Activists offers clues not certainty

Article Excerpt

Hedge funds often act as activist investors, and some have successfully pushed companies to make moves that increase shareholder returns. For example, Elliott Management, led by Paul Singer, is now one of the world’s largest activist funds with $35 billion in assets under management. Elliott, and other activist investors, typically buy shares in a company and then work with management and other shareholders to improve the firm’s performance. This could include management changes, cost-cutting measures, or even the sale of the entire company. For example, Elliott recently pushed resource giant BHP Billiton to sell off its U.S. shale oil and gas assets to BP plc for $10.8 billion U.S. Singer felt that the shale business was a poor fit with BHP’s mining operations. The relationship between activists and targeted firms can become hostile, and those investors are typically willing to engage in proxy fights and court battles with company executives. For instance, in 2015, Elliott fought with Jay Y. Lee, son of the…