Awaits Tag

LONDON — “Nothing happens, and nothing happens, after which the whole lot happens,” wrote Fay Weldon. She wasn’t referring to the world of finance, but those words capture the surge in corporate activism that’s set to accentuate this fall at two of Europe’s most high-profile groups. Europe’s luxury and consumer firms don’t are likely to attract much activist attention, but an ideal storm of geopolitical tensions, soaring inflation and provide chain challenges post-pandemic have rattled stock markets, and put downward pressure on shares. After so a few years of consistent growth, the softening markets have forced some big, vocal hedge fund honchos to reevaluate their portfolios, and lobby for change — to boards, management and techniques — geared toward extracting maximum value,...