Honeywell Divests PPE Business, Set to Acquire Catalyst Technologies Unit

Honeywell International Inc. HON has been actively following its business transformation strategy that aims to unlock value for its shareholders. As part of the strategy, the company recently sold its Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) business to Protective Industrial Products, Inc. (“PIP”).PIP, a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners, is engaged in manufacturing and distributing PPE products globally. It’s worth noting that the transaction was valued at $1.325 billion and was carried out in cash.The divestiture will enable Honeywell to focus more on its core businesses and realign its operating segments to three megatrends, which are automation, the future of aviation and energy transition. The company’s PPE divestment follows the sale of its Lifestyle and Performance Footwear business in 2021 and allows it to exit the PPE sector.Concurrently, Honeywell declared its plan to acquire Johnson Matthey's Catalyst Technologies business unit for £1.8 billion in cash. Based in London, UK, the Catalyst Technologies business provides catalysts for the chemicals and energy industries with operations in the United States, Europe and India.The inclusion of Johnson Matthey's Catalyst Technologies unit will enable HON to strengthen its UOP business and grow its installed base across the petrochemical and refining catalysts. The buyout will allow Honeywell to provide solutions for the production of low-emission fuels like sustainable aviation fuel, sustainable methanol, blue ammonia and blue hydrogen. HON will incorporate the Catalyst Technologies business into its Energy and Sustainability Solutions (ESS) segment.Honeywell anticipates the buyout to be accretive to its earnings in the first year, strengthen the ESS segment’s growth potential and create cost synergies. Management expects the transaction to be completed in the first half of 2026, conditioned on the fulfillment of certain customary closing conditions.Zacks Rank & Price PerformanceHoneywell currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The company’s Aerospace segment is witnessing solid momentum, driven by strength in the defense business and growth in air transport flight hours. Strong demand across the commercial aviation aftermarket business is aiding the segment.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchIn the past year, HON stock has gained 12% compared with the industry’s 7.9% growth.However, weakness in the Process solutions business, due to lower demand for smart energy and thermal solutions, has been affecting the Industrial Automation segment's performance. Also, softness in the productivity solutions and services business, owing to lower demand in Europe, remains a concern.Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks are discussed below.AptarGroup, Inc. ATR presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.ATR delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 7.3%. In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for AptarGroup’s 2025 earnings has increased 5.4%.Federal Signal Corporation FSS currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). FSS delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 6.4%. In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Federal Signal’s 2025 earnings has increased 1.6%.Unifirst Corporation UNF currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. UNF delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 12.3%. In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Unifirst’s fiscal 2025 (ending August 2025) earnings has increased 4.1%.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.0% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Honeywell International Inc. (HON): Free Stock Analysis Report Unifirst Corporation (UNF): Free Stock Analysis Report AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR): Free Stock Analysis Report Federal Signal Corporation (FSS): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks