Heineken NV Rejects SABMiller Takeover Bid

Third-ranked global brewer Heineken has rebuffed an acquisition proposal by second-ranked SABMiller, saying it had consulted with its majority shareholder, the Heineken family—which controls slightly more than 50% of voting shares—and deemed the bid “nonactionable.”

The offer, originally reported by Bloomberg, was widely seen as a defensive play on SABMiller’s part to prevent a takeover of its own business by global brewing leader Anheuser-Busch InBev. Speculation about AB InBev targeting SABMiller as part of a final round of consolidation in the worldwide beer business has ramped up over the summer. At press time, SABMiller’s shares were surging after a Wall Street Journal report this morning asserting that AB InBev is in talks with banks toward a $122 billion bid for SABMiller. – Shanken News Daily