Instead of all the tired comments of how hedge funds stir up trouble at a company, it’s heartwarming to hear about some positive impact they have. A few kind words about Canadian Tire Co. revved up the stock price by about 4.5% in one day, and increased the trading volume more than fivefold. Addressing the Ira W. Sohn Investment Research Conference in New York, William Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management praised Canadian Tire for its excellent business and management team, telling the audience, largely composed of HF pros, that there is hidden value in some of the company’s businesses, namely real estate, credit cards and gas stations. According to the Financial Post, the tire company was aware of the comments and said there were no material changes at CT to account for the surge in stock price that followed. After Ackman’s speech, the share price for Canadian tire rose C$2.90 (US$2.60) to C$68.80 (US$61.68), on volume of 1,834,317 – the average six-month volume is 231,571. Clearly, the audience was poised to take comments from speakers to heart. At US$3,000 a ticket, why not?