Research In Motion Ltd (BBRY): Is Carl Icahn Really Interested In Taking A Stake In BlackBerry?

Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) has been making at least a little bit of noise in the mobile device world lately with the launch of the new BlackBerry 10 operating system, then releases of the Z10 touchscreen and Q10 keyboard handsets in recent months. Though the Q10 isn’t due on U.S. shelves for at least a couple more weeks, the company and the stock has been gaining some positive momentum this year, up 29 percent on the year despite recent slides.

Today, shares in Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) have edged up more than 3 percent on the day not so much on anything technical but the dreaded r-word – rumor. There is talk out there that one of our favorite hedge-fund managers, billionaire Carl Icahn, may have bought a stake in the Canada-based mobile device maker. The rumor comes from a tweet, and we don’t have much to go on with this at this point.

Image: Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)

The source of the information is apparently an Antonio Costa, who also submits a rumor that BlackBerry CEO Thorsten “Tablets Are Dead in 5 Years” Heins may very well be talking tablet computers at BlackBerry Live this year – though it’s unclear whether the talk will be about integrating BlackBerry 10 onto a PlayBook tablet, or whether this would be about a new-generation of tablet that will run BB 10.

We will keep an eye on this Icahn rumor and let you know if we get anything confirmed. Or not.

What do you think, if this rumor about Icahn and Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) comes out legitimate? What do you think of Icahn’s track record – do you pay attention when he plays a stake in a stock? Let us know your feedback in the comments section below.

Now, it’s important to remember that a few of Icahn’s other big-time investments have responded quite positively to news of a stake: Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) comes first to mind. In most cases, Carl Icahn is a very activist investor, who seeks to stimulate shareholder value, which can be done in a variety of ways. While it’s improbable to expect an sort of a dividend from Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) BlackBerry at the moment, it’s notable that it did report nearly $2.9 billion in total assets invested (include cash), a solid percentage of its $8 billion market cap.

At Insider Monkey, it’s no secret we track hedge funds, and our strategies can reveal how to play the market like the world’s smartest investors (see the details here). As a special bonus, we’re including a list of the 7 biggest Research In Motion/BlackBerry bulls in the hedge fund industry. You can see what other stocks they’re holding, in addition to the tech giant; it may just help you find a better pair for your investment.

See the list of 7 on the next few pages: