InBev & Anheuser-Busch: Set Your Weapons to ‘Coup’
Anyone who thinks InBev’s unsolicited $46.35 billion offer for Anheuser-Busch was headed down the same aimless, misguided way of Microsoft’s disorganized $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo has to be disillusioned: while Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer may not keep his emotions very much in check, InBev’s Carlos Brito is more the diplomatic, silent assassin of deal making.
Consider InBev’s statement today, which is filled with “Godfather”-worthy hints to A-B’s recalcitrant board, which is expected to be getting ready to reject InBev’s offer. Within hours, InBev took action. You can read InBev’s entire complaint here.
InBev’s response, as summed up by colleague David Kesmodel: “It filed suit in Delaware Chancery Court, seeking a judgment to confirm that shareholders acting by written consent could remove all 13 of Anheuser’s directors without cause.” Furthermore, InBev said “that the eight directors elected after 2006 are subject to removal without cause through the written consent procedure.” So InBev is asking Delaware to “confirm that, as InBev strongly believes, the directors elected in 2006 are also now subject to removal through that same mechanism.”
InBev is just checking, you understand.
Still, it would be hard to think of a stronger way to signal to Mr. Market (and A-B) that the charm offensive is over and InBev is ready for war. InBev could have chosen to take out just a few directors, and particularly on five contested spots; instead, it is setting its sights on all 13 of them. The complaint also says, “InBev intends to seek consents from AB’s stockholder to remove AB’s entire board.” If the Delaware court gives the go-ahead, InBev also plans to file its own nominees for A-B’sslate of directors and start a proxy fight.
Microsoft might want to pay attention: This is what going hostile means.
war…hostile…hum..We Americans need to go to war.It’s time to take up the fight,this is an AMERICAN company that wants to remain AMERICAN owned.I say we AMERICANS show that punk brito what hostile can really be.
I do not want a war but if they start a hostile take over it will be bombs away. Who the heck do they think they are dealing with. We are not afraid of a fight we can handle ourself. I as a shareholder would never opt for a foreign take over. Put up your dukes IN-Bev I for one am ready to fight.
Let InBev take over !!!!!!!!!!The stock has tanked for 5 years now. This Bush is not like the old Bush. Inbev will do better for the stock after they own it in 1 year. These 13 directors are out of touch.
My votes will be for Inbev. I stopped buying American cars too.
Will either outcome make Budweiser products taste better? Or are we not supposed to care because it’s about an American company being bought by a foreign one? Or are we not supposed to care about that either because someone or other would stand to make a lot of money as a result of the sale? Or if this falls through is Carl Icahn going to tell shareholders to get all angry at the Busch family and call them irresponsible?
I agree, let InBev buy it, the Busch family is way toooo arrogant, for their 4% ownership. Besides, everyone knows that europeans make much better beers than we do here. Every good “micro” that’s on fire, like Fat Tire, is styled after a european brewing method anyway.
Hey Gary get off the weed and learn how to spell Busch. And staying steady while the Dow hits a 2 year low is not “Tanking”
A-B has been mismanaged. Sell it give me my $.
I have owned Ab for 40 years amd would not consider selling my over 100,000 share for even $85 a share. I love my American company
Don’t you just love it when foreign entities can come over to our country and sue our companies in our courts trying to take them over! It’s time for some laws that favor US companies. These bastards are taking an opportunity while the Euro is strong and the dollar is weak but it wont stay that way forever.
Who do these Inbev people think they are? Talk about arrogance!! They have no money…they have to borrow it, but yet, they want to tell us what to do. What don’t they understand about Busch does not want to sell? You are seeing how ruthless these people can be. This is their good side. If the sale goes thru, you will see the real side of these people.
I agree that Bud doesn’t make good beer, but…… the good craft beers are not based on European beers, au contraire, the European brewers are trying to learn how to make beer like the Americans.
Dogfish 90 Minute forever!
I’m just wondering how InBev thinks they are going to hold on to Anheuser Busch’s 49% market share of the U.S. when The Great AMERICAN Lager will be forever changed to the Brazilian Belgian Foreigner Lager. I can’t see all the 30, 40, 50 year old blue collar working people that built Busch and Budweiser continuing to be loyal customers to an American Icon that was raided and ripped away by foreiners in a hostile manner. This is a marketing disaster waiting to happen. I can see JP, Barclays and other banks loaning $40 billion to InBev becoming the next Citi or Bear Stearns in an extremely risky loan to a company with a potentially disastrous marketing nightmare. Each day of bad press from this hostile takeover will hurt InBev with BUD’s loyal customer base. The shareholders may have a vote, but so do the consumers. And they will be the one’s who will have the final say in this matter, ultimately. And possibly the last laugh…
Lets look at Jp Morgan , Chase , how is it that is an American bank I bet our own feds will be giving them the money at 2% so they can lone it to InBev to buy Bud , How messed up is that. I say throw Brito out of the country, and throw his beer out too. How dare he come over here and demand anything.
The feds need to start looking at what the banks have been doing with the low interest rates because nobody has seen it in the middle class. Mortgage rates are Higher now than they were 3 years ago.
I think it is the banks that have caused most of the problems we have. JP Morgan should be thrown out of the country also they are traitors to the American people.
