Daimler to Spin-Off Daimler Truck into Separate Company

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Daimler Truck Spin-off and Mercedes-Benz

Sunrise or Sunset?

In Stuttgart this morning a financially challenged Daimler said it intends to spin-off Daimler Truck into a separate company with its own stock market listing. In a move that will be debated until Daimler’s extra-ordinary shareholder meeting during Q3 2021, Daimler claims that a “significant majority stake” in the Daimler Truck shares trading on the Frankfurt stock exchange will be distributed to current Daimler shareholders.

Actually, current Daimler shareholders will be Mercedes-Benz holders since the Daimler name will be recast as Mercedes-Benz at “the appropriate time.” Both companies, whatever they are called, are in mobility industries that are facing disruptive technological and structural changes that threaten survival. (read AutoInformed.com on Daimler Confirms 2020 Group Sales and Revenue Will Decline)

The Daimler Truck business will have “fully independent management, stand-alone corporate governance including an independent Chairman of the Supervisory Board and is targeted to qualify as a DAX company.” The financial engineering and the listing of Daimler Truck on the Frankfurt stock exchange is expected to be completed before year-end 2021.

This is a historic moment for Daimler. It represents the start of a profound reshaping of the company. Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans and Daimler Trucks & Buses are different businesses with specific customer groups, technology paths and capital needs. Mercedes-Benz is the world’s most valuable luxury car brand, offering the most desirable cars to discerning customers. Daimler Truck supplies industry leading transportation solutions and services to customers… we believe they will be able to operate most effectively as independent entities, equipped with strong net liquidity and free from the constraints of a conglomerate structure,” claimed Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler and Mercedes-Benz. He did not specify what the constraints of the conglomerate structure are, nor did he note he is leading it.

The intended transaction would involve Daimler transferring the majority of Daimler Truck to its shareholders on a pro rata basis in accordance with existing shareholdings, but it intends to retain an unspecified minority shareholding. Representation of Daimler in the Daimler Truck Supervisory Board will be in line with the intended de-consolidation it claimed.

“This marks the beginning of the process to finalize the planned transaction. Therefore, it will not be possible to provide full details on various financial and technical subjects, including the exact share to be listed and the allocation ratio, until a later date,” Daimler said.

AutoInformed.com on Daimler

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