(By Balachander) Consumer products company Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. (NYSE:SPB) had agreed to acquire Stanley Black & Decker Inc.'s (NYSE:SWK) Hardware & Home Improvement Group (HHI) for $1.4 billion in cash.
Madison, Wisconsin-based Spectrum expects the deal to boost its top-line growth and margins, and immediately add to earnings and free cash flow before synergies.
Spectrum expects EPS accretion to be between $0.75 to $0.80 in fiscal 2013 and exceed $1.00 per share in 2014, excluding one-time transaction and integration costs and including synergies.
"This is a good acquisition for Spectrum Brands that will increase total revenues to over $4 billion and add renowned brands with top market share positions in the growing and profitable hardware and home products business," said Spectrum CEO Dave Lumley.
Spectrum also reaffirmed plans to initiate a regular quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share in fiscal 2013, and said it will evaluate increasing the dividend in future years based on free cash flow growth.
"While HHI is a healthy and profitable business, its characteristics are inconsistent with Stanley Black & Decker's strategic objectives of diversifying our revenue base through further expansion into targeted end markets with higher growth and margin profiles, including emerging markets," said Stanley Black, the provider of electronic security and monitoring systems.
Stanley Black does no expect significant annualized earnings per share dilution from the sales of HHI. SWK will reinvest the remaining proceeds, together with existing offshore capital, to fund the Infastech acquisition, which will significantly add to its Engineered Fastening growth platform and position in Asian markets.
HHI, which makes residential locksets and faucets for residential applications, would have accounted for 23 percent of Spectrum Brands' total revenues on a combined basis for the 12 months ended July 1, 2012. HHI generated net sales of roughly $985 million for the 12 months ended June 30.
The deal is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2013.
SPB shares ended at $41.16, while SWK shares closed at $74.23 on Monday.