Dec 5 (Reuters) - German chemicals distributor Brenntag (BNRGn.DE), which has come under pressure from activist investors to break up its businesses, on Tuesday said it would reshuffle its units to drive "independence and autonomy" of its two global divisions.
The company will transfer all pharmaceutical activities from its essentials divisions to its specialities arm, while moving water treatment and finished lubricants businesses along with some semi-speciality products in the opposite direction.
Brenntag is the latest in a series of old and famous German companies, such as Bayer (BAYGn.DE) and Thyssenkrupp (TKAG.DE), that have been targeted by activist investors to divest part of their business to improve profitability.
It said the "operational and legal disentanglement" of the specialities and essentials divisions would create optionality and make Brenntag ready for next strategic steps by 2026.
Reporting by Tristan Veyet and Matteo Allievi in Gdansk; editing by Milla NissiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Tristan Veyet, Matteo Allievi, Milla Nissi
Organizations:
Bayer, Thomson
Locations:
Gdansk