In the 1980s Barry Rosenstein worked with Asher Edelman. In 2001 Rosenstein founded JANA Partners.[4] He began the firm in 2001 with $35 million, making it into a shareholder watchdog.[5]
In July 2014, JANA announced a 10% share in Petsmart, despite the company's poor prospects at the time. The hedge fund pushed Petsmart towards a sale, and the company was bought in December for $8.7 billion by a group of buyers led by BC Partners.[7][8]
The firm has been highly involved in the food sector.[9] In 2015, it revealed a 7.2% stake in ConAgra and moved to change its board.[10] In July, it successfully appointed former Nestle USA CEO Brad Alford[10] and former Walgreens executive Timothy McLevish to the board.[11]
In 2017, JANA Partners revealed an 8.8% stake in Whole Foods[12] and stated intentions to make changes to the board of directors as well as improve the company's use of technology.[13] Later that year, the fund sold its 26 million shares for a profit of approximately $300 million, following the grocer's buyout by Amazon.[14]
In early 2017 JANA reported in its SEC 13D an agreement with Tiffany & Co. to appoint three new directors; Francesco Trapani, Roger Farah, and James Lillie.[15]
A year later the firm announced a 9.1% stake in Pinnacle Foods Inc., as well as plans to alter the company's cost structure, operations and board of directors. Company shares rose almost 8% as a result.[16] As of April 2018, the firm and its partners held 9.5% of the company.[17] In June 2018, Pinnacle Foods was acquired by Conagra Brands in an $8.1 billion deal, and JANA profited $144 million on its investment.[18]
JANA applied pressure to Bloomin’ Brands Inc. and eventually won a seat on the board[9] as well as the appointment of a new independent director in 2018.[19]
Socially responsible investing
Think Differently About Kids
In January 2018, JANA Partners issued a public letter to Apple Inc. alongside the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) called “Think Differently About Kids.”[20][21] The letter called on the company to seek out new ways to limit the effects of technology on children. Together, the two funds hold approximately $2 billion of Apple Inc. shares.[22] In June 2018, Apple released a new iOS feature called "Screen Time" aimed at increasing awareness of potential tech addiction.[23] As a result, JANA Partners and CalSTRS issued a second letter of support.[23][24][25]
JANA Impact Capital
In January 2018, JANA announced a new fund called JANA Impact Capital, which was formed to expand efforts towards corporate responsibility in leading companies.[26][27] The fund's co-portfolio managers are Daniel Hanson and Charles Penner,[28] and the new advisory board includes musician Sting, his wife Trudie Styler, Sister Patricia A. Daly and Robert Eccles.[29]