Finance
Activist investor Corvex calls for strategic review at Premier Inn-owner Whitbread
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Corvex Management urges Whitbread to review its capital plan, citing market value gaps. The hedge fund seeks board representation to maximize shareholder value.
Dec 18 (Reuters) - Activist investor Corvex Management LP urged Premier Inn owner Whitbread to review its five-year 3.5-billion-pound ($4.68 billion) capital plan on Thursday, citing a gap between its share price and market value after recent budget changes.
The U.S.-based hedge fund disclosed a 6% stake in the British company and said it also intends to seek representation on the Whitbread board.
"We believe the company must evaluate all available strategic options with the objective of maximising value for all shareholders," Corvex said in a statement.
Whitbread did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Last month, the firm said that Britain's latest budget measures will cost it 40–50 million pounds in the next fiscal year, a move analysts branded a "hammer blow" to its five-year strategy.
Corvex was founded by Keith Meister, the former protégé of Carl Icahn who also headed the billionaire activist's investment firm for a couple of years.
($1 = 0.7483 pounds)
(Reporting by Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
An activist investor is an individual or group that purchases a significant stake in a company to influence its management and operations, often to increase shareholder value.
A capital plan outlines a company's strategy for investing in and managing its financial resources over a specific period, typically to support growth and operational needs.
Market value refers to the total worth of a company based on its current share price multiplied by the total number of outstanding shares in the market.
A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that employs various strategies to earn active returns for its investors, often using leverage and derivatives.
A strategic review is a comprehensive evaluation of a company's strategies and performance, aimed at identifying areas for improvement and aligning future goals.
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