Activist Investors Speak Up In 2015

Love them or hate them, activist investors have been making their presence known over the past five years, and it looks like 2015 will be no exception. This week, Trian Fund Management LP, led by activist investor Nelson Peltz, squared up for a standoff with

. Trian is looking to add four new members to Du Pont’s board, including Peltz himself, after the two argued tirelessly over the past year about the company’s conglomerate structure.

The Du Pont proxy battle is the first to cross the headlines in 2015, but if 2014 was any indication, activist investors and their firms will be making their voices heard in the year to come.

Carl Icahn picked several fights last year, but his very public spat with

was probably the most memorable. The fight made history as it played out largely on

, which in turn prompted the SEC to step in with guidance for using social media in proxy fights. Icahn lobbied for the online auction site to spin off its PayPal division, but in the end dropped his case in exchange for his pick of a new board member. Still, Icahn got his wish months later when eBay announced that it was dropping the payment processing division.

Jeff Smith was virtually unknown as an activist investor until he and his firm Starboard Value joined Barrington Capital Management LP in calling for an overhaul for some of

’s

chains. The company responded by splitting from Red Lobster, a move that angered shareholders and led to the removal and replacement of the entire board. Smith has taken over as chairman of the board and Darden’s shares have gained 36.60 percent over the past six months.

Du Pont isn’t the only company Trian is pressuring for a split.

is also on the investment firm’s radar. Back in 2014, the company began calling for Pepsi to split its snack foods and beverages businesses, saying it would increase shareholder value.

Elliot Management began pushing

to break up last year, something the company has been resisting so far. Elliot Management sent a letter to EMC in October 2014 calling for it to drop

and explore new acquisition options.