Post on 07-Apr-2015
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
MERGER & ACQUISITIONMERGER & ACQUISITION
ICICI BANK ICICI BANK & &
BANK OF MADURABANK OF MADURA
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Mergers and acquisitions have become the most frequently used
methods of growth for companies in the twenty first century. They present
a company with a potentially larger market share and open it up to a more
diversified market. A merger is considered to be successful, if it increases
the acquiring firm’s value; most mergers have actually been known to
benefit both competition and consumers by allowing firms to operate
more efficiently. However, it has to be noted that some mergers and
acquisitions have the capacity to decrease competition in various ways.
The merger between ICICI bank and Bank of Madura presented ICICI
Bank with the opportunity to expand its perspective through having
access to retail banking markets and clientele in the regions where its
previous exposure had been virtually inexistent. The merger gave the firm
that extra growth and competitive edge that it was looking for to compete
with HDFC Bank, SBI and other rivals.
Research has shown, that due to increasing advances in technology
and banking processes, which make transactions, among other aspects of
business, more effective and efficient, mergers and acquisitions have
become more frequent today than ever before.
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
MERGER AND ACQUISITION
MERGERS
1.1 A merger occurs when two or more companies combines and the
resulting firm maintains the identity of one of the firms. One or more
companies may merger with an existing company or they may merge to
form a new company. Usually the assets and liabilities of the smaller firms
are merged into those of larger firms. Merger may take two forms:-
Merger through absorption
Merger through consolidation.
1.2 Absorption. Absorption is a combination of two or more
companies into an existing company. All companies except one loose their
identify in a merger through absorption.
1.3 Consolidation. A consolidation is a combination of two or more
combines into a new company. In this form of merger all companies are
legally dissolved and a new entity is created. In consolidation the acquired
company transfers its assets, liabilities and share of the acquiring
company for cash or exchange of assets.
ACQUISITION
1.4 A fundamental characteristic of merger is that the acquiring
company takes over the ownership of other companies and combines
their operations with its own operations. An acquisition may be defined as
an act of acquiring effective control by one company over the assets or
management of another company without any combination of companies.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
1.5 Although they are often uttered in the same breath and used as
though they were synonymous, the terms merger and acquisition mean
slightly different things. When one company takes over another and
clearly established itself as the new owner, the purchase is called an
acquisition. From a legal point of view, the target company ceases to
exist, the buyer "swallows" the business and the buyer's stock continues
to be traded.
1.6 In the pure sense of the term, a merger happens when two firms,
often of about the same size, agree to go forward as a single new
company rather than remain separately owned and operated. This kind of
action is more precisely referred to as a "merger of equals." Both
companies' stocks are surrendered and new company stock is issued in its
place.
1.7 In practice, however, actual mergers of equals don't happen very
often. Usually, one company will buy another and, as part of the deal's
terms, simply allow the acquired firm to proclaim that the action is a
merger of equals, even if it's technically an acquisition. Being bought out
often carries negative connotations, therefore, by describing the deal as a
merger, deal makers and top managers try to make the takeover more
palatable.
1.8 A purchase deal will also be called a merger when both owners
agree that joining together is in the best interest of both of their
companies. But when the deal is unfriendly - that is, when the target
company does not want to be purchased - it is always regarded as an
acquisition.
TYPES OF MERGERS
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
1.9 Mergers are of many types. Mergers may be differentiated on the
basis of activities, which are added in the process of the existing product
or service lines. Mergers can be a distinguished into the following four
types:-
Horizontal merger. Horizontal merger is a combination of two or
more corporate firms dealing in same lines of business activity.
Horizontal merger is a co centric merger, which involves
combination of two or more business units related to technology,
production process, marketing research and development and
management.
Vertical Merger. Vertical merger is the joining of two or
more firms in different stages of production or distribution that are
usually separate. The vertical Mergers chief gains are identified as
the lower buying cost of material. Minimization of distribution costs,
assured supplies and market increasing or creating barriers to entry
for potential competition or placing them at a cost disadvantage.
Conglomerate Merger. Conglomerate merger is the
combination of two or more unrelated business units in respect of
technology, production process or market and management. In
other words, firms engaged in the different or unrelated activities
are combined together. Diversification of risk constitutes the
rational for such merger moves.
