Is Alliance Bancorp Inc of Pennsylvania (ALLB) A Slam-Dunk Merger?

As for other companies Yakira Capital Management, Inc. is bullish on, they include Loews Corporation (NYSE:L), Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE:FDO), and DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV), the latter two of which are merger plays of their own. Yakira Capital Management, Inc. increased its stake in Loews Corporation (NYSE:L) to 211,000 shares worth about $8.61 million by the end of the first quarter, from 117,916 shares, a bullish bet on the commercial property and casualty insurance company, whose stock is down 7% year-to-date. David Harding’s Winton Capital Management is another bullish firm on Loews Corporation (NYSE:L) as the hedge fund increased its stake in the insurance company by 801% quarter-over-quarter to end the first quarter of 2015 with 346,081 shares.

Yakira Capital Management, Inc. is also bullish on Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE:FDO), as the hedge fund added the company to its portfolio during the first quarter of the year. Yakira Capital Management bought 92,621 Family Dollar Stores shares worth about $7.34 million during the period. Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE:FDO)’s shares are down 1.15% year-to-date. Canyon Capital Advisors managed by Joshua Friedman and Mitchell Julis is another shareholder of Family Dollar Stores, Inc. The hedge fund added the firm to its portfolio during the first quarter as well, as it awaits the completion of its merger with Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR), expected to occur next month.

In the case of DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV), Yakira Capital Management owned 81,200 shares of the digital television company worth about $6.91 million at the end of the first quarter of 2015, an increase of over 15,000 shares. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway owns a much larger stake of 31.35 million shares of DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV), which is awaiting regulatory approval for its proposed merger with AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).

Disclosure: None