Elliott crosses 10% threshold in Southwest shares

Activist investor Elliott Investment Management has acquired 10% of Southwest Airlines (NYSE:)’ common stock. This move grants the hedge fund the ability to convene a special meeting with the airline company, according to Reuters.

The development surfaces just days before a scheduled meeting on September 9, where both parties aim to address issues that have led to a substantial decline in Southwest’s stock value over the past three years.

The hedge fund, known for its activist investing and managing $70 billion in assets, has called for the removal of Southwest CEO Robert Jordan and Executive Chairman Gary Kelly. Jordan has made it clear that he has no intention of stepping down.

Moreover, Elliott has expressed intentions to propose 10 candidates for the airline’s board, which currently has 15 members. Previously, the fund held an 11% economic interest through derivatives, and it has now converted a portion of those holdings into common shares to reach the 10% threshold, while its overall economic interest remains the same.

Special meetings are infrequent events that are convened to address urgent shareholder issues outside of the annual meeting cycle. Should Elliott initiate such a meeting, it would mark a significant intensification of the dispute that became public in June.

Amid efforts to improve its public image and share price, Southwest has implemented a shareholder rights plan to prevent any single investor from amassing more than 12.5% of the company’s stock.

In an effort to enhance its appeal to customers and investors, Southwest announced in July that it would introduce seats with increased legroom, transition to assigned seating, and welcomed a new board member.

Despite these initiatives, Southwest’s share price had halved in market value in the three years leading up to June 7.