Alere Inc. (0.2% of net assets as of September 30, 2014) (ALR - $38.78 - NYSE) is the largest manufacturer of rapid, point-of-care diagnostics in the world. The company has underperformed for the past year, weighed down by manufacturing problems and a heavy debt load from questionable past acquisitions. An activist investor has been publicly pushing the company to improve operations and, after being slow to respond initially, Alere’s Board of Directors forced the company’s founder and CEO to resign on July 1. However, he has now partnered with private equity partners and is seeking to take the company private with an initial bid of $46 per share. Whatever the final outcome is, we believe positive change is in the air for Alere.
From Mario Gabelli (Trades, Portfolio)’s Asset Fund Q3 2014 Commentary.
