Beer

Budweiser gets a bitter taste of breakups

27 Feb 2020

Covid-19 may cost AB InBev’s Asia spinoff $170 mln in EBITDA from China for January and February. That’s some $3 bln of implied enterprise value, before factoring in the rest of the year or the region. There’s a price to pay for sprawl, but a narrower focus brings its own risks.

Kirin fight taps into Japan’s tolerance for change

19 Feb 2020

A pushy investor makes a persuasive case for the $18 bln brewer to improve governance and ditch pharma and beauty holdings. The company offered a weaker board shakeup and pay-plan revision. In a country renowned for corporate rigidity, the sops could prevail in a proxy battle.

Incoming Heineken boss has a tricky first few sips

12 Feb 2020

Jean-Francois van Boxmeer is leaving the world’s second biggest brewer after 15 years as CEO. His legacy is a firm adept at selling pricier beers in fast growth markets like Vietnam and Mexico. With both troubled, new boss Dolf van den Brink’s issue now is whether to change tack.

Carlsberg premium rating’s days are numbered

4 Feb 2020

The Danish brewer’s Chinese exposure means investors value it more highly than peers. But with the coronavirus shutting nightclubs and half of restaurants in the $22 bln group’s biggest market, that will change. Boss Cees ‘t Hart needs a plan B.

Craft beer deal is a test case of ESG bona fides

13 Dec 2019

Kirin’s Myanmar ties threaten to upset the Japanese brewer’s plans to buy Colorado’s New Belgium. The employee-owned firm talks a good game on social responsibility. This is no abstract ESG instance, though: These investor-owners get to put their money where their mouths are.

AB InBev gets dragged back into M&A dilemma

25 Oct 2019

The Budweiser maker said profit in the third quarter was stagnant, and volumes declined in China. That puts pressure on boss Carlos Brito to do more deals. Yet the world’s top brewer is still working off a debt hangover, and the weak performance makes dealmaking harder.

Hong Kong’s IPO debutants rely on helping hands

24 Sep 2019

AB InBev raised $5 bln through a relaunched float of its Asia unit, but only after pre-selling stock and pricing it low. There’s appetite for listings in the city despite ongoing protests, but at a discount and with cornerstone support. Followers may need to take the same tack.

AB InBev returns to Hong Kong with a soberer pitch

18 Sep 2019

The Belgian brewer’s Asia unit has relaunched its failed IPO with a lower $4.8 bln target, offering a better growth story at a similar valuation. CEO Carlos Brito may fetch more for the business than he originally wanted, too. Flourishing in a rocky market will be the tough part.

Kirin’s Japanese makeover is only half pretty

7 Aug 2019

The Japanese brewer is buying 30% of cosmetics and kale juice maker Fancl for $1.2 bln. Diversifying away from booze makes sense; rivals are doing it too. But paying a multiple of almost 40 times earnings, over twice the buyer’s own, for a minority stake is not a good look.

AB InBev’s deal machine goes into smart reverse

19 Jul 2019

The brewer’s sale of its Aussie unit to Asahi for $11 bln will cut debt. The Japanese are paying a valuation less than AB InBev wanted from its botched Asia IPO but probably more than investors ascribed to the unit. It keeps the door open for boss Carlos Brito to try again.

Morgan Stanley’s Asian crown gets Bud-shaped dent

15 Jul 2019

The Wall Street bank, along with JPMorgan, led AB InBev’s now-scrapped $9.8 bln listing of its Asia unit. The bankers either misread the market, or caved into the clients’ pricing demands. Either way, it takes the shine off Morgan Stanley’s local league-table pre-eminence.

Budweiser serves up a pricey pint in Hong Kong

2 Jul 2019

AB InBev values its Asian unit at up to $65 bln, or about 20 times EBITDA. That’s close to multiples of rivals in fast-growing emerging markets like China, but half the business is in slower, more mature ones. The IPO will seem less giddy if Carlos Brito pours on M&A next.

Budweiser’s Hong Kong IPO may pop open more M&A

10 May 2019

AB InBev has filed documents to float its Asian business. It will fetch a higher valuation multiple than its parent, and could be worth some $60 bln, helping to pay down some debt. The shares also give deal junkie boss Carlos Brito a currency to shop for more.

AB InBev’s Asia sale needs breathalyser test

14 Jan 2019

The Belgian brewer is said to be mulling an IPO of its Asian unit. The region is a fast-growing jewel in the drinks giant’s crown, yet it faces stiff competition in China, and still struggles in India and Southeast Asia. The mooted $70 bln valuation will be tough to keep down.

Constellation finds pipe dreams and debt don’t mix

9 Jan 2019

Higher costs and slower shipments hit the Modelo brewer’s earnings. The real driver of value ought to be its 38 pct stake in weed grower Canopy. But valuing its future potential is nigh impossible – whereas the debt Constellation used to fund its cannabis punt is all too real.

Carlsberg’s drinking game victory looks temporary

16 Aug 2018

The Danish brewer’s second-quarter sales grew a better-than-expected 7.6 pct. The World Cup turned its big Russian business from a drag into a boon. While Carlsberg now trades at a premium to Heineken and AB InBev, less exposure to emerging markets means the bump is temporary.

Race is on to be the Netflix of weed

15 Aug 2018

Constellation Brands’ $4 bln investment in cannabis producer Canopy Growth could kick off a feeding frenzy, akin to that over media content. Beer isn’t the only industry with turf to defend or skills applicable to marijuana. Valuations could get even higher than the customers.

Temperance is the new craft beer for drinks groups

28 Dec 2017

Health awareness and restrained young drinkers are driving demand for booze-free tipples. Growth in volumes of low-alcohol beer will outstrip traditional drinks fivefold next year. It’s a new source of expansion for global companies as the craft beer craze loses its froth.

Control could justify tycoon’s pricey Saigon pint

15 Dec 2017

A $4.6 bln bid from Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi for 51 pct of Sabeco, maker of Bia Saigon, relies on political influence and a pliable local partner. That might help the ThaiBev owner to skirt foreign ownership rules, and wring out efficiencies to stack up a frothy valuation.

Global giants see Vietnam through beer goggles

1 Dec 2017

The young, hops-happy country is in the sights of big brewers like Asahi and AB InBev. Global growth is as dull as a flat pint. But the presence of entrenched interests, tech-like multiples and the mixed experience of early players should give pause.