• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

2

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

1

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

2

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
FinanceBeer

Why AB InBev’s ‘Sweetened’ Offer for SABMiller is Actually a Steal

By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 26, 2016, 4:33 PM ET
Anheuser-Busch InBev NV Chief Executive Officer Carlos Brito Attends Full Year Results News Conference As Mainstream Beer Demand Dries Up
Photograph by Jasper Juine — Bloomberg/Getty Images

Anheuser-Busch InBev said it had sweetened its offer for SABMiller in the mega merger of the beer brewers, after Brexit-inspired currency moves substantially changed the value of the deal.

When AB InBev (BUD) agreed in November to pay 44 pounds per share of UK-based SABMiller, the price of the deal equated to $108 billion. Since then, though, the British pound has tumbled almost 14% against the U.S. dollar, largely a result of Britain’s vote to exit the European Union. That meant AB InBev, which is based in Belgium but planned to pay for the deal mostly using debt denominated in dollars, wouldn’t have to pony up nearly as much as it originally thought.

But after SABMiller said last week that it would have to reconsider the attractiveness of the deal in light of the foreign exchange rate changes, AB InBev slightly upped its offer on Tuesday to 45 pounds per share.

In reality, though, the Budweiser brewer is still getting a huge discount on the price it initially agreed to pay for SABMiller. AB InBev noted that its new and “final offer” represents an increase of one pound per share. But in dollars, it is actually paying $7.50 less per share than it originally planned. Overall, the new offer is worth about $103.5 billion—or $4.5 billion less than when AB InBev made the deal last fall.

It’s no wonder, then, that SABMiller investors are reportedly pushing it to make AB InBev cough up more of that cash before going through with the merger. Elliott Management, a U.S.-based hedge fund and activist investor, wrote to SABMiller’s board earlier this month with concerns about the payment structure of the deal, and other hedge funds have also asked the company to hold out for a better offer, the Financial Times reported.

Whereas the pound’s slide hasn’t made much of a difference for British investors in SABMiller—who are now getting a slightly better price for their shares—it has a much bigger impact on the company’s American and European investors, who had calculated their potential returns using a much better exchange rate when the deal was announced.

Although AB InBev said its raised offer represents a 53% premium over SABMiller’s share price before the deal was announced (up from the 50% premium of its original offer), it’s not nearly as sweet once you translate it into other foreign currencies. In dollars, AB InBev’s new offer is only 33% above what SABMiller shares were worth before the deal (at the exchange rate at the time); in euros, the premium has fallen to just 29%.

SABMiller said it would review AB InBev’s revised offer, which came after a discussion between the chairman of each company about “recent exchange rate volatility and market movements.” The beer company had supported Britain remaining in the EU, with SABMiller CEO Alan Clark writing in a statement earlier this year that the firm’s “economic and business interests” are “best served by remaining in the Union.”

Alongside its cash offer, AB InBev also made a special cash-and-stock offer known as a partial-share alternative for a minority of SABMiller’s shares, which it also sweetened on Tuesday, but it comes with restrictions that only the company’s largest shareholders are expected to accept.

About the Author
By Jen Wieczner
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Markets rejoice as deal to reopen Hormuz nears, but U.S. forces conduct ‘self-defense strikes’ on Iranian missile sites and boats laying mines
EnergyIran
Markets rejoice as deal to reopen Hormuz nears, but U.S. forces conduct ‘self-defense strikes’ on Iranian missile sites and boats laying mines
By Jason MaMay 25, 2026
7 hours ago
Current refi mortgage rates report for May 25, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for May 25, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 25, 2026
13 hours ago
g
PoliticsElections
Democrats want to run on corruption. Their own stock trades keep getting in the way
By Matt Brown and The Associated PressMay 25, 2026
15 hours ago
g
North Americawater use and conservation
America’s largest oil export hub is so starved of water that it’s been illegal to have a green lawn for 2 years
By Michelle Hummel and The ConversationMay 25, 2026
16 hours ago
g
EnvironmentLaw
You can’t repair your tractor because Hollywood was terrified of the VCR
By Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy and The ConversationMay 25, 2026
16 hours ago
r
Environmentclimate change
Rice feeds more than half the world. It’s also the climate equivalent of 239 million cars
By Hanqin Tian, Jingting Zhang, Pep Canadell, Shufen (Susan) Pan and The ConversationMay 25, 2026
16 hours ago

Most Popular

The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
Economy
The pig in the python: Baby Boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
By Nick LichtenbergMay 25, 2026
24 hours ago
The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
Travel & Leisure
The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
By Catherina GioinoMay 25, 2026
20 hours ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
5 days ago
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
Investing
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
By Eva RoytburgMay 25, 2026
19 hours ago
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
Real Estate
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 25, 2026
20 hours ago
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
Lifestyle
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
By Sasha RogelbergMay 24, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.