Concentric Merger. Concentric merger are based on specific
management functions where as the conglomerate mergers are
based on general management functions. If the activities of the
segments brought together are so related that there is carry over on
specific management functions. Such as marketing research,
Marketing, financing, manufacturing and personnel.
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BENEFITS OF MERGERS
1.10 The major benefits from a merger are enumerated in succeeding
paragraphs.
1.11 Growth or Diversification. Companies that desire rapid growth in
size or market share or diversification in the range of their products may
find that a merger can be used to fulfil the objective instead of going
through the tome consuming process of internal growth or diversification.
The firm may achieve the same objective in a short period of time by
merging with an existing firm. In addition such a strategy is often less
costly than the alternative of developing the necessary production
capability and capacity. Moreover when a firm expands or extends its
product line by acquiring another firm, it also removes a potential
competitor.
1.12 Synergism. The nature of synergism is very simple. Synergism
exists when ever the value of the combination is greater than the sum of
the values of its parts. But identifying synergy on evaluating it may be
difficult, in fact sometimes its implementations may be very subtle. As
broadly defined to include any incremental value resulting from business
combination, synergism in the basic economic justification of merger. The
incremental value may derive from increase in either operational or
financial efficiency.
Operating Synergism. Operating synergism may result
from economies of scale, some degree of monopoly power or
increased managerial efficiency. The value may be achieved by
increasing the sales volume in relation to assts employed increasing
profit margins or decreasing operating risks. Although operating
synergy usually is the result of either vertical/horizontal integration
some synergistic also may result from conglomerate growth. In
addition, some times a firm may acquire another to obtain patents,
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
copyrights, technical proficiency, marketing skills, specific fixes
assets, customer relationship or managerial personnel. Operating
synergism occurs when these assets, which are intangible, may be
combined with the existing assets and organization of the acquiring
firm to produce an incremental value.
Financial synergism. Among these are incremental values
resulting from complementary internal funds flows more efficient
use of financial leverage, increase external financial capability and
income tax advantages.
Complementary internal funds flows.Seasonal or cyclical
fluctuations in funds flows sometimes may be reduced or
eliminated by merger. If so, financial synergism results in
reduction of working capital requirements of the combination
compared to those of the firms standing alone.
More efficient use of Financial Leverage. Financial
synergy may result from more efficient use of financial leverage.
The acquisition firm may have little debt and wish to use the high
debt of the acquired firm to lever earning of the combination or
the acquiring firm may borrow to finance and acquisition for cash
of a low debt firm thus providing additional leverage to the
combination. The financial leverage advantage must be weighed
against the increased financial risk.
Increased External Financial Capabilities. Many mergers,
particular those of relatively small firms into large ones, occur
when the acquired firm simply cannot finance its operation.
When a firm has exhausted its bank credit and has virtually no
access to long term debt or equity markets. Sometimes the small
firm has encountered operating difficulty, and the bank has
served notice that its loan will not be renewed? In this type of
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
situation a large firms with sufficient cash and credit to finance
the requirements of smaller one probably can obtain a good buy
bee. Making a merger proposal to the small firm. The acquisition
of a cash rich firm whose operations have matured may provide
additional financing to facilitate growth of the acquiring firm. In
some cases, the acquiring may be able to recover all or parts of
the cost of acquiring the cash rich firm when the merger is
consummated and the cash then belongs to it.
The Income Tax Advantages. In some cases, income tax
consideration may provide the financial synergy motivating a
merger, e.g. assume that a firm A has earnings before taxes of
about rupees ten crores per year and firm B now break even,
has a loss carry forward of rupees twenty crores accumulated
from profitable operations of previous years. The merger of A and
B will allow the surviving corporation to utility the loss carries
forward, thereby eliminating income taxes in future periods.
1.13 Counter Synergism. Certain factors may oppose the synergistic
effect contemplating from a merger. Often another layer of overhead cost
and bureaucracy is added. Sometimes the acquiring firm agrees to long
term employments contracts with managers of the acquiring firm. Such
often are beneficial but they may be the opposite. Personality or policy
conflicts may develop that either hamstring operations or acquire buying
out such contracts to remove personal position of authority. Particularly in
conglomerate merger, management of acquiring firm simply may not
have sufficient knowledge of the business to control the acquired firm
adequately. Attempts to maintain control may induce resentment by
personnel of acquired firm. The resulting reduction of the efficiency may
eliminate expected operating synergy or even reduce the post merger
profitability of the acquired firm.
