market folly

Barry Rosenstein's hedge fund firm JANA Partners has filed a 13D with the SEC regarding shares of Whole Foods Market (WFM).  Per the filing, JANA now owns 8.3% of the company with 26.31 million shares (including options to purchase 3.53 million shares).

The filing indicates JANA was buying throughout February, in early March and late March, and into early April.  The bulk of their buying came between $29 and $31 per share.

As to why they purchased shares, the 13D filing notes that JANA is looking to:

"(1) addressing the Issuer's chronic underperformance for shareholders, (2) changing the Issuer's board and senior management composition and addressing governance, (3) optimizing the Issuer's real estate and capital allocation strategies, including discussing the Issuer's "365" small store format and opportunities to improve returns on invested capital, (4) pursuing opportunities to improve performance by advancing its brand development and by addressing core operating deficiencies in areas including customer loyalty and analytics, category management and analytics, technology and digital capabilities, procurement and buying practices, pricing strategies and value proposition communication, and online offerings, (5) improving in-store execution, including labor scheduling and management, management of inventory and shrink levels, stocking practices, product layout, in-store signage, private label program strategy and management, and assessing broader cost structure and operating opportunities, (6) evaluating opportunities to re-engineer the Issuer's suboptimal and cost-disadvantaged grocery procurement and distribution strategy, such as by internalizing distribution or pursuing other hybrid strategies, in order to diversify away from its existing primary wholesale distribution partner, while in the interim implementing better management and increased auditing of this relationship to reduce costs, improve execution, and limit such distribution partner's influence, and (7) initiating a review of strategic alternatives particularly in light of the Issuer's apparent unwillingness to engage in discussions with third parties regarding such alternatives."

Per Google Finance, Whole Foods Market is "engaged in the business of natural and organic foods supermarket. The Company operates approximately 456 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Its stores have an average size of approximately 39,000 square feet, and are supported by its distribution centers, bake house facilities, commissary kitchens, seafood-processing facilities, a produce procurement center, and a specialty coffee and tea procurement and roasting operation, among others. It offers over 30,000 organic stock keeping units (SKUs), covering various areas of its store, including produce, packaged goods, bulk, frozen, dairy, meat, bakery, prepared foods, coffee, tea, beer, wine, cheese, nutritional supplements, vitamins, body care, pet foods and household goods. The Company's brands include 365 Everyday Value, Allegro Coffee, Whole Foods Market, Whole Paws, and Engine 2 Plant-Strong. It also offers approximately 400 temporary exclusives. ."