Reliance Communication shares close at record low after Aircel merger falls down

Shares of Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom) today closed 11% lower to a record low after the company aborted a plan to merge with Aircel Ltd. due to regulatory delays and opposition from some creditors. The stocks closed at a fresh life low of Rs. 17.10 on the BSE, down 10.94 percent from its last close, while the Sensex closed higher by 213.66 points to 31,497.38. The stock opened at Rs. 18.70 and come near a new all-time low of Rs, 16.75.

On Sunday, Reliance Communications said in a regulatory filing that the merger agreement with Aircel was allowed to lapse by mutual consent, on account of regulatory hurdles and resistance from some creditors. In its filing to stock exchanges, the company announced that it is looking at alternatives to trim down debt, including sale of real estate assets and optimization of spectrum.

The merger would have generated one of India’s largest telecom operators in terms of subscriber base. As per the agreement, ownership of the merged entity would have rested uniformly with Reliance Communications and Aircel parent Malaysia-based Maxis Communication