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<div type="image" title="Are Indians depositing less money in banks, or more in mutual funds? Turns out, it&amp;#39;s neither of those." msid="113663806" hostid="261" sizebytes="1121785"></div> Over the past few months, there’s been a lot of brouhaha about the lagging pace of <keyword id="20202062" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bank-deposits" source="keywords">bank deposits</keyword> in India. Simply put, the rate at which Indians are depositing their hard-earned money in banks has been falling constantly, and some blame the increasing financialisation of <keyword id="20751315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="household-savings" source="keywords">household savings</keyword> in the country or the rising preference of Indians towards <keyword id="19929240" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-funds" source="keywords">mutual funds</keyword> and shares. So, the hypothesis is that people are choosing to invest more in mutual funds and the Indian <keyword id="19949641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-markets" source="keywords">equity markets</keyword> through direct investments, IPOs, or NFOs, the money flowing into Indian banks in the form of deposits is slowing down. But is that really the case? <h2>A crisis or a phase?</h2><keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="RBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="RBI">RBI</keyword> data suggested that for the quarter ended June 2024, bank deposits grew at 11.7%. On the other hand, credit growth has outpaced this at 15%. This means that the outflow from banks as loans is far greater than the inflow into them in the form of deposits in Q1 of FY 2024-25. The situation largely saw cut-copy-paste in the first week of September as well, with loans registering a 13.3% YoY growth during the period, while deposits rose only 11.1%. This gap has only been widening for the last 3 years. Since deposits are how banks gather assets to further lend and earn interest income as a consequence, even a slight dip could set the alarm bells ringing for banks, and rightfully so. And truth be told, mutual funds are indeed taking on bank deposits in a big way. Per a report by Franklin Templeton, in August 2024, the AUM (assets under management) of Indian mutual funds, or the total funds managed by them, stood at 31.3% of total bank deposits in the country, up from 24.20% during the year-ago period. As of August 2024, the AUM of mutual funds stood at Rs 66.17 lakh crore, an all-time high. But all said and done, is this really the reason why the rate of bank deposits is falling behind? SBI has dismissed this to be a “statistical myth”, and experts point out that since equity and fund houses also keep the cash in their respective bank accounts, there’s no cause for concern. So, is financialization really to be blamed for the trailing tempo of deposits? Or is something else happening behind the scenes? We take a closer look: <h2>First, are household deposits really slowing down? And is that a cause of concern?</h2>Data from Motilal Oswal suggests the contrary. Deposits grew by around 10.4% between March 2020 and August 2024. Data from RBI also highlights that as of August 9, 2024, bank deposits witnessed a YoY growth of 10.8%. The loan-to-deposit ratio for the retail segment, which indicates what percentage of its total deposits the banks lend out as loans, has stayed at 77.5%, above the 77% mark for the tenth straight month. <div type="image" title="Yes, household deposits (as % of total deposits) have dipped, but the drop is far from significant" msid="113663882" hostid="261" sizebytes="306706"></div> Also, we can’t forego the fact that the share of Indian households in bank deposits has indeed slowed down. However, data from Axis AMC shows that the dip is marginal—from 63% in 2022 to 62% in 2023 and 61% in 2024. What has slowed down even more considerably is the share of government deposits in the aggregate bank deposits, which has dipped from 14% in 2018 to 9% in 2024. So, it's not just household deposits, you see. Moreover, as of March 2024, the collective CASA ratio (current and <keyword id="114757" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings-account" source="Orion">savings account</keyword> deposits) of all commercial banks in India stood at 41.00%, down from 43.1% in March 2023 and 45.2% in March 2022, marking a nearly 5% point decline over the past year, while still staying over the 10-year average of 39.2%. This implies that Indian banks are relying more on higher-cost funds (savings accounts), which can limit their profitability. <h2>What is this financialisation of savings we are talking about?