Smart move for Algonquin

Article Excerpt

ALGONQUIN POWER & UTILITIES $13.36 (Toronto symbol AQN; Shares outstanding: 273.3 million; Market cap: $5.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 4.4%; www.algonquinpower.com) will buy the St. Lawrence Gas Company for $70.0 million U.S. The seller is ENBRIDGE INC. $52.15 (Toronto symbol ENB; Shares o/s: 1.6 billion; Market cap: $85.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Divd. yield: 4.7%; www.enbridge.com). St. Lawrence operates 685 miles of natural gas pipelines and distributes gas to 16,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in northern New York State. The acquisition is a good fit for Algonquin: St. Lawrence is near operations the company already owns through its Liberty Utilities business. Algonquin Power is a buy. Enbridge is a hold. hold…