Auto repair chain Monro soars after Carl Icahn takes 15% stake to become largest shareholder

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn took a significant stake in auto-service chain Monro, becoming the largest single shareholder and marking his latest move in the automotive sector.

Icahn disclosed ownership of 4,439,914 shares, representing a 14.8% stake in Monro, according to a new regulatory filing. The filing showed the shares were acquired by Icahn’s investment entities. It wasn’t clear whether he plans to push for changes at Monro.

Icahn becomes the largest shareholder in Monro, previously known as Monro Muffler Brake, surpassing BlackRock Fund Advisors, which held 14.11% as of the latest filing, according to FactSet data.

Monro’s shares surged more than 13% in early trading Wednesday following the disclosure. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the move earlier.

Icahn, 89, has remained active in recent years despite challenges at his publicly traded investment firm, Icahn Enterprises. Shares of his investment firm are down about 2% this year following a 50% sell-off in 2024 and a 66% decline in 2023 after a short-seller’s attack.

His latest move adds Monro to a long list of companies where he’s taken large stakes and sought to influence corporate strategy, from JetBlue to Southwest Gas. The investors previously owned Icahn Automotive before selling the business last year as part of a broader restructuring of his holdings.

Monro shares had fallen more than 40% this year before Icahn’s purchase became public. The company has struggled in recent years with declining same-store sales and rising labor costs.