Contact Information

PERSHING SQUARE
888 Seventh Avenue, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10019
212-813-3700

Description

Pershing Square is a long/short hedge fund founded by Bill Ackman in 2003. Using a bottom-up research approach, Pershing Square invests in North American equity securities. The fund manager employs fundamental analysis and focuses primarily on large-cap and mid-cap value stocks.

Management

William A. Ackman, managing partner and CIO: prior to founding the firm, Mr. Ackman, was founded Section H Partners and Gotham Funds. Previously Mr. William Ackman was employed at his family's real estate company. Mr. Ackman, through Pershing Square, has a consistent track record of identifying opportunities and working with companies to implement strategies that create value for shareholders. Pershing Square has played a significant role in creating shareholder value at such companies like Plains Resources, Sears Roebuck & Company, Wendy’s International, McDonald’s, Sears Canada, Ceridian Corporation, and most recently Long’s Drugs. Mr. Ackman is a member of the Board of Dean’s Advisors of Harvard Business School and a Trustee of the Pershing Square Foundation which has funded grants in areas including inner city education, global health care delivery, poverty, human rights, venture philanthropy, urban planning and beautification, and the arts. Mr. Ackman received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Harvard College.

Commentary

Pershing Square, managed by Bill Ackman, is a very well-respected and successful activist. While they do not take a lot of activist positions relative to other activists, the positions they do take are generally large, well-conceived and fully-committed. Ackman's form of activism is using the "carrot" more than the "stick." He does not generally need to commence proxy fights, because he can often convince management of his view and usually works with management. Pershing Square typically looks for: (i) a high quality business, (ii) simple, predictable, cash flow generative, durable growth concept and (iii) a business where there is an opportunity to be a catalyst. Pershing Square also has a “knowability” thesis - having a good idea of what the company will look like in ten years. Pershing Square has a history of being very constructive and supportive shareholders and Board members in both good and bad times.