Session 9: Corporate Finance: Financing and Control Issues Reading 33: Mergers and Acquisitions
LOS o: Compare and contrast divestitures, equity carve-outs, spin-offs, split-offs, and liquidation.
When a parent company sells a subsidiary or a coherent group of assets with a stated reason to provide a near-term infusion of cash, which method for selling the assets is most likely?
Spin-offs involve the issuance of shares in the new firm, and do not generate cash for the parent company. Hence, this can be ruled out if the intent is an infusion of cash. An equity carve-out will generate cash for the parent when the public offering is completed, but this can take time. A divestiture is typically a sale to another firm for cash, and is likely to be completed much more quickly than a carve-out. Therefore, if the intent is to provide a near-term infusion of cash, a divestiture is most likely. |