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☆ Ackman says his firm will put $500 million into Pershing Square USA
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bill Ackman, chief executive officer and portfolio manager at Pershing Square Capital Management, speaks during the SALT conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Richard Brian/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights New Tab , opens new tabNEW YORK, July 10 (Reuters) - Bill Ackman's firm Pershing Square Capital Management will put $500 million into its new U.S.-listed investment holding company, the hedge fund manager said in a presentation on Wednesday. The $500 million anchor investment will be held for at least 10 years, he said. Since its launch two decades ago, Ackman's hedge fund returned 16.5% a year. Had it existed in its current form, Pershing Square USA would have returned 19.4% during that time, he said.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Richard Brian, Bill Ackman's, Ackman, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Pershing Square Capital Management, REUTERS, Pershing, Capital Management, USA, New York Stock Exchange, Svea, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S

☆ BlackRock directors keep seats at six funds in proxy battle with Saba
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Based on the preliminary results from last week's shareholder meetings, it is clear that shareholders have rejected both Saba's nominees and its efforts to displace BlackRock as investment advisor to the Funds," BlackRock said in a statement. Saba, run by prominent investor Boaz Weinstein, and BlackRock, the world's biggest asset management company with more than $10 trillion in assets under management, have been locked in battle for months over the future of 10 BlackRock closed end funds. Saba wants investors to elect its nominees to the BlackRock funds' boards and fire BlackRock as manager at some of them. Some $1.4 billion in value could be unlocked at the funds by cutting the funds' discount to their net asset value, he has said. The 10 BlackRock funds jointly oversee roughly $10 billion in assets.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, BlackRock, Boaz Weinstein, Saba, Weinstein, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, BlackRock, Saba Capital Management, Services, BIGZ, ISS, Svea, Thomson Locations: BlackRock, New York City, U.S, Saba

☆ Jana Partners calls for strategic review, possible sale at Frontier Communications -letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Small toy figures with laptops and smartphones are seen in front of displayed Frontier Communications logo, in this illustration taken December 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 4 (Reuters) - Activist investment firm Jana Partners is urging Frontier Communications (FYBR.O) to begin a strategic review, including a possible sale of the telecommunications company, arguing that its shares will continue to lag unless corrective action is taken. In the letter, the partners said they have spoken with potential strategic and financial buyers who have "indicated interest in participating in a company-initiated review process." A Jana spokesman declined to comment and a representative for Frontier did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the letter Jana said Frontier's lagging stock price is linked to the fact the company hasn't been able to attract new investors since exiting bankruptcy in 2021.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jana Partners, Jana, Barry Rosenstein, Scott Ostfeld, Goldman Sachs, hasn't, Frontier's, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Frontier Communications, Reuters, Board, Frontier, Wall, Svea, Thomson

☆ Exclusive: Activist investor Blackwells plans Wendy's board challenge -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Blackwells, run by Jason Aintabi, plans to nominate several directors to Wendy's 12-member board, said the sources, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations. It made no mention of any plans to challenge the Wendy's board. Wendy's reported adjusted third-quarter earnings per share of 27 cents last month, beating analysts' average estimate of 25 cents. Yet it posted same-restaurant sales growth of 2.8% globally and 2.2% for the United States that were lower than a year ago. In third quarter of 2022, Wendy's had reported global same-restaurant sales growth of 6.9% and U.S. same-restaurant sales growth of 6.4%.

Persons: Burger, Mario Anzuoni, Wendy's, Jason Aintabi, Nelson Peltz, Peter May, Matthew Peltz, Blackwells, Trian, Bob Iger, Peltz, Matthew H, McDonald's, Aintabi, John Foley, Foley, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Chizu Nomiyama, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Trian Fund Management, Walt Disney Co, Disney, Restaurant, International Inc, Burger, Interactive, Svea, Thomson Locations: Monrovia , California, North America, Wendy's, Dublin , Ohio, New York, United States, Rhode Island

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Activist investor Nelson Peltz is pushing ahead with plans to seek at least three board seats at Disney (DIS.N) as the firm is not satisfied with Disney CEO Bob Iger's changes, several people familiar with the matter said. During a conversation on Thursday morning with Iger, Disney extended an offer for Trian to meet with the company's board but rejected the activist shareholder's request for seats on a board that will soon have 12 members, Trian said in a statement. He wanted the company to come up with a better succession plan, overhaul the streaming business and cut costs. Early this year, Peltz aborted a board challenge to give Iger time to "right the ship." "If they’ve made significant progress," Gadson said of Disney, proxy advisers "are more likely to allow for time to complete the transformation."

