Figma's stock surged 5.12% during intraday trading on Friday, as the company benefited from a combination of activist investor engagement, robust quarterly results, and a broad rally in the AI software sector.

The movement follows public pressure from activist investor Findell Capital Management, which sent a letter to Figma's board this week demanding significant cost reductions, product line streamlining, and an independent review of the company's governance ties with AI firm Anthropic. The activist highlighted concerns regarding the resignation of Anthropic's Chief Product Officer from Figma's board just before the launch of Claude Design, a competing product.

Furthermore, Figma's strong first-quarter earnings momentum continues to support the stock, with revenue growing 46% year-over-year and earnings per share significantly beating expectations. The company also raised its full-year guidance. Additionally, the impending rollout of its AI assistant 'Agent' feature to all paid users is reinforcing expectations for AI-driven monetization, coinciding with a sector-wide rally in AI application software stocks.