Spinoff creates two takeover targets

Article Excerpt

Stock markets have rebounded from their COVID-19 lows in March 2020, and transportation firm XPO has decided now is the time to go ahead with the spinoff of its logistics business. XPO’s shares trade at lower multiples to earnings than its competitors, so the transaction should help unlock considerable value for investors. It’s also likely the two resulting pure-play firms will become attractive takeover targets. XPO LOGISTICS INC. $120 is a spinoff buy. The company (New York symbol XPO; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 91.4 million; Market cap: $11.0 billion; No dividends paid; Takeover Target Rating: Highest; www.xpo.com) is a major global provider of supply-chain services to over 50,000 businesses worldwide. The company generates value for investors through its two businesses: Transportation (64% of XPO’s 2019 revenue) offers freight brokerage; last-mile logistics for heavy goods; less-than-truckload services; and intermodal operations. Its global fleet includes 15,500 tractors and 39,500 trailers. Logistics (36%) provides contract, warehousing, distribution and inventory management. In January 2020, XPO began a strategic review to examine…