American Water To Buy Citizens Utilities' Water Unit For $745 Million Dow Jones(1999³â 10¿ù18ÀÏ) [NEW YORK] Citizens Utilities Co. Monday announced the sale of its water and waste-water operations to American Water Works Inc. for $745 million as part of its strategy to concentrate on its telecommunications business.
Stamford, Conn.-based Citizens' water unit serves 305,000 customers in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Citizens (CZN) said the selling price includes $745 million in cash and $90 million in assumed debt.
American Water (AWK), based in Voorhees, N.J., is the nation's largest publicly owned water utility. It expects the acquisition of Citizens' water operations to be "mildly" dilutive initially, but will add to earnings within 12 to 18 months.
The transaction will bolster American Water's presence in the western U.S. by adding 178,000 customers to its subsidiaries in Arizona and California. It will further expand American's Midwest operations by adding 88,000 customers in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio,
Citizens said last month it would also sell its gas and electric businesses. The firm will use the proceeds to fund telephone acquisitions.
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