VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (“Westport" or the "Company") (TSX:WPRT / Nasdaq:WPRT), has entered into lock-up agreements with certain of its shareholders, executives and board members representing an aggregate of approximately 2.0 million shares, or 11.4% of the currently issued and outstanding shares, to vote in favour of the special resolution approving the sale of Westport Fuel Systems Italia S.r.l. (the “Lock-Up Agreements”). "These Lock-Up A ...

Core Viewpoint - Ress Life Investments A/S (RLI) has agreed to divest most of its current life insurance portfolio to a market counterparty at a price corresponding to the Net Asset Value (NAV) of the portfolio [1] Group 1: Transaction Details - The objective of the transaction is to enable RLI to purchase new policies and capitalize on attractive opportunities in the secondary market for US life insurance policies while providing short-term liquidity [2] - The transaction will be completed in separate quarterly tranches until the end of Q3 2026, with pre-agreed prices for each tranche [3] - RLI will maintain a percentage of the policy pay-outs until the completion of the last tranche, with the percentage depending on the number of tranches completed at the time of the pay-out [3] Group 2: Strategic Implications - The transaction structure allows RLI to reinvest the proceeds and purchase new policies as each tranche sale completes during 2025 and 2026, without needing to maintain an excessive liquidity reserve [4] - RLI continues to pursue its long-term strategy of building a diversified and resilient portfolio of US life insurance policies, a strategy in place since 2011 [4]

Core Viewpoint - Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX) is considering divesting its Life Sciences division to focus on becoming a pure-play medtech company, with discussions already initiated with potential buyers [1][4][10]. Group 1: Strategic Shift and Divestment Plans - The Life Sciences unit, which includes the Biosciences and Integrated Diagnostic Solutions businesses, generated significant revenues in 2024, but BDX plans to retain the specimen management segment [2]. - The divestment could streamline BD's portfolio, allowing for focused investment in high-growth medtech areas and potentially delivering tax-efficient returns [4][10]. - The board's unanimous approval of the Life Sciences separation indicates strong internal alignment with this strategy, influenced by activist investor Starboard Value [10]. Group 2: Market Reaction and Stock Performance - BDX shares have declined 9.3% since the Financial Times report on April 1, primarily due to a broader market downturn [3]. - Year-to-date, BDX's shares have lost 9.6%, while the industry has grown by 3.4%, and the S&P 500 has decreased by 14.1% [4]. Group 3: Potential Buyers and Deal Structures - Strategic interest in the Life Sciences business is strong, with Thermo Fisher and Danaher among the potential buyers, focusing on complementary parts of the business [5]. - BD is considering a share swap deal with smaller diagnostics firms, allowing BD shareholders to receive a majority stake in a new entity, thus avoiding capital gains tax [6][8]. Group 4: Future Outlook - BD is expected to announce further plans for the Life Sciences unit by mid-2025, with a targeted transaction close by the end of next year [11].