Carl Icahn Trading Strategy: A History Of Successful Investments

Image

Traders Union (TU) experts know that every investor has their own special way of investing that sets them apart from the rest. A famous investor, Carl Icahn, is one of those exceptional figures who did things differently and achieved a lot.

Understanding what he did and how he did it can be really helpful for new traders. It’s like having a practical guide that can turn a beginner into a pro trader quickly. Discover Carl Icahn trading strategy by reading on.

Biography of Carl Icahn

Born on February 16, 1936, in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, Carl Icahn grew up as the only child of a teacher and a versatile father. He attended Far Rockaway High School and later graduated from Princeton University in 1957 with a philosophy degree. Initially pursuing medicine, he left medical school to join the military reserve when the opportunity arose. Icahn’s journey led him to become a billionaire through stock investments and poker skills, using “corporate raider” and activist investor strategies, as TU’s analysts have found.

Carl Icahn’s journey in the world of investments

Traders Union experts said that before starting his own company, Icahn and Company, Carl Icahn worked for different firms. To kickstart his brokerage firm, he borrowed $400,000 from his uncle and added $150,000 from his own account. His company focused on engaging in risk arbitrage and trading options.

He became skilled at making money by exploiting price differences in stocks across markets, ranking 11th among top-earning hedge fund managers in 2019.

Here’s a quick look at some of Carl’s business moves and investments:

  • In October 2014, he invested in Talisman Energy.
  • In May 2015, he put $100 million into Lyft.
  • In December 2015, he tried to buy Pep Boys and became the biggest shareholder in Cheniere Energy.
  • He bought the unfinished Fontainebleau Resort Las Vegas for over $400 million and sold it for $600 million in August 2017.
  • In January 2016, he revealed his 4.66% ownership of Gannett Company.
  • In August 2016, he increased his stake in Herbalife Nutrition to 21%.
  • In November 2016, he bought more shares in Hertz Corporation when their stock price dropped significantly.
  • In May 2020, he sold his entire 39% ownership in Hertz Global for 72 cents per share.

How he achieved financial success

According to TU’s experts, Carl Icahn built his wealth by investing in various businesses. He liked buying shares in companies that needed better management. He began by trading stocks and later started his own investment firm called Icahn and Co. He invested in undervalued companies, expanding his expertise.

Icahn made money by making changes in how companies worked. He was an activist shareholder who aimed to increase the value of a company’s stock for shareholders.

Investing strategy

Traders Union analysts have observed that Icahn invests in various financial instruments like stocks, futures, options, and debt. He’s skilled at foreseeing the future of struggling businesses and stocks that aren’t doing well. His strategy involves looking for stocks with low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios, which are priced lower than what they’re worth in the market.

Icahn follows a contrarian approach, which means he buys things when others don’t want them, though there are exceptions. He believes that over time, the market will recognize the value of these stocks, leading to price increases. His investment style is focused on the long term, with a goal of turning struggling businesses around. While he’s a value investor, Icahn thoroughly researches a company’s resources and business practices before investing.

Conclusion

Traders Union analysts emphasize that every investor has a unique path to success, and Carl Icahn stands out as one of those exceptional figures who took a distinct approach to achieve significant accomplishments. Understanding his strategies and journey can be immensely valuable for new traders, serving as a practical guide to fast-track their growth in the trading world.

Share
Related Stories
Image
24-November-2023

The Black Friday Effect: Financial Markets Behaviour During Sales Season

By FBS As Black Friday approaches, global broker FBS delves into the relationship between the year’s biggest sales season and its impact on the financial markets. The FBS analysts particularly discover the trends of the world’s largest economy – the American. They analysed reactions across assets and macroeconomic conditions to understand the Black Friday impact better. What influences the Black Friday numbers FBS analysts highlight three critical indicators for gauging Black Friday’s impact on the US economy: the number of buyers, the average amount spent, and the total spending. Over the past 18 years, notably successful in terms of total

Image
25-November-2023

Vendors Lament as Cost of Key Jollof Rice Ingredients Soars 37.4%

By Bliss Okperan, Adedapo Adesanya  The cost of cooking a pot of jollof rice, one of the most consumed foods daily in Nigeria, has surged by 37.4 per cent, according to research carried out by Business Post. Using market data and the most recent food price watch by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), major food items in making the delicacy, including rice, groundnut oil, tomatoes, and onions, among others have recorded a massive increase within the past year, making it hard for the average Nigerian to survive. According to NBS, 1 kilogram of Rice cost N757.06 in 2023 as

Image
24-November-2023

NASD, CSCS Sink Unlisted Securities Exchange by 0.04%

By Adedapo Adesanya The duo of NASD Plc and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc sank the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 0.04 per cent on Thursday, November 23. They caused the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) to lose 0.35 points at the close of transactions, ending at 845.81 basis points compared with Wednesday’s closing value of 846.16 points. Also, the market capitalisation of the exchange went down by N460 million to remain relatively flat at N1.147 trillion. During the session, NASD Plc shed 65 Kobo to end the day at N12.65 per share versus the midweek session’s N13.30

