Activist investor Elliott pushes for changes at Goodyear, shares jump

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

(Reuters) - Activist investor Elliott Investment Management L.P. disclosed a large investment in Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co on Thursday and said it wants the company to strengthen its financial position by refreshing the board, selling its stores and conducting an operational review.

Elliott holds a 10% stake in the 125-year-old company, making it one of Goodyear's biggest investors. The investment firm, which manages $55 billion in assets, is proposing that five new directors join the 12-member board.

Goodyear can use proceeds from selling the store network to pay down debt, improve its balance sheet and financial flexibility, Elliott said in a letter to the board, which it made public.

All of Elliott's proposed changes could boost Goodyear's stock price about $21 to the low-$30 range, it said. On Thursday afternoon, the stock jumped 19% to $14.05. Over the last five years the stock has fallen 47%, with a 50% loss in 2022.

Elliott, which has a history of taking board seats at companies including Twitter and eBay, said it has identified "experienced executives to spearhead" a board overhaul.

Elliott declined to name the candidates and said it hopes to engage constructively with Goodyear.

The company said its board and management team "have a strong track record of making value-enhancing strategic decisions on behalf of shareholders" and regularly reviews its strategic plan to ensure that "Goodyear is best positioned to deliver strong, sustainable shareholder value."

Elliott criticized Goodyear, valued at $3.3 billion, for mismanagement and lagging its rivals, Michelin and Bridgestone. Despite its long history, Goodyear has "failed to deliver on expected financial performance," Elliott said. Market sentiment is "profoundly negative", leaving the stock "orphaned" with only a small number of analysts covering the company, the firm said.

Over the last five years, Elliott said, the number of Goodyear's auto service stores has shrunk while its peers have expanded. It projected that the Goodyear-owned store network could be worth as much as the entire company under proper management.

As one of the world's biggest activist investment firms, Elliott often directly negotiates changes with a target company and avoids running costly and time-consuming proxy contests.

"Our recommendations – enhancing leadership and oversight, monetizing Goodyear's retail platform, and developing a margin improvement plan – will make Goodyear a better company for its customers, employees and shareholders for decades to come," Elliott portfolio managers Marc Steinberg and Austin Camporin wrote to the company on Thursday.

(Graphic: Goodyear shares suffer vs peers - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/lgvdkeqkxpo/Pasted%20image%201683822223516.png)

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss with additional reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath, Elaine Hardcastle and Richard Chang)