Obviously the list of people that Inbev wants to put on the board have been “interviewed” to make sure they are sympathetic to the takeover idea. I am sure they will be “partial” in their considerations…LOL!

It is all about the money, or is it? The share holders, if they sell, will hit a sweet windfall but for those who don’t sell, the stock will fall and they will be stuck with a stock that is no longer in demand. I believe product sales will slip. Many loyal customers will eventually drift away. This may not seem like too big of an impact, but with the competition of other beer mfg’rs InBev is assuming that they will be able to continue AB’s marketplace. I see this as a gross misjudgement of brand loyalty. Mostly the brand loyalty is the local buying power of regional beer drinkers. They may sustain the worldwide customers but they will take a hit locally. Especially if there is a huge shake up and thr St. Louis org. is removed. For all the Warren Buffett’s it is all about profit and not pride. For them it doesn’t matter if they sell out as tradition for their own gratification regardless of what a merger like this will affect. But that is business and we have the best system set up for this kind of transaction. On another note, this just adds up to further monopolization in the beer industry. We need a Teddy Roosevelt to come back and break up monopolies that are reforming in the business world.

One interesting thought: Years ago my dad told me how AB was getting worried about possible monopoly regulators breaking up the company because they were over 50% of the market share (50.5% or so). The word was AB was going to try to sustain their market share without getting too much bigger until they got a feel for what the government regulators were going to do. This was back during the last year of Reagen if I remember correctly. It would be interesting if an Inbev takeover would suddenly spur the anti-trust folks to revisit them…

Anheuse-Bush shares it’s wealth with the communities where it does business and always establishes business behaviors that are above the prevailing ethical and moral standards. AB has donateded over 370 millon dollars in the last ten years to nonprofit organizations working to enhance the lives of millons of people. For the fifth consecutive year AB ranked as the No.1 company in the bevearge industry on FORTUNE magazine’s list of ” America’s Most Admired Companys” and “Worlds Most Admired Companys”. AB has always been a big supporter of our troops. It’s ironic that the market should punish this behavior, where it really should be emulated (especially on Wall Street). AB’s business behavior is what you would expect from a company that plans on a very long profitable future. I ask that you make your voices herd in support of this great American Company. Someone has to have the courage to stand up and say that enough is enough and stop the selling of America to foreign countrys. For heavens sake cant we keep somthing American owned and made in this country

The A-B board needs to stop trading press releases and enter into discussions with a deep pocketed, willing buyer. The board is on the precipice of breaching its fiduciary duties. InBev wants to talk friendly, but cant because A-B is too proud. Message to the Buschs and the board: it is not your company. InBev’s proxy solicitor is no doubt busy working the phones, based on what they are getting paid per the filing today, and the majority of shareholders will take certainty now; not some pie-eyed promises to deliver value a year from now. If the board is smart, they will sit down and negotiate a higher price. If they aren’t smart they wont be directors.

One thing that may don’t appear to understand about the proposed deal is it will not create any future value for BUD shareholders. If the deal goes through, BUD shareholders will be forced to surrender their shares to Imbev for a one time cash buy out and will have to pay capital gains taxes for selling their shares. No current BUD stock holder will have any interest or stock in the combined company. You just get a check and BUD stock will no longer exist. So this deal is really a transfer of Bud’s value to Imbev shareholders taking advantage of the weak dollar. I agree with Dan that Imbev is grossly under estimating the affect of a hostile takeover on loyal Bud drinkers. Imbev will ultimately loose Bud’s market share and ruin a great company.

If you take the emotion out, jack bauer is right on the money. too many posters seem to think that the shareholders of A-B should be all warm and fuzzy feeling about St.Louis and the charities, blah,blah,blah. You don’t invest your money in the stock market for the warm and fuzzies. You invest to hopefully make money. Compared to what A-B stock has done the past few years, I’ll take my $65.00 and pay the capital gains tax. Better to pay it now, because the rates will surely go up when the Dem’s get their way. This deal will hinge on the stockholders(owners) deciding whether it is a good deal or not. I’m betting they will beat the door down to sell.

In refernce to Adolphus Busch IV on Inbev hand selected board…I am so glad I don’t belong to a family that sells each other out!!! I honestly don’t know how they (Busch’s) sleep at night. (I am aware of both sides of the story)
When you read these types of family cut throats it makes you feel “warm and fuzzy” about not having a lot of money but having the love and support of your family.
God have pity on them!!!!

So the point of this story is what? That Brito had already talked to these folks months ago?? Tree hugger Adolphus was already bellied up to the bar selling himself and his name AND some of his stock?

So these people knew some inside info and sold some stock? Again unless it is considered insider trading (is it??) , why are articles like these being printed? So many silly little articles with little info. All Joseph Pulitzers must be rolling in their graves.

Chas–I don’t understand your point. Anyone can take their $65/share they receive and go buy InBev’s stock. It’s not like they are taking away the current shareholders’ right to buy InBev and reacquire any future dividends and capital gains earned by A-B as a part of the newly merged firm.

