TIM HORTONS $88.70 - Toronto symbol THI

TIM HORTONS $88.70 (Toronto symbol THI; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (905-845-6511; www.timhortons.com; Shares outstanding: 132.8 million; Market cap: $11.8 billion; Dividend yield: 1.4%) has accepted a friendly takeover offer from Burger King Worldwide (New York symbol BKW).

Tim Hortons shareholders can opt to receive $88.50 a share in cash or 3.0879 Burger King shares (currently worth $105.54).

Burger King will limit the overall cash payout, so most investors will likely receive $65.50 in cash and 0.8025 of a share, for a total value of $90.54.

Investors who hold their shares outside of RRSPs and other registered accounts will be liable for capital gains taxes.

Burger King is taking on a lot of debt to pay for this purchase,. As well, the deal may face U.S. regulatory hurdles.

We feel most investors should select the all-cash option, even though they’ll probably receive some Burger King shares. We haven’t recommended Burger King, but we see it as a hold.

If you need to extract funds from your portfolio, you could sell some of your Tim Hortons stock. Otherwise, hold.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.