Persons: Nelson Peltz, Bob Iger's, Trian, Iger, Peltz, Disney, Morgan Stanley, James Gorman, Jeremy Darroch, Francis deSouza, Patrick Gadson, Vinson, they’ve, Gadson, Samrhitha, Dawn Chmielewski, Bayliss, Mark Porter, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Disney, Trian, ESPN, Sky, Companies, Exxon, Svea Herbst, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, Dawn, New York, Providence

A general view of the Phillips 66 Company's Los Angeles Refinery, which processes domestic & imported crude oil into gasoline, aviation and diesel fuels, in Carson, California, U.S., March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 29 (Reuters) - Elliott Investment Management has taken a $1 billion stake in Phillips 66 and is urging the U.S. oil refiner and pipeline operator to revamp its board to boost lagging performance. Phillips 66 has lagged its U.S. refining rivals at a time when fuel demand and margins have soared for the industry. Phillips 66 Chief Executive Mark Lashier acknowledged discussions with Elliott but did not say whether the company was open to adding two Elliott-recommended directors to its board. Phillips 66 currently has 13 board members.

Persons: Bing Guan, Phillips, Mark Lashier, Elliott, Lashier, John Pike, Mike Tomkins, Garfield Miller, Miller, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Laura Sanicola, Gary McWilliams, Anil D'Silva, Bernadette Baum, Mark Porter Organizations: Phillips, Los, Los Angeles Refinery, Elliott Investment Management, Marathon Petroleum, Energy, Exxon Mobil, Aegis Energy Advisors, Elliott, Svea, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Carson , California, U.S, Houston, Providence, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Activist investor Ubben shutting down Inclusive Capital-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jeffrey Ubben, Founder & CEO at ValueAct Capital, speaks on the Reuters Newsmaker event "The Future of Shareholder Activism" in Manhattan, New York, U.S., February 22, 2017. Ubben told investors in a memo he was winding down some funds and returning capital, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Ubben and Inclusive Capital, known as InCap, did not respond to calls and emails for comment. Last year more hedge funds closed their doors than launched, data from Hedge Fund Research show. More than two decades ago, Ubben, 61, who started his career at mutual fund giant Fidelity, founded ValueAct Capital in San Francisco.

Persons: Jeffrey Ubben, Andrew Kelly, Jeff Ubben, Ubben, InCap, Martha Stewart, John Paulson, Louis Bacon, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Sabrina Valle, Josie Kao Organizations: ValueAct, Reuters, REUTERS, Capital Partners, Inclusive, Hedge Fund Research, Fidelity, Microsoft, Street Journal, Exxon, Rad Laboratories, Unifi Inc, Bayer, Svea, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, San Francisco, Houston

☆ Charlie Munger, who was Warren Buffett's right-hand man at Berkshire, dies at 99
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] Berkshire Hathaway Inc Vice Chairman Charles Munger speaks at the Daily Journal annual meeting in Los Angeles, U.S., February 15, 2017. The death of Munger, a Berkshire vice chairman since 1978, marks an end of an era in corporate America and investing. "It's a shock," said Thomas Russo, a partner at Gardner Russo & Quinn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and longtime Berkshire shareholder. PHILOSOPHICALLY ALIKESince becoming a Berkshire vice chairman, Munger worked closely with Buffett on allocating Berkshire's capital and not mincing words when he thought his business partner was making a mistake. Money manager Whitney Tilson, who knew Munger personally, said a "generation of investment managers" learned some of their craft from Munger and Buffett.

