$3B Disney bet caused Nelson Peltz’s hedge fund to underperform in 2023: source
NY Post
A $3 billion bet on Walt Disney by Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management was largely responsible for the investment management firm’s underperformance last year compared to its activist hedge fund peers, according to financial details provided to Reuters by a Trian investor.
The previously unreported details illustrate the high financial stakes for Trian as it seeks to shake up Disney’s board in this year’s highest-profile proxy contest.
Trian’s fund returned 10% last year, according to the investor, half the 20% return on average that activist hedge funds scored based on data compiled by Hedge Fund Research.
Trian’s position in Disney, which accounted for roughly 40% of its total portfolio at the end of the third quarter, was a major contributor to the underperformance.
Disney’s shares ended 2023 up 4%, while the S&P 500 index rose 24%.
A Trian spokesperson declined to comment.