There is no transfer of value from A-B shareholders to InBev shareholders in the manner you are describing. If anything, there is an initial transfer of value from InBev’s owners to A-B’s shareholders to finance the $65/share price.

I think everyone is clear what is going on Paul. Most will understand what Chas is saying. VALUE is being sold.(Inbev products for AB products) Period. (undervalue at that, cheap,low balling, undercut, whatever you want to call it) $75 plus is common agreement. Current Inbev stockholders will receive the VALUE. (or not because from what I have read Inbev stock is not doing so great because their stockholders are nervous with an upcoming 50 billion debt, maybe their stockholders can oust them) Also Brito see’s AB as the golden goose in beer VALUE so yes VALUE is what he is betting the farm on. What else is he buying??????

I don’t think $75 plus is “a common agreement” among the money managers who will really decide this deal. This stock was under $50 when the InBev rumors surfaced. Most mature companies don’t receive a 50% premium in a takeover. I’d be surprised if InBev would actually do the deal for that much. $70 I can believe, but $75 is a lot of debt to take on. The big stockholders understand this and will operate accordingly.

Lisa–I’m not arguing that Brito sees value in this deal. Why else would he make it? What I’m arguing is that A-B shareholders have the opportunity to receive more value if they accept the deal than if the company remains independent. They will receive more than the market price for their stock right now. The shareholders then have the opportunity to buy InBev with their gain and acquire the value that the firm may or may not realize as a result of this deal.

Value is not being taken from A-B shareholders; value is being given to them by InBev’s current shareholders.

People can you see what’s happening here! A big BULLY its trying to take over our playground! If you are A TRUE American and you LOVE your AB products YOU MUST NOT let InBev take OVER- Tell these PIGS to shove their own bottles up “you know where” AB supports American Communities and that not only includes all of the “Gringos” that includes every IMMIGRANT who consumes,manufactures,distributes or profits from any of these products; besides don’t you just LOVE “Busch Gardens” and “Sea World” and a whole bunch of Parks thatare FAMILY ORIENTED FUN ; if some one else buys the company they will just become like 6Flags…BLAH!!! This is personal man and we just have to say NO- I’m a shareholder and so are a few members of my family we are not rich folks but we love OUR COUNTRY and OUR PEOPLE and we love to have American Bussines that encourage American resident and citizen employment; I could sell right now and pay some of my own bills but I chose not to because I worry about what’s going to happen to these workers- Because they WILL be REPLACED!!!!!!! By some other “scmucks” from a land far,far away! I’ve worked in similar type situations and at the end we ALL get LAID OFF!!! and all the money goes over seas- PLEASE DON’T SELL- don’t give in this is just a “gimmick” and they do not think you are important, you are just another Dollar to them. Anheuser-Busch takes us personally and so should we; lets not sell our country piece by piece; if we do they future will not be bright for our kids and their kids…RED, WHITE AND BLUE ALWAYS!!! LIVE IT and LOVE IT!!!

geez maria, lay off the mountain dew, red bull or whatever your drinking. At the end of the day, this means nothing at all.

I didn’t know they were PIGS, I thought they were Belgium’s or Brazilian’s.

oh, I gotcha Paul. All though I might argue a hair with you on the price. And yes that is a huge amount of debt to take on. I know he can’t use stock he was told it was off limits early into this deal. (maybe things will change, probably not)

Here is the rub……his own Inbev stock has been a little stagnate (just as everyones) his own stockholders are getting a little antsy with this. If you read some of the papers overseas, I am getting the idea Brito wants what he wants and to heck with anyone else.
How long will his existing stockholders become unhappy with stagnate poor performing stocks once AB debt is brought on and maybe just maybe someone may oust their board??
The scarier part to that story would be Brito would sell off AB as my belief is Britos eyes are bigger than his stomach.

Lisa–I think most InBev shareholders are still quite happy with the current management. They’ve generated an incredible amount of value over the past 5 years. They’re having a rough few months, certainly. InBev’s long term performance gives Brito and his team credibility that Busch IV does have.

I don’t see how InBev’s stock goes anywhere until this deal gets done. They’re in a position very similar to Microsoft is with a potential Yahoo acquisition–investors don’t know what such a deal will really cost InBev. One can’t put a fair value on InBev without knowing the cost of this deal. Money managers aren’t in the business of buying companies they can’t value.

Cost is more than just dollars here–Brito is clearly investing much of his time trying to consummate the deal with A-B. This is time he would normally spend on InBev’s current business. Shareholders put a value on this.

I do think his investors will be frustrated if this deal drags on for a long time and they still end up paying materially more than $65/share.

My 90 year old mother is being forced to sell her 6000 shares of BUD and to therefore take a huge tax hit on stock she has held since the 1950 when she began penny pinching to save for her old age. This is just one more injustice she must suffer because she tried to save for her future.