Thursday, July 26, 2007
Building Materials Holding Corporation (NYSE:BLG) shares dropped $1.09, or 8.52%, to $11.70 today after Moody's cut the company's ratings amid continued troubles in the residential housing market. Meanwhile, the company is expected to report earnings tomorrow, which has many investors guessing. There is light at the end of the tunnel, however, as famed activist hedge fund Chap-Cap is involved with the company and pushing for change!

Chapman's hedge fund is primarily seeking to make changes to the company's executive compensation structure. While nobody should punish management for the steep correction in the housing market, the board's granting of generous financial rewards during its 2002-2006 boom years should not be ignored. Through stipulating the the homebuilding cycles are beyond BMH control, corporate and divisional overhead can be restricted by a realistic, practical management team.

Chapman also suggested that the company hire an investment banker to explore the complete or divisional sale of the company. The hedge fund insists that there would be high private equity and public interest in the company through conversations with the company's peers and leveraged consolidators of the home building industry. In the end, BLG is definitely a stock to keep an eye on as this situation unfolds!

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7/26/2007 6:02:47 PM UTC  #    Comments [0]  |  Trackback