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
1.14 Purchase of Assets at Bargain Prices. Mergers may be
explained by opportunity to acquire assets, particularly land mineral
rights, plant and equipment, at lower cost than would be incurred if they
were purchased or constructed at the current market prices. If the market
price of many stocks have been considerably below the replacement cost
of the assets they represent, expanding firm considering construction
plants, developing mines or buying equipments often have found that the
desired assets could be obtained where by heaper by acquiring a firm that
already owned and operated that asset. Risk could be reduced because
the assets were already in place and an organization of people knew how
to operate them and market their products.
1.15 Increased Managerial Skills or Technology. Occasionally a
firm will have good potential that is finds it unable to develop fully
because of deficiencies in certain areas of management or an absence of
needed product or production technology. If the firm cannot hire the
management or the technology it needs, it might combine with a
compatible firm that has needed managerial, personnel or technical
expertise. Of course, any merger, regardless of specific motive for it,
should contribute to the maximization of owner’s wealth.
1.16 Acquiring new technology. To stay competitive,
companies need to stay on top of technological developments and their
business applications. By buying a smaller company with unique
technologies, a large company can maintain or develop a competitive
edge.
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MERGER IN INDIAN
BANKING SECTORS
BACKGROUND
2.1 In the 1950s and 1960s there were instances of private sector
banks, which had to be rescued or closed down because they had very
low capital and were mostly operating with other people’s money. In
1961, the Banking Companies (Amendment) Act empowered RBI to
formulate and carry out a scheme for the reconstitution and compulsory
amalgamation of sub-standard banks with well-managed ones.
2.2 In India, mergers have been used to bail out weak banks till the
Narasimham Committee-II discouraged this practice. With economic
reforms and opening up of the economy, like other sectors, banking sector
also saw a lot of changes. Two major changes are worth mentioning. They
are:-
Increased competition
Falling interest rates.
2.3 There has been a decline in the interest rates in the last decade
world wide. As a result of this profitability of the banks has been under
tremendous pressure. The interest rates both on the deposits and on the
loans have come down drastically. The ‘spread’ which was available to the
banks thinned down and banks have started searching for cost reduction
and market enhancing strategies. Use of technology in their operations
has come up as an immediate strategy and banks have started using
technology in a big way. This has resulted in saving of salary expenses,
which used to be a major part of the banks’ expenditure. In addition to
this, banks have started looking for strategies which allow the banks to
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
grow faster. One of the options before the banks was to merge their
counterparts in it and become not only big but also gain entry into the
new markets.
REASONS OF BANKING MERGER
2.4 As a result of these mergers, banks are able to use their full
capacities and avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts. Some of the
reasons of Banking merger are:-
Growth with External Efforts: With the economic liberalization
the competition in the banking sector has increased and hence
there is a need for mega banks, which will be intensely competing
for market share. In order to increase their market share and the
market presence some of the powerful banks have started looking
for banks which could be merged into the acquiring bank. They
realized that they need to grow fast to capture the opportunities in
the market. Since the internal growth is a time taking process, they
started looking for target banks.
Deregulation: With the liberalisation of entry barriers, many
private banks came into existence. As a result of this there has been
intense competition and banks have started looking for target banks
which have market presence and branch network.
Technology: The new banks which entered as a result of lifting of
entry barriers have started many value added services with the help
of their technological superiority. The older banks which can not
compete in this area may decide to go for mergers with these high-
tech banks.
New Products/Services: New generation private sector banks
which have developed innovative products/services with the help of
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
their technology may attract some old generation banks for merger
due to their incapacity to face these challenges.
Over Capacity: The new generation private sector banks have
began their operation with huge capacities. With the presence of
many players in the market, these banks may not be able to capture
the expected market share on its own. Therefore, in order to fully
utilise their capacities these banks may look for target banks which
may not have modern day facilities.
