Regulators forced this spinoff

Article Excerpt

ILLUMINA INC. $108 is a hold. The company (Nasdaq symbol ILMN; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 159.3 million; Market cap: $17.2 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.illumina.com) makes laboratory equipment that helps medial researches sequence and map genomes, and screen for various diseases. In August 2021, the company acquired Grail, which specializes in cancer-detection technology. However, competition regulators in the U.S. and Europe have ordered the company to divest from Grail. As a result, Illumina will soon spin off its Grail business as a separate firm. Shareholders will receive one share of Grail for every six shares they hold. The company will retain a 14.5% stake in Grail. The new shares will trade on the Nasdaq exchange under the “GRAL” symbol. Like most spinoffs, the split should benefit both firm over time. However, Illumina’s customers are cutting their spending on its products as they cope with high interest rates and inflation. The stock also trades at a very high 144.0 times the projected 2024 earnings…