Salient to Investors:
Hedge Fund Research said $3.8 billion went into activist funds in 2012 versus $1.8 billion in 2010. Factset Research Systems said shareholder activists started 219 campaigns in 2012 versus, up 22 percent from 2011 and the most since 2008.
Patrick Ramsey at Bank of America said we have seen a dramatic increase in shareholder activism, which will help increase M&A in 2013.
Anne Simpson at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System is putting $1.25 billion over the next five years into a fund of its own.
Mazin Jadallah at AlphaClone said activist funds returned 25 percent in 2012 versus 13 percent for the S&P500.
Carl Icahn said you need a large amount of long-term committed capital to be successful.
Gideon King at Loeb Capital Mgmt said the financial crisis has left a substantial price gap between sellers and buyers. Gene Sykes at Goldman Sachs said mature tech companies laden with cash are especially ripe targets.
Andrew Bednar at Perella Weinberg said activists sometimes claim too much credit because there is often not a cause and effect between activist action and management decisions. Ralph Whitworth at Relational Investors said that it’s true that management has often heard similar suggestions from bankers, investors or analysts, but an amazing number suffer from the ready, aim, aim, aim syndrome.
Read the full article at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-17/activist-funds-loaded-with-capital-augurs-dealmaking-surge-1-.html.