Nicor Inc.’s stock price rose 4.24 percent to $46.76 today on reports that the Naperville energy company is set to announce a deal to be acquired by Atlanta-based AGL Resources.

The company has been shopping itself for months, courting regulated utilities and infrastructure funds with little success. Speculation arose last week that Integrys Energy Group Inc., parent of People’s Gas, was a considering a bid. AGL surfaced as Nicor’s likely buyer Monday in a report by Mergermarket, which tracks such deals and cited sources close to the situation. Get the full story »