Philips Sells Its Remaining Stake in Signify

On September 19, 2019, Royal Philips announced the successful sale of its remaining shares in Signify, officially completing its ownership exit from the lighting business that had defined the company since its founding in 1891. The transaction involved the sale of 13.8 million shares, representing approximately 10.7% of Signify's issued share capital, to institutional investors at €25.90 per share. The offering generated approximately €357 million in proceeds for Royal Philips, with settlement scheduled for September 24, 2019. The divestment followed several earlier share sales after Philips Lighting's initial public offering in May 2016 and its subsequent rebranding as Signify in 2018. By selling its final ownership stake, Philips completed a major strategic restructuring and strengthened its focus on healthcare technology, medical imaging, patient monitoring, and connected health solutions. The completion of Philips' ownership exit from Signify marked a historic turning point in the company's 128-year history, symbolizing its transformation from an electric lighting manufacturer into a specialized global healthcare technology enterprise. Philips originally began producing incandescent light bulbs in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in 1891, and lighting remained central to its business for more than a century. Following the separation, Signify continued operating independently as a global leader in LED lighting, connected illumination, and smart lighting systems, while retaining permission to use the Philips brand for certain lighting products under licensing agreements. For Royal Philips, the divestment allowed greater strategic concentration on diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, healthcare informatics, patient monitoring, and personal health technologies. The September 2019 transaction represented the culmination of years of corporate restructuring and established a clear distinction between Philips' historical lighting heritage and its modern identity as a healthcare technology company.