Pershing Square unveils new stake in Alphabet
Business
Ackman's firm oversees $15.5 billion investments
(Reuters) - Billionaire investor William Ackman has built in the first quarter a new stake in Alphabet worth $1.1 billion, according to a regulatory filing on Monday.
According to the filing, Ackman's hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management owned 8.1 million class C shares and 2.2 million shares class A of Alphabet at the end of the first quarter.
Alphabet's shares were little changed on the news.
Ackman's Pershing Square Holdings portfolio has gained 3.6% this year through May 9, and Ackman had hinted that the previously unnamed new position had a positive impact on performance.
Class A shares in Alphabet are up roughly 32% this year.
This marks the first prominent new investment Ackman has made since making a bet on streaming service Netflix Inc. that he announced in January 2022 and exited a few months later.
Ackman, who built his reputation as a vocal corporate agitator, told investors in March 2022 that he was quitting public battles for a quieter, behind the scenes approach to investing.
His firm oversees $15.5 billion. He ended 2022 with a decline of 8.8% following three years of double-digit gains. In 2021, Pershing Square Holdings returned 26.9% after a 70.2% gain in 2020 and a 58.1% increase in 2019.
