Etsy Soars As Activist Investors Pile-On

Shares of Etsy (ETSY), an e-commerce site for creative and vintage goods, are jumping after two activist investors disclosed activist stakes in the company.

STAKES DISCLOSED: After the close on Monday, TPG Group and Dragoneer Investment Group jointly reported an 8% stake in the company. Both TPG and Dragoneer, disclosed their stakes of 4.3% and 3.7%, respectively, while informing investors that they’ve asked Etsy “to engage in discussions regarding strategic alternatives.”

ETSY RESPONSE: Following the report of the activist stakes, Etsy said in a statement that it values constructive engagement with its shareholders and is focused on maximizing value for all shareholders. Josh Silverman, CEO of Etsy, said “We are now reviewing our strategic and operational plans to ensure Etsy is focused on the most value-enhancing near- and long-term opportunities.”

DOWN SINCE IPO: The shares of the craft good marketplace have fallen steadily since its IPO in mid April of 2015. The stock hit its high back in April of 2015, briefly trading as high as $36 per share, but quickly came back to earth to trade as low as $6.04 per share at the beginning of 2016, down over 80%. Shares were the victim of competition from Amazon (AMZN), and eBay (EBAY). Prior to its trading low back in January 2016, Roth Capital put a Sell rating on shares in late December 2015, saying “the rapid growth in Etsy seller services is masking decelerating growth in active sellers, gross merchandise sales, and marketplace revenue, which collectively are a truer measure of health of its marketplace.”

IMPROVING PROSPECTS: The prospects for the e-commerce company seemed to improve by the summer of 2016, prompting a positive note from Citigroup analyst Mark Kelley, who recommended the stock with a target price of $14 a share. The analyst said the company has developed a strong brand for its “quirky” products. Kelley argued at the time that the average analyst estimate for its Seller Services business — the additional marketing and sales services bought by its numerous small vendors — is “far too conservative.”