Topic: How To Invest

Hi: What do you think of Biglari Holdings?

Article Excerpt

Biglari Holdings, $374.00, symbol BH on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.4 million; Market cap: $523.6 million; www.biglariholdings.com), is a holding company that operates a number of different businesses. Its strategy is to keep expanding by reinvesting cash generated from its subsidiaries into new investments. Right now, Biglari’s two main holdings are the Steak ’n Shake chain of casual dining restaurants and Western Sizzlin’ steakhouses. The company’s CEO is 35-year old Iranian-American Sardar Biglari, who has frequently taken aggressive stances when it comes to shareholder activism. He’s now embroiled in a fight with Cracker Barrel (Nasdaq symbol CBRL) to get seats on that company’s board of directors. He is also attempting to get shareholder approval for a plan to move Biglari to a dual-share-class structure. The company believes this would give it more flexibility when structuring acquisitions and financing transactions, and make its shares more liquid. Shareholders were to vote on the proposal in December 2012, but the vote has been delayed—likely because…