Imagine knowing about a new stock months before most investors start paying attention. It’s easier than you might think.

No leaked information or insider tips. It’s public information, available to anyone who knows to look for it.

I'm talking about corporate spinoffs and separations, which are when a large company splits off one of its businesses as a separate public company.

Corporate spinoffs, especially the blockbuster versions, have a way of capturing Wall Street’s imagination.

What would Amazon Web Services be worth if it split off from Amazon? Or what about Waymo if Alphabet set it free?

For now, those are just fantasies.

But there are real multibillion-dollar businesses that are preparing to enter the public markets with far less attention.

And knowing about them early helps you decide whether the opportunity lies in the parent, the new company, both, or neither — before everyone else.

One of the biggest spinoffs of the year just showed us how this works.

A Business Hiding Inside a Business

Until recently, FedEx Freight was simply one division inside FedEx. It's a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier, similar to publicly traded Old Dominion Freight Line.

It was an attractive operation hidden inside a much larger transportation company.

On June 1, FedEx completed the spinoff of FedEx Freight into an independent public company trading under the ticker FDXF.

FedEx shareholders received one FDXF share for every two FedEx shares they owned. FedEx kept a 19.9% stake.

There was nothing secret about this deal. FedEx announced it well in advance.

But how many individual investors were tracking it? That's the point.

Spinoffs have long attracted savvy investors because they can create gaps between a stock's price and its true value.

There are good reasons why.

A new company gets its own management team, financial statements, and business strategy. Investors can finally see what they're buying, rather than trying to value a single division buried within a huge company.

Spinoffs can also create forced selling.

Some large funds may receive shares in a smaller company they aren't allowed to own or don't want to own. Other funds may have to rebalance.

Wall Street analysts may not cover the new stock right away.

For a time, the new company can become an orphan. That's where savvy investors may gain an edge.

Knowledge is power, and knowing these situations exist costs us nothing. We can study them ahead of time, wait for the right price, or pass.

Here are three situations I'm watching now.

1. Nuclear's Next Giant?

Westinghouse Electric Company filed private paperwork for a U.S. IPO on July 31.

That puts one of the world's most important nuclear companies on a path toward becoming publicly traded.

Its expected value and exact IPO date haven't been announced.

Westinghouse is owned 49% by uranium giant Cameco and 51% by Brookfield. The two bought the company in 2023 for roughly $7.9 billion.

Today, Westinghouse sits at the center of the nuclear comeback.

The company designs reactors, supplies nuclear fuel, and provides key services to plants around the world. Its AP1000 is one of the industry's most important reactor designs.

The U.S. government also reached an agreement with Cameco and Brookfield last year to support at least $80 billion in new Westinghouse reactor projects in the U.S.

That makes this IPO even more interesting as AI data centers drive huge power demand. Meanwhile, governments are turning back to nuclear energy as a reliable source of electricity.

But here's the key point: Cameco shareholders aren't currently being promised Westinghouse shares.

This is an IPO, not the type of spinoff FedEx just completed.

So like with any other IPO, investors will need to judge Westinghouse on its own once we know the price, financials, and final deal terms.

That's why I'm watching now instead of waiting for IPO day.

2. Invest Alongside Uncle Sam

L3Harris created Missile Solutions by bringing together several missile businesses, including the former Aerojet Rocketdyne operations.

The unit produces propulsion systems for the PAC-3, THAAD, Tomahawk, and Standard Missile programs.

The U.S. government invested $1 billion directly into Missile Solutions, which will turn into common shares when the company goes public. L3Harris plans to pursue an IPO in mid-2027.

Again, this isn't FedEx Freight.

L3Harris plans to remain in control, owning more than 80% of Missile Solutions after the IPO.

Current L3Harris shareholders shouldn't expect shares of the new company to simply appear in their accounts.

Instead, investors could soon gain access to a publicly traded missile business just as the U.S. and its allies are spending heavily to rebuild weapons stockpiles and boost production.

That's something I want to know about before Wall Street starts telling everyone else the story.

3. A Global Coffee Giant

Keurig Dr Pepper bought JDE Peet's earlier this year. It now plans to split into two public companies. One will focus on North American beverages.

The other, for now called Global Coffee Co., will focus on coffee. KDP is targeting early 2027 for the separation.

This could be especially interesting because investors don't have many simple ways to invest in the global coffee theme.

Starbucks offers exposure, but it's primarily a coffee shop business. Luckin Coffee is another option, but its business is focused on China.

Global Coffee Co. would be different.

Keurig is already a household name. Add JDE Peet's, and the new company is expected to have about $16 billion in annual sales and operations in more than 100 countries.

Its brands will include Keurig, Peet's, Jacobs, and L'OR.

Source: Keurig Dr. Pepper

KDP says it would be the world's largest pure-play coffee company.

That could give investors a rare way to invest directly in global coffee demand.

KDP currently plans to create Global Coffee through a tax-free spinoff.

But the deal still needs final board approval, and other conditions must be met.

Investors should study those final terms rather than assume this deal will work exactly like FedEx's.

Use Spinoffs to Build Your Watchlist

Not all spinoffs are created equal.

Some create strong companies with focused managers, cleaner finances and more freedom to grow. Others let a parent company unload debt, weak businesses or unwanted assets.

Sometimes the new company is the better investment. Other times, the parent looks better after the split. And sometimes neither is worth buying.

The deals can also work in very different ways. FedEx shareholders received FDXF shares.

Westinghouse is pursuing an IPO. L3Harris plans to take Missile Solutions public while keeping control. KDP currently plans a tax-free spinoff of Global Coffee.

Different deals, risks, and opportunities. But they share one thing: we know they're coming.

You don't have to invest in any of them. That's the beauty of it.

Knowing what's ahead gives you time to do your homework before most investors start paying attention. Then you can make your own choice.

Of course, knowing where to look is the hard part.

So I'll be tracking these deals — and the next ones most investors haven't noticed yet — for you.

Because sometimes the best investment opportunities aren't hiding in obscure companies.

They're hiding inside companies you already know.