Asahi to Buy Beer Brands Peroni and Grolsch With $2.9B Offer

Japan's Asahi Group on Wednesday, Feb. 10, won an auction for SABMiller plc's Grolsch, Peroni and Meantime beer brands, after making an offer worth €2.55 billion ($2.87 billion) to the seller's own agreed bidder, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA. Leuven, Belgium-based AB InBev, which makes Budweiser, Bud Light and Beck's, said it has received a binding offer for the brands and their related businesses - excluding certain U.S. rights - from the maker of Asahi Super Dry and Clear Asahi beers. 'The parties will now commence the relevant employee information and consultation processes applicable to a potential sale of these brands and businesses,' triggering the start of exclusive talks, AB InBev added. Asahi's offer will be conditional on the successful closing of AB InBev's takeover offer for SABMiller, which was agreed in November and values the U.K.-based target at £71 billion ($102.8 billion).