The spinoff is better for new buying

Article Excerpt

Varian Medical Systems started up in 1948 as Varian Associates. Later, in 1965, it acquired Eimac Products and changed the name of that vacuum-tube maker to Varex Imaging. Today Varex is a leading maker of X-ray equipment for medical and industrial users. In fact, on January 20, 2017, Varian set Varex up as a separate company. Investors received 0.4 shares in the new company for every VAR share they held. That spinoff has been a big success for each firm: Varian stock has jumped 54% since the split and Varex, 23%. Both have strong prospects, and Varex’s smaller size makes it an attractive takeover target. VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC. $123 (New York symbol VAR; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 91.5 million; Market cap: $11.3 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.varian.com) is a leading maker of equipment for treating various forms of cancer with radiation therapy. Its main product, the Halcyon system, is faster and uses less energy than competing models. The…