Total Pageviews

Morning Agenda: Taking Aim at an Anonymous Blogger

It may seem as though David Einhorn, the outspoken hedge fund manager, wants to have his cake and eat it, too. After an anonymous blogger on the website Seeking Alpha leaked one of his firm’s investments â€" a stake in Micron Technology â€" Mr. Einhorn’s firm, Greenlight Capital, asked a court to force the website to identify the writer by name. If Mr. Einhorn â€" a longtime champion of transparency when he singles out companies and other market participants â€" were to win, the result could limit the free flow of information to traditional news outlets and require sites like Seeking Alpha to not publish anonymous contributions, Andrew Ross Sorkin writes in the DealBook column.

“The case could be a watershed for both the reporting of financial news using anonymous sources and the increasing trend of confidential information being posted anonymously on social media and the comment sections of established news websites,” Mr. Sorkin writes, adding, “In an industry whose lifeblood is information, this case underscores the struggle between secrecy and transparency.”

FOREIGN INVESTORS IN RUSSIA BEGIN TO SOUND ALARM  |  When seeking to limit a global force, less is sometimes more. Such may be the case with Russia, which the United States and Europe are looking to punish for its conduct in Ukraine and Crimea. Rather than hit Russia with sanctions, pressuring large global investors to reduce their sizable holdings in the country could prove more powerful, Landon Thomas Jr. writes in DealBook.

Since 2009, central banks have been pouring cash into the worldwide economy, with more than a quarter of a trillion dollars flowing into Russian coffers. Most has found its way to companies controlled by the state. Now, some analysts and economists are arguing for an end to this easy money, a move that would choke off critical funds, Mr. Thomas writes. But officials are unlikely to take such a major step anytime soon. For one, the Obama administration has urged caution in pushing measures that might upset fragile markets.

But as pressure behind the scenes mounts, mutual funds and other institutions “could take it upon themselves to reassess or reduce their exposure,” Mr. Thomas adds. And while investors have broadly remained sanguine about Russia, some are beginning to sound the alarm. One went so far as to say Russia should be removed from the global equity indexes that are closely watched in the industry, a move that, Mr. Thomas writes, “would have a stark effect, prompting investors to sell and removing a crucial source of funding for Russia’s top companies.”

ANOTHER WIN FOR A BOUTIQUE  |  Among the large investment banks that played a role in the $10 billion Vodafone-Ono deal, one name stuck out: the boutique advisory firm Robertson Robey Associates, Chad Bray writes in DealBook. The firm, which advised Vodafone’s board of directors in the acquisition, features three star deal makers who have struck out on their own in London. One, Simon Warshaw, was formerly the co-chief of investment banking at UBS. Before joining Robertson Robey last fall, Mr. Warshaw played a lead role in Vodafone’s $130 billion deal to sell its stake in Verizon Wireless to Verizon Communications.

ON THE AGENDA  |  The Federal Reserve’s policy-making committee convenes for its two-day meeting. A European Union parliamentary committee is scheduled to vote on “net neutrality” legislation. Housing starts for February and the Consumer Price Index for February are out at 8:30 a.m. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a former N.B.A. star and a United States cultural ambassador, is on CNBC at 5 p.m. Patrick Collison, the co-founder and chief executive of Stripe, is on Bloomberg TV at 1 p.m. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew is in Mexico for meetings with top Mexican officials, including President Enrique Peña Nieto.

MORE TURNOVER AT SAC CAPITAL  |  Two portfolio managers from Steven A. Cohen’s SAC Capital Advisors have jumped to the hedge fund Highbridge Capital Management, Matthew Goldstein writes in DealBook. The two traders, Wayne Chambless and Christopher Procaccini, are leaving SAC a month before the firm officially changes its name to Point72 Asset Management and converts from a hedge fund to a family office that will manage mainly Mr. Cohen’s $9 billion as a result of an insider trading scandal that has besieged the firm. Collectively, Mr. Chambless and Mr. Procaccini managed $800 million to $1 billion of SAC’s money.

