AB InBev announced on Friday the sale of its Australian business unit, Carlton & United Breweries to Japanese brewer, Asahi for US$11.3bn.
The sale follows AB InBev’s failed Initial Public Offering (IPO) of its Asian business unit, Budweiser Brewing Co APAC due to weak investor demand.
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.
Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings, has agreed to acquire five Eastern European beer brands formerly owned by SABMiller for ¥900bn yen ($7.81bn).
The assets which were acquired from AB InBev includes Czech market leader Pilsner Urquell, Tyskie and Lech in Poland, Hungary’s Dreher, Ursus in Romania and Topvar in Slovakia.
Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings is said to be planning to offer more than ¥500bn yen ($4.87bn) for SABMiller’s remaining breweries in eastern Europe, according to a report in today’s Nikkei Asian Review.
Anheuser-Bush InBev will close on the deal to acquire SABMiller on Monday 10th October 2016. AB InBev plans to open bidding soon after for SABMiller’s unsold east European brands. As part of AB InBev getting approval from European anti-trust regulators to acquire SABMiller, the brewer was told to divest itself of SABMiller’s European brands.
Asahi Group Holdings, Japan’s largest brewer which bid and eventually bought some of SABMiller’s European brands (Peroni, Grolsch and London’s Meantime) on sale from AB InBev in February may yet be itching to buy more of SABMiller’s remaining brands in eastern Europe.
According to a report in the Sunday Times of London, the Japanese brewer is mulling a $7.3bn bid for SABMiller’s central and eastern European assets, including Pilsner Urquell.
Brewing giant, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has offered to sell SABMiller’s Central and Eastern European brands, including Pilsner Urquell as part of efforts to gain regulatory approval for its planned acquisition of SABMiller.
Anheuser-Busch InBev has agreed to Asahi Group Holding’s offer to buy European brands, Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime for €2.55bn ($2.9bn), clearing another hurdle to win over European competition regulators in its efforts to acquire SABMiller.
Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Belgian-based brewer told European competition regulators it would sell beer brands including Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime brands to win early approval for the takeover of its rival, SABMiller.
Asahi Group Holdings, a Japanese brewer has offered to acquire SABMiller’s Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime brands, in a deal valued at $2.9bn.
AB InBev has been looking to dispose of the brands since taking over SABMiller, in a bid to address competition concerns European regulators may have about the merger.
A takeover bid of SABMiller’s two European brands appears to be brewing.
Asahi Group Holdings, Japan’s largest brewer, said on Tuesday that it was considering making a bid for Peroni and Grolsch brands, two of SABMiller’s prized European possessions.
The announcement sent Asahi’s shares tumbling by 2.4 per cent in early Tokyo Trading.
