Whole Foods (WFMI) a takeover target? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ronald W. Burkle, the grocery magnate with a net worth estimated at more than $3 billion, has acquired an 8.3% stake in Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) through his Yucaipa American Funds, LLC investment vehicle.

The 13-D contained nothing especially interesting -- just the usual boilerplate: The shares were acquired for investment purposes, but also reserved the right to talk to other investors or management about ways to maximize value. The 13-D added that the shares were acquired because the investors believed they "were undervalued by the market at the time they were acquired."

The Wall Street Journal notes (subscription required) that while the company has seen its performance battered by economic woes, it has a strong balance sheet and competent management. If Borders Group (NYSE: BGP) collapses, Barnes & Noble could be the most direct beneficiary. The deathwatch is one, with shares of Borders trading around 50 cents per pop.

Given the high regard that the company's management is held in, this investment seems unlikely to turn into a true activist situation: So while Burkle's investment is a strong vote of confidence from a highly respected mogul, it's not likely to be much of a catalyst for anything.

Barnes & Noble gets a 13-D from Ronald Burkle originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The White House can certainly be a ticket to riches. Just look at Al Gore. Since leaving as vice president, he has made a bundle -- having been an early investor in Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and a board member of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).

And with the release with Bill and Hillary Clinton's tax returns, we are getting more data points.

Interestingly enough, it looks like Bill was a big-time private equity operator. That is, he snagged $15.4 million (since 2003) from Yucaipa Cos. That's certainly a big chunk of Bill's earnings (which amount to about $75 million during this period).

But according to Bloomberg.com, Bill's role may have been more than just an investor. In other words, he may have been an influencer on deal-making.

And why not? Isn't it convenient to have the former U.S. president on your payroll? Absolutely. No doubt, Bill is the ultimate "door opener."

Oh, and I'm sure reporters will try to get some juicy details on some of Yucaipa's deals.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

Bill Clinton, private equity maven? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 06 Apr 2008 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ronald Burkle was recently the subject of a big profile in Forbes.com. The publication does like to write-up billionaires. Besides, Burkle has big-time friends, such as former President Bill Clinton, and he's a big believer in the investment principles of Warren Buffett.

Burkle built his fortune by using leverage buyouts, starting in the grocery sector. One of his most famous plays was for Pathmark Stores (NASDAQ:PTMK).

Now it looks like he wants to start a "corporate governance fund." That's a nice sounding name for a more aggressive approach to investing - that is, taking sizeable positions in a stock and agitating for change (i.e., profits). He says he was inspired by the power he saw Kirk Kerkorian had with GM, despite owning only 10% of the company.

Given Burkle's track record, he should have little trouble finding backers. And there should be no shortage of under-performing companies to target.

Going into 2007, expect this corporate drama to continue.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including the Complete M&A Handbook and operates InvestorOffering.com.

Ronald Burkle: The Next Carl Icahn? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.