US –based private equity group Elliott Advisors has been making headlines recently by pushing for change at global miner BHP Billiton plc (LON:BLT).
The activist group has suggested scrapping its dual-corporate, Anglo-Australian structure, demerging its oil business, and rejigging its capital return policy.
READ: BHP Billiton says Elliott “materially overstates” potential value of its proposals.
Elliot– which owns a 4.1% stake in BHP Billiton - claimed that the reforms it proposed would create 48% more value for Australian shareholders and 51% more value for London shareholders.
But in its response to the proposals, the miner said its board and management had concluded that “the costs and associated disadvantages of each element of Elliott's proposal would significantly outweigh the potential benefits.”
That may be, but the genie is out of the bottle and BHP will be under pressure to come up with some proposals of its own especially as the trading news is likely to be steady rather than sparkling.
In its recent operational update, BHP’s blue chip peer Rio Tinto PLC (LON:RIO) cut its 2017 guidance for copper production after first quarter operations were hit by a 43-day strike at the Escondida mine in Chile.
READ: Rio Tinto cuts full year copper guidance
BHP, which co-owns Escondida with Rio, cut its full year guidance on copper production in January after a drop in first half output due to the strikes.
GlaxoSmithKline to look beyond Advair
There are many that feel GlaxoSmithKline plc (LON:GSK) might benefit from a bit of shareholder activism.
Shares in the pharma giant have gone nowhere for years as it has battled losing big, big products to cheaper copycat generic competition.
This time might be better though. Analysts are expecting some currency tailwinds to plump up the overall numbers, with group revenue tipped to grow around 16% to £7.23bn.
Adjusted earnings per share are forecast to come in at 25.5p, according to City brokers.
Wednesday 26 April - BHP Billiton, GlaxoSmithKline
Production update: BHP Billiton plc (LON:BLT)
Interims: Redefine International (LON:RDI), PROACTIS Holdings PLC (LON:PHD)
Finals: Phoenix Spree Deutschland (LON:PSDL); U And I Group Plc (LON:UAI); Walker Greenbank plc (LON:WGB); GAN PLC (LON:GAN); Hunters Property Plc (LON:HUNT)
AGM / EGM: Greencoat UK Wind Plc (LON:UKW); Tullow Oil plc (LON:TLW); Telit Communications Plc (LON:TCM); Primary Health Properties PLC (LON:PHP); Glanbia plc (LON:GLB); Henderson Group PLC (LON:HGG); Devro PLC (LON:DVO); Admiral Group PLC (LON:ADM)