BCE Inc. Announces Completion Of Bell Aliant Common Share Tender Offer

(RTTNews) - BCE Inc. (BCE, BCE.TO) and Bell Aliant Inc. (BA.TO) announced the final results of BCE's offers to purchase all outstanding Bell Aliant publicly held common shares and to exchange all outstanding Bell Aliant preferred shares.

CST Trust Company, the depository for the offers, reported that, on October 2, 2014, more than 90% of the publicly held Bell Aliant common shares as of the date of the offer had been validly tendered to BCE's offer and not withdrawn.

With over 90% of the outstanding publicly held common shares of Bell Aliant tendered, BCE will proceed to acquire the balance of the common shares not tendered through a compulsory acquisition as described in the offer and circular dated August 14, 2014.

A notice of compulsory acquisition is expected to be mailed in mid-October to holders of common shares who did not tender their shares to the offer. The compulsory acquisition is expected to be completed on or about October 31, 2014.

BCE has also entered into an agreement with Bell Aliant Preferred Equity Inc., to effect an amalgamation of Prefco with a newly incorporated, wholly owned subsidiary of BCE.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the amalgamation agreement, the amalgamation is expected to become effective on or about October 31, 2014.