You benefit from their activist pressure

Article Excerpt

We often remind readers to pay attention to activist investors. That’s because they tend to look for the same kind of hidden assets we value. A firm can spin off or sell them to boost shareholder value. Here are two stocks that will benefit from activist pressure, but we see only one as a buy. F5 NETWORKS INC. $173 is a buy for aggressive investors. The company (Nasdaq symbol FFIV; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 61.6 million; Market cap: $10.7 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.f5.com) is a provider of application services that let its customers deliver digital experiences in a fast and reliable manner. For instance, it works behind the scenes to make sure apps are secure and run smoothly. F5’s services are used by 48 of the Fortune 50 firms, all 10 of the top global telecom operators, and all 15 of the top U.S. commercial banks. Activist hedge fund investor Elliott Management has reportedly held discussions with F5 after taking…