Several sources are pointing out a Reuters interview last week with Peter Swinburn, head of MolsonCoors. In that interview, Swinburn suggests that while he considers his company to be a “buyer,” he doesn’t discount the notion that MolsonCoors could be a takeover target. He further remarked that “SABMiller, Molson’s partner in the MillerCoors joint venture, would be a natural fit as a buyer.” While going on to say he doesn’t believe that will happen, this is, after all, how these types of things begin. A rumor that’s denied and discounted by all involved parties becoming a reality is nothing new, so you never know. Currently SABMiller is the 2nd largest global beer company and MolsonCoors in sixth. Though a merger wouldn’t eclipse A-B InBev at the top spot, it would move them closer together. Only time will tell.
MillerCoors: Is A Global Merger Possible?
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Great. Go through with the buyout and get loaded up with debt. Lay a bunch of people off — giving them packages to go away.
Since you’re publicly traded, whittle on the marketing budgets to pump your EPS up.
What do you get in the end? What InBev is going to be in a few years. A debt loaded hog with meaningless brands and declining sales.
Look at A-B did to Rolling Rock. Bought them and closed Latrobe — reducing the meaning of the brand to the thickness of a paper label. Sales tanked — and now they’re stuck with it.
Does the M in MBA stand for moron?
The M stands for greedy, usually–it’s bound to begin with an “M” in some language.
I read that interview with M-C CEO Swindell and the “natural fit w/SABMiller” quote, but did HE say that or was it “Stifel Nicolaus analyst Mark Swartzberg” (who’s quoted in the immediate preceding paragraphs)? Swindell’s comments a bit later (paragraph that begins “”That deal…”) seems to imply the opposite, but, I agree, denials often lead to buyouts in this industry.
As for “Mr. Nuts” Rolling Rock/A-B comment – as has often been noted, A-B did not buy the Latrobe brewery, and so never closed it. RR’s owner at the time, InBev, sold the label to A-B, and the brewery to City Brewing Co., of LaCrosse, WI. The brewery is open and is currently brewing beer for Iron City (IC, Old German, Augustiner, American), Stoney’s, Pabst (including Southampton’s 12 oz’ers, McSorley’s and Haffenreffer) and estimates they’ll reach the 500k bbl. level soon.
Seems to me the only sure winners in a merger are the investment bankers.