Notable (Gaming, Guns, Fees and More)

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Activist Investing: A deep dive into what has made Elliott Management successful. 

Casinos & Gambling: The Supreme Court is considering arguments that will dictate the future of sports betting at casinos and racetracks around the country - a potential lifeline to an industry that has been plodding along. New Jersey is getting ready for some positive nows.

Guns (Long Irony): Donald Trump hasn't threatened the gun industry enough. Without the fear of increased regulation (which, of course, is mind-boggling after Las Vegas, but we digress), gunmakers are heavily discounting product and their stock is going in the sh*tter. American Outdoor Brands Corp. ($AOBC) and Sturm Ruger & Co. ($RGR) both saw stock declines this week on the news of slashed profit targets.

Healthcare: A running tally of all of the bankruptcies in 2017. The performance improvement consultants must also be at high capacity. Scripps Health, for instance, announced $30mm in cost cutting this week. And community health centers are apparently suffocating without federal funding from Congress.

Professional Fees: Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. is primed to pay $160mm in legal fees. Importantly, this number does not include the fee totals paid to financial advisors, investment bankers and the company's claims agent. Apples to grenades, we admit, but considering the fees seen in bankruptcy, Robert Mueller's $6.7mm nut over five months of investigation seems pretty lean and efficient to us. Just saying.

Retail (The Rise of Clicks to Bricks): Everlane is the latest digitally-native vertical brand that is embracing physical locations. Relating to the company's CEO, "He started the company understanding stores as albatrosses on the bottom line; now, he sees the value in them as temples to the brand." Meanwhile, FAO Schwarz is attempting yet another brick-and-mortar comeback in NYC.