Major shareholders are increasingly turning into activists, putting pressure on executives in almost every industry to step up their performance at the risk of losing their jobs — or theircompanies.
Some of the activism, often by hedge funds, is pushing share prices higher and forcing management to unlock value.
But it is also raising questions about whether some investors are creating a short-term pop in some share prices, yet leaving the companies less healthy for the long haul.
The list of companies in the sights of activists includes large firms, such as Time Warner Inc., McDonald’s Corp., German stock-market operator Deutsche Boerse AG, Morgan Stanley, Six Flags Inc. andOfficeMax Inc. Sometimes they gently push the companies, with ideas and promises of support; other times they push hard for a sale or other steps.
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