Activist attention can boost their appeal

Article Excerpt

Most activist investors have a spotty history of actually increasing shareholder value. Still, it’s worthwhile to keep an eye on them as they tend to zero in on companies with under-appreciated assets that can be sold or spun off. That kind of attention jives with our own focus on hidden value. Here’s our view on three activist targets. DOMINO’S PIZZA INC., $448 is a buy. The company (New York symbol DPZ; Consumer Sector; Shares outstanding: 38.8 million; Market cap: $17.4 billion; Dividend yield: 0.8%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.dominos.com) operates the world’s largest chain of pizza stores offering takeout and delivery. It has 17,644 outlets, in the U.S. and 85 other countries. Franchisees run most of these stores. Activist investor Bill Ackman, through his Pershing Square Capital Management hedge fund, now owns about 6% of Domino’s shares. Ackman says he puts Domino’s in the category of “super-durable growth companies.” He especially likes the company’s strategy of protecting its profit margins by…