Activist Investor Builds Stake In Bayer, Pushes Breakup

Activist investor Bluebell Capital Partners has built a stake in Bayer AG BAYRY BAYZF and is pushing it to split up.
The activist has been speaking to Bayer's supervisory board behind the scenes over the past few months.
Bluebell has accumulated an undisclosed holding and is seeking an overhaul of Bayer's corporate governance, Bloomberg reported citing some people familiar with the matter.
Bluebell has asked Bayer to separate its crop science business from its pharmaceutical unit, which it argues could lead to more than a 70% upside for shareholders, the report added.
The investor has also been pressurizing Bayer to explore a sale or listing of its consumer-health arm.
Bayer CEO Werner Baumann has been facing shareholder pressure since the Monsanto deal for $63 billion. The company has set aside an estimated $16 billion to cover lawsuits claiming controversial weedkiller Roundup causes cancer.
Related: Roundup Weedkiller Maker Bayer Won Five Consecutive Cases, Shifting Momentum In Bayer's Favor.
Price Action: BAYRY shares closed at $14.70 on Tuesday.