</h2>Then again, there is no doubt about the growing affinity of Indians towards mutual funds and stock markets. Recent data from CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) highlights that India’s net direct tax collection surged by around 22%, driven exclusively by the significant uptick in the collection of Securities Transaction Tax (STT), which doubled to Rs 26,154 crore, from Rs 13,352 crore in the year-ago period. Why does this matter? STT is levied when you buy or sell equity shares on stock exchanges, sell <keyword id="6361918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-mutual-funds" source="Orion">equity mutual funds</keyword>, and trade in futures and options in the equity segment. Such taxes, including the multiple other taxes in equity market investments, are considered as leakages as the money moves out of the economy into government coffers. Data from a ValueQuest report explains that over the last 20 years, the markets have handsomely rewarded the investors, generating over $900 billion in incremental value for them. This is the major driver behind the dramatic rise in investment flowing towards the equity markets. There’s further proof of this budding romance, if you check the demat pudding. The number of demat accounts, which are a primary requisite for participating in the stock markets, also burgeoned by 42.3 lakh in August 2024, taking India’s total tally of demat accounts beyond 17 crore. To put this in perspective, this is almost equivalent to the population of just 8 nations in the world, including China, the US, Brazil and more. Vivek Iyer, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat thinks it's rather important, as well. “Financialisation of household savings in India is an indication of deepening capital markets in the market, especially from a retail investor standpoint. Bank deposits with a modest rate of return are no longer the only option for savings for investors. Investors today have more avenues for wealth creation in the form of public capital markets, which have democratized wealth creation and provided equality of opportunity to retail investors”, he says. Yes, Indians are investing more and more in the markets, and in mutual funds. But is it a sin to look out for inflation-beating returns, which the stock markets offer, and vanilla bank deposits don't? After all, the allure of 12-13% annual returns offered by <keyword id="45369" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equities" source="Orion">equities</keyword> can certainly pale the stability offered by good old deposits, which generally do not go beyond 9% when it comes to annual returns. But all of this is not what is behind the slowdown. India is still a toddler in the school of savings financialization, with less than 10% of the population holding a demat account, and less than 5% of us saving in equities. That's a drop in the ocean of deposits, far inadequate to trigger a tsunami. <h2>Tell me why lagging deposits have nothing to do with Indians investing more in mutual funds!</h2>Says Shweta Rajani, Head - Mutual Funds, Anand Rathi Wealth Limited, “Households' equity holdings composition grew from 11.1% in FY 23 to 14.7% in FY 24. This trend reflects a growing awareness of investment options, empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures. Despite this transition towards equities, banks still hold a significant share of household financial savings—33.5% in FY24 compared to 34.9% in FY23”. Also, household savings and their subsequent financialization do not have much to do with deposit creation, which is entirely made by banks. What actually drives increased deposits is credit growth or increased lending. When interest rates are eased, people tend to borrow more and spend more, which circulates more money in the economy. For the past 4 years, RBI has been tightening the screws on interest rates, which raises the cost of borrowings, and makes it more expensive to take loans, putting a dampener on credit growth, but effectively curbing inflationary pressures. The last time RBI cut the repo rate by 40 basis points was back in May 2020, 4 years ago. The lag in <keyword id="19998084" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="deposit-growth" source="keywords">deposit growth</keyword> we’re witnessing is almost 3 years old. Coincidence much, or just good old economics at work? But with the Fed recently setting a rate cut precedent by slashing 50 bps off its interest rate, RBI is expected to follow suit in the next MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) meeting, scheduled for November 2024. A rate cut would ease the aforementioned high cost of borrowing, and increase loan-taking for corporates and institutional investors, thereby stoking consumption in the economy. And then, deposit creation in banks is likely to return to its former glory. If not, then that would be a curious case to unravel! But that worry is for another day. Do you have insights or personal experience to share on your personal finances or money? Contact us at <a target="_blank" class="c-link" href="mailto:businessinsider@timesinternet.in">businessinsider@timesinternet.in</a>.

