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4. Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN)

Elliott Management’s Stake Value: $385,452,000

Percentage of Elliott Management’s 13F Portfolio: 4.44%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 45

Elliott Management reported a stake in Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) for the first time in its regulatory filing for the third quarter of 2018. Since then, Nielsen Holdings plc’s (NYSE:NLSN) stock has fallen by more than 30%. This loss would have been even more severe if it wasn’t for the announcement by Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) on August 9 that its major shareholder Windcare had agreed to it being taken private by a consortium led by Elliott Management. Following the announcement, the company’s stock shot up by 21% in a day.

Elliott Management had been in talks with Nielsen Holdings plc’s (NYSE:NLSN) management over the past few quarters to take the company private. In March, The Wall Street Journal reported that both sides had reached an agreement under which a consortium led by Elliott Management’s private equity arm and Brookfield Asset Management would take Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) private in a deal that valued the company at $28 per share, or $16 billion including debt. However, the deal faced a roadblock when Windcare, one of the largest shareholders of Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN), announced that it planned to block the merger. With Windcare agreeing to be part of the consortium that takes Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE:NLSN) private, several analysts think the deal will eventually close after getting approvals from antitrust regulators.