Nestle
this morning announced that it plans to sell its remaining 52% stake in
eye care company Alcon
to Novartis
for over $28 billion. We think this is a great deal for Nestle's
shareholders, because at around $181 per share, we think this is a rich
valuation of Alcon.
With around $40 billion in cash at its disposal, and some room for
further leverage of its balance sheet, Nestle must now decide how to
allocate the capital. This morning, the firm announced that it is to
repurchase $10 billion in stock, a decision we are slightly disappointed
with because we think that Nestle's shares are currently slightly
overvalued. We would prefer to see Nestle make an acquisition of a major
nutritional food or pharmaceutical manufacturer such as Danone
or Mead
Johnson Nutrition Company. We also think that a distribution to
shareholders in the form of a dividend would be an efficient use of the
cash.
However, we would be disappointed if Nestle made a move for UK
confectionery manufacturer Cadbury,
currently the target of an acquisition by Kraft,
because we think such a move would counteract Nestle's efforts to
realign its portfolio in health and wellness categories.
Philip Gorham, CFA is a Morningstar stock analyst.
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