Merchant Banking

What is Merchant Banking? Meaning

Merchant Banking is a combination of banking and consultancy services. It provides consultancy, to its clients, for financial, marketing, managerial and legal matters. Consultancy means to provide advice, guidance and service for a fee. Merchant banking helps a businessman to start a business. It helps to raise (collect) finance. It helps to expand and modernise the business. It helps in restructuring of a business. It helps to revive sick business units. It also helps companies to register, buy and sell shares at the stock exchange.

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In short, merchant banking provides a wide range of services for starting until running a business. It acts as Financial Engineer for a business.
Merchant banking was first started in India in 1967 by Grindlays Bank. It has made rapid progress since 1970.

Services Functions of Merchant Banking

The services, functions of merchant banking are listed and explained below.

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1. Raising Finance for Clients : Merchant Banking helps its clients to raise finance through issue of shares, debentures, bank loans, etc. It helps its clients to raise finance from the domestic and international market. This finance is used for starting a new business or project or for modernisation or expansion of the business.
2. Broker in Stock Exchange : Merchant bankers act as brokers in the stock exchange. They buy and sell shares on behalf of their clients. They conduct research on equity shares. They also advise their clients about which shares to buy, when to buy, how much to buy and when to sell. Large brokers, Mutual Funds, Venture capital companies and Investment Banks offer merchant banking services.
3. Project Management : Merchant bankers help their clients in the many ways. For e.g. Advising about location of a project, preparing a project report, conducting feasibility studies, making a plan for financing the project, finding out sources of finance, advising about concessions and incentives from the government.
4. Advice on Expansion and Modernisation : Merchant bankers give advice for expansion and modernisation of the business units. They give expert advice on mergers and amalgamations, acquisition and takeovers, diversification of business, foreign collaborations and joint-ventures, technology upgradation, etc.
5. Managing Public Issue of Companies : Merchant bank advice and manage the public issue of companies. They provide following services:-
   1. Advise on the timing of the public issue.
   2. Advise on the size and price of the issue.
   3. Acting as manager to the issue, and helping in accepting applications and allotment of securities.
   4. Help in appointing underwriters and brokers to the issue.
   5. Listing of shares on the stock exchange, etc.
6. Handling Government Consent for Industrial Projects : A businessman has to get government permission for starting of the project. Similarly, a company requires permission for expansion or modernisation activities. For this, many formalities have to be completed. Merchant banks do all this work for their clients.
7. Special Assitance to Small Companies and Entreprenuers : Merchant banks advise small companies about business opportunities, government policies, incentives and concessions available. It also helps them to take advantage of these opportunities, concessions, etc.
8. Services to Public Sector Units : Merchant banks offer many services to public sector units and public utilities. They help in raising long-term capital, marketing of securities, foreign collaborations and arranging long term finance from term lending institutions.
9. Revival of Sick Industrial Units : Merchant banks help to revive (cure) sick industrial units. It negotiates with different agencies like banks, term lending institutions and BIFR (Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction). It also plans and executes the full revival package.
10. Portfolio Management : A merchant bank manages the portfolios (investments) of its clients. This makes investments safe, liquid and profitable for the client. It offers expert guidance to its clients for taking investment decisions.
11. Corporate Restructuring : It includes mergers or acquisitions of existing business units, sale of existing unit or disinvestment. This requires proper negotiations, preparation of documents and completion of legal formalities. Merchant bankers offer all these services to their clients.
12. Money Market Operation : Merchant bankers deal with and underwrite short-term money market instruments, such as:-
    1. Government Bonds.
    2. Certificate of deposit issued by banks and financila institutions.
    3. Commercial paper issued by large corporate firms.
    4. Treasury bills issued by the Government (Here in India by RBI).
13. Leasing Services : Merchant bankers also help in leasing services. Lease is a contract between the lessor and lessee, whereby the lessor allows the use of his specific asset such as equipment by the lessee for a certain period. The lessor charges a fee called rentals.
14. Management of Interest and Dividend : Merchant bankers help their clients in the management of interest on debentures/loans, and dividend on shares. They also advise their client about the timing (interim / yearly) and rate of dividend.