HedgeCo.Net (New York) – Atticus, a New York-based hedge fund that manages more than $12 billion has been having talks with Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. Freeport has already undertaken the world’s biggest mining takeover, valued at about $26 billion when the mining company acquired hedge-fund Phelps Dodge Corp.
Phelps Dodge Corp manager Timothy R. Barakett saw his investment jump by about $517 million, capping a 13-month campaign to find a buyer for the mining company and get more of its cash. Shares of Phelps Dodge are trading at below Freeport’s offer price, which may mean investors don’t expect a higher bid, analysts said.
Atticus Capital is the largest Phelps Dodge shareholder, with about a 10% stake.
Barakett had been seeking a buyer for the copper producer since he opposed a proposal by Phelps Dodge CEO J. Steven Whisler to acquire two Canadian nickel producers for $40 billion. Before that, Barakett successfully pushed for the company to give more of its $2.5 billion cash pile to investors, after a rally in metals prices sent profit to a record.
“Some of their efforts have done shareholders of Phelps Dodge a great service,” said John Rosenberg, who helps manage $900 million including Phelps Dodge shares at Geneve Capital Group in Stamford, Conn. “There’s a place in the market for activism.”
According to financial research firm Dealogic, the value of global mergers and acquisitions for 2006 reached a record $3.368 trillion, beating the previous high set in 2000 of $3.332 trillion. Private equity firms such as hedge funds accounted for 22% of total global M&A volume in the first nine months of the year, hitting a new record of $570.1 billion in deals.
Alex Akesson
Contributing Writer
HedgeCo.Net
Email: Editor@hedgeco.net
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