DuPont to split into three companies, replaces CEO Ed Breen

(Reuters) -DuPont said on Wednesday it will split into three publicly traded companies, sending its shares up 5% after the bell as it joins a slew of U.S. conglomerates looking to unlock value and pursue focused growth.

The company will separate its electronics and water businesses in tax-free transactions, while the new DuPont will continue as a diversified industrial company.

DuPont also named CFO Lori Koch as CEO from June 1 as the current top boss Ed Breen becomes executive chairman to join the board.

The company expects to complete the split in 18 to 24 months and before that it will announce the executive leadership of the separate companies.

"...each company will have greater flexibility to pursue their own focused growth strategies, including portfolio enhancing M&A," said outgoing CEO Ed Breen.

Back in 2015, DuPont and Dow had agreed to merge for $130 billion, in which the two companies then split into three.

DowDuPont in 2017 spun off its chemical businesses as Dow and its agribusiness division into Corteva, with DuPont remaining on as the company it is today.

The new DuPont will house the existing businesses within its water and protection segment, industrial solutions and end-markets in healthcare like medical packaging.

These businesses generated net sales of nearly $6.6 billion in 2023.

The electronics company would mainly include the existing semiconductor technologies and interconnect solutions, while the water company will comprise of DuPont's water solutions business.

DuPont said the liabilities tied to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS (dubbed forever chemicals) and other indemnity obligations to Corteva under the 2019 spin-off agreements would be allocated among the three companies on a pro-rata basis.

(Reporting by Seher Dareen in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Arun Koyyur)