divestiture
noun
-chər, də-, chiefly Southern -t(y)u̇(ə)r\
Definition of divestiture
1 : the act of divesting
2 : the compulsory transfer of title or disposal of interests (such as stock in a corporation) upon government order
Examples of divestiture in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The settlement came together after Justice Department antitrust officials pressed for significant divestitures to remedy the competition problems from combining the two companies. — Fortune, "Bayer Wins U.S. Antitrust Approval for Its $66 Billion Takeover of Monsanto," 29 May 2018 Investors will be poised to find out if there are further impacts to the bank’s business from the tax overhaul and how the first quarter fared without other one-time impacts from divestitures or litigation. — Emily Glazer, WSJ, "Five Things to Watch for in Wells Fargo’s Earnings," 12 Apr. 2018 The timing for review depends on the structure of the transaction presented, the timeliness of compliance by the parties, and the willingness of parties to address (through divestitures or otherwise) issues that raise competitive concerns. — Claire Atkinson, NBC News, "The New York Times smells a rat," 2 July 2018 American Medical Association Urges Regulators To Block CVS-Aetna Deal » Analysts have said regulators may demand business divestitures before a CVS-Aetna deal is approved, but that ultimately the transaction would be approved. — Stephen Singer, courant.com, "Report: Justice Department Will Not Challenge $69 Billion CVS-Aetna Deal," 12 July 2018 Financially struggling oilfield services firm Weatherford International finally has found a buyer to acquire its Middle East onshore drilling rig business for $287.5 million as part of its long-term divestiture plans. — Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle, "Weatherford finally sells its Middle East land rig business," 12 July 2018 The largest divestiture this year is an $11 billion deal to sell its locomotive unit. — Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "GE breakup so far eludes Nelson Peltz. What does that mean for P&G?," 25 June 2018 Photo: Getty Images But Fox believes regulators could still raise concerns about a deal with Comcast that could lead to a rejection, delay in deal approval or significant divestitures, according to the filing. — Amol Sharma And Dana Mattioli, WSJ, "Comcast Hunts for Additional Cash in Pursuit of 21st Century Fox Assets," 27 June 2018 In his largest industrial divestiture, Immelt sold GE’s plastics business to Saudi Basic Industries for $11.6 billion just before the financial crisis; the price was more than analysts expected, and the deal was widely regarded as excellent for GE. — Geoff Colvin, Fortune, "What the Hell Happened at GE?," 24 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'divestiture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for divestiture
divestiture
nounFinancial Definition of divestiture
What It Is
A divestiture or divestment is the reduction of an asset or business through sale, liquidation, exchange, closure, or any other means for financial or ethical reasons. It is the opposite of investment.
How It Works
Let's assume Company XYZ is the parent of a food company, a car company, and a clothing company. If for some reason Company XYZ wants out of the car business, it might divest the business by selling it to another company, exchanging it for another asset, or closing down the car company.
Why It Matters
Optimists often look at divestitures as ways to streamline (i.e., "get back to basics"), reduce debt, and enhance shareholder value. Pessimists may view them as concessions that the divested assets were not performing well.
Source: Investing Answers
divestiture
noun
English Language Learners Definition of divestiture
finance : the act of selling stock, property, etc., because of a government order
See the full definition for divestiture in the English Language Learners Dictionary
divestiture
noun
\
Legal Definition of divestiture
1 : the sale or transfer of title to a property (as an operating division) under court order (as in bankruptcy)
2 : the sale of an asset (as a business division) that is unprofitable, does not enhance a corporate restructuring, or is felt to be morally reprehensible
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