Mar 24 (Nikkei) - Toshiba shareholders on Thursday rejected a proposal to split the Japanese company into two public entities, in a setback for the management and a major win for foreign activist shareholders.
The vote was held at an extraordinary shareholders meeting, which Toshiba convened in an effort to demonstrate its ability to come up with a convincing business strategy to lift the company's sagging bottom line.
The Japanese industrial conglomerate unveiled the breakup plan in February as part of an effort to focus on the company's strengths and boost profitability. Under the plan, Toshiba was to split into two public companies, one specializing in infrastructure and the other in electronic devices.
But the initiative met with opposition from foreign shareholders, including activists, who pointed to various execution risks and questioned Toshiba's ability to turn itself around on its own.
Source: Kyodo