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☆ Advance Auto Parts reaches deal with Dan Loeb's Third Point, Saddle Point for three board seats
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An exterior view of the Advance Auto Parts store at the Sunbury Plaza, in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Dan Loeb's Third Point and activist Saddle Point have a stake in Advance Auto Parts and reached a settlement with the company that will give the activists three board seats, the company confirmed Monday. Tom Seboldt, Gregory Smith and Brent Windom will join Advance Auto Parts' board effective immediately, the company said. Advance Auto Parts shares rose 3.7% after The Wall Street Journal reported the news of Third Point's position and settlement. Roy Katzovicz, Saddle Point CEO and former Pershing Square partner, said Advance Auto Parts had "enormous potential."

Persons: Dan Loeb's, Tom Seboldt, Gregory Smith, Brent Windom, Shane O'Kelly, " O'Kelly, Point's Loeb, Roy Katzovicz Organizations: Advance, Street Journal, Pershing Square Locations: Sunbury, Sunbury , Pennsylvania

☆ Most countries have made ‘little or no progress’ in returning Nazi-looted art, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Carlie Porterfield | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Of the 47 nations that endorsed the 2009 Terezin Declaration, which incorporated the principles, seven have made major progress, three have made substantial progress, 13 have made some progress and some 24 countries have made little or no progress, according to Tuesday’s report. “This report underscores the critical need for advancement in art and cultural property restitution,” Gideon Taylor, the president of WJRO, said in a statement. The 13 countries that have made some progress include Argentina, Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland and Serbia. Frederick Florin/AFP/Getty ImagesMost countries that signed onto the Terezin Declaration have made little or no progress, according to the report. This marks the first governmental document on Holocaust restitution to be endorsed in nearly 15 years, a step WJRO said will help advance the restitution of art and cultural property.

Persons: CNN —, —, restitutions, ” Gideon Taylor, WJRO, Frederick Florin, Antony J, Blinken, ”, Stuart E, “, Colette Avital Organizations: The Art, CNN, Jewish, Organization, Washington Conference, Washington, Palais Rohan Museum, Getty, WJRO, US State Department, of Holocaust Locations: Nazi, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Netherlands, Argentina, Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Strasbourg, AFP, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Russia, Spain, Turkey, New York, Washington, Israel

☆ Labor unions end proxy fight at Starbucks after bargaining progress
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Steph Kronos, a pro-Union activist, tries to talk to Starbucks customers as she joins Starbucks workers, former employees, and supporters in holding signs in support of a strike, outside of a Starbucks store in Arlington, Virginia, on November 16, 2023. A group of labor unions said on Tuesday it was ending its proxy fight at Starbucks, after the two sides agreed last week to work toward a "foundational framework" on collective bargaining. The group said it thought shareholders were "optimistic" about a "good faith" effort by Starbucks to "repair its relationship with its workers." It was the first time that a labor union — typically opposed to activist campaigns — had drawn on the activist toolkit. The SOC hired well-respected communications, legal and proxy advisors who have worked on behalf of major activists and hedge funds.

Persons: Steph Kronos, Glass Lewis, — Organizations: Union, Starbucks, Company, Strategic, Center, Services, SOC Locations: Arlington , Virginia

☆ CrowdStrike shares surge on earnings beat, strong full-year guidance
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CrowdStrike shares surged as much as 21% in after-hours trading Tuesday, after the cybersecurity company reported a beat on the top and bottom lines, and issued stronger than expected guidance for the upcoming quarter and full year. CrowdStrike has now reported GAAP net income for the last four quarters, CFO Burt Podbere said in the earnings release. "CrowdStrike is cybersecurity's consolidator of choice, innovator of choice, and platform of choice to stop breaches," co-founder and CEO George Kurtz said in a release. The company also guided to fiscal first-quarter revenues between $902 million and $906 million, better than a consensus estimate of $899 million. CrowdStrike also expects EPS for the period between 89 to 90 cents, better than the 82 cent consensus estimate.

