It seems the stock market and media may have been snoozing last Friday when Jamie Zimmerman's Litespeed Management LLC disclosed an 8.1% stake in RadioShack Corp. (RSHCQ). Shares were up slightly on Tuesday morning, but with no sign of Wall Street taking notice of the large position.
Who is Jamie Zimmerman?
For those unfamiliar with Zimmerman, she is a famed hedge fund manager known for her incredible market-beating performance in the early 2000s. Most sources quote her firm Litespeed LLC as managing around $1.0 billion in assets and specializing in special situations, distressed securities, and bankruptcy.
This makes RadioShack a perfect candidate for her firm and could be a bullish sign for investors in the struggling retailer going forward. Zimmerman is known for being an astute analyst and if her track record holds up it could be good news for embattled RadioShack shareholders.
Shareholders should keep in mind that even though Zimmerman is an accomplished fund manager and has voted yes for RadioShack's turnaround, that doesn't mean the company's turnaround will succeed. Even the best managers will admit that being accurate 66% of the time is incredibly difficult; so while this is a good sign, it's doesn't guarantee she's correct.
Final takeaway
RadioShack is set to report earnings in late February and any surprises will surely bring large stock price moves. Investors should keep a careful eye on how same-store-sales are performing at remodeled stores. Any weakness in the new concept stores would be a bad sign for the success of the turnaround story taking place at RadioShack. Until then, investors can take comfort in one acclaimed fund manager jumping on the RadioShack bandwagon.
