Relational Investors to Wind Down Operations

According to people familiar with the matter, Relational Investors LLC, a 6 billion dollar activist fund, plans to wind down its operations and dissolve its current funds by the end of 2015. The decision was likely due to the recent news that Ralph Whitworth, a founder of Relational, had a recurrence of his throat cancer. This follows his announced leave of absence in July. Plans are still emerging, with the ultimate wind down and position liquidations likely to take place over the next year or so, said the sources. The firm may relaunch a new fund with the same name in 2015, though without founders Mr. Whitworth and David Batchelder. This new fund may include both existing and new investments. Some of Relational Investors Top Holdings with their performance today: Hewlett Packard

(~27.8M Shares): down 2.82 percent SPX Corp

(~6.3M): down 5.61 percent Mondolez

(~15.1M): down 1.33 percent Hologic

(~18.7M): down 2.47 percent Bunge Limited

(~5.4M): down 1.66 percent Manitowoc Company

(~11.5M); down 4.88 percetn