Starboard Cuts Stake as Mellanox Peaks

New York-headquartered activist investor Starboard Value LP has sold 28% of the 4.3 million shares it held of Nasdaq-listed Israeli chipmaker Mellanox Technologies Ltd., Starboard announced in a Friday filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Starboard acquired a 10.7% stake in Mellanox in November 2017 and immediately started clashing with the chipmaker’s management and board over. The two companies reached an agreement in June 2018 with several of Starboard’s candidates appointed to Mellanox’s board. The sale reduced Starboard’s stake to 5.9%.

Since October, it has been reported several times that Mellanox is negotiating its sale, with Intel being pegged one of the bidders, along with chipmaker Xilinx. The reports have driven Mellanox’s stock to above $102 over last week for the first time since 2012, leading Starboard to divest some of its shares.