Persons: Charles Munger, Lucy Nicholson, Warren Buffett's, Charlie Munger, Munger, Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, Thomas Russo, Gardner Russo, Quinn, Rick Meckler, Charlie, Warren, Paul Lountzis, Whitney Tilson, Tilson, Greg Abel, Ajit Jain, Abel, Buffett's, Howard, CHARLIE, Jain, Lountzis, Russo, Jonathan Stempel, Lewis Krauskopf Svea, Bayliss, Chibuike, Megan Davies, Rosalba O'Brien, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Daily, REUTERS, Cherry Lane Investments, Lountzis, Management, BNSF, Apple, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , U.S, Berkshire, California, America, Omaha , Nebraska, Lancaster , Pennsylvania, Munger, New Jersey, Wyomissing , Pennsylvania, Omaha, Warren, New York

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Activist investor Elliott Investment Management on Monday said it was ready to nominate directors at Crown Castle International and push for the ouster of the wireless tower owner's executives and board members, whom it blames for years of underperformance. The hedge fund in a letter released on Monday said the company needs "comprehensive leadership change." It said it was ready to appeal to other shareholders to make changes to the 12-member board, signaling a possible proxy fight next year. Elliott sharply criticized management and the board saying a "lack of oversight ... contributed to its irresponsible stewardship and flawed financial policy." The hedge fund said the company "disregarded our data-driven analysis" and added that "our recommended changes were neither made nor taken seriously."

Persons: Elliott, Jesse Cohn, Jason Genrich, Jay Brown, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Pooja Desai, Mark Porter Organizations: Investment Management, Crown Castle International, SBA Communications, Intelligence, Svea, Thomson Locations: Houston, Providence, Bengaluru

Ten-year Treasury yields hit a 16-year high of 5.021% in late October, but have fallen back to 4.414%. Some big investors and advisers believe, however, that reasons to cheer are short-lived and growing concerns over the economy will start weighting on asset prices early next year. His focus now is more on earnings, credit markets and broader economic data for signs of a potential slowdown. The U.S. presidential race next year is also a concern because it could be a source of more market instability. For a new boost in market performance, tech stocks will depend more on showing how AI can lift results, investors said.

Persons: We've, Ryan Israel, Bill Ackman's, Mohamed El, Peter van Dooijeweert, Max Gokhman, Franklin Templeton, Bill Gross, van Dooijeweert, Carolina Mandl, David Randall, Svea, Bayliss, Megan Davies, Leslie Adler Organizations: Nasdaq, Bill Ackman's Pershing, Capital Management, Allianz, Group's Solutions, U.S, Reuters, Microsoft, Wall, Svea Herbst, Thomson Locations: extrapolating, U.S, China

Citi announced plans to cut management layers from 13 to eight as part of its biggest overhaul in decades. Citigroup declined to comment on all the personnel moves, and none of the leaders named responded to requests for comment. The full reorganization could involve thousands of layoffs, according to a source familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly. Preparations for Monday's announcements were communicated verbally in meetings last week, according to another source familiar with the situation. Final announcements related to the overhaul will be made early next year, Fraser said in a memo to employees.

Persons: Jane Fraser, Eduardo Martinez Campos, Andy Sieg, Andrew Kelly, Valentin Valderrabano, Patricia Dorosz, Nacho Gutiérrez, Carmen Haddad, Fahad Aldeweesh, Haddad, Jose Miguel Salvador Nasur, Peter Babej, Ernesto Torres Cantú, Brad Wayman, Chris McCullough, Wayman, Patrick Gallagher, Lucy Baldwin, Sandeep Arora, Fraser, Mark Mason, Tatiana Bautzer, Lananh Nguyen, Andres Gonzalez, Saeed Azhar, Bayliss, Echo Wang, Isla Binnie, Nick Zieminski, Stephen Coates, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Citigroup, Citi, Citi Wealth Services, Citibank, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Svea Herbst, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Chile, New York, London, Svea