Customer Base: In order to utilise the capacity of the new
generation private sector banks, they need huge customer base.
Creating huge customer base takes time. Therefore, these banks
have started looking for target banks with good customer bases.
Once there is a good customer base, the banks can sell other
banking products like car loans, Housing loans, consumer loans,
etc., to these customers as well.
Merger of Weak Banks: There has been a practice of merging
weak banks with a healthy bank in order to save the interest of
customers of the weak Bank. Narasimham Committee–II
discouraged this practice. Khan Group suggested that weak
Developmental Financial Institutions (DFIs) may be allowed to
merge with the healthy banks.
THE EVOLUTION OF TAKE OVER CODE
2.5 Let us now see how the Takeover Code evolved over a period of
time in India:
1990. The Government amends clause 40 of the listing
agreement according to which, threshold acquisition level reduced
from 25% to 10% ; change in management control to trigger public
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
offer’; minimum mandatory public offer of 20% disclosure
requirement through mandatory public announcement.
November 1994. SEBI notifies Substantial Acquisition of
Shares and Takeover, 1994. New provisions introduced to enable
both negotiated and open market acquisitions and competitive bids
allowed.
November 1995. SEBI sets up committee under former Chief
Justice of India P.N. Bhagwati to review the 1994 takeover
Regulations in order to frame comprehensive regulations.
January 1997. The Bhagwati Committee submits its report on
the takeover code to SEBI.
February 1997. SEBI accepts Bhagwati committee report and the
Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers Regulations, 1997,
notified.
February 1998. SEBI proposes to revise the takeover code make it
mandatory for acquirers to make a minimum open offer for 20%
(and not 10% as earlier) of the target company’s equity, even if the
holding goes beyond 51% as a result of the offer.
June 1998.SEBI asks justice Bhagwati to conduct a complete review
of the takeover code. Issues likely to be taken up are, the extent of
disclosure in an open offer and if any change in the objective of the
offer needs to be spelt out in the revised offer.
June 1998.SEBI proposes to raise the creeping acquisition limit
under its Takeover Code from 2% to 5%. It also proposes to increase
the share acquisition limit for triggering the takeover code from 10%
to 15%.’
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
November 1998. Takeover panel amends the takeover code
to incorporate buyback offers by companies. The committee decides
to allow takeover offers to be made when a buyback offer is open
and vice versa.
December 1998. Justice P.N. Bhagwati criticizes SEBI for
unilaterally increasing the trigger limit for making a public offer from
10% to 15%. The Bhagwati Committee also recommends that once
an acquirer acquires 75% of shares or voting rights in a company,
he should be outside the purview of the Takeover Regulations.
January 2000. SEBI again proposes that all open offers made by
promoters for consolidating their holding in a company will have to
be for a minimum of 20% of equity. Exemption to the minimum 20%
requirement should be given only in the case of such companies in
which promoters hold over 75%.
February 2000. SEBI finalizes the recommendations of takeover
panel and review the takeover norms. However, the crucial decision
on issue relating to ‘change in management control of professionally
managed companies’ left unresolved.
June 2000.SEBI plans to bring public financial institutions under the
ambit of its takeover code, both as acquirers and as pledgees.
October 2000. Confederation of Indian Industry, FICCI and
ASSOCHAM seek amendments in the takeover code, especially in
the case of creeping acquisitions, to provide the promoters a level-
playing field against corporate raiders who may disrupt existing
managements. Under the current takeover code, corporate raiders
can pick up 15% of the paid-up equity of the target company over a
12 month period without triggering off the takeover code.
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
November 2000. SEBI takeover panel decides to make it
mandatory for an ‘acquirer’ to disclose his holdings in the target
company to the company as well to the exchanges, at three levels;
5 %, 10% and 14%, instead of the existing stipulation of only 5%.
December 2000. SEBI promises a new draft on the takeover
code in place by the end of March 2001 with ‘investor protection’ as
its pivot. The main objective of the new code would be to ensure
that acquiring companies are prompt in informing the stock
exchanges when they cross the prescribed limits of holding a
company’s stake, make public announcements and allow companies
to make counter offers.
