Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS) was forced to call off its merger with rival Office Depot due to anti-trust issues, but still retains a significant scale advantage in its core business. The company has struggled in recent years in response to changes in technology and retail trends, but appears to be approaching an inflection point where growth may begin to resume – something we are watching carefully. Hewlett Packard Enterprise successfully completed one divestiture and announced two others – all have helped to move shares higher in 2016. During the year, we bought shares of Verizon when its stock price weakened in response to a forecast of flat growth for a year or two. Over time, we expect the wireless business will remain incredibly stable, wireless spectrum will be a valuable asset, and the company will have significant embedded pricing power.
From Larry Pitkowski's GoodHaven Fund 2016 annual letter.
