Pershing Square is a New York based hedge fund run by Bill Ackman. Ackman is known as an activist investor, meaning he takes large stakes in few companies and works to change them from the inside out.
One of his more famous moves was taking a heavy stake in JC Penny (JCP) and leading the charge to hire Apple’s (AAPL) Ron Johnson to run the show in 2010. He also recently helped remove the CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) in an effort to revamp that company.
P&G
Ackman recently took a large stake in Proctor & Gamble (PG) and could be looking to makeover the firm next, although it will be difficult since the market cap is around $175B. The higher the market cap means that Ackman will have to invest more to have influence over major decisions, although the stock liked the news, jumping significantly after the announcement of his involvement was made.
There is much skepticism that he will be able to make any influence on the enormous firm. It was his largest active investment ever, and is an unprecedented move for activists to get involved in a company of this size.
Business Section: Investing Ideas
Do you think that Ackman is wise to try and change things up in such a large company, or is this a move to watch play out instead of following him in? Rumors point to Ackman wanting to break up P&G or potentially replace the current CEO. Time will tell all.
Below are the top holdings of Mr. Ackman, a list that also represents the firms where he has recently taken on an active roll.
Interactive Chart: Use the Compar-O-Matic to compare market caps for the stocks mentioned below:
1. Procter & Gamble Co. (PG, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Provides consumer packaged goods in the United States and internationally. Market cap at $174.55B, most recent closing price at $63.70.
2. J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (JCP, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): J. C. Penney Company, Inc., through its subsidiary, J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc., operates department stores in the United States and Puerto Rico. Market cap at $4.38B, most recent closing price at $20.04.
3. Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Provides rail and intermodal freight transportation services. Market cap at $12.33B, most recent closing price at $72.0.
4. Target Corp. (TGT, Earnings, Analysts, Financials): Operates general merchandise stores in the United States. Market cap at $39.59B, most recent closing price at $59.88.
(Written by Ryan Horch)
Use Kapitall’s Tools: Looking for ways to analyze this list?
Use this article snapshot as a launch pad (click here for help): Simply click on the links, and use Kapitall’s tab navigation to browse through the data…
Analyze These Ideas: Getting Started
- Read descriptions for all companies mentioned
- Access a performance overview for all stocks in the list
- Compare analyst ratings for the companies mentioned
- Compare analyst ratings to annual returns for stocks mentioned
- Real-Time Opinion: Scan the latest tweets about these companies (feed will open in a new window)
Dig Deeper: Access Company Snapshots, Charts, Filings
- Procter & Gamble Co. (PG, Chart, Download SEC Filings)
- J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (JCP, Chart, Download SEC Filings)
- Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP, Chart, Download SEC Filings)
- Target Corp. (TGT, Chart, Download SEC Filings)
New to Kapitall?
1. New to the site? Click here to register for a free account, and gain access to more tools and data
2. Looking for more investing ideas like this? Click here to sign up for your free copy of Kapitall Weekly
3. Follow us on SeekingAlpha, Motley Fool, Nasdaq and Twitter
ABOUT KAPITALL WIRE
Kapitall Wire, which is not a broker/dealer, offers free cutting edge investing ideas, lively commentary and timely analysis of companies enhanced by interactive tools. And the Investing 101 section breaks complex concepts down to their basics, offering education to novices that doubles as a refresher course for more seasoned investors.
Kapitall Wire is a division of Kapitall Inc. Securities products and services are offered by Kapitall Generation, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC . Kapitall Generation, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kapitall, Inc.
Good job for the freight shipping company Canadian Pacific Railway Limited for being on the list for top holdings of Pershing Square Capital Management. I am not surprised with the international brand Procter & Gamble (P&G) for having the highest market cap.