Persons: George Kurtz, CrowdStrike, Burt Podbere, Podbere Organizations: Crowdstrike Holdings Inc, Bloomberg Technology, RSA Conference, Security Locations: San Francisco , California

☆ A timeline of Bob and Rita Marley's tumultuous relationship
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Bob and Rita Marley were married from 1966 until the reggae star's death in 1981. Bob and Rita welcomed three children together, in addition to kids from relationships outside of their marriage. Their relationship is also at the heart of Reinaldo Marcus Green's recently released biopic, " Bob Marley: One Love ," starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob and Lashana Lynch as Rita. Jacques Langevin/APRita recalled how she became acquainted with Bob in her 2004 memoir, " No Woman No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley ." October 17, 1968: Their son, David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley, is bornZiggy Marley on the set of "Bob Marley: One Love."

Persons: Bob, Rita Marley, Cedella, Ziggy, Stephen, Rita each, —, Rita Marley's, Rita, Reinaldo Marcus Green's, Bob Marley, Kingsley Ben, Lashana Lynch, Here's, Jacques Langevin, Clement " Coxsone, Dodd, Robbie Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt, Sharon, Rita get, Cedella Marley, David Nesta, Marley, Ziggy Marley, Chiabella James, Paramount Pictures Ziggy, Stephen Marley, Robert, Robbie, Pat Williams, Rohan Anthony Marley, Janet Hunt, I've, Paul Natkin, Karen Marley, Janet Bowen, Julian Ricardo Marley, Lucy, Mani Marley, Anita Belnavis, Damian " Jr, Gong, Cindy Breakspeare, Owen, Stewart, Stephanie Marley, Serita Stewart, he'd, Graham Wiltshire, Cindy, Miami Bob, Josef Issels Organizations: Service, Wailers, Soulettes, Paramount Pictures, Jamaica, Miss Locations: Jamaica, Paris, Kingston, Ky, London, England, Miami

☆ Fraudster who peddled fake pre-IPO Airbnb stock falsely claimed to represent Egypt's Mansour family
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The family office is not named in the complaint, but details from court filings and online records match those of Man Capital, the family office of the Mansour family. Man Capital was started in 2010 by billionaire Mohamed Mansour, one of three brothers behind Egypt's second largest company, and his son, Loutfy Mansour. Rafiq had no connection to Man Capital or parent company Mansour Group. A spokesman for Man Capital declined to comment to CNBC, as did the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office, which is prosecuting Rafiq. In the summer of that year, Rafiq allegedly created created fake domain names and email addresses masquerading as a senior executive at the family office.

Persons: Shamoon Rafiq, Mansour, Mohamed Mansour, Loutfy Mansour, Rafiq Organizations: Nasdaq, Man, Man Capital, Group, General Motors, Caterpillar, CNBC, Manhattan U.S, Attorney's Locations: New York, Manhattan, U.S, Singapore

☆ Norfolk Southern proxy fight draws heavyweight politicians and regulatory scrutiny a year after derailment
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Norfolk Southern' has underperformed both its peers and the broader market over the last year. Norfolk Southern responded on Monday, rejecting that slate and announcing it would nominate former Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson and former U.S. For Ancora, which has a successful track record as an activist investor, the proxy fight at Norfolk Southern would be its largest ever. EdgePoint controlled 3.4 million Norfolk Southern shares as of Dec. 31, or about 1.5% of shares outstanding. Norfolk Southern has yet to set a date for the annual shareholder meeting.

