We agree with activists on these buys

Article Excerpt

Some activist investors have a spotty record when it comes to boosting shareholder value. It’s why we independently assess all companies—including those targeted by activists—before recommending them to our readers. In the case of Crown Castle and eBay, we feel the participation of prominent activists will continue to pay off for investors. CROWN CASTLE INTERNATIONAL CORP. $163 is a buy. The company (New York symbol CCI; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 419.7 million; Market cap: $68.4 billion; Dividend yield 2.9%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.crowncastle.com) owns, leases and manages 40,000 cell towers in the U.S., including Puerto Rico. Approximately 75% of site rental revenues are derived from AT&T, T-Mobile US, Verizon, and Sprint. (On April 1st, T-Mobile US and Sprint completed their long-awaited merger.) Crown Castle also owns and operates 80,000 route miles of fibre across the U.S. Activist investor Elliott Management owns approximately $1 billion of Crown Castle’s stock; it believes the company’s diversification into fibre has distracted it from its primary business of cell towers. Elliott…