Share Possession: 5.14%

Common Value: $20.10

Activist Commentary: Mill Highway Capital is an funding agency targeted on investing in and partnering with publicly traded micro-cap firms within the U.S. and Canada. The agency was based in 2004 by Thomas E. Lynch, who started his investing profession at Blackstone. As of their newest 13F submitting, Mill Highway reported managing $300.74 million throughout 27 totally different positions. Mill Highway has made 30 earlier 13D filings and took Merchandise 4 motion in 14 of these conditions.

Mill Highway will not be an activist investor, and that is removed from shareholder activism. Mill Highway despatched a letter to the corporate stating that they imagine its administration staff has carried out a fantastic job over the previous a number of years and has improved the corporate’s long-term outlook. They particularly cited that: (i) the Broyhill ($700 million in gross sales) and Actual Dwelling ($600 million in gross sales) manufacturers may every attain over $1 billion in gross sales, (ii) the e-commerce penetration can go from 5% to fifteen% over time, and (iii) the long-term development and margin outlook implies a 150% to 320% improve in annual working earnings. But, regardless of this optimistic operational success and outlook, Mill Highway urges the board to do a sale-leaseback and make “full use of the corporate’s present debt facility” to generate low-cost financing that can be utilized to finance an acquisition of the corporate.

This isn’t Mill Highway advocating for one of the best long-term pursuits of shareholders however urging the board to pursue a short-term-minded agenda to spice up inventory worth shortly. This isn’t a letter on behalf of long-term shareholders, however a love letter to potential leveraged-buyout acquirers to spice up Mill Highway’s return on this funding on the expense of potential long-term shareholders because the agency exits. 

Mill Highway has owned 4.95% of the corporate for the reason that fourth quarter of 2020. They’ve a median worth of $20.10 per share and have been purposely quiet throughout their holding interval, ensuring they stayed beneath the 5% 13D threshold. When excellent shares decreased due to inventory buybacks, within the second quarter of 2021, Mill Highway bought down its place to remain beneath 5% and forestall having to file a 13D. Now, it will increase its useful possession by 29,393 shares of its 1.4 million share place simply to go over 5% so it may file a public 13D to get a bump within the inventory worth and/or appeal to non-public fairness curiosity. 

Perhaps Mill Highway would even take part in an acquisition to wrest a number of the future worth away from shareholders. They’ve a historical past of providing to accumulate their portfolio firms, they usually have been profitable at (i) Rubio’s Eating places, Inc (acquired in 2010), (ii) PRT Rising Providers, Ltd (acquired in 2012), (iii) R.G. Barry Corp. (acquired in 2014), (iv) Skullcandy (acquired in 2016), and (v) Mom’s Market & Kitchen (acquired in 2016). This isn’t shareholder activism, however it’s what offers shareholder activism a nasty title.

Ken Squire is the founder and president of 13D Monitor, an institutional analysis service on shareholder activism, and the founder and portfolio supervisor of the 13D Activist Fund, a mutual fund that invests in a portfolio of activist 13D investments.