Feared Activist Investor Paul Singer’s Top 5 Stocks for 2022

4. Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN)

Value of Elliott Management‘s 13F Position: $452 million

Number of Hedge Fund Shareholders (as of March 31): 47

There was a 74% surge in hedge fund ownership of Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) during Q1 following reports in late March that the television ratings company could be taken private. Near the end of March, Nielsen did indeed agree to be taken private by an investor that included Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE:BBU) and Elliott Management affiliate Evergreen Coast Capital. For its part, Elliott Management left its stake in NLSN unchanged during Q1.

The deal will pay Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) shareholders $28 per share in cash, valuing the company at $16 billion and is expected to close in the second half of this year. WindAcre Partnership, which owned nearly 10% of Nielsen at the time, was against the deal, arguing that it undervalued the company. It agreed to support the deal if it was paid $40 per share for its stake in the company, which was rejected.

Following the deal, Elliott announced that it was confident in Nielsen’s ability to remain the gold standard in measuring audience engagement across cable TV and streaming services. Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) expects to grow revenue by a modest 3.5% to 4.5% in its FY2022, while adjusted earnings per share are expected to be between $1.81 and $1.91.