Siemens sells water technology business for $862 million
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's Siemens agreed to sell the bulk of its water technology business to private equity group AEA Investors for 640 million euros.
The deal, flagged by Reuters last month, is subject to regulatory approval, Siemens said on Wednesday.
The announcement comes a day before new Chief Executive Joe Kaeser presents the company's annual results. Investors have said they hope he will provide some clues as to his future strategy for the company.
Under his predecessor Peter Loescher, the industrial conglomerate whose products range from gas turbines to fast trains and industrial automation software started shedding assets to cut costs and close a gap with more profitable rivals such as Switzerland's ABB and U.S.-based General Electric.
Siemens, Germany's second-biggest company by market value, said a year ago it would divest the water technology business because most of it operates in a highly fragmented market, serving municipal and industrial clients, and so has little in common with its global sales set-up.
The unit offers products ranging from conventional water treatment to emergency water supply and water disinfection systems.
It generated $1.3 billion (£807,503,571.65) in revenue in 2012 and, according to estimates from bidders, its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were between $70 million and $80 million.
Siemens plans to keep some parts of the business.
"There are major synergies for these solutions as well as promising growth potential within Siemens' Environmental Portfolio," the company said in a statement.
Siemens built up its water business by bolting together several acquisitions over the last decade, including the water systems and services division of U.S. Filter which it bought from Veolia Environnement for $1 billion in 2004.
This year it spun off its lighting business Osram, sold its stake in mobile telecoms equipment maker Nokia Siemens Networks and has been in talks to sell its postal automation and baggage handling businesses.
Two people familiar with that transaction told Reuters last month that Siemens was in advanced talks to sell the postal automation and baggage handling businesses to private equity investor Triton, after investor Sun Capital dropped out.
($1 = 0.7421 euros)
(Reporting by Maria Sheahan; editing by Jane Merriman and Tom Pfeiffer)
