You’re an Activist Investor, Whether You Like It or Not

Indeed, the shark metaphor often seems to apply to activist investors, fairly or not. One database of such hedge funds is called the Sharkwatch 50. Corporate executives and directors can monitor them at sharkrepellant.net. These are not always the popular kids at school. But here’s a surprising reveal: The “shark” in the Timken Steel case was funded in part by teachers, specifically the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, or CalSTRS. Increasingly, this type of Main Street money is funneling billions into activist funds.