Image
25-November-2023

Nigerian Exchange Rises 0.25% Amid Positive Market Sentiment

By Dipo Olowookere The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited posted a 0.25 per cent growth at the close of trading activities on Friday, influenced by persistent bargain-hunting. Business Post reports that the market breadth index was positive yesterday after 33 stocks closed on the gainers’ chart and 21 equities ended on the losers’ table, indicating a strong investor. Secure Electronic Technology was the best-performing stock for the trading session as its value rose by 10.00 per cent to 55 Kobo, followed by MeCure, which gained 9.90 per cent to close at N9.21, Neimeth appreciated by 9.85 per cent to N2.23, Multiverse

More Stories
Image
27-January-2021

Nigeria Gets New Auditor-General

By Adedapo Adesanya President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Mr Adolphus Arhotomhenla Aghughu to become the new Auditor-General of the Federation pursuant to Section 86(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Mr Aghughu has been acting as the Auditor-General since the voluntary retirement of Mr Anthony Mkpe Ayine, from service upon attainment of the mandatory retirement age of 60 years on October 25, 2020. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legislative Matters (Senate), Mr Babajide Omoworare, made this known in a statement. The Auditor-General designate hails from Edo State and holds a Master’s degree

Image
19-April-2021

Experts to Discuss Tech, Digital Transformation at MSME Dialogue 3.0

By Modupe Gbadeyanka On Saturday, April 24, 2021, experts in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector will gather again for MSME Dialogue 3.0 at 10am. The event, organised by MSME Africa, will give participants the opportunity to have robust insights on the theme Powering MSMEs with Technology and Digital Transformation, with registration required before the webinar via http://bit.ly/MSMEDIALOGUE3. “Every business owner who is serious with their business would agree with me that technology and digital transformation are important factors for business growth and success. “We all can’t all run or won tech startups but we can always drive

Image
15-May-2020

Unlisted Securities Market Size Stands at N505.76bn

By Adedapo Adesanya  The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange traded flat on Thursday, May 14, 2020, with the market also closing with no advancer or decliner. Consequently, NASD unlisted securities index (NSI), which recorded a growth at the previous session, remained unchanged yesterday at 688.51 points. In the same vein, the market size of the unlisted securities on the NASD Exchange, which is captured by the market capitalisation, remained at N505.76 billion. However, there were movements on the activity chart as the three key indicators pointed north at the close of the trading day. The volume of shares transacted by

Image
27-October-2023

Senate Confirms Adamu Aliyu as New ICPC Chairman

By Adedapo Adesanya The Senate has officially confirmed Mr Adamu Aliyu as the substantive chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). He was confirmed following a screening session at the plenary on Thursday, a day after President Bola Tinubu pleaded with the upper chamber to speed up his confirmation. The screening commenced at approximately 11:50 am following a request by Mr Bamidele Opeyemi to temporarily suspend specific Senate rules, permitting external individuals to enter the chamber. The Deputy Senate President, Mr Jibirin Barau, led the screening of Mr Aliyu, who was the Attorney General of

Image
11-October-2016

Nigerian Banks In Credit Crisis—Report

Says, Unity Bank, Skye Bank “Close to Being Insolvent” By Modupe Gbadeyanka A report by Bloomberg on Monday has raised an alarm that some Nigerian banks may be fighting undercapitalisation crisis at the moment. Seven banks were said to be in this mess. Two of the banks, Skye Bank and Unity Bank, are close to being insolvent, Bloomberg quoted Arqaam Capital as saying in the report. It was said that the credit crunch is being caused by failed fiscal and monetary policies. FBN Holdings Plc and Sterling Bank Plc “will need a dilutive capital hike,” Jaap Meijer and Tarek Sleiman,

Image
04-January-2018

Kwara Registers 27,000 Businesses in 24 Months

By Dipo Olowookere No fewer than 27,000 businesses have been registered by the Kwara State Government in the last 24 months. The business ventures were registered during this period under the Kwara Live Project of the state government. The Kwara Live Project was established to assist artisans in the state, helping them with registration, funding and others. Director of the programme, Mr Job Amosun, disclosed that to make the scheme successful, government entered into partnership with the state’s Artisans Congress. “The state government partnered with the state’s artisans congress on data collation of all artisan businesses in the state. “We

Ad
Ad
Recent Stories
Image
28-November-2023

Zenith Bank Lights Up Ajose Adeogun Street With Beautiful Decorations

By Aduragbemi Omiyale The popular Ajose Adeogun Street and Roundabout on Victoria Island, Lagos, is wearing a new look, thanks to Zenith Bank Plc, which designed the areas with beautiful Christmas decorations. The yearly ritual of the financial institution is a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives aimed at setting the tone for the Christmas and Yuletide seasons. Performing the Light-Up ceremony, the 17th of its kind recently, the chief executive of Zenith Bank, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, expressed his delight in heralding the 2023 Yuletide season by lighting up the iconic Ajose Adeogun Street and Roundabout. He urged everyone

