Spinoff creates a pure-play firm

Article Excerpt

HOWARD HUGHES HOLDINGS INC. $76 is a hold. The company (New York symbol HHH; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 50.1 million; Market cap: $3.8 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.howardhughes.com) was originally part of billionaire businessman Howard Hughes’ real estate holdings. Today, it’s a Dallas-based developer of housing, commercial and mixed-use properties in six U.S. states. Activist investor Bill Ackman, through his Pershing Square hedge fund, holds roughly 37% of Hughes and serves as its chairman. The company now plans to spin off its Seaport division as a separate firm. This business owns Seaport entertainment district in lower Manhattan, a triple-A minor league baseball team in Las Vegas and other entertainment-related investments. The spinoff will create a “pure-play” real estate developer. That could turn it into an attractive takeover target. However, real estate values are sensitive to interest rates, and the likelihood that rates will remain elevated until later in 2024 could depress the stock price. Howard Hughes is a hold. hold…