P&G Could Spin Off Battery Maker Duracell

In its first quarter 2015 earnings call, Proctor & Gamble Co PG announced it will be divesting itself of iconic battery brand, Duracell.

P&G And Duracell To Amicably Split?

In 2014, Duracell sales accounted for $2.2 of P&G’s $83 billion in sales. As the largest personal battery provider, Duracell also accounts for 25 percent of worldwide battery sales. The business is solid, and P&G isn’t disappointed with the performance, but it doesn’t align with the company’s strategic plans for the future.

Related Link: P&G Reported Will Exit Duracell

CEO A.G. Lafley is putting in place a streamlined plan that will cut P&G’s ancillary, less popular businesses in an effort to focus more on its core categories such as baby care and fabric care. As part of its strategic plans for the future, P&G also intends to narrow down its portfolio of brands to compete in areas that, according its annual report are “structurally attractive and play to the P&G strengths."

“This will enable us to allocate resources to leading brands – marketed in the right set of countries, channels and customers.”

According to the late October corporate announcement, the Duracell exit strategy is a two-step process. Step one was completed in late August when P&G finalized an agreement to sell its interest in a China-based joint battery venture. The second step of the process is to exit the Duracell business.

Related Link: Procter & Gamble's Duracell Split Could Energize Earnings

P&G has yet to decide how they would like to exit the business, but the preferred method is to split Duracell into a stand-alone company.

Is A Spin-Off In Sight?

Shareholders of P&G could benefit by being able to exchange a portion of their P&G shares for shares in the new company. Typically, spin-offs are very favorable events to investors because they provide an increased valuation for the divested company as opposed to a private sale to another business entity.

This can be for a variety of reasons, including a public appetite for the new company – especially one as strong as Duracell. General investors may drive the valuation of the company higher than would otherwise be accomplished in a private sale.

As Proctor & Gamble analyzes its options for a strategic exit, it’s in the interest of investors that the company opens up Duracell for an IPO. Just because it doesn’t fit inside P&G’s future model for growth, doesn’t mean it should be ignored as a viable long-term investment for the general investor.

Disclosure: The author holds no positions in the mentioned securities.

Posted In: NewsIPOsA.G. LafleyDuracellspin-off companies
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