Simply Put: A Deposit Dilemma — What's the fuss about a crisis in Indian bank deposits? Are mutual fund investments to blame?

Stock <keyword id="20345915" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exchanges" source="keywords">exchanges</keyword> and <keyword id="20710434" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="brokers" source="keywords">brokers</keyword>, catering to retail traders, could be hit hard by the regulator <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sebi" source="keywords">SEBI</keyword>'s proposed measures for Futures &amp; Options (F&amp;O) <keyword id="22748189" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trading-regulations" source="keywords">trading regulations</keyword>, with market volumes slumping 30-40 %, according to reports. If these measures are implemented, the number of investors could decrease, it added. Moreover, discount brokers, who depend heavily on retail investors, are expected to be more affected than traditional full-service brokers. SEBI, in its consultation paper in July, proposed seven measures, including increasing minimum contract size and upfront collection of option premiums, intra-day monitoring of position limits, rationalisation of strike prices, removal of calendar spread benefit on expiry day and increase in near contract expiry margin. SEBI stated that these measures are aimed at enhancing <keyword id="20775670" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investor-protection" source="keywords">investor protection</keyword> and promoting <keyword id="20813757" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="market-stability" source="keywords">market stability</keyword> in derivative markets. According to a report by Jefferies, SEBI's proposed measures to reduce the number of weekly option contracts from 18 to 6 could impact around 35% of industry premiums. However, if trading shifts to the remaining contracts, the overall impact can be reduced to 20-25%. Among its 7 proposed measures, IIFL Securities see the highest impact from the withdrawal of <keyword id="22353333" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weekly-options" source="keywords">weekly options</keyword> (only 1 per exchange allowed) as index Options account for 98% of the volumes. IIFL Securities expects the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to be more affected than the BSE because 60 % of NSE's revenue comes from options trading, compared to 40% for BSE. It estimates that by the financial year 2026, NSE's earnings could be reduced by 25-30% while BSE's earnings could drop by 15-18%. Jefferies also believes that the removal of Bankex weekly contract can impact BSE's earnings per share (EPS) by 7-9% over FY25-27. It further said that BSE might see a small decline in earnings, but if trading activity shifts from discontinued products, it could offset the impact or even lead to earnings growth. "We don't see any impact on MCX from these regulations. Within the value chain, discount brokers are likely to be more impacted than traditional full-service brokers given the former's dependence on retail investors," IIFL Securities said. Jefferies believes that clearing members like Nuvama, which caters to institutional players High-Frequency Traders (HFTs), and Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) are less impacted. Rationalizing weekly options to only one benchmark index per exchange will significantly affect the NSE because it currently has four weekly index expiries, with "Bank Nifty" being the most important, contributing to 50 % of its options volume. The change could reduce NSE's overall trading volumes by 30-35 %, IIFL Securities said. On the other hand, BSE is expected to be less affected since it only has two contracts, with Sensex making up 85 % of its volumes in FY24. Even if "Bankex" contributes 30% by FY26, the impact on BSE's volumes is expected to be smaller compared to NSE, it said. Additionally, with just two expiries, BSE might gain market share and experience higher trading volumes, resulting in an estimated 20 % reduction in its overall volumes, it added. Jefferies said that SEBI's proposed measure of increasing lot sizes by 3-4 times over six months could lead to higher costs for retail traders, potentially reducing their participation in the market. The proposed margin increase for options sellers close to expiry could reduce leverage and profitability, especially for retail traders with limited funds. "Finally other measures like increasing ELM (extreme loss margin) around expiry, and withdrawal of calendar spread margin on expiry will increase the margin requirements and thereby could impact the liquidity. Based on our initial estimates we expect a 30-40 % impact on market volume," IIFL Securities said. SEBI Chief Madhabi Puri Buch recently mentioned that households are losing up to Rs 60,000 crore a year in the problematic futures and options segment. Earlier, SEBI research showed retail traders lose money in nine out of 10 trades in the F&amp;O segment Last month, the government in the Union Budget raised the securities transaction tax (STT) on both futures and options trade from October 1 to allay concerns about hyperactive interest in the derivative segment. Before that, the Economic Survey flagged concerns over rising retail investors' interest in derivative trading. The survey stated that speculative trade has no place in a developing country. It also pointed out that the sharp increase in retail investor participation in F&amp;O trading is likely driven by humans' gambling instincts.