Gary, your opinion that “Inbev will do better for the stock after they own it in 1 year.” is in error, the stock will not exist, this is a cash deal. Current stock holders will not receive InBev, they will have no ownership in InBev. So far as American cars, I don’t recall any American car company which held 50% of the American market being bought out by a foreign company. I believe the popular foreign cars sold in America were designed and developed in the countries of the companies that own them, not by Americans.
Lets look at Jp Morgan , Chase , how is it that is an American bank I bet our own feds will be giving them the money at 2% so they can lone it to InBev to buy Bud , How messed up is that. I say throw Brito out of the country, and throw his beer out too. How dare he come over here and demand anything.
The feds need to start looking at what the banks have been doing with the low interest rates because nobody has seen it in the middle class. Mortgage rates are Higher now than they were 3 years ago.
I think it is the banks that have caused most of the problems we have. JP Morgan should be thrown out of the country also they are traitors to the American people.
I guess you cant say anything bad about jpmorgan or your messages are deletes must be a democrat running this blog.
Better not say anything bad about jp morgan or big brother will delet your message. I see it is one sided blog if you are for the sale the message get through.
Bud should stop the distributioon of all InBev products now!!!! Go BUD
Hi to “No free speach” — very often even straightforward messages get stuck in the spam filter and someone has to liberate them. That happened here. It’s possible our spam filter is secretly Democratic or has pro-JP Morgan sympathies, but it is unlikely. Be patient please.
Hey canman…a war summit at “Hot Spots” over a cold great AMERICAN LAGER…
You all underestimate the ignorance of our United States citizens. I’m not talking about all of you here, because at least you are reading a journal. I’m talking about the TMZ, Soap Opera watching individuals. This takeover by InBev will go unnoticed to 99.9% of all people and no-one will care. Just like they don’t care about their civil liberties.
I would just like to point out that, in an effort to save itself, A-B said they will most likely sell off their amusement park business and their packaging business as well. This is the thing that I noticed everyone on this site crying about, saying InBev was going to get rid of these areas and eliminate jobs. Well, now it comes true either way.
What I want to know is that if the A-B directors are rejecting the offer because they feel that $65/share undervalues their company, what does it say about their own performance that the stock was trading in the low $50s before news of the offer leaked? I mean, if it’s supposedly worth more than $65, then they’re letting their shareholders down by at least $15 a pop.
You guys are forgetting that Bud’s core customer base is a fond gathering of rednecks who don’t follow the news and will continue drinking Bud products being nonethewiser that InBev bought them out. They are dumb brand loyalists. Period.
According to http://www.madmergers.com BUD is trading at a 6% discount. You can view all the merger arbitrage returns for all pending stock mergers at http://www.madmergers.com.
G-Funk, you are more than likely right , there will be a public out cry , mostly from veterans , and charities that will be hit the hardest . but there will be a fall out in the beginning , and depending how hostile this goes it could be enough to hurt sales quite a bit for ImBev. Miller was sold to SAB , and Coors was also sold to SAB and you don’t here anything People still drink Miller and Coors, but they just don’t know it is foreign owned . I can see this bringing lot of things to light. SAB will also be in the spotlight because of this sale when you look at the US beer market it will be all owned by foreign companies . Less than 20% will be US owned . Everybody keeps saying this is good , this is not good Bud is YET another company that may fall to a foreign company. What will be next we are at war here . America wake up and start noticing what is going on around you .
I am both a shareholder and employee of Anheuser Busch. I have done a fair bit of research on this, and from some of the comments above Gary 3:14pm, you have not. This is a high risk move for Imbev, they are going to be caring a great deal of debt (most likely 50+ b before it is over). Look at their financials, does this make sense for them? Even if they come in a slash the company by selling off the non-core buisnesses, and slash the breweries down to nothing, they are still not going to make the kind of money that they are going to have invested. I agree with some of the folks, that market share will drop in the U.S., which should make SAB Miller and Coors very happy. The comment above about Imbev being able to do better with the stock price in a year is crazy. With the amount of debt they are going to carry, it will be three (very optimistic) to ten years for them to see real ROI and even then it will be deluted. The real reason for Imbev pursuing the company is that we are a finacially stable company that has quite a bit of cash on hand. Infact, it could be argued that we are much more finacially stable. If the dollar was not so weak, we would not even be having this discussion. I can
t and wouldn’t speak to the so called “arrogance” of the Busch family, all I can tell you is that I have worked for three fortune 500 companies and this is a great, great company to work for. We look at this whole situation much diffrent than the “day” traders and the folks that have a few hundred shares thinking that they are going to become instantly rich if this takeover goes through. I will not speak for the other 30,000+ employees, but I am proud to work for this company and would like nothing more than Imbev to remove the offer (obviously that is wishful thinking). From my vantage point, I hope that the company fights for our independance and that we stay one of the last great american companies. By the way, Gary…….I would be willing to buy your shares of stock at $65, buy you and your loved ones (if they wish to go) a one way ticket to the country of your choice (I assume that you will pick a country that makes a car to your liking. KEEP BUD AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!
What if Bud pays its shareholders $15.00 dividend using the scorched earth scenario then the share holders have nothing to complain about they have their dirty money . and they still have their bud stock. On the other hand there will not be a Bud stock if Brito takes over .
capitalism at work.don’t cry when they come to our shores to buy mispriced assets.
