10:44 AM EST - Encana Corporation : and Athlon Energy Inc. today jointly announced that the two companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement for Encana to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Texas-based Athlon by means of an all-cash tender offer for $5.93 billion U.S. ($58.50 U.S. per share), as well as Encana assuming Athlon's $1.15 billion U.S. of senior notes, for a total transaction value of approximately $7.1 billion U.S. The Athlon board of directors has unanimously recommended to its shareholders that they tender to the offer. Encana Corporation
shares T.ECA are trading up $0.65 at $24.24.
