Activist hedge funds Barrington Capital Group and Clinton Group are calling on southern department store Dillard’s to come clean.
The pair, which is seeking four seats on Dillard’s’ 12-member board, is demanding the right to inspect records on executive perks and business relationships.
The hedge funds own 5.4% of the Little Rock, Ark.-based retailer, although members of the Dillard family control most of the voting power for the board through a dual-share class structure.
The hedge funds revealed their request in a regulatory filing today. In addition to information on perquisites, the funds want to know about executive use of company aircraft and business expenses, as well as about contractors, construction developers, family and business relationships, and the Dillard’s retirement trust.
Barrington’s Jams Mitarotonda, one of the hedge funds’ board nominees, and Clinton’s Michael Popson have criticized the department store’s financial and share price performance, laying most of the blame at the feet of William Dillard II, chairman, president and CEO of the retailer.
Dillard’s has responded to the criticism by pointing to $124 million in dividends paid last year, as well as efforts to make Dillard’s stores more upscale.
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