US: With $45B stockpile, Sprint likely to ignore merger resistance

Despite hesitation within US regulators regarding rumors of Sprint’s future pursuit of a T-Mobile acquisitions, sources say the wireless operator is close to nabbing $45 billion in merger funds.

Reports say Sprint is approaching $45 billion in debt financing; DealReporter also reported that JPMorgan, Bank of America Merrill-Lynch and Citigroup are all helping Sprint to finance the deal.

Funds could be reduced to just $5 billion, however, depending on financial details of any merger deal.

Earlier reports last week said Sprint owner Softbank met with Federal Communications Commission officials, as well as Department of Justice officials, to discuss the possibility of an acquisition. But those same reports said government officials were not enthusiastic about a transaction that would combine the nation’s third- and fourth-place wireless operators, especially after they worked to block an earlier buyout attempt of T-Mobile by AT&T.

Reports also cited anonymous sources that Sprint could decide as early as this month whether to pursue the deal or not.

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