Trian involvement could spur spinoffs

Article Excerpt

Activist investors have a long history of pressuring large firms to boost shareholder value by spinning off businesses and aggressively cutting costs. For example, Nelson Peltz, through his firm Trian Partners, has now targeted two of our long-term recommendations: General Electric and Procter & Gamble. We feel his involvement enhances their already-strong prospects. Their huge size makes them unlikely takeover targets, but that could result in spinoffs designed to unlock value. GENERAL ELECTRIC $24 (New York symbol GE, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 8.7 billion; Market cap: $208.8 billion; Takeover Target Rating: Lowest; Dividend yield: 4.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.ge.com) is a leading maker of industrial machinery, which includes jet engines, power plant equipment and locomotives. It also makes medical gear and lighting products. Trian now owns about 1% of GE’s shares. Its pressure should push GE to cut annual costs by $2 billion. Meantime, GE recently merged its oil and gas equipment business with Baker Hughes Inc. That firm’s services…