XPO created three “pure-play” buys

Article Excerpt

Investors tend to embrace spinoffs as they create “pure-play” businesses that are easier to analyze and value. For example, in the past two years, trucking firm XPO spun off its logistics operations and then its truck brokerage operations. So far, shares in two of the three resulting companies are down. However, that’s largely due to concerns that high inflation and interest rates will trigger a recession. We expect all three stocks to rebound as the benefits of the spinoffs take hold. They should also gain from the long-term shift to online shopping and the need for more-efficient delivery services. XPO INC. $35 is a spinoff buy. The company (New York symbol XPO; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 115.5 million; Market cap: $4.0 billion; No dividends paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.xpo.com) has two main businesses. The first, North American LTL (60% of XPO’s 2022 revenue, 86% of its earnings), offers less-than-truckload (LTL) services. It’s one of the largest LTL firms in North America, with roughly 8% of the…