20.05.2008 12:30:00
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TCI and 3G Capital Send Letter to CSX Shareholders
The Children’s Investment Fund Management (UK)
LLP ("TCI”) and 3G
Capital Partners, LTD. ("3G”
and together with TCI the "Group”)
today sent a letter to CSX shareholders in connection with the Group’s
solicitation of proxies to elect a minority slate of five highly
qualified nominees to the 12-member CSX Board of Directors at its annual
meeting on June 25, 2008.
The full text of the letter follows:
May 20, 2008
Dear Fellow CSX Shareholder,
TCI and 3G Capital, along with the five nominees we propose for election
to CSX’s board, collectively own over $2
billion of CSX stock (or 8.7% of the outstanding shares). In addition,
through swap contracts we have economic exposure to CSX of an additional
$3 billion, the economic equivalent of another 12.3% of CSX’s
outstanding shares. CSX is the largest investment for both TCI and 3G
Capital – with over $5 billion of total
economic exposure to the Company we, like you, want only what’s
best for CSX.
Over the last 18 months, we have attempted to meet with CSX management
multiple times and, eventually, we tried to meet the incumbent board of
directors to urge that both pursue options to increase the long-term
value of CSX, including the establishment of more ambitious financial
goals for CSX with specified productivity targets and a substantial
increase to CSX’s share repurchase program.
We have also advocated adding more railroad experience to the board and
suggested that CSX abandon its opposition to long-standing shareholder
demands for the right to call a special meeting of shareholders (a right
that was overwhelmingly supported by shareholders at CSX’s
2007 annual meeting).
CSX claims our ideas are "ill-conceived”
and "ill-inspired” –
but looking at its actions it is clear the company recognizes our
recommendations have merit. Since we began urging change in 2007, CSX
has greatly expanded its share buyback program to $3 billion over two
years (from $500 million over one year) and raised financial performance
guidance by over 20% – and recently
committed, for the first time, to $400 million in "targeted”
productivity gains through 2010. CSX also now proposes to add a board
member who has railroad operating experience. We don’t
care who takes credit for these achievements. We just want to see them
happen.
But, we believe that more, much more, could have been achieved (and much
sooner) if CSX’s board and management had
decided to work with us, instead of against us, in a joint effort to
make CSX the best railroad in America. The opportunity is not lost, and
we remain hopeful that the board and management of CSX will reach the
same conclusion.
We believe CSX has the opportunity to achieve $2.2 billion in
incremental annual productivity benefits within five years. We recently
published a 79-page whitepaper that summarizes our views on CSX’s
potential (see www.strongercsx.com).
CSX responded with an 84-page presentation of their own, rejecting most
(if not all) of our ideas. After reading the two presentations, you will
see that CSX’s disagreement with us boils
down to this: Should we look backward or forward? And, if forward, what
standard should we hold CSX to? Our focus is on the future and making
CSX the best railroad in America. We believe this will happen only if we
continue to strive for it.
Putting aside the specifics, you will see that the two sides to this
debate have one significant thing in common: we both believe there’s
a substantial opportunity for further improvement at CSX. What we are
now debating is how much improvement is possible, precisely how and
when, and which slate of directors will best help identify and realize
CSX’s potential.
As one of the largest owners of CSX, we welcome the opportunity for a
productive dialogue on this topic, and our board nominees are very well
qualified to add value to this discussion. To achieve the kind of
improvements we see as possible – a
productivity opportunity nearly five times greater than what
management has committed to achieving – we’ll
need fresh thinking and greater railroad industry experience in the CSX
boardroom. Our nominees, with over 50 years of railroad experience and
the strength to be independent voices, will provide exactly that. In
contrast, the five CSX directors that we seek to replace have average
board tenure of 13 years and no railroad operating experience.
Our nominees will add another critical ingredient for effective
boardroom deliberations – a significant
investment in CSX – nearly 100 times
the ownership interest of the directors we propose to replace, who own
just 0.09% of CSX. It’s important for you to
know that – unlike you and us –
over the past several years not a single CSX senior executive or
incumbent director has actually purchased any CSX stock in the open
market with his or her own money; they simply received grants of stock
and options from CSX.
The fact is that over the past couple of years the senior executives at
CSX have actually reduced their exposure to CSX. During the two-year
period through 2007, the board and senior management of CSX were granted
a total of approximately $34 million of CSX stock, but sold in aggregate
about $40 million of CSX stock. We find this pattern disturbing. We’d
prefer to see CSX’s senior managers and
directors investing in the future of CSX (ideally with their own money),
just as you and we have done.
As a shareholder, the choice is yours – if
you believe that CSX should strive for $2.2 billion in productivity
gains instead of the $400 million proposed by management, if you believe
CSX can and should be the best railroad in America, and if you believe
the board will benefit from 50 years of railroad experience and the
perspectives of large shareholders who are engaged because they have bought
themselves a significant amount of CSX stock, then we urge you to
support us and vote for the election of our nominees.
