Hedge Fund and Insider Trading News: Dan Loeb, Nelson Peltz, Ken Griffin, Pine River Capital Management, Hedonova LLC, B Riley Financial Inc (RILY), Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW), and More

Third Point Becomes Latest Activist Investor to Take Stake in Salesforce (CNBC)
Dan Loeb’s hedge fund Third Point has built a position in Salesforce, expanding the group of activists circling the business software maker, CNBC has confirmed. The news comes two weeks after Salesforce said ValueAct Capital CEO Mason Morfit will join its board in March. Elliott Management and Starboard Value have also disclosed positions in recent months.

Bed Bath & Beyond Meme Traders Make Hedge Fund’s Rescue Deal Possible (The Wall Street Journal)
High trading volumes in the troubled retailer’s stock provide an opportunity for hedge fund Hudson Bay to turn a quick profit. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.’s white knight might be a hedge fund, but the rescue wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the meme traders who made the logic behind the deal possible. Even as Bed Bath & Beyond tumbled toward what seemed like a sure bankruptcy – shutting down stores, missing interest payments and having its credit lines frozen—retail investors continued to bet that the iconic home-goods retailer could defy the odds and survive to eke out some equity value.

Pine River Adds Ex-BlackRock Portfolio Manager to Team (Hedge Week)
Pine River Capital Management (Pine River), a global relative value alternative asset manager and provider of investment solutions to qualified clients through commingled hedge funds and bespoke solutions, has appointed Conan Crum as a portfolio manager to focus on US and UK relative value inflation strategies. Crum will also work closely with portfolio ,anager Matthew Abroe, who oversees all of Pine River’s inflation strategies.

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Ken Griffin Backs Miami Effort to Ease Teacher Shortage (Bloomberg)
Citadel’s Ken Griffin is donating $3.5 million to a Miami-based program aimed at helping address a shortage of teachers in the classroom. Griffin, the billionaire hedge fund founder, is backing the Teacher Accelerator Program, which offers selected college seniors a one-semester course leading to a Florida teaching certification and a full-time employment contract with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Activist Peltz Makes Nice with Disney, Ends Board Challenge (Reuters)
Activist investor Nelson Peltz on Thursday ended his quest for a board seat at Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) after Chief Executive Bob Iger laid out plans to fix the home of Mickey Mouse, cheering investors. “The proxy fight is over. This is a win for all shareholders,” a spokesperson for Peltz’s Trian Fund Management said.