Jana Partners Is Pushing Vonage to Sell or Break Up (Bloomberg)
Activist investor Jana Partners has called on Vonage Holdings Inc. to hire advisers to explore strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of all or parts of the telecommunications services company, according to people familiar with the matter. Vonage rose as much as 11% on the news. The New York-based hedge fund, which owns about 4% of Vonage, has discussed its views with the company and fellow shareholders after a previous review of the company’s consumer business failed to result in a sale, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.
Pershing Square to Buy Extra 2.9% of Universal Music for $1.15 bln (Reuters)
PARIS, Aug 31 (Reuters) – American hedge fund manager Bill Ackman‘s Pershing Square is buying an additional 2.9% of Universal Music Group (UMG) from Vivendi (VIV.PA) for $1.149 billion, the French conglomerate said on Tuesday.
Magnetar Appoints Head of Business Development for Systematic Investing (Hedge Week)
Alternative asset manager Magnetar Capital (Magnetar) has appointed Stuart Davies as head of Business Development, Systematic Investing. A 24-year industry veteran, Davies brings a wealth of alternative investment, client partnership and product innovation experience to Magnetar’s Systematic Investing team. “Our Systematic Investing business is seeing an increase in demand for our products and solutions as investors continue to adopt our belief that systematic hedge fund returns are a critical portfolio component,” says Alec Litowitz, founder, CEO and head of Systematic Investing at Magnetar Capital. “I’m happy to welcome Stuart to the team. He is one of the true innovators in the systematic alternatives space and innately understands investors’ wants and pain-points. I know our clients will utilise him as a strategic, trusted partner.”
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David Rosen’s $1.5 Billion Hedge Fund Rubric Capital, a Top Performer Since Spinning Out of Steve Cohen’s SAC, Just Made a Big Bet on Natural Gas (Business Insider)
A protege of Steve Cohen has bet big on natural gas. David Rosen‘s Rubric Capital has been an under-the-radar star in the hedge fund space over the last couple of years. The manager, which launched in 2016 after operating as a unit in Cohen’s SAC Capital, is up nearly 15% through the first half of this year, an investor document shows, besting the industry average of 10%.
How COVID Reshaped the Infrastructure Market (Preqin)
As demand for data, renewables, and ESG-minded assets accelerates, Philippe Camu and Scott Lebovitz of Goldman Sachs explore the opportunities available for private capital infrastructure investment. The past year has been one of unprecedented change. The COVID-19 pandemic, economic shutdowns, work-from-home, increased social awareness, and a continued focus on sustainability have all led to a significant acceleration in pre-existing trends in infrastructure, most notably a focus on renewables and energy transition, as well as the continued digitization of economies.