We should all sell. Then after that lets sell the American flag to the Africans, and then we can export are bald eagles to mexico, and then we can take the statue of liberty and sell it back to France. Have some pride.
I agree the company has been horribly run the last few years…..but i think some of the reason was to avoid layoff of salary positions. But we are here now, and barring a pulling together of the masses, an American icon will be gone forever. ABInc employees over 31 thousand people nation wide and this number will be cut in half as well as wages trimmed for the half that stays. Their many charitable donations will be wiped out from the slash of Brito’s machete, and the tag of the #1 ranked beverage company in the world will fade quickly. If the board comes up with a $65 a share plan of their own, I think we should give them a chance. To have another icon of our nation’s history be in foreign hands makes me wonder how our children…..the next generation of this country, will be able to afford a decent living and enjoy a beer or two every now and then. JOEC
I just hope the Busch family, the Bd of Directors, the employees and proud Americans are purchasing shares of Bud because I believe this jerk, Brito, will continue to pursue the hostile takeover. It is fair gameplan the way the rules are written.
Wow, such sad jingoism.
1) Innovation is American, not resting on the laurels of some “Iconic” brand. As an innovative nation, we should be focusing on building our future. Holding on to a company that makes indifferent beer, does not represent a good investment in our future. Are we really proud of BUD? I’m certainly not. It is a company that, in its current state, has past its day. Let InBev have it. Large American industry should be focus on getting us back to the fore of innovation- and people there are so many problems that need solutioning. Moreover, the world should come to know American beer through it’s best small, craft producers.
2) There are few things more American than capitalism and competition. Here we are witnessing both. You lot are just sore that BUD is losing a fair battle. Nobody should be surprised, however. BUD focused on keeping it’s family close to the power positions rather than going out and finding actual talent.
AB loyalist you talk about A-B being cash rich? 217 MM is not cash rich considering that the combined cash in inbev and ambev’s balance sheet is around $3 billion. And from a financial aspect seeing as how the debt is investment grade it clearly isn’t an overly risky move…market share of bud has been declining over the years anyways, with the inbev deal it will help acheive economies of scale and allow bud to become a global brand, its a very wise decision
Tim….don’t worry, there are plenty of interested parties “waking” people up as we speak. Teamsters are not wanting this and they will be sending info to ALL unions throughout the country and all of the states involved in this are fully aware of whats going on.
This was an wanted offer. And to the stockholders who are so money hungry and upset at so called poor performance…..where have you been?? If you have been so upset with performance why didn’t you sell and find something wonderful. NO, you knew it is steady and trying to always improve and you took the divedends and loved it.
WAKE UP people, I swear within 10 years all of these forgein TAKEOVERS we are going to be in a terrible position. Everyone wants their taxed stock profits and run. I say put it in your mattress, because this ship is sinking quickly and too many people are blinded by the $$$$ flashing in front of their eyes to see it.
Inbev is trying to do this deal with no money of their own on the table. They will strip AB of assets for cash in a buyers narket. An American legend down the drain.
I can’t believe how you micro brew elitest can talk so much smack about Bud. It is a great american lager and it appeals to millions. I’d keep my weak fairy brew butt inside your foreign car as you suppose to taste for everyone. Maybe Brito will supply you water and aid when your hometown washes out in a natural disaster as AB has for every other unfortunate american.
When do we as country start to be Americans again. We as a country are going down the tubes due to corporate and political greed. When do those of you who live in our great country start backing what made our country and that is our people and the industry we used to have. We keep letting corporations eliminate our jobs by sending them overseas so that the share holders and directors can make more money and we lose our jobs. Now we have a company that wants to keep its heritage and the jobs here in American and many of you want them to sell out. Possably those of you that want Anheuser to sell, have never been laidoff from a job or had a plant close on you. Or possably you have never even had a steady job and just don’t care where our jobs go. Anheuser is a great company to work for, and those of us who work in the hourly ranks want to keep our jobs and do not want to be owned by InBev or any other company. We need to make America strong again and that is through recreating the great industrial nation that we were. We start that by keeping what we have American.
Brito will rape and pillage BUD the same way Sandy Weill raped and pillaged Citicorp. The BUD shareholders will not be affected by this because they are not being invited to be part of Inbev. They just get their $65 and walk away (giving Uncle Sam 15% of their gains). However, the management of BUD will be purged and the employees will suffer greatly. Do not trust Carlos Brito.
So now August Busch IV, Anheuser’s CEO, suggested in a letter to Carlos Brito, InBev’s chief executive, that the Belgian group was seeking to take advantage of the low level of the dollar and subdued US stock markets.
InBev’s had earlier said in a Delaware court filing that it had been told by Mr Busch before launching the bid that he was opposed to any offer, and that Anheuser was “not for sale”.
Who the fck does that guy think he is? Who the hell does he think he is speaking for? He owns less than 4% of the shares in the company and he acts as if it were 100% his own!! And what’s with the comments about the dollar and the stock markets? For a starter: AB is registered in the States and not in euro-land. And if anyone is to blame for the low share price, than it is Mr Bush himself! Besides, InBev is offering a 35% premium on that very share price…
August Busch IV should be forced to resign. Immediately. Hell, I think someone ought to sue that guy for this kind of selfish, pretentious and irresponsible behavior.
