Updating TOYOTA MOTOR CO. ADRs, AMERICAN EXPRESS CO. and ENCANA CORP.

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TOYOTA MOTOR CO. ADRs $111 (www.toyota.com) will pay a $1.2-billion fine after admitting that it deliberately misled consumers and regulators in 2009 and 2010 over a defect that would cause its cars to suddenly accelerate. The payment is equal to 10% of the $11.5 billion, or $7.24 per ADR, that Toyota earned in the year ended March 31, 2013. Bad publicity from this settlement should have little impact on Toyota’s sales. Buy. AMERICAN EXPRESS CO. $90 (www.americanexpress.com) has finalized a deal to merge its Global Business Travel division into a new 50/50 joint venture with a private investment consortium. This business’s profits have suffered because its corporate clients are spending less on travel, so selling half of it cuts Amex’s risk. Buy. ENCANA CORP. $21 (www.encana.com) may be close to selling its Jonah shale gas property in southwest Wyoming for $2 billion, which is equal to 77.5% of the company’s 2013 cash flow. Buy. Buy…