Asset Sales Free Up Cash For Philips

Article Excerpt

PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V. ADRs $41 (New York symbol PHG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 1.1 billion; Market cap: $45.1 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) continues to sell smaller investments to free up cash for its core medical equipment, lighting and consumer electronics operations. It recently sold its 2.5% stake in Nuance Communications Inc. for 60 million Euros (1 Euro = $1.43 U.S.). The company also cut its interest in joint venture LG.Philips LCD, from 32.9% to 19.9%, for 1.55 billion Euros. In the third quarter of 2007, earnings fell to 0.30 Euros a share (total 331 million Euros) from 3.57 Euros a share (4.2 billion Euros) a year earlier. The latest quarterly earnings exclude gains on recent sales. However, the year-earlier figure includes a 4.2 billion Euro gain on the sale of the company’s chip-making business. Revenue rose 3.2%, to 6.5 billion Euros from 6.3 billion Euros. The cash from these sales will also help Philips buy back 4..