No need for a coup… This is going to be an all out war (!).
No more need for politics. No more need for diplomacy. And certainly NO need for hostages.
In the words of the great Roman emperor Julius Caesar (and he could know): “Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae” - “Of all these, the Belgians are the bravest/strongest” (C. Iuli Caesaris - De Bello Gallico - Commentarius Primus).
The logic is simple. Really:
How many American military bases are there in Belgium, and how many Belgian military bases are there in the US? Now: WHO IS OCCUPYING WHO (?!?)
We once fought the Spaniards and their perverted inquisition. We fought off the Romans and their empire, as we did the Austrians and the French and the Germans.
And now we have finally risen against the enduring American occupation of our homeland.
We have finally risen against the pandemic corruption of our own political elites.
Don’t be mistaken. This is a genuine insurgency: a popular uprising against the savage rule of King George W. Bush ‘The Liar’ and his religious court of colonial nut cases.
The acquisition of Anheuser-Busch by Interbrew is just the first step in this process. The conquest of Saint-Louis by the Leuven forces will forever be remembered as the heroic battle that set everything in motion, and that made everything possible.
For sure we have set out to drastically downsize Anheuser Bush, to close down and/or transform its breweries, to overhaul the recipes and to destroy the AB company and any of its brands in the process.
It is our stated goal to annihilate Budweiser and everything it stands for.
We will settle for nothing less.
In the eyes of the yanks we might be evil-doers and freedom-haters, terrorist members of the ‘Axis of evil’ and what not…
But what we have set out to do is truly heroic: we will save the world from (bad) American (watered-down) beer.
Now, sometimes you have to burn the village to save it. And if that’s what it takes, then so be it.
Soon, the Belgian people (led by Interbrew, ‘the world’s local brewer’) will singlehandedly bring down the US occupation of Europe.
Yes: This is a new kind of international proxy war, fought through the interests of big beer, against the interests of big oil.
Beware: we have hired an almighty (Brazilian) mercenary army to do the fighting and bidding for us, in order to beat the crap out of those hated gringos.
We might be in for a long battle, but we are ready for it.
In the end justice will prevail, and the beer barons from Leuven will have beaten the oil barons in Houston/DC: they will poon them like noobs.
Oh yes: We hate your beer and we hate your chocolates.
Do you people honestly believe that anyone in Belgium could ever respect beer that comes from a nation where it is illegal to buy beer until you are 21 years of age?? Do you honestly believe that we can not see what your government is up to when it is sending off its teenaged children to be slaughtered or limbed in an illegal war of aggression??
So whilst your kids are too young to drink a beer in the local pub, they are old enough to die and be maimed in a useless war far abroad?? Talking about matters of National Security from a beer perspective (!)
For this very reason alone the people of Belgium will NEVER respect any of your beers, let alone any of your soldiers…
No. We are no longer afraid.
Nihil nobis metuendum est, praeter metum ipsum.
Of course, as soon as this battle is over, a blanket ban will be declared on the very same products that for many decades have been forced upon us by the imperial United States colonial corporations like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Mars Chocolates, Kraft Foods, Marlboro, Boeing, General Electric, P&G (and their fckin commercials), NBC, Google, Microsoft, Citigroup, TEXACO, Mobil, 3M, JP Morgan, UPS, PepsiCo, Cisco, VISA, Ford, Bloomberg, emc2, Lockheed, Dow Jones, IBM, Yahoo, MTV, Walt Disney,… to name but a few.
We hate your companies because they are not from here, and because they take away our jobs.
Every year millions of jobs and tens of billions of euros are being shipped to the United States, never to come back again.
No. We will cleanse our lands from any American or other foreign influence.
Only then will we be able to finally rid ourselves from you, the filthy “born-again” christians, you violent barbarians with your evil beliefs and with your rude customs; the stupid pigs that ‘eat’ their dinners without even using a knife or a fork.
We will restore our all-European values and our sacred cultural heritage.
We will finally bring ‘real democracy’ to Europe.
That is the godforsaken right of our people.
Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.
Our political masters in Washington are our masters no more.
Yes: This is the final battle, the ultimate fight until the very end: until everyone is drunk and justice is done and all our people are liberated and free again.
And none of your politicians, like that old gray frail senile carpet-loving sconebag Mr. John McCain is ever gonna stop us now.
I told you at the beginning: the logic is simple really. But then again, I guess simplicity is what it takes to reason with a bunch of Midwestern rednecks, of which there seem to be an awful lot on this forum.
I sincerely hope they got the message.
And as far as August Busch nr. 4 is concerned: the guy is a selfish idiot. He needs to go. Now!!
Hmmm….since we’re soooo focused on A-B’s stock price (which as a value/dividend paying stock has been a solid long-term hold) maybe we should take a look at InBev’s stock price. Appears to be struggling just a tad. Was in the upper 60’s late in 07 - and was in the low 40’s before launching their bid for A-B (and is still sitting their, today). My Redneck math - if it serves me correct - says that’s ~33% drop in the last 6-9 months. Ouch! That will make that monthly statement a little difficult to open - better chug a few Stella’s before opening that envelope. Let’s call a spade a spade…..InBev is a M&A machine that is losing steam and market capitalization. Would have to assume most InBev investors aren’t very happy these days - losing a third of their value in such a very short timeframe. If they are such “Brand Builders”, then what gives with their stock price over the last year? Bottom line is InBev is desperate - they’re an M&A machine and its time to feed the engine, again. They need A-B more than A-B needs them. The irony of the story is if InBev succeeds, the cost cutting needed to repay their barely investment grade debt will damage A-B enough that it will be the big fish they finally choke on. Better dump that InBev stock - this will likely be its last run up before it implodes.
