Siemens (OTCPK:SIEGY) is one of Europe’s largest conglomerates with a specialization in electronics and electrical engineering. The company is splitting off some of its divisions through listing, joint ventures and sale. This has the potential to create a stronger, more focused organization which could increase performance and demand a higher multiple.
Siemens is splitting off divisions
Large companies can become hard to manage and too many companies are growing for growth’s sake without looking at the efficiency of operations or the bottom line. This is why I think Siemens’s decisions to divest and allow for a more focused organization to emerge is a good one.
It started with Siemens’s decision to focus on industry, energy and healthcare leading to divestments with the sale of its communications JV with Nokia (NYSE:NOK) to Nokia, its IT solutions division to Atos and later its Unify division to Atos as well. Siemens sold its consumer-focused operations, including its 50% stake in Bosch (OTC:BSWQY) and Siemens Hausgeräte, to Bosch and divested nuclear by selling its 34% share in Areva Nuclear Power to Areva.
It listed its light division under the name Osram in 2013. As an independent company, Osram shares have performed well, rewarding Siemens shareholders who kept their shares. More recently, it merged its wind division with Gamesa (OTCPK:GCTAY), sold certain non-core health divisions to private equity and formed a JV with Valeo for e-car powertrains.
Siemens, however, is not yet done splitting off divisions. It has plans to list its entire healthcare division as Siemens Healthineers and is in talks with Bombardier (OTCPK:BDREF) (OTCQX:BDRAF) to form an alliance in trains and tracks.
