Diageo Completes Beer Business Deal

Post published:30/01/2013
Reading time:2 min(s) read

London-based Diageo Plc. (DEO) has completed its joint venture with India’s largest spirits company United Spirits Limited, to own United National Breweries’ traditional sorghum beer business in South Africa. Diageo has bought 50% of the business for approximately 25 million pounds sterling ($36.0 million). The remaining half of the company will be held by a company affiliated to Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman of United Spirits Limited.
The deal dates back to November 2012, when Diageo and Mallya had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the traditional sorghum beer business of South Africa-based United National Breweries. The 50-50 joint venture will foray into certain emerging markets of Africa and Asia (excluding India).
Along with the signed MoU, Diageo also agreed to acquire a 53.4% stake in United Spirits for 1.285 billion pounds sterling ($2.05 billion), in order to venture into the fast growing alcohol market in India. Besides financial strength, the acquisition is expected to help to reduce debt and provide United Spirits with the opportunities it seeks. For Diageo, United Spirits will not only open up the growing market Indian market, but also assure access to a burgeoning middle class and a rising beer consumption trend.
Entrepreneur Mallya sold the 53.4% stake in United Spirits to Diageo as he requires sufficient cash to bail his Kingfisher Airlines out of bankruptcy.
Diageo, the owner of leading brands like Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker explores opportunities to expand geographically through acquisitions, within its financial criteria. The acquisitions of companies with strong local routes to market and brands like Mey I?ki in Turkey and the investment in ShuiJingFang in China and Halico in Vietnam in fiscal 2012 are particularly appealing.
Currently, Diageo Plc. carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We would also recommend that investors to consider Boston Beer Company Inc. (SAM), and Compania Cervecerias Unidas S.A. (CCU) that carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and Constellation Brands Inc. (STZ) with a Zacks #2 (Buy). These companies offer a more attractive exposure to alcoholic beverage segments.

Tags: M&A in beer industry

Beer Business #4-2021. Poland beer market analysis
20/02/2022
Current data The influence of export and import Non-alcoholic boom Output and market by value Beer prices Who can afford beer? Segmentation by price Segmentation by channels of sales Beer sales in HoReCa Segmentation by tastes Positions of major companies Kompania Piwowarska (Asahi) Grupa Żywiec (Heineken) Carlsberg Polska Van Pur Polish craft brewers Is there […]...

Beer Business #3-2021. Russian beer market. Beer market of Ukraine.
16/10/2021
In 2021 Russian breweries have not lost their consumers, it even turned out that they started drinking more beer at home and more often. The market has held the high bar of the previous season, yet now it is growing by value and polarizing by price segments. The competition in the market has been determined […]...

Beer Business #2-2021. Kazakhstan beer market: bigger, more complex and more expensive
26/07/2021
Kazakhstan beer market is still growing by volume and value. The consumers’ demands are gradually becoming more complex, there is the market polarization by price and taste segments as license, canned, strong and mild beer popularity is growing. Eye catching new products have a big impact on companies’ positions in the situation of limited advertising. […]...

Beer Business #1-2021. Ubrew – Catalogue of Ukrainian breweries
06/05/2021
The catalogue of Ukrainian breweries contains 251 producers ranging from transnational groups to craft and restaurant breweries. In the catalogue we have combined open official data, information from social networks and where possible, from brewers themselves. The previous “census” was made by us in 2011-2012. So, what has changed over the recent ten years and […]...

Beer Business #4-2020. Russia: regional beer markets
21/01/2021
In the seven regions of Russia we have analyzed: the share of companies of various scales – from federal breweries to minibreweries popularity of brands (license, national and regional); market segmentations by price; the dynamics of output, sales and prices...

Beer Business #2-2020. 2020 what’s new?
20/11/2020
Russian beer market 2020 1) The market positions of the major companies and brands in the first half of 2020; 2) Production structure – from craft to federal breweries; 3) The market segmentation by the price and package. In 2020, the roles of sale channels have changed especially at the draft beer market. The relations […]...

Beer Business #2-2020. The market of non-alcoholic beer in Russia: companies, brands and consumers
01/07/2020
Where is the non-alcoholic beer market heading to? Companies and brands. Baltika as a democratic leader. Heineken – how do you shake up the market and shove up the competitors. AB InBev Efes – premium corner. Non-alcoholic import beer. Non-alcoholic beer – Who drinks it? General conclusions. Summer beer....

Beer Business #1-2020. Russian beer producers (catalogue/database)
27/04/2020
“Catalogue of Russian Beer Producers 2020” includes 1285 businesses ranging from large subsidiaries of international companies to rather small restaurant and craft breweries. This issue has 171 more breweries compared to 2018 (155 business have been excluded and 326 have been included). Starting from 2019, FTS has been publishing data on excise payments by brewers […]...

Beer Business (Pivnoe Delo) #4-2019
09/02/2020
Dmitry Nekrasov’s Philosophy — on the Past, Present and Future of Ukrainian Brewing Industry A meeting with Dmitry Nekrasov always turns into a training course: “Introduction to brewing business“. We are talking to a clever “playing trainer“ a person that can be called a godfather of the Ukrainian craft. He has a dozen of successful […]...

Beer Business (Pivnoe Delo) #3-2019
10/11/2019
Russia: Positions of Brewing Companies The review contains an analysis of interim performance of brewers in the first half of 2019. There are rather dynamic changes behind a modest industry growth. Baltika is again experiencing a stage of volumes and market share slid due to competition with AB InBev Efes. Because of the price competition […]...