Shares in Tate & Lyle bounced this week after the 162-year-old company said that it is exploring the sale of a controlling stake in the largest part of the firm, says Hari Govind on Bloomberg. “One of Europe’s leading sugar producers” until it sold that business in 2010, Tate & Lyle has since focused on food ingredients, including sweeteners, with this division generating £1.8bn in sales last year, around 60% of total revenue.
Good news, says Lex in the Financial Times. While the production of sweeteners is a “steady cash generator”, demand for them is gradually falling thanks to the growing awareness about their role in obesity. The sweetener business is also obscuring Tate & Lyle’s “fast-growing” food and beverage division, especially its “speciality ingredient” business, which helps food manufacturers replace sugars and fats with “healthier alternatives”. Selling the sweetener should therefore raise cash that could be reinvested in the company or used for acquisitions, as well as improving the group’s standing with “socially conscious investors”.
But a sale “is not without risk”, says Graham Ruddick in The Times. The group’s two main businesses are “deeply intertwined”, with its US factories making products for both divisions. There is also the risk that the move could create tax problems as it currently enjoys a “lower tax rate in the US thanks to its ability to offset UK losses and US profits”. Tate & Lyle will also need to get a good price, with analysts suggesting that it should aim for £1.2bn to make the deal worthwhile.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
-
Ofgem proposes new energy tariffs with low or no standing changesStanding charges have invited public backlash as households battle high energy bills
-
Google shares bounce on Gemini 2.0 launchGoogle has launched the latest version of its Gemini AI platform, and markets have responded positively. Is it time to buy Google shares?
-
India's stock market drops - why it's thrown investors into frenzyNifty 50, India's stock market index, has dropped 8% from a September record amid concerns of an economic slowdown and foreign investors pulling out
-
Warren Buffet invests in Domino’s – should you buy?What makes Domino's a compelling investment for Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway, and should you buy the UK-listed takeaway pizza chain?
-
UK equities are set for a bull market – buy nowInvestors shouldn’t wait for a crisis to buy UK equities, says Max King. Do so now, in the expectation of much better returns in due course
-
How to find top-quality income picks in the UK stock marketFour top-quality UK stock market picks according to Iain Pyle, manager of Shires Income Trust
-
4Imprint makes a strong impression – should you buy?4Imprint, a specialist in marketing promotional products, is the leader in a fragmented field
-
Invest in Glencore: a cheap play on global growthGlencore looks historically cheap, yet the group’s prospects remain encouraging
-
How to save the dying UK stock marketThe UK stock market is in long-term decline. To fix that, we must first recognise why equity markets exist and who they should serve
-
Bargain British stocks with long-term potentialThree British stocks with plenty of long-term potential, according to Ian Lance, co-manager of Temple Bar Investment Trust