Persons: Alan Shaw, Norfolk Southern Scott Mlyn, John Kasich, Donald Trump, Ancora, Shaw, Jim Barber, Jamie Boychuk, Richard Anderson, North Dakota Heidi Heitkamp, Heitkamp, Anderson, Frank Blake, Matt Freed, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump, it's, there's, Ancora's, Hunter Harrison, Norfolk Southern, Martin Oberman, Oberman, Amit Bose, Bose, Jim Chadwick, Chadwick, Ancora beneficially, Barber, Boychuk, Harrison, Mandel Ngan, Ancora's Chadwick, Amy Miles, Miles, Claude Mongeau, CNBC's Leslie Picker, Heidi Heitkamp Organizations: Norfolk Southern, CNBC, Norfolk, Ancora Advisors, EdgePoint Investment Group, Republican, Amtrak, Delta Airlines, Cargill, Home Depot, U.S, Energy, Workers, East, Trump, Biden, Southern, PSR, Federal Railroad Administration, Surface Transportation, Federal, UPS, Teamsters, Canadian, . Norfolk Southern, CSX, Deutsche Bank, AFP, Getty Locations: Norfolk Southern, East Palestine , Ohio, Ohio, Norfolk, North Dakota, Medtronic, East Palestine, Cleveland, Ancora

☆ Palo Alto Networks shares drop most since 2012 IPO
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, speaks on CNBC's "Squawk Box" at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 16, 2024. Palo Alto Networks shares dropped 28% on Wednesday, the worst trading session since the cybersecurity hardware and software maker's 2012 initial public offering. The company lowered its full-year billings outlook to a range of $10.1 billion to $10.2 billion, from $10.7 billion to $10.8 billion. The revenue guidance moved to a range of $7.95 billion to $8 billion, from $8.15 billion to $8.2 billion. WATCH: Chart of the Day: Palo Alto Networks

Persons: Nikesh Arora, Palo, Wells, Andrew Nowinski, Stefan Schwarz, Arora, — CNBC's Rohan Goswami Organizations: Palo Alto Networks, MGM Resorts, Defense, Systems, Rosenblatt Securities, Palo Alto Locations: Davos, Switzerland, 23andMe, U.S, Palo, billings

☆ Activist Arkhouse launches proxy fight at Macy's, nominates nine directors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Investment firm Arkhouse Management has launched a proxy fight at Macy's , nominating a slate of nine directors for election to the department store's board. Macy's on Tuesday confirmed that it had received notice of the nominations from Arkhouse, which made an unsolicited $21-a-share bid for the company in December. Macy's board rejected that $5.8 billion offer and questioned the status of Arkhouse's financing. Arkhouse managing partner Gavriel Kahane previously told CNBC that the firm's financing was committed, citing a "highly confident" letter from Jefferies, but said Macy's had not allowed due diligence to occur. Arkhouse had also intimated it would be willing to launch a proxy fight at the retailer.

Persons: Macy's, Gavriel Kahane, Jefferies, Arkhouse Organizations: Arkhouse Management, CNBC, CNBC PRO

☆ Palo Alto Networks shares plunge after company cuts full-year billings, revenue guidance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks plunged 19% in extended trading Tuesday, after the company reported a beat on the top and bottom lines but lowered its full-year guidance for revenue and billings. Palo Alto Networks also expects full-year revenue to range between $7.95 to $8 billion, compared to its prior guidance of $8.15 to $8.2 billion. Analysts surveyed by LSEG expected the company to guide to fiscal third-quarter revenue of $2.04 billion, but Palo Alto Networks now expects revenue to range between $1.95 billion and $1.98 billion. The new billings guidance represents full-year growth of between 10% and 11% versus previous guidance showing 16% to 17% billings growth. Similarly, Palo Alto Networks now expects full-year revenue growth between 15% and 16%, down from initial guidance showing 18% to 19% growth.

Persons: Nikesh Arora, LSEG, Arora Organizations: Palo Alto Networks, billings, Palo Alto Locations: billings

☆ Crown Castle co-founder launches proxy fight after being rebuffed from Elliott effort
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A co-founder of telecommunications company Crown Castle has nominated a rival slate of directors to the firm's board, muddying the waters months after activist investor Elliott Management and Crown Castle signed a cooperation agreement. Crown Castle said in a statement rejecting the slate that the Boots Capital nominees "do not possess the relevant expertise and experience." Elliott rebuffed Boots Capital's entreaties, the people said, which they described as seeking investment or access to investors. Miller had been trying to raise money for a special-purpose vehicle to launch an activist fight at Crown Castle prior to Elliott's November launch and had been in conversation with Crown Castle since at least August, the people said. Representatives for Boots Capital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Elliott, Ted Miller, Boots Capital, Miller, Boots Capital's Organizations: Elliott Management, Crown, Boots, CNBC, Boots Capital