SEBI proposed F&O norms to hit exchanges, brokers, says reports

The provisional figures of <keyword id="128666" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="direct-tax-collections">direct tax collections</keyword> for the <keyword id="44623" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Financial-Year">financial year</keyword> 2020-21 showed that net collections are at ₹9.45 lakh crore. The net collection is around 5 per cent higher than the revised estimates for the 2020-21. The net direct tax collections include <keyword id="483910" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="corporation-tax">corporation tax</keyword> (CIT) at ₹4.57 lakh crore and personal income tax (PIT), including security transaction tax (STT) at ₹4.88 lakh crore. "The net direct tax collections represent 104.46% of the Revised Estimates of ₹9.05 lakh crore of direct taxes for the FY 2020-21," said a <keyword id="47209" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Ministry">Finance Ministry</keyword> statement. The gross collection of direct taxes, before adjusting for refunds, for the FY21 stands at ₹12.06 lakh crore, including corporation tax of ₹6.31 lakh crore and personal income tax (including STT) of ₹5.75 lakh crore. It also includes <keyword id="48166" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Advance-tax">advance tax</keyword> of ₹4.95 lakh crore, tax deducted at source (including Central TDS) of ₹5.45 lakh crore, self-assessment tax of ₹1.07 lakh crore, regular assessment tax of ₹42,372 crore, dividend distribution tax of ₹13,237 crore and tax under other minor heads of ₹2,612 crore. The official statement noted that despite an extremely challenging year, the advance tax collections for FY21 stand at ₹4.95 lakh crore which shows a growth of approximately 6.7 per cent over the advance tax collections of the immediately preceding fiscal of ₹4.64 lakh crore. Further, refunds amounting to ₹2.61 lakh crore have been issued in the FY21 as against refunds of ₹1.83 lakh crore issued in the FY20, marking an increase of around 42 per cent over the previous financial year. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/nokia-x20-specifications-nokia-new-phones-price-in-india/articleshow/81981039.cms">Six new Nokia smartphones announced – price, specifications and availability details you should know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/founders-take-note-heres-why-most-startups-fail/articleshow/81981138.cms">Founders, take note: here’s why most startups fail</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-phone-app-now-lets-you-record-calls-automatically-from-unknown-numbers/articleshow/81982791.cms">Google Phone app now lets you record calls automatically from unknown numbers</a>

India collected ₹9.45 lakh crore in taxes last year — exceeding the government's expectations