LEGAL PROCEDURE
2.6 Sec. 44A of the Banking Regulation Act,1949, deals with the
procedure for amalgamation of banking companies. This procedure is
discussed hereunder:
No banking company shall be amalgamated with another banking
company, unless the shareholders of both the banking companies
approve merger scheme in a meeting called for the purpose by a
majority in number representing two-thirds in value of the
shareholders of each of the said company.
The approved scheme of amalgamation shall be sent to RBI for its
approval.
Any shareholder who has voted against the scheme of merger or
has given notice in writing at or prior to the meeting shall be
entitled to claim from banking company the value of the shares held
by him as determined by the RBI while approving the scheme.
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Once the scheme of amalgamation is sanctioned by the RBI, the
property and the liabilities of the amalgamated company shall
become the property and the liabilities of the acquiring company.
After sanctioning the scheme of amalgamation by the RBI, the RBI
may further order the closure of acquired bank and the acquired
bank stands dissolved from such a data as may be specified.
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MERGER ICICI BANK AND
BANK OF MADURA
BANK OF MADURA
3.1 Bank of Madura (BOM) was a profitable, well-capitalized, Indian
private sector commercial bank operating for over 57 years. The bank had
an extensive network of 263 branches, with a significant presence in the
southern states of India. The bank had total assets of Rs. 39.88 billion and
deposits of Rs.33.95 billion as on September 30,2000. The bank had a
capital adequacy ratio of 15.8% as on March 31,2000.
3.2 The Bank’s equity shares were listed on the Stock Exchanges at
Mumbai and Chennai and National Stock Exchange of India before its
merger. ICICI Bank then was one of the leading private sector banks in the
country. ICICI Bank had total assets of Rs. 120.63 billion and deposits of
Rs. 97.28 billion as on September 30, 2000. The bank’s capital adequacy
ratio stood at 17.59% as on September 30, 2000. ICICI Bank was India’s
largest ATM provider with 546 ATMs as on June 30, 2001. The equity
shares of the bank were listed on the Stock Exchanges at Mumbai,
Calcutta, Delhi, Chennai, Vadodara and National Stock Exchange of India.
ICICI Bank’s American Depository Shares were listed on the New York
Stock Exchange.
ICICI BANK
3.3 In February 2000, ICICI Bank was one of the first few Indian banks to
raise its capital through American Depository Shares in the international
market, and received an overwhelming response for its issue of $ 175
million, with a total order of USD 2.2 billion. At the time of filling the
prospectus, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Bank
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
had mentioned that the proceeds of the issue would be used to acquire a
bank.
3.4 As on March 31, 2000, bank had a network of 81 branches, 16
extension counters and 175 ATMs. The capital adequacy ratio was at
19.64% of risk-weighted assets, a significant excess of 9 % over RBI
Benchmark.
3.5 ICICI Bank was scouting for private banks for merger, with a view to
expand its assets and client base and geographical coverage. Though it
had 21% of stake, the choice of Federal bank, was not lucrative due to
employee size (6600), per employee business was as low as Rs. 161 lakh
and a snail pace of technical upgradation. While, BOM had an attractive
business per employee figure of Rs. 202 lakh, a better technological edge
and a vast base in southern India as compared to Federal Bank. While all
these factors sound good, a cultural integration was a tough task ahead
for ICICI Bank.
THE MERGER
3.6 ICICI Bank had then announced a merger with the 57 year old BOM,
with 263 branches, out of which 82 of them were in rural areas, with most
of them in southern India. As on the day of announcement of merger (09-
12-2000), Kotak Mahindra group was holding about 12% stake in BOM, the
Chairman BOM, Mr. K.M. Thaigarajan, along with his associates was
holding about 26% stake, Spic group had about 4.7%, while LIC and UTI
were having marginal holding. The merger was supposed to enhance ICICI
Bank’s hold on the south Indian market. The swap ratio was approved in
the ratio of 1:2- two shares of ICICI Bank for normal every one share of
BOM. The deal with BOM was likely to dilute the current equity capital by
around 2%. And the merger was expected to bring 20% gains in EPS of
ICICI Bank and a decline in the bank’s comfortable Capital Adequacy Ratio
from 19.64% 17.6%.