This is in response to Mr. Uilenspiegel’s psychotic manifesto:
I am a loyal employee of Anheuser-Busch and LOVE the company that I work for. It is truly an awesome company and it treats it’s employee’s extremely well.
It’s painfully obvious to those of us with common sense, that someone, somewhere loves Bud Light/Budweiser, since it is the NUMBER ONE AND TWO selling beer in the world…IN THE WORLD. So, it seems that you Sir are in the minority when you say you don’t like the “bad watered down beer”…you don’t like it, GOOD FOR YOU…DON’T DRINK IT.
Second, do you live in the U.S.? If so, you are more than welcome to get the hell out if you don’t like it here. That being said, I would like to personally offer to purchase your ticket back to Europe, since it is apparent that you left your heart/brain there.
Just to address a few of your “issues”:
1- Our rude customs? It seems to me that you are the one spouting your Euro-trash all over this forum, Mr. Uilenspeigel.
2- You will restore all of your European values and your sacred cultrual heritage? Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t prostitution and marijuana legal in Belgium? Now that’s good old fashioned values right there!
3- The Belgian’s being the bravest/strongest of them all? Is that why Belgium surrendered after only 18 days when invaded by the German’s in WWII because they had a piss poor military? Come on, go read a history book.
4- I will tell you who August the 4th is…he’s the CEO of Anheuser-Busch, that’s who in the F*&# he is…which means, he has a right to make whatever decision he has made. Get over it. Carlos Brito is an arrogant piece of crap…we did not ask for his bid, therefore he can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.
Please Mr. Uilenspiegel, PLEASE cleanse your hands of us dirty Americans…and our money, if you don’t like American, don’t buy American…it’s your choice….and if your great Europe should ever face another psychotic man with a BAD moustache who wishes to take over the world…please CALL SOMEONE ELSE TO LIBERATE YOUR ASSES.
And as an American, I may not agree on why we are at war, BUT I do support our Military…for it is because of them that people like YOU and myself can have this dialogue. How dare you speak ill of them!
It seems that you have some pretty serious issues and you should probably seek some medical attention for them…or since it’s legal to smoke pot in Belgium, plan a holiday there and go burn one to relax yourself.
So, as far as I’m concerned…the Belgian’s can take their chocolate, their diamonds and their waffles and LEAVE OUR BUD ALONE.
You sir are an a$$ hat.
Good day.
Tijl, holy mushrooms and for the love that is all and good, please, copy and paste your extremist posts to the caves where you think this counts.
Your hero Mr. Brito is not wanting to cleanse your world from US occupation, but he wants to choke the world on his new products at all costs because he has something new to offer that for some reason (in his mind) that AB has been too stupid to figure out. AB has figured a lot out early on….maybe, just maybe not EVERYONE wants AB core products and thats OK. Carols on the other hand wants EVERYONE to suck down his Beglium product at the expense of AB’s footprint.
Tijl, have you seen the midwest?? Something tells me you have no clue about any of this.
Lisa: so what you are trying to say is it is OK for the US to keep out Belgian companies, because … well, to be honest I can’t see your reason why, even after rereading your posts…
On the other hand Belgian companies and Belgian consumers have be tolerant towards (and suck down the goodies of) companies like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Mars Chocolates, Kraft Foods, and the many others I mentioned before.
I’m all in favor of free trade AND cultural diversity, but your kind of hypocrite American double handedness makes me sick.
Indeed. For decades American companies have taken over foreign companies. And that doesn’t seem to be an issue for you.
Stop supporting double standards.
As said above, InBev shareholders should be very concerned with this deal as it has the earmarks of taking thier stock into a deeper hole. This is really not about whether or not having a Beldian firm take over an American firm is good. It is really whether this deal makes sense for anyone but a few large stockholders to make a quick return on a historically slow growth safe steady stock. In all honesty Mr Brito would not be could for this as a known slash and burn artiste. Expect not only to see job slahes but a stripping down of market capability for any of the brands that AB has. If thier models are so good, why are the flagship brands of Inbev not the leading barnds they should be?
On a lighter side please pull up a searcg for Peter Lorre picture and doa side by side with Carlos Brito. Separated at Birth?
Addictions to low quality beer and cheap oil are the guaranteed routes to more disasters for the USA. Will BUDman and his loyal group of xenophobic buddies ever grow up? Unlikely, they worship high horsepower and fat SUVs, believing both are American birth rights.
Sure foreign companies have been taking over American companies for decades, is that then to say it is right? There are tons of horrible other things going in the world that have been happening for decades, so because they have continued for so long, are those right too?? That’s a stupid argument
People feel strongly about the Bud brand not because they are ‘rednecks’, as some of you have so ineptly labeled them, but because some of us do bleed red, white, and blue. As corny as it sounds to you unsympathetic money grubbers, this company is part of American history. It hurts to see it be bought and sold as if it were an ipod.
