Etsy's stock is having its best day in seven months after Elliott takes 'sizable' stake

By Tomi Kilgore

Marc Steinberg, a partner at hedge fund Elliott Investment Management, was named to Etsy's board of directors

Investors bought up shares of Etsy Inc. on Thursday after the online crafts marketplace added to its board of directors a partner of hedge fund Elliott Investment Management L.P., which recently acquired a "sizable" stake in the company.

Etsy (ETSY) said Marc Steinberg, who is responsible for public- and private-equity investments at Elliott, has been appointed to the board, effective Feb. 5, and will also join the board's audit committee.

"Etsy has a highly differentiated position in the e-commerce landscape and a uniquely attractive business model, supported by a distinctive and engaged community," Steinberg said. "We became a sizable investor in Etsy and I am joining its board because I believe there is an opportunity for significant value creation."

Etsy's stock shot up 8% in afternoon trading, to pare earlier gains of as much as 14.2%. The stock was headed for its best one-day gain since it climbed 9.2% on July 11.

Elliott's stake was acquired in recent months, as the fund's disclosure of equity holdings through the third quarter did not list Etsy shares.

"Marc's appointment reflects our ongoing commitment to enhance the perspectives and expertise on the Etsy Board," said Etsy Chairman Fred Wilson. "We look forward to benefiting from his voice in the boardroom as a seasoned and experienced investor as we continue our journey of creating a leading global e-commerce platform."

Etsy now has 10 board members.

Etsy's stock has run up 18.6% over the past three months, but has tumbled 48.5% over the past 12 months. That's compared with the S&P 500 index's SPX 18.7% rally over the past year.

Read (December 2023): Etsy to cut 11% of staff as CEO says company is on 'unsustainable trajectory'

At an investor conference in December, Chief Executive Josh Silverman said business has slowed since the post-pandemic boom, as people have "had enough of buying things" and are now spending primarily on eating out and travel. Inflation and the loss of government subsidies was also weighing on spending.

Still, Silverman said, Etsy is now about two and a half times bigger than it was before the pandemic, and the company has more active buyers than it did at the peak of the pandemic.

-Tomi Kilgore

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02-01-24 1442ET

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