A second spinoff should lift your returns

Article Excerpt

To unlock value for investors, on November 1, 2016, the old Alcoa Inc. split into two separate companies—Arconic Inc. (focused on manufactured aluminium products) and spinoff Alcoa Corp. (focused on bulk aluminum). For every three of the old shares investors held, they received three shares in Arconic and one in Alcoa. Since the split, investors’ shares have gained an impressive 53%. Alcoa shares, on the other hand, are down 35%—a drop that’s not uncommon for spinoffs. As we’ve outlined in several past issues, spinoffs can languish for their first few years, but generally perform well in the long run. Most, in fact, go on to outperform comparable stocks. Arconic now plans to break itself into two new firms—an effort to unlock yet more value for investors. One firm will focus on construction and industrial products; the other will specialize in aircraft parts. The move helps to shape each of those operations into pure-play companies. That only increases the market value of your…