(Bloomberg)—Dan Loeb’s Third Point has built a position in mall-owner Macerich Co., the real estate investment trust whose shares have come under pressure as traditional retailers battle online rivals, people familiar with the matter said.
The New York-based hedge fund owns almost 5 percent of the REIT and is expected to agitate for change at the company, which could include a potential sale, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. It’s unclear whether there have been discussions between the activist investor and Macerich’s management or board, the people said.
Macerich’s shares jumped as much as 12 percent in trading Thursday, after falling more than 16 percent this year prior to news of Third Point’s stake. They were up 8.3 percent to $63.69 at 1:55 p.m. in New York.
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is currently the biggest shareholder in the REIT with 16.5 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Third Point’s move comes as Amazon.com Inc. and other web-based retailers turn up the heat on brick-and-mortar competitors. Suburban malls have been hit especially hard as consumers find other outlets for their shopping and entertainment dollars. Store closures are accelerating, pressuring landlords to fill empty space and reinvent shopping centers.
A representative for Macerich, based in Santa Monica, California, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Representatives for Third Point and Ontario Teachers declined to comment.
Last week, Macerich disclosed a new change of control clause that would grant the company’s top executives increased payouts if they were terminated within 24 months of an ownership switch.
Macerich Targeted
Macerich was previously targeted by an activist investors in 2015. Land & Buildings Investment Management and Orange Capital built a position in the company after it rejected a $16.8 billion takeover bid from Simon Property Group Inc. Shares of Simon Property rose as much as 4.1 percent Thursday.
The REIT took steps at the time to adopt a so-called poison pill and stagger its board after the bid, a move that was criticized by the activists. Macerich then backed off on adopting the protections against a takeover after the activist pressure and added two new independent board members.
Macerich, an owner of regional malls throughout the U.S., currently owns 54 million square feet of real estate, primarily interests in 48 regional shopping centers in New York, Chicago and Washington, as well as Arizona and the West Coast, according to its website.
--With assistance from Joshua Fineman.To contact the reporters on this story: Ed Hammond in New York at [email protected] ;Scott Deveau in New York at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Elizabeth Fournier at [email protected] Michael Hytha
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