☆ Twilio begins operational review of activist-targeted business unit
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Twilio has been the subject of shareholder scrutiny over the performance of its Segment business, which it acquired at a large premium to its private-market valuation and has dragged on the performance of Twilio's longer-standing communications business. Activist investors at Anson Funds and Legion Capital have both said they would like the company to sell off either the Segment unit or the whole company. The company reported earnings per share, excluding items, of 86 cents, better than an LSEG, formerly Refinitiv, consensus estimate of 58 cents. The company reported a loss of $365.4 million in its fourth quarter. Analysts surveyed by StreetAccount had been expecting 311,000 active customers, but the company reported only 305,000 active customers.

Persons: Jeff Lawson, Twilio, Twilio didn't, Jeff Lawson's, Lawson, Khozema Shipchandler, Shipchandler, StreetAccount Organizations: Communications, Twilio Inc, New York Stock Exchange, Anson Funds, Legion Capital, Revenue, CNBC PRO Locations: New York City

☆ Nintendo CEO once cut his salary in half to prevent layoffs—here's why that's so uncommon today
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As sweeping rounds of layoffs rock the tech, media and finance industries in 2024, some video game fans are thinking about former Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata. Iwata ran the Kyoto, Japan-based video game company from 2002 until his death in 2015. To avoid layoffs, Iwata took a 50% pay cut to help pay for employee salaries, saying a fully-staffed Nintendo would have a better chance of rebounding. Iwata had faith in his talentFor Iwata, taking a pay cut over layoffs centered around his employees' ability to bounce back, Verma says. "Nintendo [needed] to see through the changes that necessitated launching the Nintendo Switch, which has been massively profitable for the company," says Verma.

Persons: Satoru Iwata, Iwata, Rohan Verma, —, it's, Verma, could've, Sandra Sucher, Sucher Organizations: Nintendo, Riot Games, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Stanford University, Harvard Business, CNBC Locations: Kyoto, Japan, —, U.S

☆ Investors in Airbnb arbitrage business allege they were defrauded in scheme promising 'higher returns than the stock market'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Rohan Goswami Annie Palmer | Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Airbnb told CNBC that business practices such as Agyeman's aren't permitted. Airbnb told CNBC it had no business relationship with Agyeman and had taken action to curtail his operations. Carr and other HFA investors told CNBC their frustrations were dismissed or met with legal threats. To get around Airbnb's rules, HFA instructed its investors to list their own homes, a former employee and two investors told CNBC. Airbnb told CNBC that it was rolling out a more robust verification process in the U.S. and elsewhere beginning as early as 2024.

Persons: Elham Ataeiazar Daryn Carr, Carr, Anthony Agyeman, Agyeman, HFA, they've, Agyeman haven't, Airbnb, Brian Chesky, Brendan McDermid, Reuters Carr, Thomas Hunker, Hunker, Wessel Botes, Megan Shears, Shears, It's, Kathy, she'd, copywriters, couldn't, who'd, Collin Ballard, Collin Ballard Ballard, Ballard, lister, HFA's, Agyeman's Wealthway, Wealthway, David Levine, he's, Levine, Levine didn't Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, Justice Department, FTC, CNBC, Inc, New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, Agyeman, Investors, Google, HFA, MGM, Dallas, North Locations: hustles, Covid, New York City, New York, Airbnb, HFA, Texas, Instagram, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Las Vegas, Dallas, U.S, Agyeman, Florida, North America, Botes

☆ Roblox shares rise 13% after company beats estimates and issues strong guidance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Roblox reported results for the fiscal fourth quarter on Wednesday that beat consensus estimates on the top and bottom lines. Here's how the company did:Losses per share: 52 cents vs. 55 cents expected by analysts, according to LSEG, formerly Refinitiv. Revenue (bookings): $1.13 billion vs. $1.08 billion expected, according to LSEG. The revenue figure is what Roblox calls bookings, a category that includes sales recognized during the quarter and deferred revenue. The company provided guidance for 2024 and the first fiscal quarter.

