The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[DewDiligence]

BHP plans spinoff of aluminum and nickel assets (i.e. the company’s least desirable businesses):

http://online.wsj.com/articles/bhp-billiton-to-spin-off-some-assets-1408433062

BHP Billiton Ltd. said it is splitting off nickel, aluminum and other assets into a new company that could be valued at more than US$20 billion, in what would be one of the biggest divestments of assets in mining history.

The move marks BHP's transformation from a company with a broadly diversified asset base to one focused on four commodities, which accounted for nearly all of its earnings last year. [These four commodities are iron ore, oil & gas, copper, and metallurgical coal.] BHP had acquired many of the assets it plans to divest in its transformational takeover of the U.K.'s Billiton PLC in 2001.