Asahi to Become Tsingtao Brewery's Second-largest Shareholder

Anheuser-Busch InBev, Tsingtao Brewery Company's second largest shareholder, has already signed an agreement with Asahi Breweries for the sale of a 19.99 percent stake in Tsingtao to Asahi, according to a statement released by the company on February 2.

After this transaction, Asahi will become Tsingtao's second largest shareholder. Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch InBev's three representatives on the Board of Directors and the Board of Supervisors will resign.

Anheuser-Busch InBev sold its 261,577,836 H shares in Tsingtao on January 22 to Asahi at 19.78 HKD per share, according to the agreement. The total price was 666.5 million USD. This price marks a premium of 38 percent over the closing price of Tsingtao's H shares that day.

At present, the Tsingtao Beer Group will remain Tsingtao Brewery's largest shareholder with a 30.56 percent share of the brewery. Anheuser-Busch InBev will continue to hold a 7 percent share in Tsingtao.

The company said it currently has no plans to sell its remaining shares.

By People's Daily Online