Trump Tariff Turmoil Hits ValueAct's Amazon Stake, But Well-Timed Salesforce Sell Pays Off

ValueAct Holdings, L.P. initiated a position in Amazon.com Inc. AMZN in the fourth quarter of 2024, purchasing 536,900 shares worth approximately $122 million, according to a 13F-HR filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb. 14.

What Happened: Since then, Amazon’s stock has dropped 20.81% from $228.86 to $181.22 as of Thursday’s close, largely due to pressure from President Donald Trump‘s newly implemented tariff policies.

The decline reduced ValueAct’s Amazon investment by about $25 million to roughly $97 million.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco-based activist hedge fund reduced its Salesforce Inc. CRM position by 1,015,800 shares, a 26% cut to its largest holding.

Salesforce stock has fallen 21.63% from $325.54 to $255.12 during the same period. This well-timed reduction helped ValueAct avoid approximately $71 million in potential losses amid market volatility.

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Why It Matters: The strategic moves come during a tumultuous market environment where Trump’s administration has implemented a temporary 10% universal tariff on most imports and a steep 145% duty on Chinese goods, triggering significant market declines. The Nasdaq-100 lost 4.19% and the S&P 500 fell 3.46% in recent trading.

ValueAct’s investment approach aligns with its history of backing technology and growth sectors. The firm, which manages approximately $9.27 billion in assets, has demonstrated mixed results with recent investments.

Led by CEO Mason Morfit and co-CEO Rob Hale since founder Jeff Ubben‘s departure in 2020, ValueAct has built a reputation for its collaborative activist investment style that seeks to influence corporate policy to enhance company value.

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