Divestment is the process of selling off assets, investments, or business units. This strategic move is often undertaken by companies, investors, or governments for various reasons, including financial optimization, risk management, and strategic realignment.

1. Financial Optimization: Companies may divest assets or business units that are underperforming or no longer fit with their core business strategy. By divesting these assets, they can streamline operations, reduce costs, and focus on areas that offer higher returns.
2. Risk Management: Divestment can also be a way to reduce risk exposure. Diversifying investments across different industries or geographical regions can help mitigate risks associated with market volatility, regulatory changes, or economic downturns.
3. Strategic Realignment: Companies may divest assets or business units to realign their strategic focus. For example, a company may divest non-core businesses to concentrate on its primary strengths or to enter new markets that offer better growth opportunities.
4. Ethical or Social Reasons: Divestment can also be driven by ethical or social considerations. Investors may choose to divest from companies involved in controversial activities such as tobacco production, weapons manufacturing, or environmental degradation, aligning their investment portfolios with their values.
5. Regulatory Compliance: In some cases, divestment may be required to comply with regulatory requirements. For example, antitrust regulations may compel companies to divest certain assets to maintain market competition and prevent monopolistic practices.

Overall, divestment is a strategic decision that can have significant implications for the parties involved. It requires careful consideration of financial, operational, and ethical factors to ensure that it achieves its intended objectives.