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FINANCIAL PARAMETERS
3.7 Financials of ICICI Bank and Bank of Madura. The financial
parameters of ICICI Bank and Bank of Madura is tabulated below:-
Parameters ICICI Bank ICICI Bank Bank of Madura
Bank of Madura
(Rs. In Crores) 1999-2000 1998-1999 1999-2000 1998-1999
Net worth 1129.90 308.33 247.83 211.32
Total deposits 9866.02 6072.94 3631.00 3013.00
Advances 5030.96 3377.60 1665.42 1393.92
Net Profit 105.43 63.75 45.58 30.13
Share capital 196.81 165.07 11.08 11.08
Capital adequacy ratio 19.64% 11.06% 14.25% 15.83%
Gross less NPAs/gross adv 2.54% 4.72% 11.09% 8.13%
Net NPAs/net advances 1.53% 2.88% 6.23% 4.66%
3.8 The scheme of amalgamation was expected to increase the equity
base of ICICI Bank to Rs. 220.36 crore. ICICI Bank was to issue 235.4 lakh
shares of Rs. 10 each to the shareholders of BOM. The merged entity will
have an increase of asset base over Rs. 160 billion and a deposit base of
Rs. 131 billion. The merged entity will have 360 branches across the
country and also enable ICICI Bank to serve a large customer base of 1.2
million customers of BOM through a wider network, adding to the
customer base to 2.7 million.
3.9 On the Day of Merger Announcement. The financial
standing of both the banks drew a great degree of attention nationwide on
the day of merger announcement. There were number of issues on the
financial concerns for both the banks. The details financial standing of
both the banks on the day of announcement of merger is tabulated
below:-
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Name of the Bank
Book value of Bank on the day of merger announcement
Market price on the day of announcement of merger
Earnings per share
Dividend paid (in %)
P/E ratio
Profit per employee
(in lakh) 1999-2000
Bank of Madura
183.0 131.60 38.7 55% 3% 1.73
ICICI Bank
58.0 169.90 5.4 15% - 7.83
3.10 Key Ratios. The key ratios between the two banks are
tabulated below:-
Particulars ICICI Bank Bank of Madura
CAR 17.6% 15.8%
NPAs as a % of net advances 1.5% 4.8%
ROA 0.9% 1.1%
Interest spread as a % of total assets 1.5% 2.3%
3.11 Comparative Valuations. The comparative valuation of both the
banks are tabulated below:-
POST MERGER ISSUES
3.12 The Board of Directors at ICICI Bank had contemplated the following
synergies emerging from the merger:
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Particulars ICICI Bank Bank of Madura
Market Price (Rs) 170 132
PER (x) 22.7 3.0
Dividend yield 0.9% 4.2%
Price/Book value (x) 2.7 0.6
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
Financial Capability: The amalgamation will enable them to have
a stronger financial and operational structure, which is supposed to
be capable of grater resource/deposit mobilization. In addition to
this, ICICI will emerge as one of the largest private sector banks in
the country.
Branch Network: The ICICI’s branch network would not only
increase by 263. But also increase its geographic coverage as well
as convenience to its customers.
Customer Base: The emerged largest customer base will enable
the ICICI Bank to offer other banking and financial services and
products to the erstwhile customers of BOM and also facilitate cross
selling of products and services of the ICICI group to their
customers.
Tech Edge: The merger will enable ICICI Bank to provide ATM,
phone and the Internet banking and such other technology based
financial services and products to a large customer base, with
expected savings in costs and operating expenses.
Focus on Priority Sector: The enhanced branch network will
enable the bank to focus on micro finance activities through self-
help groups, in its priority sector initiatives through its acquired 87
rural and 88 semi-urban branches.
Managing Rural Branches: Most of the branches of ICICI were in
metros and major cities, whereas BOM had its branches mostly in
semi urban and city segments of south India. The task ahead lying
for the merged entity was to increase dramatically the business mix
of rural branches of BOM. On the other hand, due to geographic
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‘Merger & Acquisition: ICICI Bank & Bank of Madura’
location of its branches and level of competition, ICICI Bank will
have a tough time to cope with.