☆ Labor group seeks three board seats at Starbucks - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Members of the Starbucks Workers Union and other labor organization picket and hold a rally outside a company owned Starbucks store, during the coffee chain's Red Cup Day event in New York City, U.S., November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Starbucks Corp FollowNov 21 (Reuters) - The Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of North American labor unions, is seeking three board seats at Starbucks (SBUX.O), people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. Workers at several Starbucks stores had walked off their jobs last week in a strike organized by the Workers United union during a key promotional event demanding improved staffing and schedules. It is affiliated to Service Employees International Union, which owns a small Starbucks stake and is part of the Strategic Organizing Center, the Wall Street Journal reported. The WSJ first reported about the Strategic Organizing Center's push for board seats.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Bayliss, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Starbucks Workers Union, REUTERS, Companies Starbucks Corp, Organizing, North, Reuters, Tuesday . Workers, Workers United, Service Employees International Union, Strategic Organizing, Wall Street Journal, Starbucks, ., U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, WSJ, Svea Herbst, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, North American, Bengaluru, Svea, New York

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Citigroup (C.N) employees expect the bank to announce layoffs and senior management changes on Monday as part of its biggest reorganization in decades, according to five sources with knowledge of the matter. The job cuts could affect thousands of staff, according to a source familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly. Executives are also likely to announce senior management changes by email, the source said. Last month, Citi announced plans to cut management layers from 13 to eight as part of its biggest overhaul in decades. Support staff in compliance and risk management, and technology staff working on overlapping functions are at risk of being laid off, Reuters reported in September.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Saeed Azhar, Isla Binnie, Tatiana Bautzer, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Echo Wang, Lananh Nguyen, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Citibank, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Citigroup, Citi, Reuters, Svea, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, New York

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Citigroup (C.N) employees expect announcements about management changes and layoffs on Monday in the next phase of the bank’s sweeping reorganization, according to four people familiar with the situation. Employees are awaiting more details about the scale of layoffs at the bank, which employs 240,000 people worldwide. Last month, Citi announced plans to cut management layers from 13 to eight as part of its biggest overhaul in decades. The third-largest U.S. lender will also eliminate co-heads of divisions and regional roles, cut 50% of internal financial management reporting and centralize decision making, it said in October. Support staff in compliance and risk management, and technology staff working on overlapping functions are at risk of being laid off, Reuters reported in September.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Saeed Azhar, Bayliss, Tatiana Bautzer, Lananh Nguyen, Echo Wang, Isla Binnie, Chizu Organizations: Citibank, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Citigroup, Financial Times, Citi, U.S, Reuters, Svea Herbst, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, New York

☆ ValueAct builds stake in Disney, adds drama at home of Mickey Mouse -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt Disney Company on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 14, 2017. ValueAct and Disney declined to comment. Disney's stock price could trade between $120 and $190 a share, far above its current $94.19 price, ValueAct has suggested, the people said. Unlike other activist investors who noisily push for change through public presentations, ValueAct prefers to work quietly behind the scenes. In January, ValueAct CEO Mason Morfit was invited onto Salesforce's (CRM.N) board at a time the company had at least five activist shareholders.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, ValueAct, Mickey, Nelson Peltz's, Peltz, Shaw, Trian, Mason Morfit, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Dawn Chmielewski, Arsheeya, Arun Koyyur, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, ValueAct, Walt Disney, Disney, 13D Monitor, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, Fund Management, Management, Capital Partners, Microsoft, Svea, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Exclusive: ValueAct takes stakes in Recruit and Expedia, says they are poised for strong growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Recruit logo is displayed at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan May 10, 2022. REUTERS/Mayu Sakoda/ Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters) - ValueAct Capital Management has bought stakes in job search site Indeed's parent Recruit Holdings (6098.T) and in online travel services provider Expedia Group (EXPE.O) and believes both are poised for strong growth. Recruit is valued at roughly $49 billion while Expedia has a market value of about $17 billion. ValueAct CEO Mason Morfit was invited onto Salesforce's board this year and the stock price has surged 64% since January. There was no mention of Recruit or Expedia.

