AB InBev announces Completion of sale of SABMiller’s Central and Eastern European businesses

Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) on Friday announced it had completed the sale of businesses and brands formerly owned by SABMiller in Central and Eastern Europe to Asahi Group Holdings of Japan.

The divestitures which were part of the brewer’s acquisition of SABMiller were done in accordance with agreements reached with European anti-trust regulators on 18 May 2016.

The breweries divested includes Czech market leader Pilsner Urquell, Tyskie and Lech in Poland, Hungary’s Dreher, Ursus in Romania and Topvar in Slovakia.

On Tuesday 28 March 2017, Asahi Group Holdings announced that it had borrowed €7.4bn ($8bn) in bank loans from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp and Mizuho Bank Limited to finance the transaction. The loans appear to be short term until Asahi is able to secure permanent long term financing through either syndication or bonds.

AB InBev also disposed of SABMiller’s Western European brands (Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime) to Asahi in April 2016 for $2.9bn.

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