The Morning Brief: Avis, Hertz Selloffs Hurt Glenview

Glenview Capital Management was among a number of hedge funds hurt by Tuesday’s big selloff in car rental companies. Shares of Hertz Global Holdings fell more than 10 percent, to close at $41.55. Meanwhile Avis Budget Group dropped more than 8 percent, to close at $35.77, after Avis president and CFO David Wyshner told attendees at a Deutsche Bank conference that August European demand was “disappointing” and thus hurt peak pricing, especially along the Mediterranean markets.

At the end of the second quarter, New York-based Glenview was the second-largest shareholder of both stocks. Carl Icahn was the largest shareholder of Hertz, while Boston-based Highfields Capital Management was the sixth-largest shareholder. SRS Investment Management, the New York firm founded by Tiger Global Management alum Karthik Ramakrishna Sarma, was the largest shareholder of Avis; Hertz was the firm’s eighth-largest holding at the end of the period. Avis is the eighth-largest holding of New York-based Tremblant Capital Group.

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New York-based Darsana Capital Partners bought 1.75 million shares of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, boosting its stake in the maker of large commercial aircraft structures to 7 million shares, or 5.4 percent of the total outstanding.

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At least two hedge fund firms bought large stakes in Saban Capital Acquisition, a blank check company that went public earlier this month. New York-based Moore Capital Management bought 2.5 million shares, or 6.4 percent of the total, while New York-based Highbridge Capital Management bought 1.75 million shares, or 7.45 percent of the total outstanding.

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Simon Lorne, the vice chairman and chief legal officer of New York-based Millennium Management was named the new chairman of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA). The global trade association also named four additions to its AIMA Council, which is its board of directors. They are Robyn Grew, chief administrative officer and general counsel at Man Group; Han Ming Ho, partner at law firm Sidley Austin; Ryan Taylor, partner and global head of compliance for Brevan Howard Asset Management; and Michael Weinberg, senior managing director and chief investment strategist for Protégé Partners.

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