Activism Archive

We have become used to living in lockdown. We have become used to birdsong replacing traffic noise, to working from home, to virtual meetings. We have become used to Webex, to staying in, to social distancing. Many are predicting that the changes thrust upon us by Covid-19 could have a lasting impact on the world of business and work: business travel, large offices and meetings are set to shrink as professionals around the world weigh up the costs and benefits of adopting ...

– Shareholder activism fell sharply in March as the spread of Covid-19 accelerated, reported Reuters. The number of campaigns launched in March stood at 16, a fall of 38 percent compared with February, according to data from investment bank Lazard. ‘Lower M&A activity and companies focused on conserving cash will mean ...

On January 30, the Fed finalized a rule that relaxes requirements to allow activist investors to take larger ownership interests in banks and maintain greater board representation without triggering control under federal banking law. Control is a critical concept as investors controlling banks are subject to extensive Fed oversight and stricter regulation.   The Fed’s rule provides greater clarity to investors by outlining the types of non-controlling s...

Issuers in Asia are more likely to seek settlements with activist investors than they were five years ago, due to activists’ increasing success rate in contested meetings across the region, according to data from Activist Insight. Shareholder activists gained 40 board seats from 32 contested meetings in 2019, compared with 25 seats from 10 meetings in 2014, the study finds. Board battles between issuers and activist shareholders have gradually gone up since then, ...