美國知名的激進(jìn)投資者丹尼爾•勒布(Daniel Loeb)瞄準(zhǔn)了日本最專注的企業(yè)之一——機(jī)器人公司發(fā)那科(Fanuc)。
According to its quarterly letter to investors, ThirdPoint — the hedge fund run by Daniel Loeb — hasbought into Fanuc, the world’s largest roboticscompany, and is urging it to conduct a sharebuyback.
根據(jù)勒布管理的對沖基金Third Point寫給投資者的季度信,這家基金已入股全球最大機(jī)器人公司發(fā)那科,并敦促后者回購股票。
The purchase highlights renewed investor interest in Japan as massive monetary stimulusdrives stocks higher, the government prepares a new corporate governance code, and returnon equity finally catches on as a management goal.
此次購股突顯出投資者重新燃起對日本的興趣。日本推出的大規(guī)模貨幣刺激正推升股價(jià),同時(shí)日本政府正制定新的公司治理規(guī)則,且股本回報(bào)率終于被認(rèn)可為一項(xiàng)管理目標(biāo)。
But it also is reminiscent of numerous bitter and destructive clashes between Japanesecorporations and foreign investors, from the saga of Steel Partners and Bull-Dog Sauce adecade ago, to The Children’s Investment Fund and its run at electricity wholesaler J-Power in2008.
但這也讓人回憶起日本企業(yè)與外國投資者之間眾多痛苦且具有破壞性的沖突,從10年前Steel Partners收購牛頭犬調(diào)味品公司(Bull-Dog Sauce)的風(fēng)波,到兒童投資基金(The Children’s Investment Fund)2008年在增持日本電源開發(fā)公司(J-Power)股權(quán)的故事。
“Fanuc’s productivity is amongst the highest in the world, on track to achieve $2.4bn ofoperating profit and 40 per cent margins. . .with just 5,500 employees,” said Third Point. But itadded: “There is a reason that Fanuc remains cheap at 13 times earnings: the company’sillogical capital structure which does nothing for shareholder value.”
Third Point表示:“發(fā)那科的生產(chǎn)率位于全球最高之列,營運(yùn)利潤有望達(dá)到24億美元,利潤率為40%……只有5500名員工...... 但發(fā)那科的市盈率仍很廉價(jià)(13倍),原因是該公司不合理的資本結(jié)構(gòu)對提升股東價(jià)值毫無幫助。”
Third Point is known for its aggressive campaigns to shake up target companies — famouslyengineering the installation of Marissa Mayer as chief executive of Yahoo — and there is a gulfbetween its financial world on New York’s Park Avenue and the secretive, yellow-clad engineersof Fanuc.
Third Point以大規(guī)模改組目標(biāo)公司出名——一個(gè)著名例子是安排瑪麗莎•梅耶爾(Marissa Mayer)擔(dān)任雅虎(Yahoo)首席執(zhí)行官。然而,紐約公園大道的金融界與發(fā)那科行事隱秘、穿著黃色衣服的工程師之間,存在巨大差異。
Fanuc has grown to become Japan’s 10th-largest company by market capitalisation, dominatingthe global market for factory robots from its base near Mount Fuji. It is known for an ultra-focused corporate culture, ruled until recently by founder Seiuemon Inaba, that rejects alldistractions from its core robotics business.
以市值衡量,發(fā)那科已成長為日本第十大企業(yè),從位于富士山附近的基地統(tǒng)治著全球工業(yè)機(jī)器人市場。該公司以超級(jí)專注的企業(yè)文化知名,拒絕除核心機(jī)器人業(yè)務(wù)以外的所有其他業(yè)務(wù)。直到最近,該公司一直由其創(chuàng)始人稻葉清右衛(wèi)門(Seiuemon Inaba)管理。
In its letter, Third Point pays tribute to Fanuc, saying the company “reminds us of Apple in itsproduct approach”. It suggests Fanuc’s robotics sales will double in a few years, given thebroader range of industries now being automated, the low density of robot use in China, andthe Japanese company’s market dominance.
在寫給投資者的這封信中,Third Point贊揚(yáng)發(fā)那科稱,該公司“的產(chǎn)品戰(zhàn)略讓我們想起了蘋果(Apple)”。信中稱,鑒于更多的行業(yè)實(shí)現(xiàn)了自動(dòng)化、中國的機(jī)器人使用量仍然偏低、且發(fā)那科占據(jù)著市場主導(dǎo)地位,未來幾年,發(fā)那科的機(jī)器人銷量將翻一番。