Spinoff Spotlight

Article Excerpt

BAKER HUGHES, a GE co. $34 (New York symbol BHGE; Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 428.0 million; Market cap: $14.6 billion; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; Dividend yield: 2.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.bhge.com) is now one of the world’s largest oilfield-services firms. The new c o m p a n y was formed in July 2017 when Baker H u g h e s merged with GE’s oil and gas business. The deal combined GE’s data analytics and high-tech operations with Baker Hughes’ oilfield expertise. The company also has access to GE’s research and financing capabilities. The outlook for Baker Hughes is positive, even though it operates in a highly competitive market where giants Schlumberger and Halliburton as major competitors. GE owns 62.5% of the new company, with 37.5% of shares publicly held. GE has agreed to keep from mounting any takeover attempts for five years. In fact, with its activist investors pushing it to spin off more of its businesses, GE could decide to hand…