ITC hotel biz demerger allays capital allocation concerns, say analysts

Some investors may have preferred a vertical split (100 per cent direct). This move will not likely have a big implication for ITC's share price, wrote analysts at Jefferies in a note

ITC’s move to demerge the hotel business into a new entity, ITC Hotels Ltd, is a step in the right direction and will allay investor’s concerns on the company’s capital allocation strategy in the medium-to-long term, said analysts at Morgan Stanley in a note.

According to the company, the board of directors has approved in principle the demerger of the hotels business, wherein ITC will hold a 40 per cent stake in the new entity, and the remaining 60 per cent will be held directly by shareholders. The scheme of arrangement shall be placed for approval of the