Author Archives: Inelegant Investor
In late 2015, Sergio Marchionne led the successful IPO and spinoff of Fiat Chrysler’s(FCAU) Ferrari(RACE) division. Now various speculations suggest that he may spin off Maserati, Jeep, or the Parts division. Marchionne, who is set to retire in 2019, has tried to lure a buyer, publicly courting General Motors(GM), even, but has not found a partner. Alternatively, some believe… Read More »
Biogen(BIIB) enters the final days before its spinoff of Bioverativ(BIVV), its global hemophilia business, as the new company begins when issued trading under the ticker BIVV. After the close of business on February 1, Biogen shareholders as of January 17 will receive one share of Bioverativ for every two shares they own. The distribution is expected to be… Read More »
Are you a business journalist on deadline with no idea what to write about? An editor with some space to fill? There are some stories that will work every time. How about this? Propose a spinoff that will never happen, like Amazon(AMZN) spinning off its web services business. Then, tell us why it won’t happen. Now, punch out,… Read More »
Nearly three years after its April 2014 spinoff from Sears Holdings(SHLD), Lands’ End(LE) is fairing only marginally better than its former parent, which is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Lands End, which just after its spinoff had a market capitalization of $900 million, is worth just $485 million today. The company has nearly $500 million in long… Read More »
A decade after a divorce, a couple strongly considers getting back together, only to call it off. The plot of It’s Complicated? No, the latest in the saga of Viacom(VIA) and CBS(CBS). At the very end of 2005, Viacom and CBS split into two independent companies. Late this summer, as Shari Redstone cemented her control over her father… Read More »
To everything there is a season, and the season for magazines has passed and will not return. In the summer of 2014, Time Warner(TWX) spun off Time, Inc.(TIME), its magazine publishing division. Joe Ripp, the CEO who presided over the spinoff, valiantly tried to cut costs and move to digital, but his efforts fell short. This summer, he… Read More »
Overseas Shipholding Group(OSG) is in the process of spinning off its International Flag business, International Seaways. On November 30, OSG shareholders will receive 0.3333 shares of International Seaways common stock for each share of OSG held on November 18. In addition, holders of OSG warrants will receive approximately .06332 shares per warrant held. International Seaways, which is already trading… Read More »
On November 1, Alcoa(AA) completed its spinoff from the former Alcoa, now named Arconic(ARNC). The new Alcoa is “is a globally cost-competitive industry leader in bauxite, alumina and aluminum products, positioned to succeed throughout the market cycle.” “We are launching Alcoa Corporation as a world leader in the aluminum industry with distinct competitive advantages across the value chain,”… Read More »
Just months after being spun off from Baxter International(BAX), Baxalta found itself the target of an intense pursuit by Shire Pharmaceuticals(SHPG). Baxalta resisted, but, ultimately agreed to a deal which closed earlier this year. Barron’s sees good things ahead for the combined company. In an article this weekend, the venerable publication points out that merely by achieving a… Read More »
There was much investor chatter last month that Gilead Sciences(GILD) could unlock value by splitting its Hepatitis C business from its HIV business. RBC Capital advanced the case in a note RBC Capital suggested the drugmaker would be better off cutting its businesses right down the middle, saying that shares could jump by as much as 40% if… Read More »
AbbVie(ABBV) surged out of the gate following its January 2013 spinoff from Abbott Laboratories(ABT). By December 2014, the stock price had doubled. Since then, however, the stock languished, continuing to trade below its December 2014 highs. Despite efforts to diversify, Humira, which is now off patent, accounts for 60% of revenue. Barron’s reports that Raymond James now thinks… Read More »
Last November, Citrix Systems(CTXS) announced plans to spin off its GoTo business. This week, it announced that the spinoff would culminate in a merger with LogMeIn(LOGM) in a Reverse Morris Trust transaction. The transaction, which is expected to be tax-free, will leave Citrix shareholders owning 50.1% of the new company. LogMeIn’s management team, led by CEO Bill Wagner,… Read More »
Yesterday, Zedge(ZDGE) completed its spinoff from IDT(IDT). The press release is short on details, focusing on the usual boundless optimism associated with a new spinoff. Tom Arnoy, co-founder and CEO of Zedge, said, “Since our inception, we have been focused on developing an exceptional service that enables Zedgers to express their identity, feelings, tastes and interests on their… Read More »
Hilton Worldwide Holdings(HLT) announced this morning that it has filed Form 10 registration statements for two previously announced spinoffs of its real estate and timeshare businesses. CEO Christopher J. Nassetta said the spins will be completed later this year. Following the transactions, Nassetta will continue to lead Hilton, which will be an asset-lite fee-based business. On a pro forma… Read More »
Eric Schmidt has a message for investors who think that Google’s shift to the Alphabet(GOOG) holding company structure and businesses increasingly far afield from search indicate a future breakup- don’t hold your breath. Schmidt, Alphabet’s Executive Chairman, spoke on the topic last week. When asked during Bloomberg’s Breakaway Summit on Wednesday whether the multifaceted company with a plethora… Read More »