Janney analyst Mark Kalikowsky is quite bullish on Taco Bell and recently raised his same store estimates for Taco Bell by four (4) percentage points. More interesting for us here is the fact that Mr. Kalikowsky also reiterated his thoughts that the chain should be spun off from its more globally focused parent, Yum Brands (YUM), which itself… Read More »
Ever since Alibaba’s (BABA) wildly successful IPO, investors have been wondering what Yahoo (YHOO) had in mind for its roughly $40 billion minority stake in the company. A sale would generate a lot of cash for the company, but also bring a monstrous $16 billion tax bill with it such as when the company unloaded shares during the… Read More »
Much like Real Estate Investment Trusts(REITs), Business Development Companies(BDCs) are a corporate structure that bypasses corporate taxes, and has shareholders pay taxes at their own rates, according to their ownership. Capital Southwest Corporation(CSWC) is a Dallas-based BDC which has built up an Industrials business through decades of acquisitions. In December, CEO Joe Armes announced a plan to spin… Read More »
Catching up on some news from the end of last year, TriMas Corporation (TRS) announced plans to spinoff its Cequent segments, which provide custom-engineered towing, trailer and cargo management products, into a standalone company. Post-spinoff, TriMas will be a more focused, diversified engineered products company. Love seeing the phrases ‘more focused’ and ‘diversified’ being used together like that, but… Read More »
Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) completed the spinoff of its strip mall business, Urban Edge Properties, after the close yesterday. As a reminder, Vornado shareholders should have received 1 share of Urban Edge for every 2 shares of VNO owned. Vornado is currently a member of the S&P 500 index and will remain so post spinoff. Urban Edge, which… Read More »
Every venture capitalist and investor has heard one of these classic, hype-inducing pitch lines before: This is the next (insert name of successful company) We are the (insert name of successful company) of (different industry) Well, if you are selling burritos, then it’s all about being the next Chipotle (CMG). That was the buzz surrounding the 2012 Fiesta… Read More »
Analysts at Goldman Sachs (GS) made waves last week suggesting that megabank JP Morgan (JPM) break itself up in response to the heavy capital restrictions imposed on the bank by the Fed.The WSJ’s Heard On The Street column thinks it’s a good idea, just tossed at the wrong bank. Instead of the House of Dimon, the WSJ thinks… Read More »
Alliant Techsystems(ATK) has taken another step forward towards its spinoff of Vista Outdoor and subsequent merger with Orbital Sciences(ORB). The transaction, which is back on track after a delay caused by the fiery explosion of an Orbital Sciences Antares rocket, is now expected to be completed on February 9. ATK shareholders will receive two shares of Vista Outdoor,… Read More »
It’s amazing how much stuff gets done on December 23rd because no one wants to work during the holidays. That includes corporate boards, such as the one at Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) which approved the spinoff of the majority of its retail strip malls, Urban Edge Properties. The distribution is expected to take place on January 15th to… Read More »
Some activist funds like to work behind the scenes and then there are the others which seem to be in the news almost every day. A day after making waves at Yahoo (YHOO), Jeffrey Smith’s Starboard Value fund was back in the news after long time target MeadWestvaco (MWV) announced plans to spin off its specialty chemical business… Read More »
A team of Goldman analysts led by Richard Ramsden raised quite the storm earlier this week by releasing a 20 page research note suggesting that JP Morgan (JPM), one of the world’s largest banks, should break itself up. Apparently the bank is a victim of its own success (isn’t that just the best kind of victomhood?) and has… Read More »
In the middle of 2014, Relational Investors was busy notching another activist victory, this time at Timken (TKR), while also building up the case on its newest target, The Manitowoc Company (MTW). In short, the firm argued that a foodservice business selling machinery to restaurants didn’t have any reason to be paired with a crane equipment business. As… Read More »