Please complete, sign, date and promptly mail the enclosed BLUE proxy
card, using the postage-paid return envelope provided. If you have
already returned your BLUE proxy card, you needn’t
take any further action. However, if you previously have returned the
board’s white proxy card, you have every
right to change your vote by completing, signing and returning the BLUE
proxy card today. If you have any questions or need assistance in voting
your shares, please call D. F. King & Co., Inc., which is assisting TCI
and 3G with the solicitation of proxies from CSX shareholders, toll-free
at 1-800-967-7635.
Thank you for your consideration. We sincerely appreciate your support.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Chris Hohn
/s/ Alex Behring
Chris Hohn
Alex Behring
Managing Partner, TCI
Managing Director, 3G Capital
A comprehensive white paper entitled "CSX:
The Case for Change” that addresses critical
questions regarding CSX’s corporate
governance and operational performance, as well as other important
materials, is available at http://www.strongercsx.com,
an informational website dedicated to the Group’s
efforts to improve productivity and enhance shareholder value at CSX.
About TCI
TCI is a London-based asset manager founded in 2003 which manages The
Children’s Investment Master Fund. TCI makes
long-term investments in companies globally. The management company is
authorized and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services
Authority. The majority of TCI’s profits go
to The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation,
a non-profit organization focused on improving the lives of children
living in poverty in developing countries.
About 3G
3G manages a private investment fund that invests in global equities and
special situations. 3G Fund L.P. leverages its deep industry and
operating expertise in different sectors to identify attractive,
long-duration investment opportunities.
THIS PRESS RELEASE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT DOES
NOT HAVE REGARD TO THE SPECIFIC INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, FINANCIAL
SITUATION, SUITABILITY, OR THE PARTICULAR NEED OF ANY SPECIFIC PERSON
WHO MAY RECEIVE THIS PRESS RELEASE, AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS ADVICE ON
THE MERITS OF ANY INVESTMENT DECISION. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN
REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OF THE CHILDREN'S INVESTMENT FUND MANAGEMENT (UK)
LLP, THE CHILDREN'S INVESTMENT FUND MANAGEMENT (CAYMAN) LTD., THE
CHILDREN'S INVESTMENT MASTER FUND, 3G CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD., 3G CAPITAL
PARTNERS, L.P., 3G FUND L.P., CHRISTOPHER HOHN, ALEXANDRE BEHRING,
GILBERT LAMPHERE, TIMOTHY O'TOOLE AND GARY WILSON (COLLECTIVELY, THE
"PARTICIPANTS"), AND ARE BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION WITH
RESPECT TO CSX CORPORATION .
EXCEPT FOR THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN, THE MATTERS
ADDRESSED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT
INVOLVE CERTAIN RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES. YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ACTUAL
RESULTS COULD DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE CONTAINED IN THE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THE PARTICIPANTS ASSUME NO OBLIGATION TO
UPDATE THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION.
THE PARTICIPANTS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE ANY OF THEIR OPINIONS
EXPRESSED HEREIN AT ANY TIME AS THEY DEEM APPROPRIATE. THE PARTICIPANTS
DISCLAIM ANY OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN.
THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE PURCHASE OR SALE OF ANY
SECURITY. THE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS THAT ARE IN THE
BUSINESS OF TRADING – BUYING AND SELLING -
PUBLIC SECURITIES. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THERE WILL BE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
FUTURE THAT CAUSE ONE OR MORE OF THE PARTICIPANTS FROM TIME TO TIME TO
SELL ALL OR A PORTION OF THEIR SHARES IN OPEN MARKET TRANSACTIONS OR
OTHERWISE (INCLUDING VIA SHORT SALES), BUY ADDITIONAL SHARES (IN OPEN
MARKET OR PRIVATELY NEGOTIATED TRANSACTIONS OR OTHERWISE), OR TRADE IN
OPTIONS, PUTS, CALLS OR OTHER DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS RELATING TO SUCH
SHARES.
ALL CSX STOCKHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT
AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES BY THE
PARTICIPANTS FROM THE STOCKHOLDERS OF THE ISSUER FOR USE AT THE 2008
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS OF THE ISSUER BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN
IMPORTANT INFORMATION. THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND FORM OF PROXY
WILL BE MAILED TO STOCKHOLDERS OF THE ISSUER AND ARE, ALONG WITH OTHER
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS, AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV.
IN ADDITION, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROXY SOLICITATION WILL PROVIDE
COPIES OF THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE UPON REQUEST.
INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IS CONTAINED IN THE DEFINITIVE
SCHEDULE 14A FILED BY THE PARTICIPANTS WITH THE SEC ON APRIL 28, 2008.
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