New Delhi, Jan 31 () A cut in personal income tax, sops for rural and agriculture sectors as well as an aggressive push on infrastructure spending are likely to be part of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's "feel-good" second Budget.
 Facing the worst economic slowdown in more than a decade, Sitharaman is expected to pull out all stops to spur consumer demand and investment, government sources and economists said.
 Sitharaman's second Budget, to be presented on February 1, is expected to announce measures to restore economic growth and to set out a clear road map for achieving the ambitious target of USD 5 trillion economy by 2025.
 Investments have failed to pick up despite corporate tax cuts and other stimulus measures, higher FDI inflows, plans to consolidate state-owned banks and monetary easing.
 After corporate tax cuts in September last year, speculation is rife about possible reduction in personal income taxes. A combination of an increase in the basic exemption limit and/or the introduction of a differentiated tax rate structure for higher incomes may be on the cards.
 To cushion the impact on collections, these tweaks might be accompanied by rationalisation in tax rebates.
 "The government announced a slew of stimulus measures in the last four months but consumer confidence is missing. Not many are eager to take loans to buy homes or cars fearing the worst. The feel good factor in the economy is missing," a senior government source said.
 "I think the Budget will be a feel-good Budget that will try to restore faith in the economy and spur spending and investments," the source said.
 With disbursements under the PM-Kisan scheme to farmers being less than the budgeted amount, the Budget may also see measures to get states to onboard more eligible farmers under the scheme.
 Also, there would be announcements for sectors such as renewable energy, e-vehicle, power, affordable housing, real estate, and exports, they said.
 Financial markets are expecting relief on Securities Transaction Tax (STT), Long Term Capital Gains Tax (LTCG) and removal of dividend tax.
 Capital infusion in public sector banks and liquidity measures for Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) may also be on the horizon.
 Both the government sources and the economists felt the Budget would reaffirm the focus on infrastructure spending after the rollout of an ambitious National Infra Pipeline (NIP) in December.
 Social sector schemes such as rural electrification, MGNREGA, healthcare, education and skill training may also find mention in the Budget.
 However, all such measures would come at the cost of fiscal slippage.
 The Economic Survey for 2019-20, released on Friday, has already laid the ground by suggesting to the government to keep the focus on reviving growth and letting go of fiscal discipline a bit.
 The RBI, armed with a favourable inflation backdrop, defended slowdown risks last year with 110 basis points cut in interest rates. As it puts a brake on the easing cycle, due to an unseasonal spurt in food prices leading to above-target inflation, the ball is in the government's court to revive growth.
 Sitharaman would have to do a balancing between efforts to boost growth and the need for fiscal restraint. Economists expect a slight policy tilt towards prioritising growth.
 Real GDP growth is estimated to fall to an 11-year low of 5 per cent in FY20 from 6.1 per cent in FY19. Estimated nominal growth at 7.5 per cent in FY20 is the lowest since 1975-76 (FY76) as per the FY12-based GDP series.
 IIP growth turned positive but remained low at 1.8 per cent in November 2019 after contracting by (-) 4 per cent in October 2019.
 CPI inflation increased to a 65-month high of 7.4 per cent in December 2019, its fifth sequential rise, mainly due to persistently rising vegetable prices.
 Also, growth in bank credit fell to a 25-month low of 8 per cent in November 2019. ANZ RAM
RAM

