Updating CBS Corp. and CenturyLink Inc.

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CBS CORP. (New York symbols CBS.A $42 [class A: one vote per share] and CBS $38 [class B: non-voting]; Consumer Sector; Shares outstanding: 374.7 million; Market cap: $14.2 billion; Dividend yield: 1.9%; Takeover Target Rating: Lowest; www.cbscorporation.com) has agreed to re-merge with VIACOM INC. (Nasdaq symbols VIA $26 [class A: one vote per share] and VIAB $23 [class B: non-voting]; Consumer Sector; Shares outstanding: 403.4 million; Market cap: $9.3 billion; Dividend yield: 3.5%; Takeover Target Rating: Lowest; www.viacom.com). Broadcaster CBS originally spun off Viacom, its movie studio business, on January 1, 2006. Since then, CBS is up 59% for investors, but Viacom is down 30%. The new firm, to be called ViacomCBS, will be one of the world’s largest media companies with annual revenue of $28 billion. Its main assets are the CBS Television Network, Paramount Pictures, and cable channels Showtime and Comedy Central. The merger should let combined firm cut $500 million from its annual costs in the first two years. Viacom…