Finance: Bill Ackman suffers a big blow in his effort to shake up ADP (ADP)

ADP shareholders voted against adding three directors to its board including Bill Ackman.

ADP shareholders voted against adding three directors to its board including Bill Ackman, handing a loss to the activist investor after a three-month campaign.

The billionaire founder of the hedge fund Pershing Square has engaged in a bitter proxy battle with the HR-software provider, calling for sweeping changes including the replacement of CEO Carlos Rodriguez.

Ackman's nominees were supported by less than 20% of ADP's shareholders, the company said. Vanguard and State Street, two of the largest holders, voted in support of Ackman. BlackRock voted against him.

"This process has sharpened our focus on the importance of insightful, strategic engagement with our investors, which, over the past few months, has given us a greater appreciation of our owners’ perspectives on our business and growth plans," said Carlos Rodriguez, ADP's CEO, in a statement.

Ackman, whose hedge fund disclosed an 8% stake in the $49 billion company in August, said the company's margins were "vastly below" what they could be. He said ADP's stock price could double in five years without the company needing to change its dividend or capital structure.

ADP shares were down by less than 1% in premarket trading on Tuesday.

ADP shareholders voted against adding three directors to its board including Bill Ackman. Read Full Story