It's hard to make money as an ordinary investor when Wall Street has so much working against you.
Between complex algorithms, machine learning, and professionals who always smell blood in the water, the odds can sometimes be stacked against retail investors like us.
But there is a secret way to make money: Link up with "activist investors."
It's hard to make money as an ordinary investor when Wall Street has so much working against you.
Between complex algorithms, machine learning, and professionals who always smell blood in the water, the odds can sometimes be stacked against retail investors like us.
But there is a secret way to make money: Link up with "activist investors."
When hedge fund manager Bill Ackman warned his shareholders Tuesday that 2015 would likely be his worst ever, most investors probably had the same reaction: "I'm glad I don't have any money with that guy."
But celebrity investors like Bill Ackman - who has built a reputation as one of the top activist investors - have big followings among retail investors.
How do activist investors pick their targets?
It's a question a lot of investors will have after the string of new positions activist investors have taken in big-name stocks.
For instance, the Carl Icahn holdings now include Xerox Corp. (NYSE: XRX), he disclosed yesterday (Tuesday). It's more and more likely an activist investor will go after a stock you own.
Here's what activist investors look for when choosing their targets...
A look at the Carl Icahn holdings shows that, like a lot of other top activist investors, he likes name-brand stocks.
That means the odds are good that a stock you own are among the Carl Icahn holdings.
No company is immune from activist investors. That point was hammered home anew when Nelson Peltz announced Monday he'd bought $2.5 billion of General Electric (NYSE: GE) stock, making him a top 10 shareholder.
Every year, more household names are targeted, including many widely held stocks.
Here's what to do when a stock you own lands in the crosshairs of a Nelson Peltz...
Many investors would like to be able to get a piece of the success that activist investors like Carl Icahn and Bill Ackman enjoy.
Over the past decade, activist-run funds have returned nearly 267% - more than double that of the Standard & Poor's 500 index.
In the following video, Money Morning Capital Wave Strategist Shah Gilani explains how activist investors like Carl Icahn operate -- and whether investors should piggyback on their moves...
Carl Icahn's net worth of $20.8 billion. He ranks 20th on Forbes' list of the richest billionaires in the United States.
But how do Carl Icahn holdings stack up against those of other big-name investors?
This chart shows how much the top five activist investors are betting in different market sectors...
The latest 13F filings, which tell us what hedge fund managers were doing in the previous quarter, reveal several Money Morning picks among the most popular stocks.
In some cases, Money Morning made these picks stocks to watch well before the fund managers jumped in. But once you own a stock, it's always great to see the big money pile in behind you to help feed your gains.
Many investors would like to be able to get a piece of the success that activist investors like Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn enjoy.
Over the past decade, activist-run funds have returned nearly 267% - more than double that of the Standard & Poor's 500 index.
What many don't realize is that figuring out how to profit from the moves of today's biggest activist investors is easier than it looks.
Here's how you can piggyback on their success...
Reports surfaced yesterday (Thursday) that eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) has been telling candidates for the job of PayPal chief executive that the company was mulling a spin-off of the payments business pushed eBay stock up nearly 4.7%.
That's just what Carl Icahn wanted when he launched a futile but nasty campaign in January to force eBay CEO John Donahoe to spin off the PayPal unit. Yet he's been curiously silent on the matter since the report surfaced.
The famed activist investor is keeping quiet for a reason...
Bill Ackman's battle with Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) has doomed the nutritional supplement maker's stock to bouts of wild volatility.
In just the last month HLF stock has dropped 11.2%, surged ahead 25.5%, fell another 26.8%, and finally advanced another 5%.
Here’s how it started and what’s been behind HLF stock’s recent rollercoaster ride…
Bill Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management LLC, may consider his public condemnation of Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) "the most important presentation" of his career, but you wouldn't think so looking at Herbalife stock today (Tuesday).
It's just the latest battle in a two-year war between short sellers, activist investors, and a nutritional supplement company.
Here's a closer look at that tortured road...
Activist investors like Carl Icahn and Daniel Loeb try to keep their targets a secret until they're ready to strike, but intrepid investors can scour their 13F filings for clues on what they're planning.
And aside from their activist investing, it's worth keeping an eye on what's in and out of favor with the big hedge fund managers, since their involvement often affects a stock's price.
Just when you thought the very public war of words between activist investor Carl Icahn and eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) was about to go nuclear, peace broke out.
Icahn and eBay Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Donahoe announced a truce today (Thursday) in which the notorious billionaire would end his public bid to force eBay to split off its PayPal unit and grant him two seats on the company’s board.
Since January Carl Icahn has been trying to force eBay to spin off its PayPal payment service unit by claiming that the failings of eBay management have shortchanged shareholders. But yesterday Icahn took his war of words to a
