'Centurion Bank of Punjab'- M&A road for consolidation

Private Banks are taking to the consolidation route in a big way. Bank of Punjab (BoP) and Centurion Bank (CB) have been merged to form Centurion Bank of Punjab (CBP). RBI has approved merger of Centurion Bank and Bank of Punjab effective from October 1, 2005. The merger is at a swap ratio 9:4 and the combined bank is will be called Centurion Bank of Punjab. The merger of the banks will have a presence of 240 branches and extension counters, 386 ATMs, about 2.2 million customers. As on March 2005, the net worth of the combined entity is Rs 696 crore and the capital adequacy ratio is 16.1 per cent In the private sector, nearly 30 banks are operating. The top five control nearly 65% of the assets. Most of these private sector banks are profitable and have adequate capital and have the technology edge. Due to intensifying competition, access to low-cost deposits is critical for growth. Therefore, size and geographical reach become the key for smaller banks. The choice before smaller private banks is to merge and form bigger and viable entities or merge into a big private sector bank. The proposed merger of Bank of Punjab and Centurion Bank is sure to encourage other private sector banks to go for the M&A road for consolidation.

INTRODUCTION We have been learning about the companies coming together to from another company and companies taking over the existing companies to expand their business. With recession taking toll of many Indian businesses and the feeling of insecurity surging over our businessmen, it is not surprising when we hear about the immense numbers of corporate restructurings taking place, especially in the last couple of years. Several companies have been taken over and several have undergone internal restructuring, whereas certain companies in the same field of business have found it beneficial to merge together into one company. In this context, it would be essential for us to understand what corporate restructuring and mergers and acquisitions are all about. All our daily newspapers are filled with cases of mergers, acquisitions, spin- offs, tender offers, & other forms of corporate restructuring. Thus important issues both for business decision and public policy formulation have been raised. No firm is regarded safe from a takeover possibility. On the more positive side Mergers & Acquisitions may be critical for the healthy expansion and growth of the firm. Successful entry into new product and geographical markets may require Mergers & Acquisitions at some stage in the firm's development. Successful competition in international markets may depend on capabilities obtained in a timely and efficient fashion through Mergers & Acquisition's. Many have argued that mergers increase value and efficiency and move resources to their highest and best uses, thereby increasing shareholder value. .

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To opt for a merger or not is a complex affair, especially in terms of the technicalities involved. We have discussed almost all factors that the management may have to look into Before going for merger. Considerable amount of brainstorming would be required by the managements to reach a conclusion. E.g. A due diligence report would clearly identify the status of the company in respect of the financial position along with the net worth and pending legal matters and details about various contingent liabilities. Decision has to be taken after having discussed the pros & cons of the proposed merger & the impact of the same on the business, administrative costs benefits, addition to shareholders' value, tax implications including stamp duty and last but not the least also on the employees of the Transferor or Transferee Company. WHAT IS MERGER? Merger is defined as combination of two or more companies into a single company where one survives and the others lose their corporate existence. The survivor acquires all the assets as well as liabilities of the merged company or companies. Generally, the surviving company is the buyer, which retains its identity, and the extinguished company is the seller. Merger is also defined as amalgamation. Merger is the fusion of two or more existing companies. All assets, liabilities and the stock of one company stand transferred to Transferee Company in consideration of payment in the form of:

Equity shares in the transferee company, Debentures in the transferee company, Cash, or A mix of the above modes.