Persons: Mayu, Expedia, ValueAct, Mason Morfit, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, ValueAct Capital Management, Recruit Holdings, Expedia, Reuters, Recruit, Microsoft, Danaher Corp, Roblox, Alarm.com Holdings, Svea, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Austin , Texas, Expedia, Illumina

☆ ValueAct Capital builds stake in Disney - 13D Monitor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt Disney Company on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 14, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsNov 15 (Reuters) - Activist investor ValueAct Capital has taken a stake in Walt Disney (DIS.N), sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. ValueAct is the second activist investor to arrive at Disney after Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management last month signaled it would be pushing for multiple board seats after having abandoned a proxy fight earlier this year. The new position was first reported by 13D Monitor. Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss in New York and Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, ValueAct, Nelson Peltz's, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Walt Disney, Disney, Management, 13D, Svea, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Salesforce's strong stock price wooed some investors during third quarter-filings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The two hedge funds had each cut their investments in Salesforce during the second quarter. Still Starboard Value the first activist to speak publicly in October 2022 about needed changes at Salesforce cut its stake again, the filings show. On Sept. 30, the hedge fund owned 1.7 million shares, marking a 14% drop from what it owned at the end of the second quarter. Light Street Capital Management cut its stake by 44%, while Polen Capital Management trimmed it by 3.2%, the filings show. While Salesforce's stock price lost some ground during the third quarter, it has continued to move higher and closed trading at $221.18 on Tuesday.

Persons: Porte, Benoit Tessier, Salesforce, Mason Morfit, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Capital Management, Farallon Capital Management, Elliott Investment Management, ValueAct, Investment, Securities and Exchange, Street Capital Management, Polen Capital Management, Svea, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Salesforce, Polen

☆ Exclusive: Activist investor Elliott targets drugmaker BioMarin -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Activist investor Elliott Investment Management has built a stake in BioMarin Pharmaceutical (BMRN.O) and has been in discussions with the biotechnology company for months about its future, according to two people familiar with the matter. Elliott declined to comment, while a representative for BioMarin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. BioMarin shares rose 12% to $85.36 on the news in morning trading in New York on Tuesday. Prior to news of Elliott's engagement, BioMarin shares were down 24% year-to-date, significantly underperforming the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB.O), which is down 8.6%. Elliott also successfully pushed for drug makers Alexion Pharma (AZN.L) and Allergan (ABBV.N) to be sold.

Persons: Elliott, BioMarin, hemophilia, Jean, Jacques Bienaime, Alexander Hardy, Jefferies, Bienaime, Harvey, Richard Meier, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Jamie Freed Organizations: Investment Management, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Alexion Pharma, Svea, Thomson Locations: BioMarin, San Rafael , California, West Palm Beach , Florida, New York

[1/2] The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. At issue are proposed rules that would, among other things, require greater disclosures of large security-based swap positions. "The SEC is unlawfully withholding ... information to which Elliott is entitled and for which no valid disclosure exemption applies or has been properly asserted," Elliott said. In June, the regulator strengthened rules intended to prevent anyone in the security-based swaps market from manipulating prices. The case is Elliott Investment Management LP v SEC, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, No.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Elliott, Paul Singer, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Elliott Investment Management, SEC, Bloomberg News, Forbes, Elliott Investment, U.S, District of Columbia, Svea, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Washington, West Palm Beach , Florida

☆ Exclusive: Hedge fund Caxton wins on bond rout to claw back performance losses - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

They added that the fund had about a negative 2% performance for the year to the end of October. The CGI fund, at the end of June had been down about 8%, added one of the sources. The CGI fund did well from a view that the Bank of Japan would ease its ultra-loose monetary policy, said two of the sources. They also said short bets that bond prices would fall, as well as bets the U.S. Treasury yield curve would steepen were some of the top earners for the fund. Caxton's CGI fund also profited from the difference between Japanese and U.S. stock prices, the sources said, adding that losses on commodities bets in gold and a yen hedge detracted from performance.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Andrew Law's, Caxton, Jerome Powell, Bruce Kovner, Nell Mackenzie, Carolina Mandl, Svea Herbst Bayliss, Maiya, Dhara Ranasinghe, Kirsten Donovan, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Caxton Associates, Caxton Global Investments, Bank of Japan, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Thomson

