San Francisco, March 4, 2026, 03:32 PST
- Pinterest secured a $1 billion investment from Elliott, with the deal linked to an increased share buyback effort.
- The company unveiled a fresh $3.5 billion buyback program, scrapping its previous plan.
- After the stock tumbled on volatile ad demand, the move follows.
Pinterest on Tuesday announced a $1 billion strategic investment deal with activist investor Elliott Investment Management, while also rolling out a newly authorized $3.5 billion share repurchase program. The company expects to carry out roughly $2 billion in buybacks during the first half of 2026, splitting that between a $1 billion accelerated repurchase and additional buys on the open market.
Pinterest shares have taken a beating, dropping over 32% this year and touching lows not seen since the depths of 2020 just last month. Still, the stock bounced back, climbing almost 5% early Tuesday. Competition isn’t letting up: Meta Platforms keeps cranking up the pressure in digital ads, while Alphabet and OpenAI are rolling out a fresh wave of AI-powered advertising and shopping tools.
Pinterest flagged softer ad spending tied to trade tensions, singling out big U.S. retailers squeezed by tariffs. “Many of the largest retailers have been disproportionately impacted by tariffs,” Chief Financial Officer Julia Donnelly told analysts during the February post-earnings call. Some major advertisers are dialing back spend industrywide, she said. Reuters
Elliott is set to pick up $1 billion worth of Pinterest’s 1.75% convertible senior notes maturing in 2031, according to a filing, with closing slated for around March 5. The notes come with an initial conversion price near $22.72 per share. Pinterest expects to channel the proceeds into a $1 billion accelerated share buyback through Goldman Sachs. Also in the filing: Pinterest’s board signed off on a fresh $3.5 billion repurchase plan, scrapping the previous authorization from November 2024.
Convertible notes start out as debt but can switch to equity, typically at a predetermined price. With an accelerated share repurchase, a bank snaps up shares right away, but the exact number the company gets is settled later, depending on the average stock price during the deal period.
Pinterest plans to shell out $1 billion for the accelerated share buyback on March 5, expecting to get about 80% of the stock up front. CEO Bill Ready described Elliott’s investment as “a strong vote of confidence.” Elliott partner Marc Steinberg, for his part, pointed to the firm’s “strong conviction” in Pinterest’s direction. Pinterest Investor Relations
Lenny Zephirin, a market researcher, argued last month that Pinterest faces limits from “legacy monetization models” just as the ad landscape is being reshaped by AI tools. Reuters
Pinterest bumped up its first-quarter revenue forecast back in February, thanks to its acquisition of tvScientific, a connected-TV ad platform. At the same time, the company trimmed its adjusted EBITDA outlook—citing integration expenses and some upfront spending tied to the deal.
Still, buybacks and activist support don’t necessarily spark a turnaround in ad demand. Those convertible notes? They could turn into equity down the line, diluting current shareholders. And when it comes to repurchases, there’s no obligation—management can pull back or stop them altogether if business weakens or cash runs low.
