Britain’s public companies are coming under increasing threat from aggressive US activist investors, as flagging valuations prompt overseas hedge funds to sink their teeth into the FTSE.
Activist funds launched 59 campaigns against the UK’s listed companies last year, more than anywhere else in Europe and the fourth-highest in the world. German companies fended off 38 campaigns, while Swiss firms dealt with 19 attacks, and French firms 12.
The figures come from a new report by the management consultancy Alvarez and Marsal (A&M).
Last year New York fund Marathon Partners urged Dr Martens to conduct a strategic review or even sell the company
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Activist investors take stakes in struggling businesses and start agitating for change, in the hope that the share price will be boosted and they can book a profit. These changes can range from forcing a company to spin off a failing division