Persons: Roblox, David Baszucki, Baszucki, CNBC's Steve Kovach Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Revenue, & Locations: & Canada

☆ Roblox shares rise 10% after company beats estimates and issues strong guidance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Roblox reported results for the fiscal fourth quarter Wednesday that beat consensus estimates on the top and bottom lines. Here's how the company did:Losses per share: 52 cents vs. 55 cents expected by analysts, according to LSEG, formerly Refinitiv. Revenue (bookings): $1.13 billion vs. $1.08 billion expected, according to LSEG. The revenue figure is what Roblox calls bookings, a category that includes sales recognized during the quarter and deferred revenue. The company provided guidance for 2024 and the first fiscal quarter.

Persons: Roblox, David Baszucki, Baszucki, CNBC's Steve Kovach Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Revenue, &, CNBC PRO Locations: & Canada

☆ Green Plains stock jumps after company announces strategic review, standstill with Ancora
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ethanol producer and agri-tech company Green Plains said Wednesday that it would initiate a strategic review, a year after activist investor Ancora sent a letter to its board encouraging it to do just that. Ancora, a 6.8% shareholder per FactSet data, and Green Plains have also signed a cooperation agreement, which includes a standstill. The strategic review will explore value enhancements up to and including a merger or sale, the company said. Green Plains had diversified beyond pure-play ethanol production to build out clean sugar and corn oil production. Green Plains is one of the largest domestic producers of ethanol and was founded in 2004.

Persons: Ancora, Todd Becker, Robinson Organizations: Plains, Department of Energy, Norfolk, Disney, Hasbro, 13D, CNBC PRO Locations: Green, Green Plains, U.S

☆ SoftBank nets $16 billion on Arm earnings pop, exceeding its total losses in WeWork
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Arm shares rocketed as much as 41% late Wednesday after the chip designer reported revenue and earnings that sailed past analysts' estimates. SoftBank took Arm public in September and still owns about 930 million shares, or roughly 90% of the chip designer's outstanding stock. Arm pared its initial gains, but SoftBank's stake still jumped by almost $16 billion — from close to $71.6 billion to $87.4 billion — after the earnings report. Softbank acquired Arm in 2016 for $32 billion, and its shares were worth just over $47 billion at the time of the IPO last year. The Vision Fund, SoftBank's venture arm, posted a $6.2 billion loss in the second quarter of 2023, tied to WeWork and other soured bets.

Persons: Son, Masayoshi Son's SoftBank, SoftBank, Softbank Organizations: Vision Locations: Tokyo, Arm's, WeWork, Alibaba

☆ Adam Neumann is trying to buy bankrupt WeWork, DealBook reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Billionaire Adam Neumann is trying to buy back bankrupt real-estate company WeWork, which he founded in 2010 and was ousted from in 2019, DealBook reported Tuesday. Neumann had tried to arrange financing of up to $1 billion in October 2022 but was rebuffed by former CEO Sandeep Mathrani. WeWork advisors resisted Neumann's efforts but eventually suggested that Neumann provide DIP financing instead of a term sheet, according to the letter. Neumann stepped down in 2019 as the company faced mounting investor concerns over its corporate governance and valuation. Third Point, Neumann and Spiro did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Persons: Adam Neumann, DealBook, Neumann, Dan Loeb's, Dealbook, Alex Spiro, Sandeep Mathrani, WeWork, Spiro, Read Locations: Neumann

☆ Snap to lay off 10% of global workforce, around 500 employees
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc. Evan Spiegel attends the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2024. Social media company Snap said Monday that it will lay off 10% of its global workforce, or around 500 employees, in part to "promote in-person collaboration." The company has executed multiple rounds of layoffs since 2022, most recently in November, when it trimmed a small number of product employees. Snap expects it will incur charges ranging from $55 million to $75 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company's last major round of cuts was in August 2022, when it laid off 20% of staff and restructured its business lines.

