We see growth ahead for these spinoffs

Article Excerpt

Despite the negative impact of COVID-19, these two spinoff firms demonstrate our belief that spinoffs are the closest you can get to a sure thing in investing. Even after their impressive gains, we feel both Fortive and Yum China are in a strong position to move even higher. FORTIVE CORP. $68 is a spinoff buy. The company (New York symbol FTV; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 349.5 million; Market cap: $23.8 billion; Dividend yield: 0.4%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.fortive.com) took its current form in July 2016 when Danaher Corp. (New York symbol DHR, see page 55) set it up as a separate firm. Fortive makes specialized machinery—robotics, car-braking systems and electric motors—for industrial customers. It also makes sensors to measure electrical current, radio frequency signals, distance, pressure, temperature and fuel leaks. As a separate firm, Fortive’s shares have gained 36%. On September 4, 2019, Fortive announced that it would itself split into two companies, with Fortive retaining what it sees as the company’s growth-oriented businesses. Those…