Asahi Group to Raise as Much as $4.3 Billion for AB InBev Deal
Asahi Group to Raise as Much as $4.3 Billion for AB InBev Deal
(Bloomberg) -- Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. is moving closer to raising what it now appears could total as much as 457.5 billion yen ($4.3 billion) from sales of stock and bonds to help finance its acquisition of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA’s Australian unit Carlton & United Breweries.
Asahi, one of Japan’s largest brewers, plans a share offering in Japan to raise as much as 157.5 billion yen, according to a filing. It’s also preparing a previously-announced subordinated-bond sale of as much as 300 billion yen that a sale manager now says may price in October.
The developments come after the company previously secured a 1.19 trillion yen loan from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. that was to be refinanced.
The Japanese company’s $11 billion purchase of Carlton & United Breweries last year came as it pushes to expand abroad as it tries to reduce its dependence on a competitive and dwindling beer market at home. Asahi’s business has also struggled due to a fall in demand for alcoholic beverages amid the coronavirus outbreak, with its forecast for full-year operating profit missing the average analyst estimate.
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