'Feel good' Budget may see cut in tax rate, sops for social sectors

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Michael Smith/Getty</div></div></div>CenturyLink has agreed to buy Level 3 Communications in a cash and stock deal valued at $34 billion, including debt.In a <a href="http://ir.centurylink.com/CorporateProfile.aspx?iid=4057179">statement</a> Monday, the phone company said its acquisition of the internet-service provider will give it an additional 200,000 route miles of fiber, and raise the number of on-net buildings it services to about 75,000. "The digital economy relies on broadband connectivity, and together with Level 3 we will have one of the most robust fiber network and high-speed data services companies in the world," said Glen Post, CenturyLink CEO, in the announcement. Level 3 shareholders will get $26.50 per share in cash for approximately 1.43 shares of CenturyLink stock for each Level 3 share they own. That implies a price of $66.50 per Level 3 share, a 42% premium to where they traded on Thursday before reports of the deal. CenturyLink will fund the deal through a combination of cash on hand and about $7 billion in debt, financed by Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. When the deal closes, Post will be chief executive of the combined company. Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley were CenturyLink's financial advisors, while Citigroup advised Level 3. CenturyLink shares fell 8% in pre-market trading, while Level 3 gained 4%. Here's the full <a href="http://ir.centurylink.com/CorporateProfile.aspx?iid=4057179">statement</a>:CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) and Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) today announced that their Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive merger agreement under which CenturyLink will acquire Level 3 in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $34 billion, including the assumption of debt. Under terms of the agreement, Level 3 shareholders will receive $26.50 per share in cash and a fixed exchange ratio of 1.4286 shares of CenturyLink stock for each Level 3 share they own, which implies a purchase price of $66.50 per Level 3 share (based on a CenturyLink $28.00 per share reference price) and a premium of approximately 42 percent based on Level 3's unaffected closing share price of $46.92 on October 26, 2016, the last trading day prior to market speculation about a potential transaction. Upon the closing of the transaction, CenturyLink shareholders will own approximately 51 percent and Level 3 shareholders will own approximately 49 percent of the combined company.The combined company will have the ability to offer CenturyLink's larger enterprise customer base the benefits of Level 3's global footprint with a combined presence in more than 60 countries. In addition, the combined company will be positioned to further invest in the reach and speeds of its broadband infrastructure for small businesses and consumers."The digital economy relies on broadband connectivity, and together with Level 3 we will have one of the most robust fiber network and high-speed data services companies in the world," said Glen Post, CenturyLink Chief Executive Officer and President. "This transaction furthers our commitment to providing our customers with the network to improve their lives and strengthen their businesses. It is this focus on providing fiber connectivity that will continue to distinguish CenturyLink from our competitors. CenturyLink shareholders will benefit from the significant synergies and financial flexibility provided by the combined company's revenue growth and strong cash flow. For employees, this combination will bring together two highly customer-focused organizations and provide employees growth and advancement opportunities the companies could not offer separately." "This is a compelling transaction for our customers, shareholders and employees," said Jeff Storey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Level 3. "In addition to the substantial value delivered to shareholders, the combined company will be uniquely positioned to meet the evolving and global needs of enterprise customers."Strategic and Financial Benefits<ul style="padding-left: 30px;" type="disc"><li>Highly Complementary Businesses with Expanded Fiber Networks: This transaction increases CenturyLink's network by 200,000 route miles of fiber, which includes 64,000 route miles in 350 metropolitan areas and 33,000 subsea route miles connecting multiple continents. Accounting for those served by both companies, CenturyLink's on-net buildings are expected to increase by nearly 75 percent to approximately 75,000, including 10,000 buildings in EMEA and Latin America. Overall, the complementary domestic and international networks will provide cost efficiencies by focusing capital investment on increasing capacity and extending the reach of the combined company's high-bandwidth fiber network.</li></ul><ul style="padding-left: 30px;" type="disc"><li>Enhanced Competitive Offerings in Business Network Services: The combined company will have significantly improved network capabilities, creating a world-class enterprise player with approximately $19 billion in pro forma business revenue and $13 billion in business strategic revenue, for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2016. Together, CenturyLink's and Level 3's revenue will be 76 percent derived from business customers, and 65 percent of the combined company's core revenue will be from strategic services. Given the complementary nature of the portfolios, the combined company will offer an even broader range of services and solutions to meet customers' demand for more bandwidth and new applications in an increasingly complex operating environment.</li></ul><ul style="padding-left: 30px;" type="disc"><li>Enhanced Broadband Infrastructure: This transaction will provide the combined company with increased opportunity to invest in its broadband infrastructure and enhance broadband speed for small businesses and consumers.