130% gain shows the power of spinoffs

Article Excerpt

A key benefit of spinoffs is that they create “pure play” companies that focus on a single business. That makes them easier for investors to value. A good example is cardboard maker WestRock, which spun off its Ingevity chemical business in 2016 to create two pure-play firms. While WestRock shares are roughly flat since the spinoff due to COVID-19, Ingevity has jumped 130%. We still like the long-term outlook of these pure play firms. WESTROCK CO. $40 (New York symbol WRK; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 259.6 million; Market cap: $10.4 billion; Dividend yield: 2.0%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.westrock.com) is still a buy for aggressive investors. The company is a leading provider of packaging materials and systems. It operates through roughly 300 locations in 25 countries. WestRock took its current form on July 1, 2015, when it merged with two other firms: Rock-Tenn Company and Mead-Westvaco Corporation. In May 2016, it spun off its specialty chemicals business as Ingevity Corp. (see right)…