Jana Partners pushes Cooper to replace CEO, weigh asset sales- WSJ

Activist investor Jana Partners is urging Cooper Cos to replace CEO Albert White and explore strategic alternatives, including a potential sale of its core contact-lens business, according to the Wall Street Journal. In a letter to Cooper, Jana demanded an overhaul of the medical-device maker, citing chronic underperformance, inventory management issues, and capital spending shortcomings.

The activist also recommended appointing a new board chair and engaging with potential buyers for its fertility and medical-device assets. White has been Cooper's CEO since 2018. Cooper's market value was approximately $10 billion at Thursday's close, while its shares have dropped around 16% over the past year. Jana has been pushing Cooper for about a year after acquiring a stake in the company, previously suggesting strategic alternatives, such as the combination of its contact-lens business with rival Bausch + Lomb.

The Journal noted that Cooper's shares have fallen 28% since then. The activist push comes after Cooper's third-quarter earnings report, when the company announced plans to expand its U.S. sales force to include 5,000 eye-care offices. Jana could potentially initiate a proxy fight at Cooper, with the deadline for nominating directors approaching in early January.

The activist investor has also taken similar stances in other companies, such as Fiserv earlier this year.