On 26 April 2017, Oxford Instruments plc ("Oxford Instruments" or "the Company") announced that it has agreed to sell its Industrial Analysis business to Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation ("HHT") for a consideration of £80 million on a cash and debt free basis. HHT will acquire the companies, assets and liabilities that comprise the Industrial Analysis business.

Duff & Phelps served as exclusive financial advisor to Oxford Instruments with respect to the sale of its Industrial Analysis business.The transaction is subject to a number of regulatory approvals and completion of a pre-sale reorganization to carve out the relevant businesses and is expected to close mid-2017.

Gavin Hill, Group Finance Director of Oxford Instruments, commented: “Duff & Phelps has run a first-class competitive sale process, which will result in a successful outcome for Oxford Instruments. They are experienced in their anticipation of the issues to address in a carve-out situation, insightful in their positioning of the business and well-connected with the leading industry players. Their team has coordinated superbly with us and our other advisors to ensure that every aspect of the transaction was managed in a smooth and successful way.”

Paul Teuten, Managing Director at Duff & Phelps, said: “We are delighted to advise Oxford Instruments on such an important transaction, resulting in a sale to Hitachi High-Technologies. The Industrial Analysis business is a world leader in analytical instrumentation and this deal cements our reputation as a leading advisor to the industrial technology sector. This is a complex carve-out of a global business and demonstrates our cross border carve-out experience to good effect.”  

About Oxford Instruments plc

Oxford Instruments plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a leading global provider of high technology solutions, information and services for industry and research. Following the sale, its core businesses will be focused on NanoTechnology Tools and Service, enabling leading-edge solutions to be realized by their customers in applications at the nano-scale.

About the Industrial Analysis Business

The Industrial Analysis business is a leading global provider of handheld and bench-top instruments using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) technologies for analyzing materials in a broad range of industrial applications. The business is headquartered in Oxford, UK, with global operations.

About Hitachi High-Technologies

Hitachi High-Technologies provides state-of-the-art technologies and solutions in the fields of Life Science, Bio Technologies and Industrial Automation. HHT is a member of the Hitachi group of companies and trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. HHT operates through four business domains: Science and Medical Systems, Electronic Device Systems, Industrial Systems, and Advanced Industrial Products.