Citigroup
Citigroup is the world's largest financial institution. Citigroup stock is trading around $37 down from $53 just a few months ago. Citigroup's shares have drastically underperformed those of its peers since CEO Chuck Prince took over in 2003. This reality has led to increasing pressure on management, specifically Prince, to improve returns. Calls for the company to break itself up in order to increase shareholder value have thus far been ignored by management. Instead Prince has highlighted his own plan to help reinvigorate growth at the financial behemoth. Under new CFO Gary Crittenden, the company has outlined its own three-point plan that includes improving returns on capital, managing expenses and investing in higher-growth business. The first part of this plan was the announcement that Citigroup would cut 17,000 jobs as part of a three-year plan to save $4.6 billion in expenses. (Mara Der Hovanesian , 2004)
Some stockholders believe if the company is successful in turning things around, it could again see the premium price-to-earnings ratio it has enjoyed in the past. The stock currently sells for barely 7 times next year's earnings, vs. 12-13 for its peer group. As CEO, Prince inherited a corporate monstrosity whose various parts continue to operate independently. If Citigroup is to reverse its current trend, Prince needs to implement a growth strategy which will lure and retain top talent. He also needs to be intuitive enough to walk away from failing deals. If Prince's plan proves unsuccessful, he should expect to be fired. According to recent press releases, Prince has already announced that he will offer his resignation to the board. (Ray Hennessey, 2007) This action, taken in light of recently renewed fears of additional exposure to the s ...