Enbridge sweetens its offer

Article Excerpt

ENBRIDGE INC. $43.44 (Toronto symbol ENB; Shares outstanding: 1.6 billion; Market cap: $74.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 6.2%; www.enbridge.com) controls four affiliates that operate pipelines and related operations: Enbridge Energy Partners, LP (New York symbol EEP), Enbridge Energy Management, LLC (New York symbol EEQ), Enbridge Income Fund Holdings Inc. (Toronto symbol ENF), and Spectra Energy Partners LP (New York symbol SEP). Under a plan to simplify its corporate structure, Enbridge offered $11.2 billion to shareholders of those firms to acquire 100% of the four affiliates. However, those investors objected to Enbridge’s terms. In response, the company has now increased its offers for each of the four affiliates. If approved, it will now pay $13.6 billion. Despite the higher cost, owning 100% of those businesses should improve Enbridge’s credit rating and make it easier and cheaper to fund new projects Enbridge is still a hold. hold…