☆ Hedge fund JAT calls on Overstock.com to replace CEO - filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Hedge fund JAT Capital urged the board of internet retailer Overstock.com (OSTK.O) to replace the company's chief executive officer, arguing that Jonathan E. Johnson III is to blame for poor financial performance. JAT, run by John Thaler, owns a 9.6% stake in Overstock.com, and is stepping up pressure, having called on the company in October to consider selling certain assets and to overhaul management compensation. "The current CEO needs to be removed immediately," JAT wrote to the board in a letter dated Nov. 2 and made public in a regulatory filing on Friday. Thaler, who wrote the letter just days before Overstock.com's analyst day on Monday, proposed that businessman and television personality Marcus Lemonis, who joined the Overstock.com board last month, should become CEO. Overstock's stock price climbed nearly 3% on Friday but has lost 23% in the last 52 weeks.

Persons: Jonathan E, Johnson, John Thaler, JAT, Thaler, Marcus Lemonis, Lemonis, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Louise Heavens Organizations: Capital, Bed, Svea, Thomson Locations: Overstock.com

Peter Orszag, CEO of Financial Advisory, Lazard, speaks at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 2, 2023. Dealogic data showed that globally, investment banking revenue tumbled 16% in the third quarter from a year earlier. Those takeovers, alongside a nascent revival in initial public offerings (IPOs), should bolster investment banking revenues next year. Global investment banking revenue stood at $50 billion in the first three quarters of this year, 20% below the same period in 2022, according to Dealogic. Investment banking revenue will probably rise 5% to 10% next year for the largest banks, according to Mike Mayo, an analyst at Wells Fargo.

Persons: Peter Orszag, Lazard, Mike Blake, dealmaking, Orszag, Morgan Stanley's, Ted Pick, Morgan Stanley, Dealogic, Mike Mayo, Jane Fraser, Fraser, Jana Partners, Brian Moynihan, Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, Tatiana Bautzer, Lananh Nguyen, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Megan Davies, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Financial Advisory, Milken, Global Conference, REUTERS, Wall, Exxon Mobil, Chevron CVX.N, Reuters, CNBC, Global, Investment, Wells, Citigroup, Exxon, Natural Resources, Barclays, News Corp, Frontier Communications, Bank of, Svea, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, dealmaking, Ukraine, East, Wells Fargo

☆ Wall Street strategist and '10 Surprises' author Byron Wien dies at 90
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Byron Wien, Vice Chairman of Private Wealth Solutions group, speaks during the Reuters Global Investment 2019 Outlook Summit, in New York, U.S., November 13, 2018. Wien built his wide following on Wall Street during two decades at investment bank Morgan Stanley (MS.N) where he rose to be the firm's chief investment strategist of the United States. Soon after, at age 76, when most people were enjoying retirement, Wien joined private equity firm Blackstone to offer direction and guidance. "My wife hopes I give this up as soon as possible," Wien told the New York Times about writing it. He told the New York Times in 1985 "I'm not sure I can do this job," about the strategist role at Morgan Stanley.

Persons: Byron Wien, Brendan McDermid, Wien, Morgan Stanley, Blackstone, Steve Schwarzman, Jon Gray, I'm, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Chris Reese Organizations: Wealth Solutions, Reuters, REUTERS, Blackstone Inc, Wien, Pequot Capital Management, Blackstone, U.S, New York Times, Harvard, Svea, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, United States, China, Wien

☆ Ackman's bet against US Treasuries pays off with $200 mln profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ackman said on Monday on X, "we covered our bond short" some 12 weeks after he announced the bet on the messaging platform formerly known as Twitter. "The economy is slowing faster than recent data suggests," Ackman said in the post, adding "There is too much risk in the world to remain short bonds at current long-term rates." The yield on the 30-year Treasuries was around 4.16% when he announced his bet against them. He said the Treasury yield, which moves in the opposite direction of prices, could rise to 5.5%. But the conflict between Islamist group Hamas and Israel is unnerving investors and suggests Treasuries could become a safe investment option.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Richard Brian, Ackman, Treasuries, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Pershing Square Capital Management, REUTERS, Companies, Billionaire, U.S, Financial Times, Inc, Restaurant Brands, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, Pershing Square, Treasury, Hamas, Svea, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, Israel

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