Persons: Evan Spiegel Organizations: Snap Inc, U.S . Capitol, Social Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Meta's Zuckerberg sees $28 billion windfall after shares rocket
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Meta CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has 28 billion reasons to celebrate the company's gangbuster quarter. As of Friday's close, Zuckerberg is the richest he has ever been, thanks to a 22% surge in Meta stock that has left him with a $28 billion paper windfall. The CEO now has a net worth of $165 billion, making him wealthier than Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. It is a remarkable change of fortune for a man whose net worth is closely tied to the performance of Meta stock. In 2021, Zuckerberg's net worth peaked at around $142 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as the Nasdaq reached a fresh high.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, He'll Organizations: Facebook, Meta, Microsoft, Bloomberg, Nasdaq, Investors, Reality Labs, CNBC PRO

☆ Activist pushes Mattel to fix American Girl, Fisher-Price brands or sell them off
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Activist investor Barington Capital is pushing Mattel to consider selling off its American Girl and Fisher-Price brands, citing underperformance within the divisions. Mattel shares were up around 3% in premarket trading Friday following a letter sent to Mattel Thursday, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. American Girl and Fisher-Price, two iconic brands, are among the most popular in their respective markets. Mitarotonda said that if Mattel cannot stymie continued erosion in both Fisher-Price and American Girl, which has suffered similar declines, the company "may not be the right owner of these brands." "We believe that these brands are now detracting from the success at Mattel's other segments and hurting shareholder value," Mitarotonda said in a release.

Persons: Barbie, Barington, Price, Fisher, Barington's James Mitarotonda, Ynon Kreiz, Mitarotonda, Mattel, Kreiz, Michael Dolan, Dolan Organizations: Mattel Inc, Mattel, American, Price, Wall Street, Fisher, Bacardi, IMG, Young, Body Works, Darden Locations: El Segundo , California

☆ Okta to lay off 7% of staff, about 400 employees
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Identity management company Okta said on Thursday in a message to employees that it would lay off 400 employees, about 7% of the company's headcount. CEO Todd McKinnon said in his message that the "reality is that costs are still too high." Okta is only the latest tech company to trim headcount in the opening weeks of 2024. Nearly 24,000 tech workers lost their jobs in January alone, even as many tech companies saw their stock prices continue to grow. It was a smaller round of cuts, impacting around 300 employees, and at the time McKinnon said that prior overhiring had led to unsustainable staffing levels.

Persons: Okta, Todd McKinnon, McKinnon, overhiring

☆ Meta is paying first-ever dividend, authorizes $50 billion buyback
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the Meta Connect event at Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 27, 2023. Meta announced on Thursday that it will pay a quarterly dividend for the first time, and that it had authorized an expanded $50 billion share buyback program. The Facebook owner will pay a 50 cent per share dividend, joining peers Apple , Microsoft and Oracle , all of which pay regular dividends. Shares rose more than 12% on the earnings report and the news of the buyback and dividend. The expanded share buyback authorization comes just two weeks after Meta shares eclipsed their 2021 high, breaking through $378.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Oracle Locations: Menlo Park , California

Activist investor Elliott Management has a "sizable" investment in e-commerce firm Etsy , which announced on Thursday that Elliott partner Marc Steinberg would join the company's board. The activist investor has built a roughly 13% position in the stock, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC. The position would make it Etsy's largest investor. Still, the e-commerce company's stock is down about 10% year-to-date. It competes with e-commerce companies including Amazon, which has its own handcrafted products platform.

Persons: Elliott, Marc Steinberg, CNBC's David Faber, Josh, Steinberg, Etsy, Josh Silverman, Silverman Organizations: Nasdaq, Elliott Management, CNBC, Vanguard, BlackRock, Match Group, Philips, Amazon Locations: New York City, Salesforce, Brazil

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