Carl Icahn has had a difficult time in this market. Most reports
suggest he has dropped well over 50% of his total value this year.
His stake in Yahoo has been another recent loser, despite Icahn's
success of taking a minority position on Yahoo's board of
directors.
Today it was reported that Icahn bought more shares of Yahoo and
upped his take in his own hedge fund. Yahoo was up nearly nine
percent on the news.
Icahn's increased stake, however, shouldn't be a surprise. He
bought in at around $25. For him not to increase his stake at sub
$10 would be shocking. Moreover, it is a fact that only months ago
Microsoft offered Yahoo $33 a share. For Yahoo to suddenly be worth
less than $10 without a significant long term fundamental change,
does not make sense.
Icahn's purchase shows what seasoned investors do when the
market goes crazy. They simply buy more.
In Icahn's case, considering his recent major drop in overall
value, it is possible that even the billionaire is leveraged in the
market. Where else would all this new money come from? For him to
increase his risk at a time when all else are decreasing risk is a
bold move that cannot be ignored. When Warren Buffett bought
significant positions last month, everybody thought the worst was
over. Now, Carl Icahn is reportedly buying. Shall we open the
champagne bottles once again?
I wouldn't get too excited: he upped his 4.9% stake to 5.4%. For
Yahoo stock to jump the way it did just shows the market is begging
for any excuse to recover and hold up amid the crisis.