicare Locations: Florida Keys, United States, Centene, Glenview

☆ CVS is working with advisors on strategic review, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CVS Health 's board has engaged advisors to conduct a strategic review of its business, according to people familiar with the matter, as the company contends with potential activist pressure and a severely depressed stock price. The review has been ongoing for some time, said the people, but there is no certainty on what actions, if any, the company will take. CVS management, including CEO Karen Lynch, met with major shareholder Glenview Capital Monday to discuss the company's lagging prospects and Glenview's plans to revive the stock, CNBC previously reported. In a statement, CVS spokesman David Whitrap told CNBC: "CVS Health's management team and Board of Directors are continually exploring ways to create shareholder value. CVS shares rose around 2.5% in after-hours trading Monday on the news, which was first reported by Reuters.

Persons: Karen Lynch, Lynch, David Whitrap, Brian Kane, —, Bertha Coombs Organizations: Washington DC, CVS, Glenview Capital, CNBC, Reuters Locations: Washington, United States

☆ Nelson Peltz's Trian takes board seat at pest control maker Rentokil
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Pest control maker Rentokil Initial said Wednesday that Trian partner Brian Baldwin would join the Terminix owner's board effective next week. The company said Baldwin, who has worked at Nelson Peltz's firm since 2007, will also join the nominating and compensation committees. The accession comes three months after Trian first disclosed a roughly $400 million position in Rentokil, and two weeks after the company issued a profit warning. Peltz's Trian has a long history of turning around struggling businesses, largely in the consumer sector. His company mounted a proxy fight at Disney earlier this year, failing to secure a board seat but still making around $1 billion off the investment.

Persons: Rentokil, Brian Baldwin, Baldwin, Nelson Peltz's, Trian, Janus Henderson, Peltz's Trian, Peltz, Proctor, Gamble, Mondelez Organizations: Heinz, Disney Locations: Rentokil, Terminix

☆ Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners to acquire software maker Smartsheet for $8.4 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Collaboration software maker Smartsheet announced Tuesday Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners will acquire it in an all-cash deal valuing the company at about $8.4 billion. Stockholders will receive $56.50 per share, a 41% premium to Smartsheet's average closing price over the last three months. The company went public in 2018 and sought to go head-to-head with other software companies like Atlassian. Qatalyst advised Smartsheet. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley advised the private equity bidders.

Persons: Smartsheet, Blackstone, Mark Mader, Qatalyst, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley Organizations: Blackstone, Vista Equity Partners

Elliott Management said Tuesday it will call a special meeting at Southwest Airlines "as soon as next week," shortly after the company put forward a sweeping board shakeup that it hoped might stave off a proxy fight. The push comes days before the airline's investor meeting, where it is expected to unveil improvements and operating changes. Southwest's shareholder meeting is typically scheduled for May, but by calling for a special meeting Elliott is looking to elect new directors much sooner than that. Earlier this month, executive chairman and former CEO Gary Kelly said he would step down after the carrier's shareholder meeting next year. "The need for change is urgent, and our request for a special meeting may come as soon as next week," Pike and Xu said.

Persons: Elliott, Bob Jordan, Gary Kelly, John Pike, Bobby Xu, Pike, Xu, Andrew Watterson, Robert Jordan Organizations: Elliott Management, Southwest Airlines, Airlines, Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association

Qualcomm recently approached struggling chipmaker Intel about a takeover, CNBC has confirmed. Intel shares initially popped on the news before closing up about 3%, while Qualcomm shares fell about 3% at the close. Intel shares are down 53% this year as investors express doubts about the company's costly plans to manufacture and design chips. Intel has also missed out on the artificial intelligence boom that's captured the attention of Wall Street. Intel was unsuccessful with its attempted acquisition of Tower Semiconductor, as was Qualcomm in its bid to acquire NXP Semiconductor.

Persons: Patrick Gelsinger, Trump Organizations: Qualcomm, Intel, CNBC, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Samsung, Nvidia, Tower Semiconductor, NXP Semiconductor, Broadcom, Federal Trade Commission Locations: China, Singapore, Europe, Asia

☆ Masimo CEO Joe Kiani ousted from board after proxy fight; Politan wins two seats
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Activist investor Politan Capital won the two board seats it was seeking at medical technology company Masimo , defeating founder and CEO Joe Kiani and another director, Chris Chavez, at the shareholder vote. Politan nominees Darlene Solomon and Bill Jellison will join Politan investment chief Quentin Koffey and former Johnson & Johnson executive Michelle Brennan, who obtained board seats in a prior proxy fight last year. The extended proxy fight was marked by a fierce legal battle. The victory for Politan will likely result in the departure of CEO Kiani as well as operating chief Bilal Muhsin. WATCH: Masimo CEO on the proxy fight

Persons: Joe Kiani, Chris Chavez, Politan, Darlene Solomon, Bill Jellison, Quentin Koffey, Johnson, Michelle Brennan, Politan's, Chavez, Masimo, Koffey, Kiani, Bilal Muhsin, Muhsin Organizations: Politan Capital, Healthcare, Consumer, Apple, Apple Watch

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger holds a sample of a wafer during his keynote speech at the Computex conference in Taipei on June 4, 2024. Intel shares jumped 8% in extended trading Monday after the company said it plans to turn its foundry business into an independent unit with its own board and the potential to raise outside capital. Gelsinger said the restructuring would allow the foundry business to "evaluate independent sources of funding," and comes days after Intel's board met to assess the direction and future of the company. The foundry business, which Intel plans to use to manufacture chips for other customers, has been a big drag on its bottom line, with the company spending roughly $25 billion on it in each of the last two years. With a standalone "operating board" and a cleaner corporate structure, the mechanics of a separation become far easier than trying to turn a fully integrated unit into a separate company.

Persons: Pat Gelsinger, Pat Gelsinger's, Gelsinger Organizations: Intel, Nvidia Locations: Taipei, Altera

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