#shareholder-activism

#shareholder-activism

A group of Starbucks investors is escalating their pressure campaign over the coffee giant's ongoing labor turmoil - and this time, they're targeting the board. Ahead of the company's March 25 annual meeting, a coalition of long-term shareholders is urging investors to vote against the reelection of Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, the lead independent director, and Beth Ford, the chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. The group citeswhat they call "sustained oversight failures of labor relations."

Netflix's $82.7 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is facing significant new resistance. Investment group Ancora Holdings announced it has purchased $200 million in WBD shares and opposes Netflix's offer. Instead, Ancora is throwing its support behind a rival bid from Paramount. The WSJ had the exclusive. In a press release on Wednesday, Ancora aligned itself with Paramount's arguments: it claims the Netflix deal is inferior, involves more regulatory risk, and doesn't deliver as much immediate cash to shareholders.

Atkins noted that the number of publicly registered companies has fallen over the past 30 years as mergers and bankruptcies have outpaced new listings. His goal, he said, is to "make it cool to be a public company" again-something he believes has "taken a hit over time." Atkins outlined three obstacles he believes are holding issuers back. The first is what he described as expensive, overly long disclosures that impose an unnecessary burden on issuers.

"There are clear business risks to allowing indoor smoking in casinos, including higher health insurance premiums, higher maintenance costs, and a significant deterrent to potential visitors due to secondhand smoke exposure."