Highbridge, which has $29 billion under management, is owned by JPMorgan Chase and is one of the world’s largest hedge funds. It joins a growing list of well-known hedge funds that have hired traders and analysts form SAC despite the trading scandal, Mr. Goldstein writes.

 

Mergers & Acquisitions »

Hertz to Spin Off Rental Equipment Business  |  The move would give the remaining car rental company net proceeds of $2.5 billion. DealBook »

American Express to Sell Half of Its Business Travel Arm for $900 MillionAmerican Express to Sell Half of Its Business Travel Arm for $900 Million  |  The deal completes an effort begun last year by American Express to trim its exposure to corporate travel, a business that has declined amid cost-cutting efforts around the country. DealBook »

Scania Panel Recommends Rejecting Volkswagen Offer  |  Volkswagen’s offer of about $9.3 billion to acquire the outstanding shares of the Swedish truck maker Scania that it does not already own undervalues the company, a committee of Scania’s independent directors said, urging shareholders to reject it. DealBook »

German Firm’s Sale to Russians Draws Fire  |  An agreement to sell an oil and natural gas unit of the utility RWE to two Russian billionaires stirred criticism, The New York Times writes. NEW YORK TIMES

Chesapeake Explores Spinoff of Oil Field Services  |  Chesapeake Energy filed on Monday for a possible spinoff of its oil field services operation, The Wall Street Journal writes. The unit generated about $2.2 billion in revenue last year. WALL STREET JOURNAL

Taiwan’s Cathay Financial Considering Overseas Mergers  |  Cathay Financial Holdings, whose insurance arm manages about $66.7 billion in client assets, said on Tuesday that it was looking at merger opportunities overseas, Reuters writes. REUTERS

INVESTMENT BANKING »

Morgan Stanley Analyst Departs Before Alibaba I.P.O.  |  Scott Devitt, a star research analyst at Morgan Stanley, has resigned just as the investment bank has won a leading role advising Alibaba on its initial public offer, expected to be one of the largest ever, The Financial Times writes. FINANCIAL TIMES

Barclays to Highlight Lower Share Payout to Top Executives  |  Barclays will try to temper criticism over bankers’ bonuses on Tuesday by calling attention to a drop in value of shares given to its top executives, The Financial Times writes. FINANCIAL TIMES

Bank of America Appoints New Chief of Global Insurance Investment Banking  |  Bank of America Merrill Lynch has appointed Kevin McLoughlin, who led the global insurance unit at Citibank, as the bank’s new chief of global insurance investment banking, Reuters writes. REUTERS

PRIVATE EQUITY »

Google’s Legal Chief Joins K.K.R.’s BoardGoogle’s Legal Chief Joins K.K.R.’s Board  |  The private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has attracted David C. Drummond, one of Silicon Valley’s top legal executives, to its board of directors. DealBook »

Ono’s Private Equity Owners to Reap Rewards From Sale  |  The private equity owners of the Spanish cable operator Ono, which Vodafone agreed to purchase for $10 billion on Monday, stand to make a cumulative profit of about 60 percent from the eight year investment, The Financial Times reports. FINANCIAL TIMES

Bain and Advent in Talks to Buy Danish Card Payment Firm  |  The private equity firms Advent International and Bain Capital are in exclusive talks to buy the Danish card payment services company Nets Holding for more than $2.8 billion, Reuters writes, citing unidentified people familiar with the situation. REUTERS

HEDGE FUNDS »

Judge in Germany Dismisses Hedge Fund Suit Against Porsche HoldingJudge in Germany Dismisses Hedge Fund Suit Against Porsche Holding  |  The decision was the latest in a series of court victories by Porsche Holding over suits filed by hedge funds that lost billions betting against Volkswagen shares. DealBook »

UBS Forms New Hedge Fund Unit  |  UBS has created a new business unit to cater to its equity hedge fund clients, The Wall Street Journal writes. WALL STREET JOURNAL

A Tribute to a California Pension Fund’s Guiding HandA Tribute to a California Pension Fund’s Guiding Hand  |  On Monday, Anne Sheehan, a director at the state teachers’ pension fund, eulogized her husband, Joseph Dear, the chief investment officer of Calpers, who died last month. They shared a willingness to shake up corporate America. DealBook »

