Siemens Healthineers looking at several separation options
Siemens is moving ahead with the planned split of its healthcare division, Siemens Healthineers, with CFO Ralf Thomas listing three options for the $15 billion business: a spinoff, an initial public offering or a reverse merger with a public company.
The public listing plans were first announced in November 2016. On a conference call with reporters, Thomas said the company isn’t setting any deadline to make a decision.
“We're not in a hurry. We don't need to react very quickly,” he said, according to Reuters. “We don't believe that the market environment is going to completely flip overnight. That's why we don't feel under pressure.”
According to Bloomberg, an IPO for the unit could be worth $30 billion. The Healthineers business did fall short of market expectations in Siemens’ second fiscal quarter, though profits still rose 6 percent to $643 million.
In the meantime, the unit has continued to grow. In April, it announced its intention to acquire Medicalis, a provider of workflow technology and clinical decision support to radiology groups, imaging centers and hospitals, for an undisclosed amount.