Investopedia: Southern Union Now A Hot Property

The world of pipelines, gas gathering and midstream assets is usually a pretty sleepy place that offers a lot more in terms of income than in headlines and excitement. With at least two bidders now fighting for Southern Union (NYSE:SUG), though, this quiet patch of the income world has gotten a lot more interesting. (To learn more about he oil and gas industry, check out Oil And Gas Industry Primer.)



Williams Companies Brings the Cash
While Southern Union and Energy Transfer Equity (NYSE:ETE) had previously come together on a somewhat convoluted merger agreement, at $33 a share (for Southern Union), Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) has shaken things up with an all-cash bid of its own that values Southern Union at $39 per share. Now let the squabbling via press release begin!

When Energy Transfer Equity made its original offer, it was a reasonable premium to the recent trading price of Southern Union, but still a rather good bargain for ETE. Making matters worse, it was a convoluted offering - Southern Union shareholders would receive Series B units that would yield at least 8.25%, but there was a somewhat complicated decision tree that could result in shareholders eventually getting cash, ETE common, Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE:ETP) common, or continuing to hold those Series B units. Some of these permutations would give SUG shareholders a tax-free acquisition premium.


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