UNILEVER has faced a barrage of new criticism from one of the City's most respected stockpickers, who said yesterday that the firm seems to have "long Covid".

Nick Train, founder and portfolio manager of Lindsell Train, said the performance of the FTSE-100 Marmite-maker had been "pedestrian in comparison to some peers".

Train likened the firm's exposure to emerging markets to a case of "long Covid", in an investor update reported by the Telegraph.

Lindsell Train, Unilever's 10th largest shareholder according to Bloomberg data, adds to a growing wave of criticism of Unilever and boss Alan Jope this year.

Star stockpicker Terry Smith warned the firm had "lost the plot" in trying to work out the purpose of Hellmann's mayonnaise, whilst criticism intensified after a failed £50bn bid for rival Glaxosmithkline.

Notorious activist investor Nelson Peltz has also swooped on the firm in a bid to turnaround its fortunes, with his fund Trian now the firm's fourth largest shareholder.

(c) 2022 City A.M., source Newspaper