Packeteer Inc. (NDAQ:PKTR) shares moved up marginally today
after Chapman Capital disclosed a 9.9 percent stake in the company and demanded
that the company immediately hire an investment bank to maximize shareholder
value. The wireless application provider has been facing widespread criticism
since posting a wide loss during the second quarter of this year. Shareholders
are hoping that Chapman can help unlock value through a sale of the company.
Activist investor Robert Chapman is well known for actively seeking to turn
around or force the sale of the companies in which he is involved. He is also
known for not being especially patient - and Packeteer's board may have pushed
the envelope. In his letter to the company, Chapman noted that both the CEO and
CFO failed to return his calls or respond to his inquiries and demanded that
both be immediately fired. After all, Chapman is one of the largest owners of
the company with a 9.9% stake!
Any investment bank will likely recommend one of several actions. The most
anticipated action is a sale of the company to a strategic or financial buyer.
Another possibility would be a leveraged recapitalization of the company that
would enable shareholders to seek immediate returns in the form of one-time
dividends or share buybacks. Either way, these actions would result in a
windfall for shareholders. And given Chapman's reputation and large stake in
this company, we think there is a decent chance that the company will eventually
take action and hire and investment banker to explore its options. This makes
PKTR a stock worth watching!
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