Activist Energy Investors Are Firing on All Cylinders
Several energy companies have come under the heavy scrutiny of activist investors over the past few months for a wide swath of reasons. However, one common trend does exist among their demands: the activist firms want seats on the boards of directors.
The most recent firms to experience this kind of pressure have been Hess and Transocean . Each company has been forced to defend the roles its individual chairmen have played in the firms' current progress, or lack thereof in this case.
What's the latest scoop?
In Hess' case, it involves the son of the company's founder, John Hess. Hess has held the role of chairman for the past 18 years but has decided to step down on his own terms rather than leaving his fate up to a shareholder vote. A similar outcome is transpiring at Transocean after the announcement that chairman Michael Talbert will be removing himself from the post before the end of the year.
Still work to be done
While both of these issues appear to have worked themselves out, questions still remain that shareholders want to pay very close attention to. Elliott Management has reportedly tied outperformance-related bonuses to its board member nominee deals, which appears a bit shortsighted.
As for Transocean investors, Carl Icahn is not yet finished, seeing as how he is seeking a $4 per year dividend versus the company's proposed $2.24. Management believes $4 per share would remove room for dividend growth and severely undercut the company's financial flexibility.
As for SandRidge...
Investors were startled after SandRidge plummeted when natural gas prices reached 10-year lows, but with the company focusing on growing liquids production, the future looks optimistic. If you are unsure about the future of this emerging oil and gas junior and are looking to find out more about its strengths and weaknesses, then check out The Motley Fool's premium research report detailing SandRidge's game plan and what to expect from the company going forward. To get started, simply click here now!
The article Activist Energy Investors Are Firing on All Cylinders originally appeared on Fool.com.
Joel South owns shares of SandRidge Energy. Taylor Muckerman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Transocean and has the following options: Long Jan 2014 $20 Calls on Chesapeake Energy, Long Jan 2014 $30 Calls on Chesapeake Energy, and Short Jan 2014 $15 Puts on Chesapeake Energy. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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