Temple-Inland
(NYSE:TIN) shares moved up $0.86, or 1.6%, to $54.76 today after the
company announced that it would sell its timberland holdings for $2.4
billion and distribute the money to shareholders via a special
dividend. The move comes amid an Icahn-led restructuring of the company
that many shareholders are hoping can help it unlock value.
The
1.6 million acres of timberland will be sold to Campbell as part of the
company's restructuring move that will also include spin-off of its
financial services and real estate operations. The moves should help
the highly diversified company with branches in financial services,
real estate, corrugated packaging and forest products consolidate its
operations and focus on its core competencies.
Famous activist,
Carl Icahn, holds a 6.7% stake and has been pushing for a sale of the
company since the beginning of this year. Shares in the company are up
over 18% since he first indicated he was involved and continued to rise
before their recent drop. Since then, some other activist investors
have taken stakes in the company as many are banking on a restructuring
to unlock value for all involved.
The special dividend from this
timberland sale will amount to $10.25 per share while the remaining
$700 million from the sale will be used to pay down debt. The move will
help Icahn and other large shareholders cash out a portion of their
stake while they wait on the company to complete their spin-offs of the
other organizations. Combined, these factors make TIN a stock
worth watching!
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