SABMiller’s results came in a little better than the market feared — the brewer appears to be outperforming rivals such as Heineken and Carlsberg, at least. From an investor’s point of view, though, the numbers look like an irrelevance, set against the prospects of a takeover approach.
This is one of those rumours that have been around for years, will not lie down but has yet to get beyond the gossip stage. The latest reports mention a combination of AB InBev, the world’s biggest drinks group and the long-time expected bidder, Warren Buffett and 3G Capital, the Brazilian investor.
The figures to the end of March show a better-than-expected recovery in the second half, particularly in Asia Pacific and Europe. These were both in