Fortune Brands: Unlocking Value Through Spin-Offs

By George Fisher: I bet you cannot name the world’s second-largest spirits maker, with annual revenues of about $10 billion and 18,000 employees. These people bring us the following premium liquor brands (from their website):

By Wall Street Strategies: By David Urani

Ockham Research submits: Fortune Brands (FO) is the holding company for a variety of brands including everything from Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark whiskey to Moen faucets to Titleist golf balls.

It’s a banner week for bourbon distillery Maker’s Mark. Aside from heading into the bourbon-soaked Kentucky Derby weekend, the company reported a 44% jump in sales, while parent company Beam Inc. said net income rose to $114.5 million in the first quarter. That profit represents a 45% increase from $79.1 million last year during the same period. Maker’s Mark sparked public outrage earlier this year after announcing that the company would begin watering down its trademark red-wax-sealed bourbon to keep up with growing demand.

It’s a banner week for bourbon distillery Maker’s Mark. Aside from heading into the bourbon-soaked Kentucky Derby weekend, the company reported a 44% jump in sales, while parent company Beam Inc. said net income rose to $114.5 million in the first quarter. That profit represents a 45% increase from $79.1 million last year during the same period. Maker’s Mark sparked public outrage earlier this year after announcing that the company would begin watering down its trademark red-wax-sealed bourbon to keep up with growing demand.

Bud Labitan submitsFortune Brands, Inc.

Maker's Mark just got a little less stiff. The bourbon brand, known for its bottles sealed with red wax, told customers that it's reducing the amount of alcohol in the beverage in order to meet rising global demand.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Consumer products maker Fortune Brands Inc. plans to split into three separate companies, keeping its liquor business led by Jim Beam bourbon while shedding the maker of Titleist golf balls and its home and security products business whose brands include Moen faucets and Master Lock....