Buy Post ahead of the BellRing spinoff

Article Excerpt

In October 2019, foodmaker Post Holdings sold shares of its BellRing Brands business to the public through an IPO. BellRing makes protein bars, shakes and nutritional supplements. Post now plans to distribute its remaining BellRing shares to its own investors, probably in the first half of 2022. The plan should benefit shareholders of both firms. As part of the transaction, BellRing plans to pay its investors a special dividend. That includes Post, which will use the cash to pay down debt and make acquisitions. POST HOLDINGS INC. $114 is a buy. The company (New York symbol POST; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 63.7 million; Market cap: $7.3 billion; No dividends paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.postholdings.com) is a leading maker of cereals and packaged foods. The U.S. supplies 87% of its sales. The company continues to acquire rival food brands. In the first half of 2021, it spent $301.1 million on several purchases, including Peter Pan peanut butter and the ready-to-eat cereal business of TreeHouse…