</li></ul><ul style="padding-left: 30px;" type="disc"><li>Strong Financial Profile: The combined company is expected to have improved adjusted EBITDA margins, revenue growth and pro forma net leverage of less than 3.7x at close, including run-rate synergies. The combined company will benefit from Level 3's nearly $10 billion of net operating losses ("NOLs"). These NOLs will substantially reduce the combined company's net cash tax expense over the next several years, positioning it to generate substantial free cash flow.</li></ul><ul style="padding-left: 30px;" type="disc"><li>Improved Dividend Coverage: The improved free cash flow will enhance the combined company's financial flexibility and significantly lower its payout ratio. CenturyLink expects to maintain its annual dividend of $2.16 per share.</li></ul><ul style="padding-left: 30px;" type="disc"><li>Significantly Accretive to Free Cash Flow with Multiple Opportunities for Growth: CenturyLink expects the transaction to be accretive to free cash flow in the first full year following the close of the transaction and significantly accretive on an annual run-rate basis thereafter. Furthermore, the transaction will be accretive to CenturyLink's existing growth profile with additional upside opportunities, including the ability to deploy CenturyLink's and Level 3's product portfolio across the combined customer bases. With increased network scale, and dense local metro areas and global reach, the combined company will be positioned to further expand internationally.</li></ul><ul style="padding-left: 30px;" type="disc"><li>Substantial Run-Rate Synergies: Both companies have a proven ability to integrate and meet or exceed synergy targets. The increased scale afforded by the combined company is expected to generate $975 million of annual run-rate cash synergies, primarily from the elimination of duplicative functions, systems consolidation, and increased operational and capital efficiencies.</li></ul>Management, Board and LocationAfter the close of the transaction, Glen Post will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer and President and Sunit Patel, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Level 3, will serve as Chief Financial Officer of the combined company.The Chairman of CenturyLink's Board at the time of the closing of the transaction will continue to serve as Chairman of the combined company. CenturyLink has agreed to appoint four Level 3 Board members at closing, one of whom will be a representative of STT Crossing (a wholly owned subsidiary of ST Telemedia).The combined company will be headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana and will maintain a significant presence in Colorado and the Denver metropolitan area.Financing and ApprovalsCenturyLink intends to finance the cash portion of the transaction and pay related fees and expenses through a combination of cash on hand at CenturyLink and Level 3, and approximately $7 billion of additional indebtedness. In connection therewith, CenturyLink has received financing commitments from BofA Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley &amp; Co. LLC totaling approximately $10.2 billion for new secured debt facilities, comprised of a new $2 billion secured revolving credit facility and approximately $8.2 billion of other secured debt facilities, including the refinancing of indebtedness expected to mature prior to closing of the transaction. All existing indebtedness of Level 3 is expected to remain in place at Level 3 and Level 3 will not incur any incremental indebtedness or guarantee any indebtedness of CenturyLink to finance the transaction.The companies anticipate closing the transaction by the end of third quarter 2017. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, including expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, review by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, certain state regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is also subject to the approval of CenturyLink and Level 3 shareholders.CenturyLink has entered into a voting agreement with STT Crossing (a wholly owned subsidiary of ST Telemedia), holder of approximately 18 percent of Level 3's outstanding common stock, pursuant to which it will vote its Level 3 shares in favor of the transaction.CenturyLink and Level 3 Third Quarter 2016 Earnings ResultsIn separate press releases issued today, CenturyLink and Level 3 announced earnings results for the third quarter 2016. In light of today's transaction and third quarter earnings announcements, CenturyLink and Level 3 have both cancelled their previously announced calls for Wednesday, November 2, 2016 and Thursday, November 3, 2016, respectively. A joint presentation will be available at <a href="http://www.centurylink.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.centurylink.com</a> and <a href="http://www.level3.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.level3.com</a>.AdvisorsBofA Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley &amp; Co. LLC acted as CenturyLink's financial advisors, and Evercore provided a fairness opinion. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen &amp; Katz and Jones Walker are acting as CenturyLink's legal advisors. Citigroup acted as financial advisor to Level 3, and Lazard provided a fairness opinion. Willkie Farr &amp; Gallagher LLP acted as legal advisor to Level 3. Latham &amp; Watkins acted as legal advisor and Credit Suisse acted as financial advisor to ST Telemedia. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/liz-ann-sonders-markets-reaction-election-economy-trump-clinton-2016-10">LIZ ANN SONDERS: The most unsettling outcome for the markets would be a surprise Trump win</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="czY2RrNjE6g23Q0yzCUBNysuCleRsdVF" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

CenturyLink is buying Level 3 Communications for $34 billion

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Simply Put: A Deposit Dilemma — What's the fuss about a crisis in Indian bank deposits? Are mutual fund investments to blame?

Ira Alok Puranik

SEBI proposed F&O norms to hit exchanges, brokers, says reports

PTI

India collected ₹9.45 lakh crore in taxes last year — exceeding the government's expectations

IANS

'Feel good' Budget may see cut in tax rate, sops for social sectors

PTI

CenturyLink is buying Level 3 Communications for $34 billion

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