This spinoff is just getting started

Article Excerpt

On December 1, 2020, the old Aaron’s Inc.—a seller of furniture and electronics—set up its financing division as a separate firm called PROG Holdings. So far, the new retail company’s share price has risen 27%, while the finance business is down 19%. Despite the mixed performance, we still think the breakup will benefit both firms long term. THE AARON’S COMPANY INC. $28 is a spinoff buy. The retailer (New York symbol AAN; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 32.7 million; Market cap: $915.6 million; Dividend yield: 1.4%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.aarons.com) sells furniture and electronics through 1,300 company-owned and franchised stores in the U.S. and Canada. It sells these goods under a “rent-to-own” model, where customers make payments over a fixed term and take full ownership at the end of the contract. In December 2020, the company handed out one share in the new retail furniture business for every two shares investors held in the old Aaron’s. The remaining firm then changed its…