remaining stake in Tyco International Ltd., for $572 million, after Tyco beat out Western Resources in a takeover contest for Bermuda-based ADT Ltd.

Merrill Lynch & Co. arranged the sale of the seven million Tyco shares, Western Resources said. The gas and electric utility said proceeds of the sale will be used for repaying short-term debt and for other corporate purposes, and it will record a gain on the sale in the third quarter.

The sale was required by an August 15 agreement to end lawsuits stemming from Tyco's $5.9 billion acquisition of ADT, the nation's largest provider of electronic security services for homes and offices. At the time, Western had 12.4 million Tyco shares, which it got as a result of Tyco's stock-swap acquisition of ADT. It subsequently sold some Tyco shares.

Western Resources, based in Topeka, Kansas, bought a stake in ADT and launched a hostile takeover bid for the company last December. Tyco stepped in and made a friendly offer for ADT that was accepted in March.

Western, through its Westar unit, is the nation's third largest provider of monitored security services.