Former spinoff attracts takeover offer

Article Excerpt

Canadian equipment auctioneering firm Ritchie Bros. recently agreed to acquire IAA Inc., a firm that Kar Auction Services spun off in June 2019. IAA salvages damaged vehicles and sells them through online auctions. At the time of the split, we recommended IAA as a spinoff buy. At that time, it was trading around $40. It got as high as $66 in early 2021, but has drifted down since then. Despite the takeover offer, the share price remains roughly unchanged since the spinoff. IAA’s focus on autos complements Ritchie’s equipment auctions, and it should accelerate its earnings. However, big acquisitions like this add risk. RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS INC. $77 is a hold. The company (Toronto symbol RBA; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 110.9 million; Market cap: $8.5 billion; Dividend yield: 1.9%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.ritchiebros.com) sells a broad range of used and unused equipment through its unreserved auctions, online marketplaces and private brokerage services. That merchandise includes earthmoving equipment, truck trailers, government surplus, oil and gas equipment…