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Activist Ackman Is Said to Build United Technologies Stake

Activist Ackman Is Said to Build Position in United Technologies

(Bloomberg) -- Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has a new company in his sights.

Pershing Square Capital Management, the activist firm run by Ackman, is building a position in industrial manufacturer United Technologies Corp., according to a person familiar with the matter. The size of the stake, as well as what sort of changes Ackman may seek, is unclear at this time.

Representatives for Pershing Square and United Technologies declined to comment.

The presence of an activist could accelerate plans revealed last week to explore a possible breakup of the maker of jet engines and elevators. Greg Hayes, chief executive officer of United Technologies, said the board will determine by the end of the year whether the company would be more valuable as three standalone businesses.

United Technologies is the latest industrial manufacturer to explore such a move after General Electric Co., which has a representative of Trian Fund Management on its board, said it may break out its primary businesses into publicly traded companies.

Activist Ackman Is Said to Build United Technologies Stake

United Technologies rose as much as 3.4 percent in New York Wednesday. The shares had gained 5 percent this year through Tuesday, topping the 2.6 percent gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Pershing’s position was first reported by CNBC.

Breakup Plan

The plan under consideration at United Technologies would create a focused aerospace business with about $45 billion to $50 billion in sales, Hayes said last week at an investor conference. A separate Otis elevators operation would have about $12 billion to $13 billion in revenue, and the climate-control division, which makes Carrier air conditioners, would have $17 billion to $18 billion.

A possible breakup wouldn’t come until after United Technologies wraps its blockbuster acquisition of Rockwell Collins Inc., Hayes said, while noting that such a move may involve “significant dis-synergies.” The deal, set to close later this year, will reshape the company’s aerospace operations while the Pratt & Whitney unit boosts production on a critical new jet engine.

Activist Ackman Is Said to Build United Technologies Stake

United Technologies has been speculated as a possible activist target. Barclays analyst Julian Mitchell said in a Feb. 14 note that the Farmington, Connecticut-based company was one of the likeliest candidates, along with Eaton Corp. and Johnson Controls International Plc.

Hayes has downplayed the talk, saying instead that he thinks of himself as the activist in the stock because he’s contemplating sweeping changes to boost shareholder value.

To contact the reporters on this story: Scott Deveau in New York at sdeveau2@bloomberg.net, Richard Clough in New York at rclough9@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Elizabeth Fournier at efournier5@bloomberg.net, Brendan Case at bcase4@bloomberg.net, Michael Hytha, Susan Warren

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