Big buy for Enbridge

Article Excerpt

ENBRIDGE, $43.12, is a buy. The firm (Toronto symbol ENB; Shares outstanding: 2.1 billion; Market cap: $91.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 8.2%; www.enbridge.com) is now buying three regulated gas utility firms from Dominion Energy, Inc. (New York symbol D). Together, the three businesses serve about 3 million customers in Ohio, North Carolina, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. The $9.4 billion U.S. purchase will make Enbridge the largest gas utility in North America. While big acquisitions like this add risk, the new operations will cut the company’s reliance on crude oil pipelines. Specifically, following the purchase, oil pipelines will supply just 50% of Enbridge’s earnings, followed by gas pipelines (25%), gas distribution (22%) and renewable power (3%).What’s more, these new operations will immediately add to cash flow per share. Enbridge is still a buy. buy…