Typical activist goals include coaxing companies to increase shareholder rewards via expanded buybacks and boosted dividends (think Icahn and Apple) or angling for spin-offs (think Peltz and DuPont). [Expanded Apple Buyback Doesn’t Boost Buyback ETFs]
Activist success jumped last year, with nearly 74% of activist demands being met or partially met, according to Global X data. That is well above the five-year success rate of 67.6%.
Activist Success Rates
Chart Courtesy: Global X
Tom Lydon’s clients own shares of Apple.