Image
28-November-2023

FG Rehabilitate TinCan, Onne Port, Others With $1.1bn

By Adedapo Adesanya  The federal government, through the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has announced plans to invest $1.1 billion to fully rehabilitate decaying port infrastructure at TinCan, Apapa, Rivers, Delta, Calabar, and Onne ports as part of efforts to improve the efficiency of the nation’s existing ports. Out of the estimated 47,000 kilometres of coastline in Africa, Nigeria makes up about 853 kilometres, creating the perfect opportunity to get access to its much-needed revenue. This coastline and a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone make up Nigeria’s coastline in the Gulf of Guinea. The coastline equals a maritime area of

Image
28-November-2023

EFCC Educates Public About Ways to Prevent ATM Card Swap Fraud

By Adedapo Adesanya The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alerted Nigerians of unauthorised bank withdrawals linked to Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card swap fraud. The commission issued the alert on Monday in a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity, Mr Dele Oyewale. According to the EFCC, fraudsters engaged in this activity typically keep a debit card from the same bank and, under the guise of assisting a confused bank customer at an ATM point, swiftly swap the card while memorising the PIN used with fake cards. “These cards get stuck in the machine due to a

Image
28-November-2023

NCAA Suspends United Nigeria Airlines Wet-Lease Aircraft

By Aduragbemi Omiyale One of the wet-lease aircraft in the operations of United Nigeria Airlines has been suspended by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). A wet-leased is a leasing arrangement whereby one airline (the lessor) provides an aircraft, complete crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) to another airline or other type of business acting as a broker of air travel (the lessee), which pays by hours operated. The regulator decided to suspend the plane after one of the flights of the airline destined for Abuja from Lagos landed in Asaba, Delta State, over the weekend. While the company claimed the

Image
28-November-2023

BFREE Plans $40m to Acquire Bad Loans from Union Bank

By Modupe Gbadeyanka A cutting-edge German-Nigerian financial technology (fintech) firm, BFREE, plans to put down $40 million to acquire some distressed loan portfolios in Union Bank of Nigeria. A statement from the Nigerian lender said both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Berlin on November 21, 2023, at the German-Nigerian Business Forum. It was disclosed that BFREE would partner with its international financing partners to refinance bad loans from Union Bank, particularly those delayed in repayment or already written off. Union Bank expressed its optimism that this strategic partnership with BFREE would not only bolster the bank’s financial

Image
28-November-2023

Unlisted Securities Close 0.84% Higher

By Adedapo Adesanya The duo of Aradel Holdings Plc and 11 Plc landed the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange in the green territory by 0.84 per cent on Monday, November 27. The two energy stocks overpowered losses posted by two other securities admitted to the alternative stock exchange, leaving the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) closing higher by 7.22 points to 864.51 basis points from 857/29 points, as the market capitalisation of the exchange increased by N9.78 billion to N1.171 trillion from N1.162 trillion. Aradel Holdings Plc saw its share price continue to soar as it rose by N28.80 to

Image
28-November-2023

Naira Falls at Across FX Market Segments as CBN Vows to Clear Backlogs

By Adedapo Adesanya The Naira depreciated in the opening session of the week in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) on Monday, November 27 against the Dollar by N19.71 or 2.5 per cent as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Olayemi Cardoso, said the lender was committed to clearing a backlog of foreign exchange (forex). “We have initiated the payment of unsettled forward foreign exchange obligations, and these payments will continue until all obligations are cleared,” he told bankers last Friday during a dinner speech in Lagos. However, his assurance could not ease the pressure

Image
28-November-2023

Tinubu Reshuffles NNPC Board, Retains Kyari as CEO

By Adedapo Adesanya President Bola Tinubu has announced the reappointment of Mr Mele Kolo Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited. This move comes as part of a larger reshuffle, where President Tinubu has unveiled a new board and management team for the NNPC Limited which will commence their duties from December 1, 2023. Mr Kyari’s reappointment comes after recent calls to have him sacked. Having spent four years under the immediate past administration of Mr Muhammadu, the renewed appointment shows the current government has confidence in his ability to steer the

Image
28-November-2023

Investors’ Bullish Optimism Further Lifts NGX Index by 0.17%

By Dipo Olowookere The positive momentum witnessed at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited continued on Monday with a 0.17 per cent leap at the close of business. Buying pressure, particularly in a few blue-chip equities, kept the bulls at Customs Street during the trading session, though the consumer goods space succumbed to profit-taking by 0.99 per cent. But hope was kept alive by the gains reported by the other key sectors of the market, with the banking counter growing by 1.71 per cent, and the industrial goods index appreciating by 0.01 per cent, while the insurance and energy sectors remained

Image
28-November-2023

Brent Crude Slides Below $80 Per Barrel Ahead OPEC+ Meeting

By Adedapo Adesanya Brent crude benchmark dipped below $80 a barrel on Monday, precisely losing 60 cents of 0.7 per cent to trade at $79.98 a barrel as investors await this week’s meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies (OPEC+). The group is anticipated to maintain its ceiling on crude oil production by member countries into 2024. This affected the oil market, with the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures declining yesterday by 68 cents or 0.9 per cent to trade at $74.86 per barrel. Last week, the 23-man OPEC+ postponed its Sunday ministerial meeting