Williams Being Acquired?

[Conan71]

I hope this is the beginning of the end of this merger nonsense.

[davideinstein]

http://seekingalpha.com/article/3964001-energy-transfer-equitys-merger-williams-crumbling

[cannon_fodder]

Williams - ETE now has the largest market spread of any proposed merger. The offer is to buy Williams for $43.50 a share. Williams is currently trading at $17.50 (after a recent run, actually). That spread is four times larger (by percentage) than any other major merger currently on the board:



That indicates the market doesn't think the merger is a real possibility. Too much money if anyone thought it was a possibility.

Also funny that ETE, currently valued at ~ $10Bil, is "buying" Williams for ~$36Bil.  ETE needs to raise ~$6 Billion in cash to complete the deal. Did I mention they are currently worth $10Bil?

[LeGenDz]

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr. and Tulsa Regional Chamber President Mike Neal are headed to New York City on Friday to try to persuade the Williams Cos. to stay in Tulsa

They plan to visit with Frank MacInnis, chairman of the Williams Cos. board of directors.
Fallin announced the trip during a speech at a Tulsa Regional Chamber forum Tuesday night and said the same to the World in an interview afterward.
Her announcement comes after Williams’ continued presence in Tulsa was cast into doubt by a Securities and Exchange Commission filing from Energy Transfer Equity, a Dallas-based midstream company that is trying to merge with Williams and form one of the largest pipeline companies in the world.
The filing said that if the merger goes through, most of Williams’ Tulsa operations will be cut or moved to Dallas.
“On Friday I’m going to go up with a group of business leaders and the mayor to talk to the chairman of the board of the Williams Cos. and tell them how much we appreciate Williams being in Tulsa. … We want to keep our jobs. We want to keep their investment here. We want them to know that it’s important for them to stay in Tulsa,” she said after her speech.
When asked by the World if any sort of incentives or economic development tools would be offered to keep Williams in Tulsa, Fallin said, “I think going there personally with some of our top business leaders, mayor and governor coming to the chairman of the board of Williams Cos. and saying, ‘Don’t leave. We want you here. What can we do to help?’ ”
MacInnis was among the eight Williams directors who voted in favor of the merger agreement that was announced Sept. 28.
Five board members, including Williams CEO Alan Armstrong, who is based in Tulsa, voted against the deal.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/employment/n-y-or-bust-governor-tulsa-leaders-heading-to-new/article_f452e551-dab6-5570-90b5-de28d5a5c899.html

[LandArchPoke]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/employment/n-y-or-bust-governor-tulsa-leaders-heading-to-new/article_f452e551-dab6-5570-90b5-de28d5a5c899.html

Great... last thing we need is Fallin and Bartlett "whooing" Williams. Why do they think the Chairman for Williams will have any say in what ETE does if this deal closes? Hey Fallin and Bartlett - WRONG PERSON. They should be camping outside of Kelcy Warren's house.

[Ibanez]

I'm not sure which would be worse, being stuck on a cross-country flight with Fallin or Dewey.

Dewey seems like someone who would be rude to the flight crew and would constantly be kicking the back of your seat. Fallin seems like she would be sticky if you accidentally bumped into her and probably smells like a combo of old lady perfume and self-righteousness.

[DowntownDan]

If you want business to come here and stay here, stop supporting stupid laws and allowing our state to go bankrupt and our schools shut down because you're too stuck to your right-wing pledge to never ever raise taxes even when it's absolutely necessary.  Fallin has no spine.  I'm sure a New Yorker is going to be persuaded by our worthless governor.  It'll make him more resolved to get that company as far away from here as possible. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/employment/n-y-or-bust-governor-tulsa-leaders-heading-to-new/article_f452e551-dab6-5570-90b5-de28d5a5c899.html

Wow!!  Thinking about that meeting.....

Flying to New York to talk to the Chairman of Williams.  In New York.  About keeping corporate headquarters in Tulsa....the decision to be made by the Chairman. Who is in New York.

Did I mention New York...??

Failin' is always sticky....and it ain't the good kind!!   She is just the next in sequence of Charles Ford types (ex-State Senator and Representative).  Made the state feel good about itself while screwing it into the ground.

[DowntownDan]

NY Guy:  Governor, I read that schools in your state are firing teachers and going to four day school weeks.  Why would I want employees there?  How are you going to fix it?

Fallin:  We're gonna cut taxes and it'll trickle down in no time, y'all!

NY Guy:  Get out.

[cannon_fodder]

Dewey seems like someone who would be rude to the flight crew and would constantly be kicking the back of your seat. Fallin seems like she would be sticky if you accidentally bumped into her and probably smells like a combo of old lady perfume and self-righteousness.

That's some good internet right there! 

[Conan71]

Maybe good ‘ol Mary will give the chairman the "trooper treatment”.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Maybe good ‘ol Mary will give the chairman the "trooper treatment”.

I think the Chairman can afford to have better taste than that....  Think "Donald Trump".

[Weatherdemon]

LOL, complaining about them going to try to talk the chairmen of the board out of it?
Would you rather they do nothing?

I'm for them doing whatever the hell they can to stop this deal.

[heironymouspasparagus]

LOL, complaining about them going to try to talk the chairmen of the board out of it?
Would you rather they do nothing?

I'm for them doing whatever the hell they can to stop this deal.

I wasn't really complaining so much as editorializing as to what an exercise in mental self-amusement it is.


I suspect doing nothing by the people making the trip would be much more effective.... And is that an expense paid by taxpayers trip to New York for a few days of expense account hotel and dining??   At the same time we are in a billion and a half dollar hole??

[DowntownDan]

LOL, complaining about them going to try to talk the chairmen of the board out of it?
Would you rather they do nothing?

I'm for them doing whatever the hell they can to stop this deal.

Because I honestly think they'll make it worse.