I.P.O./OFFERINGS »

Weibo I.P.O. Sets a Low Bar for AlibabaWeibo I.P.O. Sets a Low Bar for Alibaba  |  The growth of the Twitter-like Chinese microblog Weibo comes with some hairy regulatory risks, John Foley of Reuters Breakingviews writes. DealBook »

Yahoo Set for Windfall From Alibaba’s I.P.O.  |  Yahoo currently owns about 24 percent of Alibaba, worth as much as $37 billion, Bloomberg Businessweek writes. Because of an agreement between the two companies, Yahoo must rid itself of a significant portion of its holdings as soon as Alibaba goes public, which will likely result in a sale that generates $15.4 billion in cash. BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

Wall Street Waits for Tech I.P.O.’s  |  Investors are eager for the next group of technology start-ups to go public, but some of the most prominent companies are flush with cash and not in a rush to list their shares, The Financial Times writes. FINANCIAL TIMES

Just Eat to List in London  |  The British online restaurant delivery service Just Eat said on Monday that it would seek to raise 100 million pounds, or about $166.4 million, in an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange. The company, founded in Denmark in 2001, had revenue of £96.8 million in 2013. REUTERS

CBS Files I.P.O. of Outdoor Americas Unit  |  The CBS Corporation filed on Monday for an initial public offering of its CBS Outdoor Americas unit and plans to offer 20 million shares for up to $28 each, The Hollywood Reporter writes. The long-awaited I.P.O. will raise money for stock buybacks. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

VENTURE CAPITAL »

Putative Bitcoin Founder Categorically Denies It  |  Dorian Nakamoto appeared to be laying the groundwork for a lawsuit against Newsweek, saying its article had harmed him. He stopped short of saying he would sue, The New York Times reports. NEW YORK TIMES

Venture Firms Pump Money Into Hardware Start-Ups  |  Venture capitalists completed a record 31 fund-raising deals for consumer electronics makers last year, pouring $848 million into hardware start-ups, The Wall Street Journal reports. The total is nearly twice the previous record of $442 million set in 2012. WALL STREET JOURNAL

Machine Learning Start-Up Wise.io Raises $2.8 Million  |  Wise.io, a software platform inspired by astrophysics that makes predictions on small amounts of data, has raised $2.8 million in a Series A funding round, The Wall Street Journal writes. WALL STREET JOURNAL

LEGAL/REGULATORY »

Haste Clouds Long-Term Effort on Mortgage FraudHaste Clouds Long-Term Effort on Mortgage Fraud  |  The prosecution of mortgage fraud requires painstaking investigation over a long period, but the government weakens its position by promising quick results, Peter J. Henning writes in the White Collar Watch column. White Collar Watch »

Putin Recognizes Crimea Secession, Defying the West  |  The Kremlin announced that President Vladimir V. Putin would address both houses of the Russian Parliament on Tuesday, when many expected him to endorse annexation, The New York Times reports. NEW YORK TIMES

Fed Likely to Adopt Forward Guidance  |  Economists indicated in a survey that the Federal Reserve would probably do away with its 6.5 percent unemployment rate threshold and instead use qualitative guidance for signaling when it would consider raising interest rates from near zero, Bloomberg News reports. BLOOMBERG NEWS

Factory Gains Likely to Spur Fed to Ease Its Stimulus  |  Two fairly upbeat reports on factory output appeared likely to encourage the Federal Reserve to further scale back its economic stimulus program this week. NEW YORK TIMES

The Rich Strike Back in Washington  |  “The denizens of Wall Street and wealthy precincts around the nation said they are still plenty worried about the shift in tone toward top earners and the popularity of class-based appeals,” Ben White and Maggie Haberman write in Politico. POLITICO

Regulator Advocates for Internal Money Laundering Oversight  |  Thomas J. Curry, who leads the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, said on Monday that big banks should assign senior managers to oversee efforts to police money laundering compliance and take responsibility for when lapses occur, Reuters writes. REUTERS