Contrarian Corpus

23 documents showing 1–23

Bluebell Capital 2024-04-09

BlackRock, Inc. BLK

BlackRock's governance trails the S&P 500 on every metric, its stewardship team is overwhelmed, and TSR has merely tracked the market since 2009 — separate Chair and CEO to restore independent oversight.

N4 V3 C3
Bluebell Capital 2024-04-09

BlackRock BLK

BlackRock's combined Chair/CEO and below-peer governance have delivered only market-matching TSR since 2009 and fuel greenwashing risk; shareholders should vote FOR an Independent Chair at the 2024 AGM.

N4 V3 C3
Bluebell Capital 2024-04-09

BlackRock BLK

BlackRock's combined CEO/Chair role and entrenched Lead Independent Director leave the board without true oversight; bylaws should mandate an Independent Chair from AGM 2025.

N4 V2 C3
Trian Partners 2019-05-20

Legg Mason LM

Trian owns ~4.5% and returns as a significant shareholder

N1 V2 C1
Trian Partners 2015-04-21

E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company DD

DuPont is bottom-quartile under Ellen Kullman; electing Trian's four nominees unlocks $120/share by 2017 by cutting $2-4bn of excess corporate costs and ending 'crony' compensation.

N5 V4 C4
Marcato 2015-03-01

The Bank of New York Mellon BK

BNY Mellon has squandered the 2007 Mellon merger under CEO Hassell; cutting ~10,000 excess FTEs and installing new leadership closes the State Street gap for 114% upside.

N4 V4 C4
Trian Partners 2013-07-01

PepsiCo, Inc. PEP

PepsiCo's snacks and beverages are structurally incompatible — Trian demands a Mondelez merger plus beverage spin (or a clean snacks/beverages separation), unlocking up to $175/share by 2015 vs. $85 today.

N5 V3 C3
Starboard Value 2013-04-30

Tessera Technologies Inc. TSRA

Tessera has squandered $517M on the failing Digital Optics business while its core patent-licensing franchise shrinks; Starboard's six-director slate and IP-focused plan can unlock best-in-class 60-70% EBITDA margins.

N4 V3 C3
Starboard Value 2012-05-23

AOL, Inc. AOL

AOL's board lets management burn Access/Search cash on a Display strategy losing $500M+ a year; elect three Starboard nominees to enforce discipline and restructure or exit Patch.

N4 V3 C3
Muddy Waters 2011-06-28

Spreadtrum Communications SPRD

Spreadtrum's 229.6% 2010 revenue jump cannot be reconciled with MediaTek's flat year, zero cash taxes were paid on $75M of profit, and CFO/auditor turnover points to material misstatement — Muddy Waters is short.

N4 V1 C1
Muddy Waters 2011-04-04

Duoyuan Global Water Inc. DGW

DGW is a massive fraud overstating revenue by 100x; forged PRC audits, empty factory, and related-party tunneling to Chairman Guo imply the stock is worth under $1.

N5 V2 C2
Muddy Waters 2011-02-03

China MediaExpress Holdings CCME

CCME is a pump-and-dump: reported revenue is overstated ~5x, its bus network is half the claimed size, and management is cashing out — fair value $5.28 vs $16.61.

N4 V2 C2
Muddy Waters 2010-11-10

RINO International Corp. RINO

RINO is a near-zero: 94% of its reported revenue is fabricated, customers deny buying its FGD systems, and founders are draining cash via the VIE; fair value $2.45 vs. $15.52.

N5 V2 C2
Muddy Waters 2010-07-06

Orient Paper, Inc. ONP

ONP claimed to own its China operating company HBOP for 16 months when it didn't, and replaced 80% of its top 10 customers while growing sales 56.5% — both flag fraud.

N4 V1 C1
Muddy Waters 2010-06-28

Orient Paper Inc. ONP

Orient Paper is a fraud — revenues overstated 27x in 2008 and ~40x in 2009, assets inflated 10x, ~$30M of investor raises misappropriated; fair value under $1 vs. $8.43.

N5 V2 C2
Pershing Square 2010-05-26

General Growth Properties GGP

GGP is worth ~$20/share sum-of-parts ($15 PF GGP + $5 GGO) vs. $14 price — 43% upside by year-end

N5 V4 C4
Pershing Square 2009-12-07

Mall REIT sector (long General Growth Properties) GGP

Mall REITs still trade at 7.8% cap rates vs. 6.3% Baa — a historically wide spread

N4 V3 C3
Pershing Square 2009-10-20

Corrections Corporation of America CXW

CXW trades at a 12% cap rate vs ~7% for Health Care REITs with near-identical attributes

N5 V4 C3
Pershing Square 2009-10-06

Realty Income Corporation O

Tenant base is mostly junk-rated discretionary retailers with high bankruptcy risk

N4 V3 C3
Pershing Square 2009-05-27

General Growth Properties GGWPQ

GGP's assets materially exceed liabilities — this is a liquidity bankruptcy, not insolvency

N5 V3 C3
Pershing Square 2009-05-11

Target Corporation TGT

Target board lacks senior operating experience in retail, credit cards, and real estate

N4 V3 C3
Pershing Square 2008-11-19

Target Corporation TGT

Target trades at only 5.8x '09E EV/EBITDA while REITs trade 14.5x-35.7x — 22% of EBITDA mispriced

N4 V3 C3
Pershing Square 2008-10-29

Target Corporation TGT

Target owns 95% of its buildings — more real estate than any big-box peer, worth $39bn replacement value

N5 V3 C3