market folly

Activist investor Carl Icahn has submitted a couple SEC filings recently.

Icahn Enters Forward Purchase Contracts on Herc Holdings

First, Icahn has filed a Form 4 with the SEC regarding shares of Herc Holdings (HRI), a spin-off from Hertz (HTZ).

Per the filing, Icahn has entered into forward purchase contracts on June 8th, 2017.  These contracts have a forward purchase price of $35.00 per share, plus a financing charge.  The contracts have expiration dates of June 7th, 2019.  Multiple contracts were entered via various investment vehicles Icahn controls and in total they represent 23,607 shares.

Per the company's website, Herc Holdings "previously were known as Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation or “HERC.”  We now operate in the U.S. under our new brand, Herc Rentals.  We generated revenue of $1.6 billion in 2016 and offer customers a diversified fleet of equipment valued at $3.6 billion1. We serve customers through 270 company-owned locations, primarily in North America, and have approximately 4,800 employees.  Through the years, we have been widely recognized as a pioneer and leader in the equipment rental industry, setting the standard for service and creating the performance metrics that are now commonplace for rental equipment companies."


Icahn Adds To Freeport McMoRan Stake

Second, Icahn has also filed an amended 13D with the SEC regarding his position in Freeport McMoRan (FCX).  Per the filing, Icahn now owns 6.33% of the company with over 91.58 million shares.

The filing notes that on June 6th, Icahn acquired 351,644 shares in total at $11.41 per share.

Per Google Finance, Freeport McMoRan is "a mining company. The Company operates through geographical assets with proven and probable reserves of copper, gold and molybdenum, and traded copper producer. The Company's segments include refined copper products, copper in concentrate, gold, molybdenum, oil and other. The Company's segments include the Morenci, Cerro Verde, Grasberg copper mines, the Rod & Refining operations and the United States (U.S.) Oil and Gas Operations. The Company has organized its operations into five divisions, which include North America copper mines, South America mining, Indonesia mining and Molybdenum mines. The Company's portfolio of assets includes the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia, copper and gold deposits, and mining operations in the Americas, including the large-scale Morenci minerals district in North America and the Cerro Verde operation in South America."