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Starboard Takes 8.5% Stake in BILL Holdings, Plans Boardroom Challenge

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Activist investor Starboard Value disclosed on Thursday that it has built an 8.5% stake in BILL Holdings (BILL.N) and plans to nominate directors as part of a boardroom challenge to push for changes at the financial automation software company. The move was confirmed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, which followed a Reuters report earlier in the day.

BILL Holdings’ shares surged as much as 10% in after-hours trading after the news. The company, headquartered in San Jose and valued at nearly $5 billion, processes more than 1% of U.S. GDP through its platform but has seen its stock lose almost half its value since January. Shares have fallen 86% from their November 2021 peak, though the company has authorized a $300 million share repurchase program, acknowledging its stock is undervalued.

Starboard’s filing said it intends to nominate director candidates, and discussions with management and the board are ongoing. Four of BILL’s 12 directors are up for election at this year’s annual meeting, and sources said Starboard may put forward as many as four nominees before Saturday’s deadline. BILL stated that it values engagement with all shareholders and will consider Starboard’s candidates once officially nominated.

While BILL expects revenue to grow up to 15%, it currently trades at just three times revenue, making it one of the least expensive U.S. technology firms. Analysts say this, along with increasing M&A activity in the sector, could make it an attractive acquisition target. Rivals such as Melio, AvidXchange, and Esker have all recently been acquired by strategic buyers or private equity firms.

Starboard has a track record of pushing operational improvements and strategic changes. It has recently taken positions in Rogers (ROG.N) and Tripadvisor (TRIP.O), and has previously reached boardroom settlements at Autodesk (ADSK.O) and Kenvue (KVUE.N). BILL, in its latest 10-K filing, acknowledged the potential disruption activist investors could bring, warning that proxy contests could divert resources and impact business execution.

Starboard Increases Salesforce Stake Amid Stock Weakness

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Activist hedge fund Starboard Value, which first pushed for changes at Salesforce (CRM.N) three years ago, raised its stake in the U.S. software company by nearly 50% in the second quarter, according to a regulatory filing on Thursday.

As of June 30, Starboard owned 1.3 million shares, up from 849,679 shares at the end of the first quarter when it had already boosted its stake by almost 52%. The move comes amid a nearly 30% drop in Salesforce’s stock price since January and a 9% decline over the past year.

Salesforce, valued at $223 billion, faced pressure from activist investors in late 2022 and early 2023. Many of these investors reduced or exited their positions after the company reported strong results, added a new board director, and implemented other changes. Starboard, known for revisiting past investments if a company backslides on promised reforms, appears to be increasing pressure again.

Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith previously said Salesforce still had potential to improve efficiency and profitability. The hedge fund also boosted its stake in Pfizer (PFE.N) by 10.5% to 8.5 million shares and reduced its holding in Autodesk (ADSK.O) by nearly 27% after settling a prior engagement with the company.

The filing is a 13F report, which reflects fund holdings at the end of the previous quarter and is closely watched for insights into investment trends.

Match Group’s Paying Users Decline Despite Beating Estimates; Workforce Cuts Announced

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Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid, reported a 5% drop in paying users for Q1 2025, signaling ongoing struggles in the online dating industry and prompting a 7% decline in its share price despite surpassing revenue expectations.

The total number of paying users declined to 14.2 million from 14.9 million year-on-year, underscoring concerns about user engagement and monetization in a market affected by inflation, stagnation in app innovation, and shifting consumer behaviors. While the company forecasted a stronger-than-expected revenue range of $850 to $860 million for Q2, the fall in core paying user metrics prompted a cautious investor response.

In a significant operational move, Match announced it will lay off 13% of its workforce — its first major restructuring under new CEO Spencer Rascoff, who took over in February with a mandate to revive growth and address cost inefficiencies.

“The underperformance in payers, despite a healthy revenue forecast, raises long-term questions about Match’s ability to drive engagement,” noted Chandler Willison, research analyst at M Science. Match’s Q1 revenue came in at $831 million, down 3% year-on-year, but still above the $827.5 million forecast by analysts.

The broader online dating sector appears to be in a transitional phase. Rival Bumble also reported a 7% drop in Q1 revenue this week, in line with market expectations, further reflecting the headwinds facing the industry.

Both Match and Bumble are turning to artificial intelligence to regain traction, with AI-powered discovery features and personalized matchmaking tools in development. Analysts see product innovation as a key lever for rekindling user interest and restoring growth.

Activist investors have been urging Match to reconsider its capital strategy and push for a strategic review of its MG Asia unit. These pressures, combined with weaker user metrics, suggest continued volatility ahead unless user engagement can be meaningfully revived.