I think that its not that people don’t care or haven’t heard about the dissolve of our American companies and arguably the decline of our American culture, it is because some of us feel powerless to stop it, which make us apathetic to what is happening. Our government, today, is pitiful. I do not believe it serves the people any longer. Our voices are barely a whisper to them. Party politics on both sides rule most of their opinions. I could go on; it makes me sad to think about it. If people weren’t trying to stop this takeover I would feel that America was truly lost.
I am a shareholder, and I would pay twice my worth in stock to SAVE AB. I feel good to own it. I feel good about being part of a company I believe in. As an American, it makes me feel some honor is still left in this country. It’s like an American faith, for lack of a better way to describe it. It just does, I don’t expect people who can’t see beyond their $ to understand that. But I am tolerant of those people anyway; you people may see it as a juxtaposition, but it is you who I see are out of touch.
For you Bud taste haters… I personally love drinking many different types of beer from all over the world. I respect each of them for their own unique taste, whether I liked them or disliked them. I understand that are those that love that taste profile, even if I do not. For my stocked basement fridge at home, however, I am always fully stocked with Budweiser products, particularly Bud Select. For me, it is the perfect beer. You may think it tastes bad, but for me and millions of other people drinking Bud products that make it have such a HUGE share of the world market, it takes great! (Little “Tony the Tiger” for ya :)
Do I think that Bud will ultimately get taken over? Our history as of late has been pointing me in a pessimistic direction. So I think it will get taken over. I know, for me, it will just mean that I have to find something else out there to believe in that still makes me proud to be an American. These days, for me, its not as easy to find.
SAVE AB!!!
I am from the midwest and I might be a redneck.It seams crazy to me, for inbev to borrow between 46 and 53 billion dollars to buy a company that earns 2 billion a year.Talk about mismanagement of a company.brito has his dreams for sure.He needs to wake up.My shares are not for sale at any price.
Apparently some Americans really don’t have a sense of humor. I think that’s sad.
In other news: August Busch nr. 4 just announced that Anheuser is going to cut about 1.500 jobs in a drive to save more than 1bn dollars in costs.
Now ain’t that funny?? I wonder what escuses the ridnecks R gonna cum up wit naw.
Well, InBev closed down yet another 2% today - clinging just above their 52-week low. Great job, Carlos……your carefully crafted plan is working to perfection….no wonder why its an all-cash deal?…InBev is worth less every day - and its difficult to barter with a sinking asset value…..but, hey - just increase the bid a bit more - take on some additional debt load - and drive down those InBev shares (gulp) further!
Tijl - Actually these cuts are going to be done through an early retirement package offered to those over 55 years of age and through natural attrition. At this point, the “job cuts” should not affect those who are not able to qualify for the early out.
Bud Light Lime anyone. We can’t make enough of it. In China we are positioned at the starting line for what we be great growth. As Buffett said when he bought in the martini fad will fade. Bud will meet those earning numbers and AB shares holders, not InBev’s will see the returns. AB has been modernizing their plants and they too are positioned to return greater profits. Brito sees all this and wants to steal it now just as the final pieces are being put in place. This is a great American company that will not disappoint us.
Tijl, at this point no one has a sense of humor. Are you having a hard time selling your anti-American rhetoric somewhere else?
AB has has project blue ocean in the works for over 18 months now. And these cuts were already on paper over 2 years ago. Nothing new to the people affected.
For the record, directed at those that make statements without facts. August Busch the 4th and his team are exactly what this company needs. The 3rd was responsible for our failed ventures into Eagle Snacks, Campbell Target Bakeries, Saratoga Waters, Master Cellars Wine, Zelser Selzer, a cruise ship company and those are just the ones I remember. The 4th has initiated “Blue Ocean that has just been expanded to yield 1 billion dollars in savings. He recognized the asset we had in our distribution network and capitalized on that. He brought about successful new brand like the Bud Light Lime, and this coming fall Budweiser American Ale. We at the plants can see the changes blossoming and can see why Carlos has made his move now before it will be to late for him. Where was the great Carlos when the 4th was building such a strong base in China? 5 years from now we’ll be buying Carlos out.
To TIJL, Heres my redneck excuse.Im an employee and very loyal as most all the employees are, why do you think that is . Ill tell you , It is because AB is very loyal to there employees, what ever AB decides to do about lay offs it will be in a retirement package witch will be a very good one you can bet you but on that. AB has never let thier employees down and they will not start nowww!! But Brito will ASAP !!!
I agree with the person that said it would be a marketing nightmare. I believe that if Brito takes over this american company that we will lose a large share of the american beer market and brito will be left with his feet nailed to the floor, a struggling company, and no one left to barrow money from. On the flip side , If AB fights and wins against the buy out, It would be a marketing teams dream come true. Still made in america still the great american lager. With a good media flare we stand to gain another 15 percent of the american beer market,Hows that for stock holder value!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Does anyone know if this is true??
“If shareholders take physical delivery of their stock in certificate form, this would prevent hedge funds from illegally voting proxy of “borrowed” shares in favor of InBev or other hostiles
AB took good care of emplyees 55 and older. But, younger will get significanty reduced pension, 20% increase in healthcare cost. Salary increases do not keep up with inflation for years. No wonder avarage age of their directors is over 60. Good old boys club.