Managing Software: Another task, which stands on the way, is
technology. While ICICI Bank, which is a fully automated entity was
using the package, banks 2000, BOM has computerized 90% of its
businesses and was conversant with ISBS software. The BOM
branches were supposed to switch over to banks 2000. Thought it is
not a difficult task, 80% computer literate staff would need effective
retraining which involves a cost. The ICICI Bank needs to invest
Rs.50 crores, for upgrading BOM’s 263 branches.
Managing Human Resources: One of the greatest challenges
before ICICI Bank was managing the human resources. When the
head count of ICICI Bank is taken, it was less than 1500 employees;
on the other hand, BOM had over 2,500. The merged entity will have
about 4000 employees which will make it one of the largest banks
among the new generation private sector banks. The staff of ICICI
Bank was drawn from 75 various banks, mostly young qualified
professionals with computer background and prefer to work in
metros or big cities with good remuneration packages.
Managing Client Base: The client base of ICICI Bank, after merger, will be as big as 2.7 million from its past 0.5 million, an accumulation of 2.2 million from BOM. The nature and quality of clients is not uniform. The BOM has built up its client base over a long time, in a hard way, on the basis of personalized services. In order to deal with the BOM’s clientele, the ICICI Bank needs to redefine its strategies to suit to the new clientele. If the sentiments or a relationship of small and medium borrowers is hurt; it may be difficult for them to reestablish the relationship, which could also hamper the image of the bank.
DISADVANTAGES
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3.13 Since BoM had comparatively more NPAs than IBL, the Capital Adequacy Ratio of the merged entity was lower (from 19% to about 17%). The two banks also had a cultural misfit with BoM having a trade-union system and IBL workers being young and upwardly mobile, unlike those for BoM. There were technological issues as well as IBL used Banks 2000 software, which was very different from BoM's ISBS software. With the manual interpretations and procedures and the lack of awareness of the technology utilisation in BoM, there were hindrances in the merged entity.
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CONCLUSION
FUTURE OF M&A IN INDIAN BANKING
4.1 In 2010, further opening up of the Indian banking sector is forecast to occur due to the changing regulatory environment (proposal for upto 74% ownership by Foreign banks in Indian banks). This will be an opportunity for foreign banks to enter the Indian market as with their huge capital reserves, cutting-edge technology, best international practices and skilled personnel they have a clear competitive advantage over Indian banks. However, excessive valuations may act as a deterrent, especially in the post-sub-prime era.
4.2 Persistent growth in Indian corporate sector and other segments provide further motives for M&As. Banks need to keep pace with the growing industrial and agricultural sectors to serve them effectively. A bigger player can afford to invest in required technology. Consolidation with global players can give the benefit of global opportunities in funds' mobilisation, credit disbursal, investments and rendering of financial services. Consolidation can also lower intermediation cost and increase reach to underserved segments.
4.3 The Narasimhan Committee (II) recommendations are also an important indicator of the future shape of the sector. There would be a movement towards a 3-tier structure in the Indian banking industry: 2-3 large international banks; 8-10 national banks; and a few large local area banks. In addition, M&As in the future are likely to be more market-driven, instead of government-driven. 11
4.4 Based on the trends in the banking sector and the insights from the cases highlighted in this study, one can list some steps for the future which banks should consider, both in terms of consolidation and general business. Firstly, banks can work towards a synergy-based merger plan that could take shape latest by 2009 end with minimisation of technology-related expenditure as a goal. There is also a need to note that merger or large size is just a facilitator, but no guarantee for improved profitability on a sustained basis. Hence, the thrust should be on improving risk management capabilities, corporate governance and strategic business planning. In the short run, attempt options like outsourcing, strategic alliances, etc. can be considered. Banks need to take advantage of this fast changing environment, where product life cycles are short, time to market is critical and first mover advantage could be a decisive factor in
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deciding who wins in future. Post-M&A, the resulting larger size should not affect agility. The aim should be to create a nimble giant, rather than a clumsy dinosaur. At the same time, lack of size should not be taken to imply irrelevance as specialised players can still seek to provide niche and boutique services.
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REFERENCE
1. www.economictimes.indiatimes.com
2. www.smfi.org
3. www.moneycontrol.com
4. www.hinduonnet.com
5. www.icicibank.com
6. www.financialexpress.com
7. www.livemint.com
8. www.telegraphindia.com
9. www.karvy.com
10 www.smartinvestor.in
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