Carlyle Will Buy Illinois Tool Works Industrial Packaging Unit For $3.2 Billion

Last week, we reported that Illinois Tool Works(ITW) had decided to sell its Industrial Packaging Unit rather than spin it off. Now, the company has reached an agreement to sell the unit to the Carlyle Group for $3.2 billion.  The deal values the business at 8.5 times EBITDA.  This represents a continuation of a trend where conglomerates are opting to sell divisions rather than spin them off, due in no small part to increased appetite of private equity firms.

Disclosure: The author holds no position in any stock mentioned