Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP, Financial)
ADP is a classic Pershing Square investment. It is a simple, predictable, free-cash-flow generative business that has underperformed its potential. As a conservatively financed, capital-light business with long-term customer relationships in a sector with substantial positive growth, we believe it has modest downside. If it is able to achieve its potential, we believe it offers substantial upside. We acquired ADP for the funds along with a co-investment vehicle (PSVI) which we recently raised to increase our ownership of the company.
We believe that ADP is one of the highest quality businesses we have owned, and one which offers an enormous opportunity for operational improvement. Earlier today, we shared our research and its conclusions on ADP with the investing public on a webcast. We highlighted the sources of underperformance of the company and the opportunities for operational enhancement. You can view the webcast at www.ADPascending.com.
It has been five years since the inception of our investment in Canadian Pacific (NYSE:CP), where we had to wage a proxy contest to obtain board seats in a long-term activist portfolio holding. (While we did run a slate in the Allergan situation in 2014, it was in the context of a hostile takeover which we consider to be a fundamentally different type of situation.) As in CP, we approached ADP and offered to share privately our due diligence and analysis with the board to see if we could work together to unlock value for all shareholders. We requested a one-week extension of the nominating deadline in order to accommodate such a meeting. The board was unwilling to grant an extension, and therefore, we announced our slate on Monday, August 7, 2017 in advance of the deadline. We were disappointed by the company’s response, but it is by no means unprecedented. We have learned from experience that often the greatest opportunities for profit exist at companies that are the most resistant to and threatened by change.
Our experience in this situation has been analogous to the inception of our investment in CP. As in CP, we were offered the opportunity to meet with the CEO and Chairman. As in CP, we believe the company in its public statements and filings mischaracterized our meetings and conversations with the CEO and Chairman. For a detailed summary of our interactions with the company, please read the “Background to This Solicitation” section of our recent proxy filing which you can find here. Fortunately, it now appears that the board is willing to engage. The ADP board has recently asked to interview our board candidates and offered to meet with us on September 5, 2017. We look forward to the opportunity to share our due diligence and analysis with the full board.
From Bill Ackman (Trades, Portfolio)'s second quarter 2017 shareholder letter.
