The Role of the Board in Turbulent Times: Avoiding Shareholder Activism

This paper, co-written by Matteo Tonello (The Conference Board) and Damien Park (Hedge Fund Solutions) is the fourth in a series of papers from The Conference Board on the oversight role of the board of directors in the current economic crisis. It provides board members with a checklist of issues they should consider addressing in their relations with shareholders and, in particular, how to avoid a costly and disruptive battle with an activist investor.

With corporate valuation declining and an economic and political environment favorable to change, the 2009 proxy season is witnessing a new wave of investor demands. In particular, due to the liquidity problems facing many corporations, there is a clear shift from the financial-oriented activism campaign aiming at cash extractions to new initiatives pursuing strategic, operational, and governance-related corrections.

The economic downturn has created extraordinary upheavals across global markets and severely penalized stock prices. Today, financial markets supply a number of undervalued companies and investment opportunities, as many businesses maintain relatively strong balance sheets and healthy long-term earnings potentials. The paper argues that it is in the interest of corporate boards to act proactively, understand shareholder intentions, and correct vulnerabilities so as to avoid becoming the target of activists. It also offers practical suggestions on how to design an action plan and respond to negative publicity campaigns mounted by disgruntled investors. Several current examples as well as a detailed table of cases from the 2009 proxy season are included.

Click here to download the full article.

Posted by Damien Park, President & CEO Hedge Fund Solutions, LLC.

Go out & play Defense!

The rummage sale level of stock prices has produced an uptick in hostile takeover activity - and in the fear of unwanted suitors - according to the March 2009 issue of Mergers & Acquisitions magazine. As might be expected, there’s a step-up in defensive play among CEOs, boards and investor relations people:

Until last year, the activist investor community had seemingly convinced companies that shareholders rights plans and the cherished poison pill were against the best interest of shareholders. However, as hostile activity seems to be ramping up, management teams are returning to more aggressive defense strategies.

(Poison pill defenses, for example, surged in late 2008 after several years in decline. According to FactSet Sharkrepellent, December saw 28 poison pill adoptions, the most in any month since 2001. Full-year 2008 adoptions of 127 poison pills were the most since 2002, FactSet says.)

M&A writer Avram Davis notes that lawyers often are the key players on defense. They encourage measures like language in bylaws to require advance notice of proposals for shareholder meetings, safeguards against activists’ calling their own meetings, and systems for tracking flow of confidential information to prevent its use against the company.

Another defensive strategy goes to the heart of investor relations:

Perhaps the easiest protection against hostile takeover attempts is among the least practiced - shareholder communications.

Joseph L. Johnson III, chair of the M&A and corporate governance practice at Goodwin & Procter LLP, tells M&A many companies have gotten out of the habit of meeting regularly with shareholders. Johnson (no relation) says this is dangerous, because you can be sure a hostile bidder will be actively reaching out to your investor base.

‘I’ve been telling people for years, it’s like you’re running for Congress,’ says Johnson. ‘You need to get out there and press the flesh.’

Staying in close touch with investors is essential. And going out to address concerns and explain the business strategy is the best way to communicate that management is serious about creating value.

Posted by Dick Johnson, [a regular Blog & Tackler] President Johnson Strategic Communications and the author of the investor relations blog IR Cafe.

Aggressive Activists Usually Succeed

No one on the corporate side wants to get that confrontational call or letter from a hedge fund or investor demanding a change in management. But a paper by two New York University profs in the February 2009 Journal of Finance concludes shareholder activism works - for shareholders, that is.

The study draws upon 151 hedge fund activist campaigns from 2003 to 2005, plus a second data set of 154 activist efforts spearheaded by individuals, private equity funds, VCs or other asset management groups. All of the campaigns studied involve aggressive calls for change such as gaining seats on the board, replacing the CEO, stopping a merger or pursuing strategic alternatives. Symbolic or minor changes aren’t included.

The authors look at stock price movement around the activists’ declaration of intent in a 13D filing and in the year following, as well as the types of change demanded and achieved.

The results?

• Stocks of companies targeted by hedge fund activists earn a 10.2% abnormal return in the period around the filing of the 13D. Those facing other kinds of activists outperform by 5.1%.
• Superior returns persist in the one-year period following the 13D. Hedge fund campaigns deliver an average 11.4% abnormal return after a year, and other activists’ interventions result in 17.8% outperformance.
• When it comes to getting management to make the proposed changes, aggressive activists are more often successful than not. Hedge funds pushing a confrontational agenda win 60% of the time, and other investors achieve their objectives in 65% of the campaigns. Most commonly, they win board seats by threats of proxy contests.
• Hedge funds often target more financially healthy companies and often demand cash payouts or share repurchases. Other activists are more likely to focus on changing strategies or spending priorities.

The study doesn’t focus on defensive strategies for companies - just outcomes. Prevention may be the best defense. In a time of depressed equity prices, management and boards should be taking actions (without anyone demanding change) to bolster shareholder value … reducing costs, strengthening the balance sheet, making needed changes in leadership.

Investor relations professionals, I suspect, can help mostly by serving as a timely and outspoken voice to convey shareholder concerns up the line - before anyone declares war through a 13D. Now, more than ever, IR should be listening and providing a conduit to management and the board.

Posted by Dick Johnson, President Johnson Strategic Communications and the author of the investor relations blog IR Cafe.