Blue Blood, your comment is nothing but speculation. If InBev wins, even @ $65, Cabrito will have dug himself into such a deep debt hole that nobody wins..except the “take it and run” hedge funds.
CheladaRoberto, What I said is the FACT. What Brito is going to do is only a speculation. I am just saying AB is not so perfect with they employees.
I know somebody, working at A-Busch who is 54 and getting exactly what I just said significanty reduced pension and increased HC. Of course he’ll have to wait his for full pension until she is 58.
“Of course he’ll have to wait his for full pension until she is 58″ …
Blue Blood: you are full of lies !!!
CheladaRoberto:
Sorry for mistyping (it is SHE - but does it matter?). There is a difference between people who do not want to get it, and stupid. You choose which one you are. Nothing is made up. Please prove it.
Again, I do not know what Brito will do or will buyout happen (I see you need some spelling checks - Cabrito). I have heard a commercial (Real man of genius) and a lot of people on this blog making fun of either Belgium, Inbev or their CEO Carlos Brito. Everything I read from Inbev and Brito was very respectful. They are in business of making beer and money, not to make fun of America, Budweiser or their employees. And they have money, if they want they will buy BUD. It looks like they want it badly. But what they are going to do is pure speculation. I hope BUD will win this battle and emerge as a better company for all inclding their employees.
How did Brito “trash Interbrew and Ambev”? Do you have some facts? Like this one:
As of 04/30/08 Last 5 years INBEV is up 150%, BUD was FLAT.
how many cases of free drinking water will inbev send to the the people of Iowa? Or to any other state or city that has had a disaster.A/B gives to the chairties and people in need to the tune of $370 million in the last 10 years.That is what i call RED WHITE&BLUE.
Americans can save American companies. Buying a beer is a very simple excercise to accomplish this feat. Make a choice, and buy a BUD, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Rolling Rock, Fat Tire…all great American beers. DON’T buy SAB Miller beers, Molson Coors beers, Heineken,Becks, Bass Stella (Imports). It’s a whole lot easier than buying a Chevy to save GM. RElax, enjoy the ball game, have a hot dog and an ICE COLD BUD!
It looks like Blue Blood was right.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121482542786415563.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
The pensions are cut and healthcare contribution will go up almost 20%.
Pension payouts will be reduced by about 5% to 6% in 2009 and by about 15% by 2012. Employees eligible for early retirement are those who turn 55 by 12/31/2008.
Note: this only applies to salaried employees, the company can’t do anything with hourly employees until the union contract expires (which is next year)
Zoro - I would like to clarify some of the facts in your note. The pension reduction is only for the lump sump payouts. Bud has many options for taking pension payouts, including monthly payouts (and like most companies) with various options. AB is one of the few companies left that offer a lump sum payout. Health care is going to go up, but it will be from 21% to 25%. Still an increase but not the 20% you are talking about. You are correct, that the salaried employees are the only ones to be hit at this point. Obviously, I am an employee and hate to see the increases. But, I understand where we are at and where we could be. For those of you who do not want to see the merger take place, Marcel D is right……Buy some American beer and enjoy.
BTR
I assumed most people would take the lump sum. Unless there are special circumstances it makes little financial sense to leave the money with the company which future is unknown. Take the money and manage it yourself or by a professional. I think Busch is counting on everybody taking the lump sum since they just announced 300-400 mil$ in one time charges related to the early retirement. The calc. that I used is pretty simple: if 1000 employees retire, times 400k (which is an average for 58 years old with more than 20 years of service) you get 400 mil$.
In 2012 that goes down by 15%, correct?
Increase from 21% to 25% is almost 20% (OK, it is exactly 16%) as I mentioned.
We already pay approx 21% of our Health care, so we are looking at a 4 - 6% increase. Yes, I would guess everyone will take the lump sum for the reasons you mentioned. The pension will go down based on how it is calculated. It will go down by 15% for lump sum in 2012. Now I am not in the “know”, but based on what I was told that is correct. The only reason I responded was to clarify, there are quite a few people out there that think we are loosing health care and the pension completely. AB is a better company than that.
I’m not an AB shareholder, but if I was, there’s no way I’d support this proposed takeover from InBev. Don’t let the Eurotrash take advantage of the weak US dollar, and down stock market, just to improve their own bottom line. AB is an American icon company. To see it sold to foreign ownership would be disgraceful.
Save AB!
All you have to do is search “Till Eulenspiegel” on wikipedia to realize the motive of this loser writing as Till Eulenspiegel. He is an outright coward, what’s your real name tough guy???
Hey, moderator, I haven’t been out of line with my comments. Why have they been deleted? Don’t want to hear from the other side?
Have we forgotten the hundreds of millions of dollars that AB has reinvested into capital improvements during this “flat” period? InBev hasn’t. InBev is about to reap the benefits of AB’s continuing efforts to modernize and increase productivity to increase shareholder’s return. OK you “UNION” pension plans that have filed suit against AB, SHAME ON YOU! Filing suit against your brothers and sisters is the lowest thing, lower than crossing a picket line. We’re just trying to do the best job for our union, company, and nation. To know that our brothers and sisters are against us is not only demoralizing but polarizing.
Moderator..OK, now I get it..Cabrito. forgiven.
