Meritor In $500 Million Eaton Settlement; Sees $209 Million Net Proceeds

Meritor Inc. MTOR reached a $500 million settlement with Eaton Corp. ETN Monday related to an anti-trust suit filed in 2006. The news sent Meritor down more than 13 percent to $1.9 a share. Meritor had been slated to go to trial beginning Monday over damages that reportedly could have amounted to more than $2 billion. The company won its antitrust suit concerning the marketing of truck transmissions against Eaton in 2009. Meritor, with revenue of $3.7 billion, said net proceeds from the settlement will amount to $209 million and will "prefund" pension plans in the U.S. and U.K. The agreement, is one of the largest private, anti-trust settlement of the past ten years and avoids the risk of a jury trial over damages that had been slated to start Monday, Meritor said. Meritor also unveiled a $201 million share buyback tied to debt reduction goals and expected to launch in 2015.