Mario Gabelli’s GAMCO recently unveiled a shareholder proposal that it sent to National Fuel Gas’ (NFG) management for consideration at its 2015 Annual Meeting. The firm wants NFG to hire an investment bank to explore the spinoff of its utility business, leaving the remaining parent company more focused on its E&P and pipeline units. The rationale is that a… Read More »
Rumor (according to Bloomberg) is that Visteon (VC) is considering a breakup into two companies, with one entity focused on its electronics unit and the other on its climate business. The move shows just how far Visteon, itself a spinoff from Ford Motor (F) back in 2000, has come since seeking bankruptcy protection just five years ago. As part… Read More »
GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) CEO Sir Andrew Witty recently sat down with the Financial Times and the discussion included some talk about the future of its consumer health business. Although Mr. Witty mentioned that he is open to the idea of a spinoff at some point, the company was not currently pursuing the idea. There has been some spinoff speculation… Read More »
Just a few days before officially notching a victory at Timken (TKR), Relational Investors unveiled its latest target: The Manitowoc Company (MTW). The activist firm announced that it had acquired over 8.5% of the historic manufacturer of ice machines and crane equipment and urged the company to consider a spinoff of its foodservice business. The company operates under two business segments, foodservice and… Read More »
You may not know Masco (MAS) but they’re in your bathroom, they’re in your kitchen, they’re even in and on your walls. With brands such as Delta faucets, Behr paints, KraftMaid cabinets, and one of the largest installers of insulation products, Masco grossed $8.2 billion in revenue in last year, down from a 2006 peak of $12.7 billion.… Read More »
In an slightly under the radar move, Transocean (RIG) announced that it was creating a new entity, Caledonia Offshore Drilling Company, which will be comprised of eight North Sea midwater rigs. Given the location, it actually sounds like a reasonable name choice. Wow. The rigs under consideration are all from the 70’s and 80’s and would possibly include… Read More »
Shareholders heading to Winston-Salem yesterday for B/E Aerospace’s (BEAV) annual meeting were likely very disappointed (or worse) to hear that the meeting had been cancelled the day before. The company opted to postpone its annual gathering after issuing a press release stating that the company was engaged in a ‘Process to Explore Strategic Alternatives’. Hopefully the fact that… Read More »
That didn’t take long. Just a month after first publicizing his position, Carl Icahn fired another salvo in his campaign to break off PayPal from EBay (EBAY). Mr. Icahn sent an open letter to EBay shareholders informing them that he has uncovered ‘multiple lapses in corporate governance’ at the company and that ‘the complete disregard for accountability at eBay is… Read More »
Take an activist investor, mix in a large, underperforming corporation with numerous business lines and you have all of the ingredients for a spin. Right? Well, roughly a year ago, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) began a process of ‘exploring options’ for its industrial packaging unit as part of its grand five year plan to improve operating performance and… Read More »