• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
FinanceBeer

Why AB InBev’s ‘Sweetened’ Offer for SABMiller is Actually a Steal

By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 26, 2016, 4:33 PM ET
Anheuser-Busch InBev NV Chief Executive Officer Carlos Brito Attends Full Year Results News Conference As Mainstream Beer Demand Dries Up
Photograph by Jasper Juine — Bloomberg/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Anheuser-Busch InBev said it had sweetened its offer for SABMiller in the mega merger of the beer brewers, after Brexit-inspired currency moves substantially changed the value of the deal.

When AB InBev (BUD) agreed in November to pay 44 pounds per share of UK-based SABMiller, the price of the deal equated to $108 billion. Since then, though, the British pound has tumbled almost 14% against the U.S. dollar, largely a result of Britain’s vote to exit the European Union. That meant AB InBev, which is based in Belgium but planned to pay for the deal mostly using debt denominated in dollars, wouldn’t have to pony up nearly as much as it originally thought.

But after SABMiller said last week that it would have to reconsider the attractiveness of the deal in light of the foreign exchange rate changes, AB InBev slightly upped its offer on Tuesday to 45 pounds per share.

In reality, though, the Budweiser brewer is still getting a huge discount on the price it initially agreed to pay for SABMiller. AB InBev noted that its new and “final offer” represents an increase of one pound per share. But in dollars, it is actually paying $7.50 less per share than it originally planned. Overall, the new offer is worth about $103.5 billion—or $4.5 billion less than when AB InBev made the deal last fall.

It’s no wonder, then, that SABMiller investors are reportedly pushing it to make AB InBev cough up more of that cash before going through with the merger. Elliott Management, a U.S.-based hedge fund and activist investor, wrote to SABMiller’s board earlier this month with concerns about the payment structure of the deal, and other hedge funds have also asked the company to hold out for a better offer, the Financial Times reported.

Whereas the pound’s slide hasn’t made much of a difference for British investors in SABMiller—who are now getting a slightly better price for their shares—it has a much bigger impact on the company’s American and European investors, who had calculated their potential returns using a much better exchange rate when the deal was announced.

Although AB InBev said its raised offer represents a 53% premium over SABMiller’s share price before the deal was announced (up from the 50% premium of its original offer), it’s not nearly as sweet once you translate it into other foreign currencies. In dollars, AB InBev’s new offer is only 33% above what SABMiller shares were worth before the deal (at the exchange rate at the time); in euros, the premium has fallen to just 29%.

SABMiller said it would review AB InBev’s revised offer, which came after a discussion between the chairman of each company about “recent exchange rate volatility and market movements.” The beer company had supported Britain remaining in the EU, with SABMiller CEO Alan Clark writing in a statement earlier this year that the firm’s “economic and business interests” are “best served by remaining in the Union.”

Alongside its cash offer, AB InBev also made a special cash-and-stock offer known as a partial-share alternative for a minority of SABMiller’s shares, which it also sweetened on Tuesday, but it comes with restrictions that only the company’s largest shareholders are expected to accept.

About the Author
By Jen Wieczner
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Woman sitting in front of her house
SuccessWorld Cup
Airbnb offered $750 to Americans to open up their homes during the World Cup—mostly women took it up and now they’re earning thousands
By Emma BurleighJuly 3, 2026
49 minutes ago
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin Attends ASEAN-Russia Summit
Energyputin
Russians live with fuel shortages and rationing as Putin insists the war against Ukraine will go on
By The Associated PressJuly 3, 2026
1 hour ago
bis
InvestingStock
Global stocks stage a rally as American markets take the day off
By Elaine Kurtenbach and The Associated PressJuly 3, 2026
1 hour ago
Kevin Warsh, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, during a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
EconomyKevin Warsh
Inside the mind of Kevin Warsh: As told by his former boss Condoleezza Rice, his college friend, and his closest partner during the financial crisis
By Eleanor PringleJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Those bots sending discounts to your email is dynamic pricing in action. Get revenge on those bots by abandoning your cart
RetailConsumer Spending
Those bots sending discounts to your email is dynamic pricing in action. Get revenge on those bots by abandoning your cart
By Catherina GioinoJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Mortgage rates today, July 3, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, July 3, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 3, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
2 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
Success
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
17 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 2, 2026
20 hours ago
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
Success
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
By Emma BurleighJuly 2, 2026
19 hours ago
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
Success
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.