Bill Ackman's CP Saga

[Liberty]

Kind of a hostile interviewer too. There seems to be an undercurrent of "how dare you, Mr. American, try to take over our Canadian railroad. It might not be well run or make money, but all that matters is the nationality of the people controlling it." (Don't get me wrong, I like tough interviews, but this one has a "I'm trying really hard to get you" feeling to it. Bill's too smart for that, though).

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/video/video-pershing-squares-ackman-appears-on-bnn/article2415658/

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/video/video-pershing-squares-ackman-appears-on-bnn-part-2/article2415662/

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/video/video-pershing-squares-ackman-appears-on-bnn-part-3/article2415663/

[mikazo]

Thank you for posting these links! I agree with you that the interviewer was a little hostile. I really like the way Ackman handles questions in that situation. I'm not sure why people concern themselves with the nationality of the CEO. The company was founded by Scots, its headquarters are in Calgary, it's listed on the TSX and the NYSE, it has rail lines into the States, and the threat of American ownership is not an issue like it was during the company's founding in the 1880s. If anyone's interested in the history of CP and how it is a part of Canada's history, I highly recommend reading "The National Dream" and "The Last Spike" by Pierre Burton. I'd love to own a piece of this historic company just because of its history, but I'll wait and see how the proxy battle turns out first and then make a decision based on business fundamentals.

[Liberty]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/ackman-gains-ringing-endorsement-for-alternative-cp-directors/article2421251/

[Liberty]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/ontario-teachers-side-with-ackman-on-alternative-cp-board-members/article2424930/

[Liberty]

Kind of a summary of the saga so far:

 

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/05/11/shift-underway-for-canadas-clubby-corporate-culture-after-cp-rail-proxy-fight/

 

and about canada's corporate board culture:

 

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/05/08/bill-ackman-slams-cozy-canadian-corporate-culture/

[mikazo]

Thanks for these links. If you don't mind my asking, do you have shares to vote, Liberty?

[Liberty]

Thanks for these links. If you don't mind my asking, do you have shares to vote, Liberty?

 

I don't, I've just liked following Ackman ever since I read the book Confidence Game about his fight against MBIA.

[Liberty]

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/how-ackman-won-in-the-fight-over-canadian-pacific/

[rogermunibond]

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/companies-and-industries/forward-fast/

 

Pretty amazing transformation. Despite the painful staff cuts, still bears notice that there are some huge inefficiencies lurking in some large cap stocks. 

[fareastwarriors]

Ackman's 71-Year-Old Rail CEO Hunts for His Biggest M&A Deal Yet

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-16/ackman-s-71-year-old-rail-ceo-hunts-for-his-biggest-m-a-deal-yet