Quite Frankly, I don’t think Mr. Brito cares about anyone but himself and his company. He wants what he cant have, therefore, in order to get his way he’s gonna use legal action. As an A-B employee, I feel disrespected. I’ve worked there for 20 years and I wont stand for this take over. A-B is an American Brand as well as an American Icon. This is a very strong American Company that does not deserve to be undermined as far as value is concerned. Its gonna be tough for these assanine shareholders, to force the board of directors out. I’ve got some news for you…..A-B employees own the majority of the shares, so whatcha gonna do now Brito? Cry me a river…..little baby.
This is absolutely sickening!! Why would anyone want a foreign Company coming into OUR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and sweeping our AMERICAN company. I agree that maybe things could have been better in the past but we are here now and WE need to fight for our AMERICAN COMPANY. My husband is an employee of A-B and I have been watching this story unfold. A-B is by far ONE of the BEST companies in the USA. If you don’t believe it, start job hunting. The shareholders need to take a look at who made them what they are today because without the loyal employees they have, they would not have what they have. Don’t be greedy. Look out for those who have been ever so loyal to the company over the years. A-B needs to remain an AMERICAN Company. The union has already told you to ‘Watch Out”. What more will it take for you to take notice. We have so many companies that have taken there jobs overseas and it is bad enough that Americans don’t have decent jobs or better yet, jobs at all. We can not let a foreign company come in and just undermine the value of AB. Guess what, there will not be a price high enough for the Bud. Budweiser, Bud Light—-please, Brito—-take your ______ somewhere else because WE DO NOT WANT YOUR MONEY. WE WANT OUR JOBS AND CONTINUED STABILITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is a lot of resistance against a take over of an American company by a foreign company.
Does this mean that American companies should sell off any particpations in foreign companies?
(starting with the Mexaican particpation of AB, maybe).
FYI: I am Belgian. And we have a lot of companies that have been taken over by foreign companies in the past. What’s the big deal?
I agree with tb. It’s all part of the globalisation. I’m still waiting for the first KFC in my hometown tho. :)
If anything, this takeover will bring more to both parties. Think of it, the export of belgian beers to the US will be easier and vice versa. Note, we Belgians have some tradition in brewing beers. But will Bush change flavour? Ofcourse not. If you see what beers Inbev owns in Belgium (Jupiler, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Belle-vu,..) all these have come from traditional breweries and all still taste the same, made mostly in the same companies. What really has changed is the logistics side of the thing. More efficient, new management and more export to outside. And the social aspect of the thing? Well Belgians have about highest sense of welfare, health insurance, and labour parties in the world. Our history has proven it. So if these values are taken as well…what’s the big concern.
Patriotism is fine..but don’t fear lil ol’ belgium traditions and values…
Ps: the poster that said drugs are legal, is wrong. Softdrugs aren’t allowed in Belgium. And prostitutes…the oldest job in the world..atleast there aren’t pimps here and prostitutes get healthinsurance and police protection. And it’s not like it’s in every village or town…Or do you have gambling dens all over the place as well?…
Cheers
Globalization is what it is, no boundries or loyalties to country or company. The Busch family has always acted like this is THEIR company. They have always acted as if the hourly employees are lucky to have a job. They have been robbing the companies treasury ever since the death of Busch II. Stock options were a very small part of compensation prior to his death. Busch III has been a greedy, arrogant guy his whole life. The hourly employees have seen a reduction in their workforce since 1994, from 9000 union members to 5500 presently. Making 30-40% more beer.
Do I want to see Inbev takeover? Not really, but if they do the Busch family has no one to blame but themselves. Don’t try and wrap up in the flag and keep shopping at Wal-Mart for all those fine chinese goods.
Guys, if we are truly concerned about AB hostile take over there is a easy solution. Lets all go to the internet and buy AB stocks. This is a free market. If we really believe in this company and want to keep as American as apple pie go to NYSE and buy its stocks and lets refuse Imbev’s offer or lets cut the crap and stop wining about it like small kids that only favors real capitalism in theory. The basic right of any stockholder is its ability to buy or sell its shares to anyone. If we are not happy with the free market rules that we Americans created and “sold” to the entire world, the same free market that made this country the most successful in terms of trade, we are really in a big trouble.
Edward
thanks, buying is great!!! But what I have said to the compaining “miserable” AB stockholders (that only became miserable about 1 month ago when cash flashed before their collective eyes) is sell. Get your money and be happy. That way those stockholders that have stock (even 5 or 10 shares) will count for the better, yes the little guy WILL count.
VOTE!!! it always matters.
Tijl Uilenspiegel - I am really getting tired of Euro-centric people such as yourself trashing the American culture.
I engaged in a similar banter with someone like yourself in a hotel lobby recently. I asked him one simple question…”why are you here”? His reply was “my company is setting up a distribution center in America”. Well, there you go…another European company wanting to get a piece of America. You (collectively) trash America, but then in the same breath whore yourselves out to get our business. I have one simple reason you went on a tirade earlier in this thread…you’re jealous of America…plain and simple. You can mask your jealousy of America with your rants…but I know you and most of Europe is jealous…have been since the end of WWII. Face it, the FACT is that if it weren’t for America…Hitler would have won the war in Europe. You people can’t stand that fac