BRODSKY & SMITH INVESTOR ALERT: Updates on Investigations Involving Qorvo, Inc. (Nasdaq – QRVO), First Foundation Inc. (NYSE – FFWM), Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq – AKRO), and CoreCard Corporation (NYSE – CCRD)
Qorvo Acquisition Investigation: Qorvo, Inc. is set to be acquired by Skyworks for $32.50 in cash and 0.960 shares of Skyworks per Qorvo share, with investigations into whether the Qorvo Board breached fiduciary duties by not ensuring a fair process and deal value for shareholders.
First Foundation Merger Inquiry: First Foundation Inc. will merge with FirstSun Capital Bancorp in an all-stock deal, raising concerns about the First Foundation Board's adherence to fiduciary duties and the fairness of the deal for its shareholders.
Akero Therapeutics Acquisition Scrutiny: Akero Therapeutics, Inc. is being acquired by Novo Nordisk for $54.00 per share plus a contingent value right, with investigations focusing on potential breaches of fiduciary duties by the Akero Board regarding the fairness of the transaction.
CoreCard Corporation Merger Investigation: CoreCard Corporation is to be acquired by Euronet in a stock-for-stock merger valued at approximately $248 million, with inquiries into whether the CoreCard Board fulfilled its fiduciary responsibilities and ensured fair value for shareholders.
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- New Investment Disclosure: According to a February 17, 2026 SEC filing, Starboard Value LP disclosed a new position in Clearwater Analytics by purchasing 9,959,031 shares valued at $240.21 million, indicating confidence in the company's growth potential.
- Asset Management Proportion: This acquisition represents 4.55% of Starboard's reportable assets under management as of December 31, 2025, highlighting the importance of Clearwater in their investment strategy and potentially influencing future allocations.
- Market Performance Analysis: As of February 17, 2026, Clearwater's shares were priced at $22.93, reflecting a 17% decline over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 26.7 percentage points, which suggests market caution regarding its growth outlook.
- Business Model and Challenges: Clearwater Analytics focuses on providing automated investment data management solutions for institutional clients; while its cloud platform ensures steady recurring revenue, the complexity of client onboarding may slow margin growth, prompting investors to assess whether revenue can outpace service delivery costs.
- Acquisition Overview: Starboard Value LP acquired 9,959,031 shares in Clearwater Analytics, with an estimated transaction value of $240.21 million, reflecting a new position in its investment portfolio.
- Asset Management Proportion: The newly acquired stake represents 4.55% of Starboard's 13F reportable assets under management, indicating a significant investment despite not being among the top five holdings.
- Market Performance Analysis: As of February 17, 2026, Clearwater Analytics shares were priced at $22.93, down 17% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 26.7 percentage points, raising concerns about its growth potential.
- Business Model and Challenges: Clearwater Analytics focuses on providing SaaS solutions for automated investment data management, ensuring stable recurring revenue through its subscription model, but the client onboarding process may slow margin growth, making future growth reliant on deeper usage by existing clients.
- New Investment Disclosure: On February 17, 2026, Starboard Value LP disclosed a purchase of 9,959,031 shares in Clearwater Analytics, valued at $240.21 million, indicating a significant new investment that could influence market performance.
- Asset Management Proportion: This acquisition represents 4.55% of Starboard's reportable assets under management as of December 31, 2025, highlighting Clearwater's importance in its portfolio and potentially attracting more investor interest.
- Market Performance Analysis: As of February 17, 2026, Clearwater's shares were priced at $22.93, down 17.0% over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 26.7 percentage points, reflecting market concerns about its future growth prospects.
- Business Model and Challenges: Clearwater Analytics focuses on automated investment data management, and while its cloud platform provides steady recurring revenue, the complexities of client onboarding and data integration may hinder margin growth, prompting investors to monitor whether revenue growth can outpace service delivery costs.
- AI Investment Focus: Jim Cramer emphasized the significance of AI stocks during the Investing Club meeting, particularly highlighting Nvidia as the gold standard in AI computing, with its stunning quarterly results reinforcing the notion of an ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution.
- Corning's New Strategy: After visiting its Kentucky factory, Jim learned about Corning's ambition to enhance data center connectivity by replacing copper with fiber optics, indicating a strong growth trajectory in the data center market that could drive future company performance.
- Eaton's Acquisition Plans: Eaton's strategy to spin off its eMobility unit and acquire Boyd Thermal aims to bolster its competitive edge in liquid cooling technology, which is crucial for managing heat in AI chips, thereby enhancing its market position.
- Alphabet and Amazon Performance: Alphabet stands out in the AI sector with its strong YouTube and cloud computing divisions, while Amazon's AWS cloud business is accelerating, although both face capital expenditure pressures, they are still viewed as solid long-term investment opportunities.
- AUM Overview: As of the end of 2025, Starboard Value reported an AUM of $5.29 billion, slightly down from $5.53 billion the previous year, indicating a stable asset base despite a broader market increase of 16%.
- Portfolio Additions: In 2025, Starboard added several new positions, including over 7.5 million shares of Qorvo (QRVO), valued at over $634 million, reflecting a strong belief in the semiconductor sector's growth potential.
- Stake Adjustments: The fund increased its stake in Kenvue (KVUE) to over 27 million shares worth $471 million, while also boosting its holdings in Salesforce (CRM) by 68%, demonstrating confidence in these companies' future performance.
- Exit and Reduction Strategy: Starboard completely exited positions in companies like Pfizer (PFE) in 2025 and reduced holdings in Match Group (MTCH), showcasing its adaptive strategy in response to market conditions.
- Shareholder Vote Outcome: Over 71.2 million Qorvo shareholders voted in favor of the merger with Skyworks Solutions, while just under 138,000 opposed, indicating strong shareholder support that is expected to enhance the company's competitive position in the RF chip market.
- Transaction Valuation: The merger is valued at approximately $22 billion, with Qorvo shareholders set to receive $32.50 in cash and 0.960 shares of Skyworks common stock per Qorvo share upon closing, providing a stable return and enhancing investment value for shareholders.
- Equity Distribution: Post-merger, Skyworks shareholders will own 63% of the combined entity, while Qorvo shareholders will hold 37%, a structure that will help Skyworks maintain a dominant position in future market expansions.
- Regulatory Scrutiny: Both companies have received a request for additional information from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, indicating regulatory interest in the merger; however, the deal is still expected to close by early 2027, reflecting confidence from both parties.









