Some combinations are long-lived. Procter & Gamble(PG) became partners in 1837. Others are over before they began. Dow and DuPont merged 18 months ago to form DowDuPont(DWDP). From the time the deal was announced 18 months earlier, they planned to break up. Now, after shuffling around some businesses, they have taken the first step in their breakup process.… Read More »
Grab your cup of coffee and kick off the week with some Odds and Ends: Late last year, Pfizer (PFE) announced it was considering its ‘options’ for its consumer health division. The early buzz was all about a sale though and the maker of Advil and Centrum has since been running a sales process with a rumored desired… Read More »
There are worse names in the spinoff world, but Edgewell Personal Care(EPC) is a fairly bad one. Made worse, no doubt, by the company’s tortured explanation of its deep meaning. Edgewell, which owns such personal care brands as Schick, Skintimate, Hawaiian Tropic, and Playtex, spun off Energizer Holdings(ENR) in July 2015. Edgewell stock has underperformed since, recently down 20% from… Read More »
Nelson Peltz is legendary for successfully pushing for structural change at large companies. This has often resulted in spinoffs of disparate divisions. Last week, Peltz’s investment vehicle, Trian Fund Management, disclosed a $3.5 billion stake in Procter & Gamble(PG). Peltz steps into the shoes of Bill Ackman, who several years ago took an activist position in P&G, only… Read More »
Late last month, Procter & Gamble(PG) announced that it would be divesting its Duracell business. At the time, its preferred outcome was to spin off the division to shareholders. The second step is the exit of the Duracell business. Although no decision has been made on the form of the exit, P&G’s current preference is a split-off of… Read More »
I was first introduced to General Growth Partners (GGP) several years ago at a small alumni gathering featuring Pershing Square’s Bill Ackman as the keynote speaker. Amongst other topics, he spoke about the then bankrupt (trading at <$1) company as his ‘top’ idea at the time. This ‘idea’ turned out to be quite profitable for him as he… Read More »
In a famous Saturday Night Live sketch, a young Steve Martin promised that “You too can be a millionaire, and not pay taxes.” While the advice he proceeded to give was ineffective, using a reverse Morris Trust, your favorite company can sell off a division and not pay taxes. How you ask? Simple. First, borrow as much debt… Read More »